From The Road
February 8, 2008 3:30 PM

Huckabee Says D.C.'s "Chattering Class" Not "Thrilled" He's Still Running

By
Joy Lin
Topics
Mike Huckabee
(CBS)
From CBS News' Joy Lin:

WICHITA, KAN. -- Buyer's remorse. That's what sure-footed dreamers of a Mike Huckabee nomination are banking on. In his swing through Kansas the day before the primary, he's finding crowds that number over a thousand - people who are looking for a John McCain alternative.

McCain is a "Democrat running as a Republican," one Kansas voter told me today sarcastically pointing out people can vote in the Democrats' caucus if they want to vote for one.

"You may be aware some of the chattering class out there on the East Coast is not exactly thrilled about my being here," Huckabee said to the crowd here in Wichita.

"Many of them had just about all the heartburn they can handle about a guy who is not part of the Washington establishment having the audacity to run for president without their permission. Well, guess what. Last time I checked, this country still belonged to the people of America, not a handful of pundits in Washington!"

With Focus on the Family founder James Dobson's endorsement, Huckabee is emphasizing his status as the alternative for so-called "values voters."

"Ladies and gentleman, we don't simply need a president who says I will accept a pro-life plank or I will accept pro-life legislation," he said.

"I believe we need a president who says I will lead this country to recognize the value and worth of every single human life."

And in Olathe this morning, Huckabee sidetracked from his usual talking points to say, "the day we lose our moral center is the day we lose the capacity for freedom."

"Freedom does not live in a vacuum, it lives within the context that some things are right and some things are wrong," said Huckabee to an enthusiastic crowd.

"It's wrong to kill, its wrong to lie, its wrong to steal. And we shouldn't be ashamed that we say those things are wrong. And freedom can only operate in a context of a people who define some things as being right and wrong…I hear people say you can't legislate morality. Actually, every time you legislate something you have legislated morality because that's what you've done, you've set the standards you've said these things are right, it's wrong to drive 90 miles an hour on the freeway, though some of you did today. It's wrong to cheat on your taxes...though maybe, well hopefully not in this room, this is a Republican audience but...its wrong to cheat on your taxes. My point is when you've defined something as right or wrong you've legislated morality. You can't legislate behavior but you've legislated the rightness or wrongness, that's the point of law."

Add a Comment See all 22 Comments
by becauseicare February 9, 2008 5:33 PM EST
It won''t cost me a thing to vote for Romney either and I''m going to simply because he is the man I believed in from the very beginning. I can''t stand Huckabee and haven''t since his dirty political play in Iowa. He is a great speaker with no substance and I can''t believe that people buy into it - look at his record!!! We need Huckabee about as much as we needed other southern baptist governors like Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton!
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by michaellitz2 February 9, 2008 4:11 PM EST
I LOVE Mike Huckabee!!! He''s a WISE, witty and GOOD man!! He''s a great GIFT to our country in this election cycle and I CAN''T WAIT to cast my vote for him!!!!!!!!!! There really IS an alternative! - And a very GOOD one at that!!!!!!!!
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by ivote-2009 February 9, 2008 4:05 PM EST
People making comments should give consideration that 27 states, districts, and territories have not yet voted. Do you think maybe they should be given an opportunity to take part in the election process?

Mike Huckabee has more executive experience than any candidate running, Republican or Democrat. He was re-elected Governor of Arkansas until his term limits expired and he was their Lt. Gov. prior to that. He was named one of the BEST FIVE GOVERNORS IN AMERICA by Time Magazine. He is for real and he is authentic. We will be voting Mike Huckabee!
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by fairmark February 9, 2008 3:32 PM EST
I love the FairTax too!!! So does Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Boston U., and Rice U. (Poet and didn''t know it). Go Huckabee!
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by apinchofsalt February 9, 2008 3:18 PM EST
Huckabee is better than McCain. Vote Huckabee!!!
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by becauseicare February 9, 2008 2:47 PM EST
Non evangelicals like Mike?? I guess that''s good for Mike since the evangelicals who can think for themselves tended to vote for Romney.
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by becauseicare February 9, 2008 2:29 PM EST
One more thing - how far would Mike have gotten without his continued play on class envy...right out of the liberal playbook! It''s easy to campaign for votes of people who will accept you as a Baptist Preacher - they don''t bother to research your record! By the way, what was on those hard drives you destroyed? Why were you cited for 5-6 ethics violations? Did you enjoy the gifts you received on your wedding registry (you were married for 25 years already weren''t you? I''m sure we''ll find out if you end up on the ticket! Huckabee supporters please open your eyes and see this guy is a user!
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by becauseicare February 9, 2008 2:23 PM EST
Mike Huckabee has used Mitt Romney throughout the entire campaign! Romney paid for the ads that exposed the record of John McCain and Huckabee then attacked Romney for it - he is by far the biggest classless hypocrit in this race! Romney won more states and more second places by far than Huckabee. If not for the WV sham by McCain, Romney would''ve won WV! Huckabee is a low class bigot and I will never vote for a man like that. I don''t like McCain either but will vote for him while choking on my own vomit. If McCain takes this guy as his running mate I will sit this one out and vote for Romney in 2012. I will still vote for Romney in the Texas primary!!
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by miss_storm February 9, 2008 2:04 PM EST
To Romney & Paul supporters%u2026 (part 1)
I consider myself an Independent-Christian Conservative. My first vote was for Ross Perot. This election year I didnt really get interested until I heard that Thompson was going to jump in. I waited till he finally did. Well, we know how that went. I looked at Rudy. I knew about McCain. I was drawn to both Mike & Mitt for different reasons. I wanted to see a businessman in the White house one time just to see if THEY could clean up the mess. Then all the hubbawalloo started about Mitt being a Mormon. So, as I thought about it, I decided even if his beliefs aren%u2019t in mine I could vote for him. Same with Mike. I was leaning towards Mike at this point was that Mitt had recently changed his positions on gay marriage and abortion. Then Mitt was doing the phone bank calls telling people a vote for Mike is a vote for McCain. I cannot tell you how insulted that made me. I may try to persuade someone to vote for my guy I would never tell anyone you are wasting your vote. I am not Anti-Mitt, or Anti-Paul%u2026Im just Pro-Huckabee! It is as simple as that. Its my guy this time.
Paul supporters%u2026 You guys have been terribly mistreated. I was especially upset at how badly some of the mediators treated him at the debates. Mike has a chance people. Don%u2019t let the media control your vote. Look at his blog & you will find many people who have the same attitude as me.
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by amishcar February 9, 2008 1:16 PM EST
This 36 year old Ron Paul supporter will vote for Hillary Clinton over Isnane Mccain. And I will work to get the rest of the RON PAUL ARMY to smash Insane Mccain into the ground for the children''s future. Good Luck Mike.
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