Christianity Today: Palin Stands to Gain Most with Huckabee Out

With Mike Huckabee gone, Gov. Palin is the top-choice among GOP's evangelicals
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According to a report by Christianity Today's Tobin Grant, a poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press suggests that most of Mike Huckabee's support would go to Sarah Palin, if she ran:

In March, Pew asked GOP voters who they wanted in the presidential race. Huckabee received 20 percent support among Republican voters. He did even better (29 percent) among evangelicals in the GOP. The Pew poll also asked who voters second pick was. By using Huckabee supporters second pick, the poll finds that support for Sarah Palin is the most likely to increase.

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With Huckabee out of the race, support for Palin could increase from 13 to 19 percent. Support for other candidates also increased but not more than the margin of error; the increases could be due to chance.

Palin's support increases even more among evangelicals. Originally, with Huckabee in the field of candidates, Palin was tied with Mitt Romney for second. Each received around 15 percent among these voters. With Huckabee gone, Palin is the top-choice among evangelicals in the GOP with 25 percent support and Romney's support barely increased.

More than half (51 percent) of Republicans qualify as born-again Christians, according to research by the Barna Group, but their extraordinary turnout rate at the polls place them among the most influential demographic groups in Republican primaries. In Iowa, for example, 60 percent of Republican caucus goers are evangelical Christians, and in South Carolina, half of GOP voters are self described evangelicals.

h/t: Fay

- JP

Gallup: With Huckabee out, Palin, Gingrich, Romney lead the GOP

"Palin... must be considered one of the GOP leaders at this point"
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A new Gallup analysis of its most recent polling data finds that with Mike Huckabee out of the race for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney are the leaders in Republicans' preferences:

Romney and Palin are essentially tied; Gingrich does slightly less well even though he and Romney have nearly identical name identification.

Ron Paul and Bachmann are the only other potential candidates with name recognition above 50%. They are also next in line in terms of Republican nomination support.

[...]

Palin's support is the most intense. A higher percentage of Republicans have strongly favorable opinions than is the case for the other two, giving her a slightly higher overall Positive Intensity Score despite her higher strongly unfavorable percentage.

Gingrich and Romney have similar Positive Intensity Scores.

The overall differences in Republicans' views of these three well-known candidates are not large.

[...]

Palin, who has given no indication of whether she will run for the nomination, has very high name identification, is near the top of Republicans' nomination preferences, and has a higher Positive Intensity Score than any other well-known candidate. Palin thus must be considered one of the GOP leaders at this point. Romney and Gingrich are also well-known. Of the two, Romney is slightly better positioned at this point due to his higher ranking in Gallup's trial heats.

[More]

- JP

So Mike Huckabee is not running...

How does his decision affect a potential run by Sarah Palin?
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Mike Huckabee has made his announcement. He's not going to seek the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. How does his decision affect Sarah Palin? Well, that depends on a number of things.

The factor Texas for Sarah Palin is most concerned about tonight is her army of supporters. We here at this blog want to see that army grow. As many pundits, paid professionals and armchair amateurs alike, believe that no small number of Huckabee's supporters -- evangelicals in particular -- would find that coming on board for Sarah Palin would be a natural fit. But Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich and Michele Bachmann also stand to gain some troops from the Huckabee ranks. The former Arkansas governor's more committed supporters will be less inclined to move into the Palin camp if they notice Palin supporters trashing their guy. Any swipes of a personal nature taken at Mike Huckabee by Palin supporters will be taken personally by Huckabee's supporters.

As Palin supporters, don't we see that personal attacks upon her are also attacks on ourselves? And if some Palin supporters are making such attacks on Huckabee, what are his followers more likely to do? Will they let it pass and support her anyway? Not when they're burning from that sort of attack. They will swear an oath not to give her their support -- not because of anything Gov. Palin said or did -- but because of the people who are supposed to be advancing her cause and her political prospects. She has been most kind and gracious toward her potential rivals. Even some who have said unkind things about her have received only humorous retorts from her in response. Which is right out of the WWRRD book (What Would Ronald Reagan Do?).

Palin supporters would do well to follow the governor's example. Nothing is to be gained for Sarah Palin by attacking Mike Huckabee's character. His record, his policies and even the manner in which he made tonight's announcement are all fair game. But Palin people should keep their opinions on Huckabee's character to themselves. We are all children of God, and we all struggle with our own personal issues. Like Gov. Palin does, let's let our faith guide us during what could be a defining moment in her political career. As Jesus told his disciples in the Book of Matthew (7:12 AKJ):

"Therefore all things whatever you would that men should do to you, do you even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets."

