Huckabee Joins McCain on the Campaign Trail for the First Time
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Republican presidential candidate John McCain and former rival Mike Huckabee teamed up on the campaign trail for the first time on Friday, with Huckabee joking that they were so civil when they were opponents they don’t have to “unsay” any bad things.
McCain said that early in the GOP campaign, the two had a lot of time to get to know each other when they both were dismissed as the longest of long shots. Chatting with reporters on the Straight Talk Express campaign bus, McCain recalled the days when they were relegated to the most distant ends of the podium in the early Republican debates, drawing few questions from the moderators.
“Governor Huckabee and I had lots of time to chat with each other,” McCain laughed. “We became friends on the campaign trail.”
They were joined on the bus by their wives, Cindy McCain and Janet Huckabee.
Huckabee, hugely popular with social conservatives, has been mentioned as a potential running mate for McCain, who needs to shore up his support among conservative Republicans.
McCain responded to that speculation by offering what he called his “standard answer,” saying that he didn’t want to mention any names because that quickly leads to an invasion of privacy for anyone being considered.
But McCain was quick to volunteer that “millions of Republican voters voted for Governor Huckabee” in the primaries, and that he wanted the former Arkansas governor to play a prominent role in his campaign. McCain noted Huckabee still has a 65 percent approval rating in Arkansas.
When reporters asked Huckabee if he planned to campaign for McCain, it was McCain who jumped in to answer with a ready “yes.”
Huckabee, for his part, deflected a question about becoming McCain’s running mate by saying, “The main thing is getting Senator McCain elected.”
He said it would be easy for him to promote McCain’s cause, saying, “I don’t have to go around and unsay anything I said in the campaign. We ran a very civil campaign.”
Huckabee’s low-budget, upstart candidacy was one of the big surprises of the GOP primaries. He won eight states, including the Iowa caucuses, and was the last GOP rival standing before McCain claimed the prize.
Asked whether he could help McCain build support among wary conservatives, Huckabee predicted the party would rally around McCain because the stakes are so high. As for some grumbling among conservative leaders about McCain, Huckabee said, “I don’t see that in the rank and file.”
What most Republican voters are worried about, Huckabee said, is “Hillary R. Obama.”
The two later attended a closed fund-raiser. McCain was wrapping up his five-day “Time for Action” tour in Little Rock with a visit to a men’s leadership class at Arkansas Baptist College, a traditionally black private college. He billed the tour as a journey to places that have been ignored in the changing economy. They are also places GOP presidential candidates have effectively ceded to the Democrats.
But with the Republican nomination long settled, and Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton still competing against one another for the Democratic nomination, McCain is reaching out in hopes of claiming some Democratic and independent voters.
I believe the McCain-Huckabee ticket would be perfect. Our country needs McCain to have a running mate with Huckabee’s experience as governor. John McCain knows that our country has many needs to be resolved including earning back our pride, patriotism and the promise and quest to bring back economic soundness and harmony amongst all americans. Our country should be a united republic.
Huckabee is a great man with the experience, values and positive attributes to help our next President lead and to help inspire our people in such confusing and uncertain times. I will support John McCain but I hope he sees the clarity to select him man as his running mate.
I think John McCain’s best choice for VP would be Mike Huckabee. Huckabee is likable, political savvy, a good team player, excellent public speaker and debater, can rally the social conversative troops, and give McCain all of the southern states. It has been said, no man becomes president without winning the south. Also, I believe Huckabee’s youthfulness would balance out McCain’s seniority, and Huckabee’s oratory would be a good match against Obama, should Obama become the nominee. If Hillary Clinton becomes the nominee, I am sure Huckabee knows a lot of hidden skeletons in her closet, having followed the Clintons in Arkansas, that McCain could use to his advantage.
Huckabee is the best choice — good experience, common sense, young, and so charming!
the only way i am voting for mckennedy is if Huck is on the ticket.
the onlyway many people will vote for mccain is to have gov huckabee, or gov romney on the ticket. it was clear during the rep. debates they gov huckabee and gov romney were sharper, smarter, and more knowledgeable about what the nation wanted than all others including the dems. political candidates need to listen more as to what the people want…then help them the people get it….its that simple! as you know the current pres. does not listen to what the majority of people want and is in trouble with the lowest ratings of any president.
