I commend candidates like Mike Huckabee and Nashville Mayoral candidates who are reaching out to bloggers, but--especially on the Presidential level, it is a serious risk for the campaign . . . a risk that your candidate will react the way a normal non-candidate would to some of the stupid questions they are asked. This reminded me of Fred's touch-down in Nashville last week.
I guess there is the same danger with a professional journalist audience; but it's kind of a different type of "danger." I was eager to get Huckabee's reaction to what has all the appearances of a hit piece in Newsmax.com today--I say "hit piece" because it is recycling a lot of old data, is categorized under "Top News!" and it has a thesis akin to an op/ed and unlike a news report.
I was also interested to get his reaction to disappointing fundraising numbers for this quarter, but, alas, some blogger used precious con call to follow up their question (from the last conference call) about teaching home economics in schools.
The savvy and kindness with which Huckabee handled the Home Ec hardball is a credit to him and his strengths as a candidate . . . but the buzz in the blogosphere on the subject of Huckabee today is not likely to focus on the value of teaching teenagers how to make french toast.
cross-posted at WisdomisVindicated.
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6 comments:
What have you heard about the fundraising efforts to define them as disappointing?
I just googled the issue and can't find the basis I had for my question--it might have been efforts to downplay his as-yet-unfiled report or based on predictions. I'm embarrassed to say I don't remember; maybe the Home Ec question saved me from asking a stupid question . . .
Hey, I've actually heard the numbers are pretty good. The actuals aren't due until the 15th, and most candidates haven't released theirs yet.
It's a smart move by the campaign to both downplay their anticipated total as well as not release theirs with the "first tier" candidates. If Huck can be the leader of the "second tier" that makes the positioning very good.
My two cents!
You're probably right--at least I hope you are. And I don't see that any other second-tier candidates have as much upside as Huckabee. Any traction that Brownback might have been getting PRIOR to his vote/re-vote on the Immigration Bill is likely to diminish going forward.
Do you think he can beat Ron Paul's $2.4M? I'm not so sure. I like Huckabee, but his war stance is ridiculous, and he should change it. That might make him an attractive VP candidate.
I don't know--since Huckabee, unlike Paul, isn't running as a non-Republican, he has a little more competition for the pool of contributors.
But I am almost positive that the person who gets the VP slot (for the GOP, at least) isn't going to have the same stance that Paul has on the Iraq war.
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