So let us treat Gov. Palin's political rivals, whether in the race or not, as we would have them treat her. Thomas Schmitz was especially gracious on Twitter this evening:

.@GovMikeHuckabee: Good luck, U weren't my choice for the #GOP nomination but I wish U well. P.S. I love the #history cartoons! #Republicans

Patrick S. Adams also gets it.

Now that's class, guys. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it shows the way to win friends for Governor Palin. If she gets into the race, she's going to need all of the supporters we can help to bring over to her side, considering the type of campaign that the Democrats and some Republicans will wage against her. Besides, if you burn bridges, it makes it extremely difficult for those on the other side to cross over to yours.

- JP

Roberts: A Huckabee withdrawal could put Sarah Pailin in the race

"I think she is back in with a real chance to win."
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Irish Central columnist Patrick Roberts seems pretty sure that Mike Huckabee will announce on his Fox Program (at 7PM Central Time) tonight that he will not run for president this election cycle. Such a decision, Roberts opines, opens the door wider for Sarah Palin to walk through right into the thick of the 2012 race:

Palin has gone quiet after the media sizzle around her died and transferred to Donald Trump.

But with Trump fading faster than a losing 'Apprentice' competitor and Huckabee now looking like he will drop out, Palin is suddenly back in this race if she wants.

Huckabee, with his strong evangelical roots, was a natural to win Iowa and Palin enjoys a comparable level of support among those voters.

Contrast that with Mitt Romney who is held in deep suspicion in the first caucus state, not only because of his moderate politics but also his Mormon religion.

That only leaves Palin as the evangelical choice as none of the other contenders have seriosu traction with those voters.

A win in Iowa could galvanize the Palin campaign heading into New Hampshire in January.

[More]

Roberts argues that Mitt Romney will not be the clear front runner if Huckabee opts out because Mitt's core of support is too soft. The columnist also doesn't put much stock in Mitch Daniels or any of the other "single digit" potential candidates. He's still intrigued with Gov. Palin and points to her clear differentiation from her potential rivals and a sizable "hard core" support base which none of the others, save Huckabee, can really boast of. Though Ron Paul's supporters are truly "hard core," there just aren't enough of them to make the Texas Congressman competitive. That's why Roberts believes that the 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate "is back in with a real chance to win" in 2012, this time at the top of the ticket.

Unlike Roberts, many of his pundit colleagues, and some of our blogging counterparts, we're not so sure Huckabee will not run. Yes, there are many arguments for him not to give up the income he's currently enjoying from his radio and television work, and yes, he's building an expensive new house down in Florida. Although the former Arkansas governor's own 2008 national campaign chairman seems convinced that Huckabee's not going to run, predicting what a politician's next move will be is pure speculation. They will often defy even the seemingly clearest crystal ball vision. We're talking about enormous egos at play here, even among many pols who project an aura of humility. Some are convinced that the country just can't get by without their steady hand at the helm of the ship of state. Also, the Fox News weekend show host might just get a big kick out of leaving egg on the faces of all those "experts" who have declared him a non-candidate. Who wouldn't in his place?

Even if Huckabee does decline to run, he could do something totally unexpected tonight, such as endorse another candidate, declared or undeclared. Perhaps he will throw his support to Newt Gingrich or Michele Bachmann. No, it's not likely that he will do anything like that, but stranger things have happened in politics. The fact is, no one really knows what Huckabee is going to do except Huckabee and perhaps now his closest family members. Anyone who tells you otherwise is just guessing, no matter how solid the evidence they believe their speculation is built upon.

Roberts is correct about one thing, however. If Huckabee stays out of the race, it has to make getting into it seem a lot more attractive to Sarah Palin than before. Who knows, after tonight we might just start to hear from any number of county GOP organizations in Iowa that the keynote speaker for their next events will be Governor Palin. Then the game will definitely be on.

- JP

Unforgiving

Movie madness
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CMDB
Candidate Movie Database

"Unforgiving" (2011)
PG 131 min - Political | Religious

Rating: 1.2/10

Synopsis: Former preacher Mike Huckabee condemns women who have out of wedlock pregnancies, but Huck had no problem forgiving violent felon Maurice Clemmons, making the convict eligible for parole. Nine years later, Clemmons would walk into a coffee shot and gun down four Oakland, California police officers in cold blood. Huckabee would also come to forgive himself for starting the chain of events that led to Clemmons' release from prison.

