Huckabee on Sarah Palin, Other GOP "Rock Stars"

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics

Mike Huckabee spelled out his feelings on Sarah Palin and discussed the Republicans he believes have the biggest political futures on this week's installment on @katiecouric.

Palin, he told Katie Couric, is "a very charismatic person who is rock star status in the Republican Party." (watch at left.) He said he would vote for the former Alaska governor against President Obama, although "in the primary, it would depend on who else was running."

"I don't know that much about her job as governor, because she was coming into office as I was leaving," said Huckabee. "And so we didn't have a lot of cross over time where we interacted at the National Governor's Association, or Republican Governor's Association. But I think that she's not anywhere near the person that sometimes she's been portrayed to be – as completely lacking of any intellectual capacity."

Huckabee, a 2008 GOP presidential candidate and former Arkansas governor, is pushing a new book called "A Simple Christmas: Twelve Stories that Celebrate the True Holiday Spirit." A recent Gallup poll found that 71 percent of Republicans would seriously consider voting for him in 2012.

"That was higher than Mitt Romney or Sarah Palin," Couric noted during the 40-minute interview. She asked Huckabee who the Republicans with the "biggest political futures" are today.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

"I think there are some names that you haven't heard," he said, after spelling out how he believes his party went off track. "People like Marco Rubio in Florida. I think he'll be a Republican contender for president someday." (Check out CBSNews.com's story on Rubio and his Senate battle here.)

Huckabee went on to volunteer the names of Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, who he said "has done a phenomenal job," and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, who he called "probably the best political strategist in the country." He also said he likes Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and called Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal "brilliant."

As for Romney, Huckabee called him "very intelligent" but said that in the 2008 election he "was always looking for who he was wanting to be," something that did not serve him well.

Watch portions of the conversation above, and check out the whole thing here.

More blog posts on the interview:

• Huckabee: Once You Change Marriage, There is "No Limit"
• Huckabee: Obama Bow in Japan was "Offensive"

More video from the interview:

• Watch The Full Conversation
• Will Huckabee Run in 2012?
• Huckabee Disagrees with Bailouts
• Huckabee's Beef with Health Care
• Huckabee Criticizes Obama for Bowing
• Huckabee Defines Marriage
• Huckabee on Obama's Vision

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by giantrobot2 November 26, 2009 3:17 PM EST: Mike Huckabee (IS) a Rock Star!

From the time he was 11 years old, he has been jamming on his bass guitar. His Rock Band opened up for some big bands like: REO Speedwagon, Willie Nelson, Percy Sledge, .38 Special, and Grand Funk Railroad to name just a few.

Watch Mike Huckabee play bass guitar with the famous rock band Lynyrd Skynrd. Just google 3 simple words: Huckabee Fan Club; Reply to this comment


by hockeymom441 November 25, 2009 12:59 PM EST: I used to think you were smart... saying you'd vote for Palin - ahhh.
Your party can only win if one of you spineless losers comes out and acknowledges that she's the moron that she is. charismatic - yes; charming - yes; well-intended - maybe; smart enough to run the US - no; smart enough to run her OWN home - doesn't seem so. Come on - grow a pair and call a spade a spade.; Reply to this comment


by Justiceserved November 25, 2009 10:36 AM EST: He said Palin has more exec. experience than Obama? Obama is Pres., Palin couldn't stand ethics investigation by Rep. in Alaska and quit as Gov. to chase the almighty buck. As far as exec. decisions, she attended 5 schools in 4 years to get an undergrad. degree. He finished Harvard Law. Are you serious? As a Rep. she's educated, Boehner didn't know the diff. between the Declaration of Ind. & the Constitution, Beck, Limbaugh, & Hannity are college dropouts!!!; Reply to this comment


by bradkt1 November 25, 2009 6:29 AM EST: It has to be someone that the right really likes...like Huckabee...who guts Sarah Palin like a fish and take her out on anyone's mind as a viable conservative Presidential candidate. Otherwise, they won't listen to reality and will continue to flock to her. It will be like the way that Jerry Fawell took down Jim Baker after he had that scandal...only Huckabee will do it with a "smile" and a gentlemanly demeanor.; Reply to this comment

by environmental_wacko November 25, 2009 5:18 AM EST

Martha Stewart on Sarah Palin: "boring," "confused," "a dangerous person," and a "real problem."

