David Sirota is a bit worried by Mike Huckabee, correctly identifying him as someone who has a populist appeal and approach to policy that could neuter some of the charges leveled by Democrats against Republicans were he to succeed in what still looks like a long-shot bid for the GOP nomination.
He of course hastens to add that Huckabee doesn't mean what he says -- it's just rhetoric (something that populist-sounding Democrats never engage in,) so Democrats shouldn't be worried that Sirota is turning soft and saying anything overly nice about a Republican.
As Montana Headlines stated way back when, "populist" is not a dirty word around here. Given that Republicans from Nixon to W have won Presidential elections by knowing how to tap into a Republican populism, there are practical as well as philosophical reasons for this.
As we have noted before, Huckabee should by all rights have been in the thick of things from the beginning -- popular Southern governor who is very well-liked by the GOP base, no matter what tax purists like Grover Norquist and general economic purists like the Club for Growth (we like both very much, but neither do we bow down before their image around MH) might say about him.
And how do you not like a guy who plays pretty good bass in his own band -- and did it while he was governor?
Huckabee has been creeping up little by little in the polls, and his performance in the Ames straw poll adds an interesting twist to this GOP campaign.
______________________________________
It is worth noting that the Montana blogosphere now has some conservative cowgirls who are "Ridin' for the Brand." It's a good addition to the mix -- and it's about time. We will be watching with interest.
No comments:
Post a Comment