Director: Mike Huckabee
Writer: Mike Huckabee
Stars: Mike Huckabee, Natalie Portman and Bristol Palin
Audience: Holier-than-thou hypocrites

- JP

Moderate Republicans prefer... Sarah Palin?

Who knew?
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A new Gallup Poll finds Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney still statistically tied among Republicans who were asked which prospective presidential candidate they believe should be the party's 2012 nominee. But there are some surprises in the numbers when they are broken down among subgroups of Republicans:

Huckabee performs best among core Republicans, as opposed to conservative-leaning independent voters. He also performs best among Southerners, regular churchgoers and "non-supporters" of the tea party.

Surprisingly, Palin performs best among self-described "liberal or moderate" Republicans and those who "seldom" go to church. The poll also finds she has greater appeal to people who didn't graduate from college and with Republicans who make less than $90,000 a year. She ties with Romney on support from Republicans from the East Coast.

Meanwhile, Romney is most popular on the West Coast and leads Republicans who are 50 and over and wealthy. He has a significant lead when it comes to college graduates. He ties with Huckabee and bests Palin among GOPers who describe themselves as "tea party supporters."

But another surprise or two are in store when the results are broken down by the issues that are most important to Republicans:

Mitt Romney still does badly among those who social issues as the biggest issue in 2012, as does Newt Gingrich. Perhaps more surprising, Sarah Palin wins among those voters who see national security and foreign policy as the most important issue.

Interestingly, Gov. Palin ranked second on the economy and second on social issues, as well as first on security/foreign policy. Huckabee was preferred in two categories, rated second in another and third in the remaining one. Romney was first in one category, second in another and third in the remaining two. Gingrich finished third in one category and last in the other three. So when first and second place ratings are combined, Huckabee and Palin did well, Romney and Gingrich not so well. Such combinations become important when a candidate drops out and voters switch support to their second choices.

More good news for Gov. Palin: If she's doing this well this early with moderate GOPers, she won't have as much heavy lifting to do to improve her numbers among conservatives and tea partiers. We were told by the know-it-all punditocracy that the moderates would be hardest for her to bring over to her side. The media also mocked her foreign policy credentials, but she does better than her three most likely rivals among Republicans for whom it is their top issue. What Sarah Palin's team needs to do, if the results of this poll are to be taken seriously, is get the word out about her record as a fiscally responsible governor who cut her state's budgets and vetoed federal mandates with strings attached. The media has given short shrift to her fiscal accomplishments while governor of Alaska. This comes as no surprise, as even today, relatively few Americans are aware that National Journal magazine named Barack Obama and Joe Biden as two of the most liberal members of the U.S. Senate in 2007. The media didn't report that fact because it was in the sack with the Obama campaign to portray him as a centrist.

Which brings us to the grains of salt which should be taken with these poll results. Gallup sampled Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, not likely voters or even registered voters. Likely voters tend to be better informed on issues and candidates. Second grain of salt: Though the pundits are chomping at the bit for candidates to declare their intentions to run, it's still relatively early. Spring will be the season for that. And the final grain of salt: Recall the the polls of March, 2007, which assured us that Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton were certain to be the respective candidates of the two major political parties. Political perceptions can change, and rather quickly, too.

- JP

AWR Hawkins: Huckabee okay with bloated, overweight government

He's no Sarah Palin
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At Andrew Breitbart's Big Government, A.W.R. Hawkins takes a look at Mike Huckabee and doesn't see a tax-cutting, small government conservative:

When former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee ran for President in 2008, he did so in the guise of a conservative. But those of us who listened closely to his speeches heard a message that was far from compatible with the ideals of limited government and expanded liberty: two benchmarks of conservatism by any measure. Instead we heard Huckabee openly support a nationwide, federally mandated smoking ban, and expanding the powers of the federal government to mandate limits on carbon emissions via cap and trade.

Because of the exponential growth things like a national smoking ban and cap and trade legislation would cause in the size of government, Rush Limbaugh often warned that Huckabee was a “populist” rather than a conservative. In other words, Huckabee had a good grasp on how to give speeches in the vernacular of heartland America, but his solutions to the problems faced by those same people rested in an expansion of government for which the constitution made no provision. (Like Clinton, Huckabee could feel our pain, and like Obama, he could ease that pain via government intervention.)

And believe it or not, Huckabee’s record on taxes (and tax increases) is even more dismal than his record on smoking bans and cap and trade legislation. While Governor of Arkansas, he literally begged state legislators to support tax increases on the citizens of that state.

