The Soccer Mom Vote

What is Obama doing Right?

The Illinois Senator is running second in most of the reputable polls out there.  He is eating John Edwards' lunch, Edwards is running a distant third according to these same polls. (Shockingly, those pricey visits to the beauty salons in various states haven't provided the bump Edwards expected). Obama was nearly even with the H word in June but has recently dipped to "I'm also running but I'd rather hang with my girl Oprah" status. Frankly, his pro-choice, anti-war, pro-civil unions, anti-education vouchers, "big government is the best" ideals should make him the darling of the democratic set but, alas, no.

So what is this fresh faced (yes folks still fresh) young (he's 46) man (his wife confirms this) doing right?    He's staying the hell away from Jena.  What's Jena?  What are you a rock? The Jena six are the black teenage media darlings who beat up a white kid and then were sentenced to death....okay that's not exactly what happened.  See the actual details here.  Unlike (unsuccessful) black presidential candidates in the past who've paraded themselves before every black cause celeb Obama has shown remarkable savvy in staying out of that fight.  By this act, he proves he is bigger than the black community in Jena.  He is bigger than the black community in this country.  He might just end up being big enough to take it all the way.  Keep an eye out.

Can Mike Huckabee be Elected President?

He's an ordained Southern Baptist Minister.  Baptists, for your information,  are not exactly rebels.  They don't drink, don't smoke, don't dance and don't run around.  What do they do?  If Huckabee is any indication, they are pro-life, pro-gun, pro-Israel, anti-IRS and anti-gay marriage.  This sounds strangely familiar. Yes, I'm sure I've heard that before...

How does he differ from George W. Bush? For one, he is more articulate than the current President and most of the Republican field.  He concisely states a position and then elaborates with a depth that makes him credible but still likable. 

Extremely confident in his abilities, he even makes appearances where few conservatives dare to go, including "Real Time with Bill Maher" on HBO.  Famously, when Maher asked him about an evolution question during a recent debate Huckabee said, "I believe God created the Heavens and the Earth.  Now how He did it, I don't know.  I thought the question was utterly silly to be asked in a Presidential debate.  None of us are running in order to be an eighth grade science teacher.  We are running to be President."  If you like that answer then Mike Huckabee is your guy in 2008.

However likable, however confident, however willing to use the word "silly" on national television, it's highly unlikely the former Arkansas governor will be elected to the highest office in the land.  He's too quirky.  He throws his support behind things like the Fair Tax which would effectively do away with the IRS.  He supports a National Smoking Ban (um, Mike, you may want to brush up on how REPUBLICANS feel about the FEDERAL government passing laws for their own good...I think it will be an eye-opener).  He's also received some grief in the conservative blogosphere for his programs in Arkansas that were labeled "nanny state" programs (i.e. Body Mass Indexes for every student and banning soft drinks from schools). 

Look, Huckabee seems like a terrific person.  I think most people, regardless of their political affiliation, would enjoy having dinner with him.  He's bright, funny and charming.  He's just not electable in 2008.  His platform is bogged down by obscure ideas and too saturated with his personal faith for him to be elected post-Bush II.  I like the guy, but he will make an early exit in the primary or my name's not Larry Craig.