From The Road
April 25, 2008 3:04 PM

McCain Rides His Campaign Bus With Huckabee

By
Andante Higgins
Topics
John McCain
(CBS)
From CBS News' Dante Higgins:

Mike Huckabee joined John McCain on his campaign bus today in Arkansas and weighed in on the controversy with Barack Obama and his pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

"I think that would be a little presumptuous to ever assume that just because the pastor says something in the pulpit everybody in the pew agrees with it. That's rarely the case. Influential? Sure. Necessarily transferable? Usually not," Huckabee, who's also an ordained Baptist minister, told reporters today.

Huckabee reflected on the primary battle between he and McCain saying, "For me the fortunate thing is I don't have to go around and unsay anything I said during the campaign."

"We had a very civil relationship and I though it was significant that the two of us ran frankly, the most civil campaigns in the entire primary ended up the last two on our feet," he said. Huckabee dropped out of the race after the March 4 primaries.


McCain told the story of how they got to know each other last year at an AARP forum in Iowa. "I still think people remember it as one of the most illuminating and educational experiences they've had on health care. As we stood next to each other at the very end of podiums through the debates, Gov. Huckabee and I had lots of time to chat with each other since at one point there were very few questions that were directed to us," McCain said, alluding to the fact that at the time, both he and Huckabee were trailing badly in the GOP race.

"The main thing is getting John McCain elected," Huckabee said. McCain told reporters to expect to see Huckabee on the campaign trail again beyond Arkansas.

Huckabee also referenced Hillary Clinton's TV ad that criticized McCain for not being able to answer a phone call at 3am in the event of an economic crisis. He said the phone will also ring at 3 in the afternoon as well, "And I think that people in America are going to see that Senator McCain is ready for prime time."

Huckabee said he's been reaching out to religious leaders on behalf of McCain and feels the party, including social conservatives, will get behind McCain.

"I expect the entire party is going to rally behind Senator McCain. It already is. There is a very good movement taking place within the party, not just to coalesce but to strengthen and to really bond and realize that this is a very critical election that we can't afford to take lightly. There's going to be a lot of energy for whoever the Democrat is. They've been out of the White House for 8 years. They're hungry, they want it back," Huckabee said.


Add a Comment
by verycold April 26, 2008 5:03 PM EDT
I do think it is very important to for McCain to pick somebody that he really likes personally as well as gets along with on issues. Huckabee has a huge following and will help in the south I think. Both men are funny and when life gets tough it is always good to have a sense of humor. It is also good that one has been in a governing position with the other one knowing Washington so well. The only caveat to me is keeping religion where it belongs and that is at home. It would be interesting to compare strengths and weaknesses and how they can compliment each other.
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by netty313 April 26, 2008 1:26 PM EDT
Being a Huckabee fan, I can''t help but love this video and what it sort of implies. And is that a Venti John McCain is hoisting?

http://cathlete.net
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by tangorooster April 26, 2008 1:18 AM EDT
Great scoop here! That video speaks volumes about the chemistry between McCain and Huckabee.

Interesting comment on the non-verbal body language ratings too. With all the strategies I''m reading about picking a VP who can give you this and that advantage, I almost forgot that actually enjoying being around the guy may be just as important.
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by giantrobot2 April 25, 2008 9:45 PM EDT
*** BREAKING NEWS ***

Non-verbal communication experts who study body language are reporting remarkably high numbers between McCain and Huckabee.

In particular they note how McCain holds and sips on his coffee. "Those body language cues, give us a great deal of information on how comfortable he feels talking with Mike Huckabee."

When compared to other video''s with other potential VP candidates, Mike Huckabee scores the highest with McCain, coming in at 97.7, some 34 points higher than any other candidate.

This is a remarkably high number on the first meeting between the two after the presidential debates.

Based on the years of body language analysis, the research center is hedging their bets that McCain will pick Huckabee as his running mate. "Normally I wouldnt say that so soon, but since the result is so high, one would have to conclude McCain is extremelly comfortable with Mike Huckabee at his side."

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by michaellgooc April 25, 2008 8:11 PM EDT
I really enjoyed the way this article presents the case for a possible McCain/Huckabee ticket. McCain needs the spirtuallity of Huckabee in his campagin but more importantly in the White House. The political world is no different than the business world. The connection between business success and business failure is obvious to those who want to scratch beneath the surface. In my new HR book, Wingtips with Spurs, the longest chapter in the book is devoted to the spirit and the successful career. It also covers the connectiveness of our actions and the important of spiritual wisdom. Anyone with the slightest intellect can see the wisdom of this pairing. Also, as a former resident of Arkansas, I can assure the reader that Huckabee is the real deal. Michael L. Gooch http://www.michaellgooch.com
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by memekiller April 25, 2008 6:38 PM EDT
Remember Statler and Waldorf from the Muppet Show?

Not sure why the title of this post made me think of that.
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