[...]

Not only was Huckabee’s support for any and every tax scheme imaginable antithetical to the conservative mind, but the way he groveled before the legislature was shameful: not at all indicative of a leader.

[More]

Contrast this example with Sarah Palin, who, as governor of Alaska, vetoed hundreds of millions of dollars in state spending and imposed objective criteria on state projects.

- JP

Breitbart TV: Is MSPDS Promoting Mike Huckabee for GOP Nomination?

You betcha!:
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Why? Because it's getting tough for the leftist network to sell Mike Bloomberg. Meanwhile, Newsweek, the $1 liberal magazine, is busy hyping yet another Republican progressive.

- JP

Quote of the Day (December 24, 2010)

Huckabee probably won't run...
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Paul Mirengoff at Power Line:

"Jonah Goldberg lists 24 Republicans about whom there is 'non-trivial presidential buzz.' He winnows that list down to five front-runners: Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Tim Pawlenty, and Mitch Daniels. In this field, I think Palin is the most likely nominee. In a field that also includes Mike Huckabee, Palin's chances of being nominated obviously are reduced, but remain pretty good."

- JP

David Harsanyi: Actually, Huck, It's Palin Who Gets It

She is right on the money here
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Gov. Palin's recent mild poke at Michelle Obama and her crusade for a more healthy children's diet has the left predictably all wee-weed up, to borrow the president's terminology. When the left gets its knickers in such a knot over something Sarah said, there is always some Vichy Republican whose undies get similarly and sympathetically twisted. In this case its Mike Huckabee whose drawers are distorted, as he has sided with the first lady.

David Harsanyi, a self-described "conservative with strong libertarian impulses,” suggests that the former governor of Arkansas is either confused "or, judging from his prior work, the kind of guy who dismisses the distinction between convincing someone and coercing someone":

The recently passed nutrition bill (the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, in Washingtonese), a key component to Mrs. Obama's plan to "end childhood obesity," is in fact both "telling people" what they should eat and "trying to force the government's desires on people."

So when Palin claims that the Obamas do not trust people "to make decisions for their own children," she is not unleashing some Bircher hyperbole; she is summing up the driving idea of two years of public policy and paraphrasing the first lady, who recently explained that when it comes to eating, "we can't just leave it up to the parents."

Mrs. Obama might be stating the obvious, but instead of placing the blame on parental incompetence or neglect or genes or whatever the reason is that kids are stuffing their little gullets with junk, she is feeding and creating myths to rationalize "action" -- whether we're talking about the lack of access to food (never have we had more access to food) or prohibitive prices (never has food -- including healthy fare -- been cheaper) or the plague of school lunches.

As for Huckabee, his history of intrusive legislation and alarmism over the crumbling salubriousness of the nation is obviously driven by his own experiences. And if you want to nag us or explain the ramifications of obesity, feel free. Certainly, potential presidents should have the ability to compromise, avoid ideological rigidity and be cognizant of national problems like obesity.

But foundational beliefs like an aversion to federal overreach into local decisions cannot be disposed of because kids happen to be part of the equation. And if Huckabee believes there's nothing wrong with the federal government controlling local school lunches and instituting national smoking bans, how many issues will he believe are more important than federalism?

[More]

David Harsanyi is the author of Nanny State: How Food Fascists, Teetotaling Do-Gooders, Priggish Moralists, and other Boneheaded Bureaucrats are Turning America into a Nation of Children.

- JP

Quote of the Day (December 23, 2010)

"I have a problem with the ole Huckleberry"
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Oregon Guy:

"In a New York Daily News story, the writer refers to 'studies' that show that less than half the kids are overweight, or obese... I don't buy all the 'studies.' What I do buy is the idea that you let people grow up. And that, friends, is the difference between Sarah and Huck. Sarah thinks of you as adults. Huck? Not so much. Or, not so much that a little government in your life wouldn't be appreciated."

- JP

The Rodney Dangerfield of GOP presidential hopefuls

One of Huckabee's most admirable qualities may also be his biggest political liability
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Like the late comic Rodney Dangerfield, Mike Huckabee is complaining that he doesn't get any respect. Except the former Arkansas Governor doesn't have a funny punchline. Instead, he blames Sarah Palin, at least in part, for stealing his thunder:

“I just don’t understand how it is that a person can read these polls day after day and the narrative is constantly everybody but me,” he told POLITICO. “Whether I do it or not, the fact is that if one looks at the overall body of information that’s available, nobody would be in a better position to take it all the way to November.”

