Huckabee says he will not challenge Pryor

Arkansas News Bureau - Huckabee says he will not challenge Pryor: "WASHINGTON - Despite modest fundraising that continues to trail well behind Republican frontrunners, Mike Huckabee said Friday he remains focused on his 2008 presidential bid and will not challenge Sen. Mark Pryor next year.

'The rumors have been out there and I need to put them to bed. I don't see it happening,' Huckabee said of the possibility he would drop out of his run for president to take on Pryor, a first-term Democrat.

'There are no ifs on this one. I have a race I'm in, and I'm committed to it.'"

Thompson and Religious Conservatives

Here's an interesting NY Sun article about a possible Fred Thompson candidacy. Key quote:

But there's one candidate whose campaign he could end almost instantaneously, should he choose to run: that of Mr. Romney. Mr. Thompson is pro-life, pro-gun, anti-gay marriage, and anti-tax — like Mr. Romney. But he has one advantage over the former governor: He didn't just come to these positions over the last year or so, in a "Road to Des Moines" conversion.

That quote not only points to one Romney weakness, it also references Des Moines, where I sit typing this post. this sitting in a Des Moines.

But note a reference to Gary Bauer, who famously (at least to me) endorsed John McCain after dropping his longshot bid at the 2000 GOP nomination . . . Bauer seems to ignore Brownback and Huckabee in commenting on how Religious Conservatives are viewing the 2008 race.

Hat tip, GetReligion

McCain: "I Have to Find Out What My Position Was"

Bill Hobbs has an interesting post about a dialogue between McCain and a reporter on the "straight talk express." McCain: "I Have to Find Out What My Position Was":

". . . although it is a contentious public policy issue at the intersection of public health and morality and even sometimes touches on foreign aid - Sen. John McCain doesn't know what his own position is on whether government should be dispensing free condoms to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS."

Hobbs concludes the piece,

What do you believe in, Sen. McCain, besides that it's your turn to be the Republican presidential nominee?

Some love for Huckabee from author and talk radio host Janet Folger

Here's some love for the non-"top tier" candidates from talk radio host and author Janet Folger . . . and some specifics about why the "top-tier" candidates are unacceptable. Folger urges conservatives not to settle for GOP frontrunners

Rothenberg -- "GOP Presidential Race Looks Unpredictably Unpredictable"

Political analyst Stuart Rothenberg is officially "flummoxed" by the current state of the race for the GOP nomination in 2008. RealClearPolitics - Articles - GOP Presidential Race Looks Unpredictably Unpredictable I think he's right in observing that this is an extraordinary campaign to date, and that qualifier ("to date") is probably the reason why it is extraordinary.

In every presidential nominating process prior to this one, nothing of substance had happened up to this point in the calendar. It's really too early and so comparing it to previous campaigns may be like comparing apples and oranges.

In any event, I thought this quote was kind of quaint:

"A Giuliani nomination would undermine all of those news stories that have portrayed the GOP as an intolerant party that is prisoner to its most conservative and most religious elements."

Indeed. Perhaps actions by the GOP base (in particular the "religious elements") in the past have been less about knee-jerk or emotional "intoleran[ce]" than about principle.

For what it's worth, Vilsack likes Mike (and Sam)

For what it's worth, Tom Vilsack "doesn't put much stock in the early presidential polls" (aside: they seemed to be persuasive in his personal situation) Former Iowa governor downplays Giuliani's popularity:

"Vilsack, who recently dropped out of the race, says he expects a dark horse to emerge from the G-O-P presidential field.

. . . .

Vilsack predicts success for two dark horses in the Iowa caucus: Kansas Senator Sam Brownback and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee."

Straight-talking tiger's stripes unchanged

For the record, I'm not a McCain fan. I wasn't impressed with his "Straight-talk Express," I resent his MSM eyelash-batting, I am offended by his Statist Campaign Finance "reform," and I don't believe that he has authentically "repented" from his Religious Right-bashing campaign of 2000. That being said, I do believe I would vote for him over any Democrat currently in the field.

But this ABCNews report (Political Radar) demonstrates McCain's knack for either intentionally or unintentionally marginalizing the GOP:

"''It makes no sense,' Mr. Lauderback said. 'McCain alienates the left by calling for the repeal of the Roe v. Wade decision ... but he then alienates the right by dissing their organizations -- refusing to speak at the recent National Review conference, the House Republican Study Committee retreat and now CPAC.''

Craig Shirley, a longtime Republican activist and Reagan historian, said 'skipping CPAC is a mistake for any Republican candidate.'

''Any GOP politician who doesn't understand this and the importance of this conference doesn't understand conservatism,' he said.'"

Indeed, these are "mainstream" Conservative organizations . . . certainly Reaganistic (?) organizations. I don't believe that his schedule could not accommodate addressing any of these events/audiences, and it is insulting that he is worried about being associated with such groups.