Glad to see Huckabee and McCain on the campaign trail together ! These men are friends and they will always be friends whether Huckabee is the VP or not. It is nice and refreshing to think about positive things. Who knows, Huckabee just could be that VP. I know that John McCain has a lot of trust in that man. John will not have to be watching his backside with Huckabee. Huckabee is so wise and experienced as well as trustworthy ……. I love a McCain/Huckabee ticket….. bring it on !!
Huckabee would be a great asset to McCain’s ticket. For those of you who are pushing Romney, look at what he did in Massachusetts. He was Gov. at the same time as Huckabee. Huckabee’s state did awesome econimally compared to Massachusetts. Romney did not govern well. His numbers were terrible in Massachusetts, he would not have been re-elected, Huckabee was chosed as leader of the Governors of the 50 states not Romney. Romney governed like a Democrat, i.e. his “mandated” healthcare plan that supported abortion. The only way McCain will get my vote is adding Huckabee to the ticket otherwise I am writing Mike’s name in.
McCain has my vote and it will be wonderful to see Mike Huckabee serve in whatever capacity to help the GOP win especially if McCain would adopt the Fair Tax plan that Mike’s camp gained so much attention over (to their credit). We need to end class warfare and take away the very cash cow that Congress uses to fund these earmarks and pork barrel projects not to mention many of the entitlement programs that are completely mismanaged.
I say we take both Mitt and Huckabee and assign them to cabinet positions that tackle the core of what’s ailing America’s economy. Give Mitt the job of tackling economic reforms for rebuilding our manufacturing sector cross-industries. His report card would be based on improvements in these areas and he should be measured on Export vs. import as well as employment levels broken down by employment sector.
Huckabee should be given both tax reform and campaign finance reform designed to simplify our tax code and the adoption of an across the board consumption tax, elimination of corporate taxes (which will help Mitt in his reforms), incentives for alternative energy development, and the re-balancing of subsidies based on foreign market free trade practices (increased incentives where foreign markets aren’t playing fair and reducing/eliminating subsidies where markets are trading fairly. Tariffs are still needed for rogue countries that fall outside of trading blocks that don’t work together to drive fair trade. As for campaign finance reform, Huckabee should be measured on outright elimination of 529 ads, and the establishment of campaign funding restrictions that set limits on campaign funds allowed and at what level (office being pursued).
What a constrast, McCain and Huckabee vs. Obama and Hillary.
McCain has my vote and it will be wonderful to see Mike Huckabee serve in whatever capacity to help the GOP win especially if McCain would adopt the Fair Tax plan that Mike’s camp gained so much attention over (to their credit). We need to end class warfare and take away the very cash cow that Congress uses to fund these earmarks and pork barrel projects not to mention many of the entitlement programs that are completely mismanaged.
I say we take both Mitt and Huckabee and assign them to cabinet positions that tackle the core of what’s ailing America’s economy. Give Mitt the job of tackling economic reforms for rebuilding our manufacturing sector cross-industries. His report card would be based on improvements in these areas and he should be measured on Export vs. import as well as employment levels broken down by employment sector.
Huckabee should be given both tax reform and campaign finance reform designed to simplify our tax code and the adoption of an across the board consumption tax, elimination of corporate taxes (which will help Mitt in his reforms), incentives for alternative energy development, and the re-balancing of subsidies based on foreign market free trade practices (increased incentives where foreign markets aren’t playing fair and reducing/eliminating subsidies where markets are trading fairly. Tariffs are still needed for rogue countries that fall outside of trading blocks that don’t work together to drive fair trade. As for campaign finance reform, Huckabee should be measured on outright elimination of 529 ads, and the establishment of campaign funding restrictions that set limits on campaign funds allowed and at what level (office being pursued).
Huckabee as VP will be the only way I will vote for McCain in November. I am a lifelong Republican. The Republican party needs to quit nominating liberals. Huckabee in 2012!!!!! Let’s get the GOP back to conservatism.