[...]

Yet he gets only a fraction of the attention Palin enjoys — something that plainly chafes him.

“She’s brought an enormous amount of energy to the party. As to why she seemingly draws ten times the attention, I don’t know,” he said, touting recent book signings of his that had drawn up to 1,400 people, with no note in the media.

“You’re never going to read that. I’m never going to be breaking news because I made a comment on Twitter and Facebook. Why is that? I don’t know,” he said.

Though he connects well with many people in flyover country, Mike Huckabee doesn't do so on the same level or to the greater extent that Gov. Palin does, and it obviously bothers him. He needs to figure out why that is so before he throws his hat in the ring.

Though we're obviously biased in Gov. Palin's favor, your editor did live in Arkansas during much of Huckabee's term as governor, so we do have some insight into the question. Fact is, one of his most admirable qualities may ironically be his biggest political liability. As would be expected of a former Baptist minister, Huckabee genuinely cares about people. But he doesn't temper his caring with the kind of tough love that would be expected of a common sense conservative.

Two prime examples: Though he now denies it, as governor of Arkansas Huckabee supported in-state tuition for some children of illegal immigrants. Also as governor, he commuted the lengthy prison sentence of habitual criminal Maurice Clemmons, who later murdered four Seattle police officers.

This is the kind of "compassionate conservatism" which caused George W. Bush to lose respect in the eyes of millions of conservatives, and in our opinion, it would be Mike Huckabee's undoing should he enter the race for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination. A candidate does need to have his or her heart in the right place, but equally important is having one's head in the right place. For there are times when the head has to just say "no" to the heart.

- JP

Quote of the Day (November 23, 2010)

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Gov. Mike Huckabee, to reporters in Iowa:

"No question, she will be a very, very strong presence and force, if she gets in. You know, she may run away with it. And that’s one of those things everyone needs to be prepared for."

- JP

Poll: Gov. Palin has highest favorability with likely '12 GOP voters

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Sarah Palin is rated highest in favorability among likely Republican voters for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination:

A Rasmussen Reports poll showed Palin with an 82 percent favorability rating, compared to 17 percent who view her unfavorably. Fifty percent of likely voters in the 2012 primary elections for the presidential nomination had a very favorable opinion of the former governor, while eight percent claimed they have a very unfavorable opinion of her.

Former Govs. Mitt Romney (R-Mass.) and Mike Huckabee (R-Ark.) trailed Palin with a favorability of 79 percent apiece. Seventeen percent hold unfavorable opinions of the two.

[...]

The three top contenders for the Republican nomination to challenge Obama in 2012 remain tied when likely primary voters were asked which candidate they would vote for if the primaries were held today.

Rasmussen surveyed 1,000 likely GOP primary voters with a margin of sampling error of plus-or-minus three percentage points.

- JP

Governors Palin and Huckabee defend Juan Williams (Updated)

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Today former Governors Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee defended political commentator Juan Williams, who is also their colleague at Fox News, after he was sacked by NPR for his honest comment about Muslims:

"NPR defends 1st Amendment Right, but will fire u if u exercise it," Palin tweeted. "Juan Williams: u got taste of Left's hypocrisy, they screwed up firing you."

Huckabee went further in his criticism, calling on Congress to pull funding from NPR.

“NPR has discredited itself as a forum for free speech and a protection of the First Amendment rights of all and has solidified itself as the purveyor of politically correct pabulum and protector of views that lean left,” Huckabee said.

“It is time for the taxpayers to start making cuts to federal spending, and I encourage the new Congress to start with NPR,” he added.

After complaining of too much political correctness in society, Williams told Fox News' Bill O'Reilly on Monday that he gets "nervous" whenever he sees people in “Muslim garb” boarding a plane. NPR fired Williams Wednesday night.

[More]

Sarah Palin was correct in pointing out leftist NPR's hypocrisy. the network, which is partially funded with taxpayer money, obviously isn't concerned at all with political correctness when the target is on its right.

We don't agree with much of what Juan Williams says, but like the governors, we will defend to the death his right to say it. Williams is that rare liberal who is intellectually honest, and we respect that quality of his character. If you are of a like mind, you can let NPR know how you feel here. But please be patient. That particular NPR web page is a bit tied up right now ;-)

Updates...

Gov. Palin, in addition to her tweet in defense of Williams, also expressed her support for him on Facebook.

Williams' firing has prompted conservatives to call for an end to taxpayer funding for left-biased National Public Radio.

