RIGHT-WINGERS ARE GETTING HYSTERICAL OVER HUCKABEE

Mike and Willard (with Mrs. Willard looking on) after
the Drake University debate in Des Moines in August

Republicans know Mike Huckabee has as much a chance of becoming president (of the United States) as do Tom Tancredo or Ron Paul. But he's obliterating one of their favored insider Establishment candidates, the anything-but-authentic Willard Romney (aka- Mitt), and he's set to win the Iowa caucuses. Many fear he'll wind up as the vice presidential nominee on a Giuliani ticket, a ticket plenty of serious Republicans would never bother voting for, not even to stop Hillary Clinton.

Republican insiders are revolted by Huckabee's pseudo-populism (which they confuse with "liberalism"), his blatant appeal to primitive religionist prejudices and his dangerous divisiveness.

Now, unlike the slick, pre-packaged Willard, Huckabee does come across as authentic and folksy. But a lot of his popularity is tied up with his claims to have used hard work, will power and lots of effort to shed 100 pounds or so. But how authentic are those claims? Jane suggests Huckabee may be to dieting what Romney is to hunting.

A friend of mine is one of the foremost bariatric specialists in the world. I sent him the information about Huckabee and the claims that he had the 100 pounds of fat sliced off, his tummy stapled, and that will power and effort-- except on the part of his surgeon-- weren't part of his makeover. He went over the info and he isn't convinced-- nor will he rule it out. "The 'facts' on the site are questionable. But it's certainly possible for Huckabee to have had GBP."

Is this all a sham?




UPDATE: EVEN A GOP HACK LIKE PEGGY NOONAN IS EMBARRASSED

Huckabee's team denies there ever was a cross. And I suppose there are some stupid enough-- we are, after all, talking about Republicans in Iowa-- who will agree it never existed and go vote for him anyway. But even former Reagan speech writer and GOP propagandist Peggy Noonan is offended-- if not mortified. Actually,the word she used was "appalled."

I love the cross. The sight of it, the fact of it, saves me, literally and figuratively. But there is a kind of democratic politesse in America, and it has served us well, in which we are happy to profess our faith but don't really hit people over the head with its symbols in an explicitly political setting, such as a campaign commercial, which is what Mr. Huckabee's ad was.

I wound up thinking this: That guy is using the cross so I'll like him. That doesn't tell me what he thinks of Jesus, but it does tell me what he thinks of me. He thinks I'm dim. He thinks I will associate my savior with his candidacy. Bleh.

Bleh? That barely begins to describe how Americans feel about Huckabee, Noonan and their perverted political party that has turned everything good and decent about our country on its head.