Reply to this comment


by 50BMS13 November 25, 2009 6:24 AM EST: Sarah Palin on Martha Stewart: "Criminal" "Sneaky" "Jail Bait" "Lucky to be out of jail"


by environmental_wacko November 25, 2009 7:27 AM EST: by 50BMS13 November 25, 2009 6:24 AM EST
Sarah Palin on Martha Stewart: "Criminal" "Sneaky" "Jail Bait" "Lucky to be out of jail"

----------------------------------

Didn't the Alaska State Attorney General say the same thing about Sarah "The Quitter" Palin and her greasy, goateed husband?


by CaptainPiett November 25, 2009 3:27 AM EST: Until Palin can go on Meet the Press, Face the Nation and This Week like Obama and Hillary Clinton; Romney, McCain and Huckabee and not just Fox or Rush or puff pieces with Oprah and Barbara Walters and answer tough questions requiring more than a slogan or soundbite about Real America, patriotism, the troops, families, faith, flags, Joe SixPack or the elite media, she cannot and should not be taken as a serious political contender.

Furthermore, Republicans should understand that Reagan left office in 1989, has been dead since 2004 and grasp fact that the world has changed dramatically since the Reagan period. While anyone would want to win a 49 state landslide like he did in 1984 or even a 44 state win like 1980, the landscape is different. In 1980 and 1984, the prime foreign policy concern was the Cold War. Today, there is no great power; there are now multiple powers, players and non-state actors-China, Iran, Russia, the EU, Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas, etc.

In 1980, the consensus was that Keynesian economics did not work. We have learned that today, Reaganomics cannot work because it is based on an assumption of tax cutting and borrowing; credit access rather than hard production.

Huckabee's comments on Palin were the generalities; did not want to slame her but obviously believes she is not qualified. For all of his negatives, the man did go on Charlie Rose, CNN and the makor networks in 2007; took part in all debates until March 2008 and has addressed the questions in a straightforward manner. I

Sarah Palin has yet to take ownership of her mistakes and is still harping on 2008. She slams a staff that more or less made her who she is by selecting her in the first place. While he is on tv, he does not radiate drama or soap opera.

Until the GOP takes ownership for Iraq, Katrina and the recession and purges the party of the nutjobs-Palin, Bachmann, Foxx and their enablers like Cantor and Boehner and reorient to a socially moderate, fiscally conservative party that avoids the wedge issues, they are doomed.

As for 2010 being like 1994, voters should recall what we got out of 1994; government shutdowns, the impeachment debacle over Clinton's willy and Jack Abramoff.; Reply to this comment


by pjk12354 November 24, 2009 8:55 PM EST: Somebody should ask Sarah Palin what her status is in "The Family"?; Reply to this comment


by zipadeedodah November 24, 2009 8:43 PM EST: Funny...

"Rogue"
?noun 1. a dishonest, knavish person; scoundrel.
2. a playfully mischievous person; scamp: The youngest boys are little rogues.
3. a tramp or vagabond.
4. a rogue elephant or other animal of similar disposition.
5. Biology. a usually inferior organism, esp. a plant, varying markedly from the normal.

?verb (used without object) 6. to live or act as a rogue.

?verb (used with object) 7. to cheat.
8. to uproot or destroy (plants, etc., that do not conform to a desired standard).
9. to perform this operation upon: to rogue a field.

?adjective 10. (of an animal) having an abnormally savage or unpredictable disposition, as a rogue elephant.
11. no longer obedient, belonging, or accepted and hence not controllable or answerable; deviating, renegade: a rogue cop; a rogue union local.

Synonyms:
1. villain, trickster, swindler, cheat, mountebank, quack.; Reply to this comment


by jxknowles November 24, 2009 4:58 PM EST: Using the term 'Rock Star' to describe Palin is laughable. She's no more a rock star than Donny Osmand or Milli Vanilli. Both sold a lot of records and drew large crowds, but could hardly be called 'Rock Stars'. As a lover of Rock'n'Roll, I cringe when I hear nerds like David Gregory and Huckabee using this term.; Reply to this comment

by addict42 November 24, 2009 4:27 PM EST

Republicans are oxymorons who just want the 1950s back in the worst way. Sorry but it won't happen no matter what June or Ward Cleaver canididates they dig up.

Reply to this comment


by IglooJohn November 25, 2009 9:53 AM EST: A ridiculous buffoon, eh?
He has a vast knowledge of that great glacial expanse way up north called Canada and is a gentleman, too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfU59KSvbvs&feature=related