My mistake: NPR's comments page isn't simply tied up; they disabled it.

J.P. Freire asks a good question.

Ailes to NPR: Terminate this!

- JP

CBS News: Palin, Huckabee to campaign in GA for opposing candidates

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Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee have endorsed opposing candidates in Georgia's GOP gubernatorial primary, and the two former governors will make appearances for their respective candidates in the Peach State before Tuesday's runoff election:

Former GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee on Thursday endorsed former Rep. Nathan Deal, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Huckabee will appear at a rally for Deal in Gainesville, Georgia on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Palin will appear at a rally in Georgia on Monday, the Journal-Constitution reports, for the candidate she supports -- Georgia's former secretary of state, Karen Handel. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, who was jolted into the national spotlight after deciding to take on the Obama administration over the issue of illegal immigration, has also endorsed Handel.

Handel and Deal will compete in a runoff on Tuesday, and the winner will face off against former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes, a Democrat.

The race is seen by some pundits as a preview by proxy of a slice of the race for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination. That scenario is somewhat enhanced by the results of a new InsiderAdvantage/WSB-TV poll released Friday which has Deal and Handel even at 46 percent apiece.

- JP

Audio: Tammy Bruce blasts Huckabee and Schmidt

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Courtesy of Palin TV, Tammy Bruce takes on Mike Huckabee ("conservatives don't let rapists and murderers out of prison"), Steve Schmidt ("obsessed with Sarah", "has mother issues") and Tim Pawlenty ("you can't learn charisma"). Mild language alert:



Support Palin TV

- JP

Kevin Hall: Palin returns to Iowa as GOP frontrunner

Des Moines Conservative Examiner Kevin Hall opines:

There are no polls to prove it yet, but Sarah Palin is the new frontrunner for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. Mike Huckabee's admission that he is "less than likely" to run, followed by the disastrous news of his commutation of Maurice Clemmons prison sentence in Arkansas, leaves Palin at the front of the pack.

Two weeks ago, an Iowa poll showed Palin trailing Huckabee by just two points, 70% to 68%, in favorability ratings among Iowa Republicans. She easily outdistanced Mitt Romney, who garnered only 58 percent. Despite a media onslaught attempting to spin the Clemmons story, Huckabee's credibility has taken a serious hit. Even those who boosted him to victory in the 2008 Iowa Caucus are questioning the former Arkansas governor's judgment.

That means Sarah Palin is the new frontrunner in Iowa. A victory here could vault her to the GOP nomination.

Read Hall's complete Examiner op-ed here.

- JP

Lars Larson Interviews Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin fielded questions Thursday on the Lars Larson Show. Some highlights...

Former Gov. Palin was asked about then-Gov. Mike Huckabee's decision to commute the sentence of a criminal who years later would murder four police officers in cold blood:

"It was a bad decision, obviously. But my heart goes out to Huckabee. I love him. I feel bad for him to be in this position, but I feel even worse for the victims' families in this situation... I do feel badly for Huckabee, but it's a horrible decision that was made."

She was then asked if she had granted any pardons or clemency as governor of Alaska:

"No, and I think most Alaskans know me well enough to know that I don't have a whole lot of mercy for the bad guys. I'm on the good guys' side, and yeah, I'm all about redemption and recovery and reform and all that, but I will always err on the side of clemency should be stricter and harder on the bad guys."

Larson asked the 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate if she would run as a third party candidate:

"That depends on how things go in the next couple of years... Some liberal Republicans have screwed up, and the base of our party's common sense conservatives -- not obsessively partisan, but just wanting common sense free market principles, strong military principles to be implemented to get our country on the right track -- and if the Republican Party gets back to that base, I think our party will become stronger, and there's not going to be a need for a third party..."

Listen to the full interview here.

- JP

Good news! Huckabee distances himself from Palin

The Hill's Blog Briefing Room reports that Mike Huckabee, in an interview with Christianity Today magazine, is distancing himself from Sarah Palin:

"We're both Republican, we're both pro-life—there are a lot of similarities that way—but she has a very different political direction than I do," he said. " I'm not sure of her future politically, and I'm really not sure of mine either."

We take this as not just good news, but very good news, considering the fire Huckabee is under for granting clemency as Arkansas governor in 2000 to a man who assassinated four police officers in Washington State last weekend. The more distance between Huckabee and Sarah Palin, in our opinion, the better. Unlike Huck, Sarah does not have a record of being soft on crime and convicted felons.

Thanks for pointing out the difference, Mike.

- JP