NYT Magazine: The Huckabee Factor

» The Huckabee Factor (Zef Chafets)

The NYT Magazine feature is up early for a preview. It's a good read if you want to catch up on as much about Mike Huckabee in one reading as possible. I don't know that I'd say it breaks any major info into the open, but the quote about Huckabee asking the reporter if it was true that Mormons thought Jesus and Satan were brothers is obviously making for some chatter out there. That quote leaked to the AP, hence the early preview by the Times.

The benefit of the article is that it comes through as mostly a one-on-one between reporter and Huckabee. A modicum of editorializing in the writing. But on the whole, a worthwhile read. Though this is something of an aside, I found the following rather interesting:

... Corey, our waiter, came over with the check. I introduced him to the candidate. ''I thought you looked familiar,'' he said diplomatically. ''What are you for?'' Huckabee gave him a friendly, quizzical look.

''What issues are you for?''

''Oh,'' the governor said. ''Ah, tax cuts. Support for arts education. And energy independence. I want to get where we need the Saudis' oil about as much as we need their sand.''

Corey mentioned that he, personally, would like to see waiters' tips rise to 18 percent. Huckabee laughed agreeably but said nothing. No Republican candidate wants to get caught by a reporter advocating a price hike for anything.

That's interesting because Huckabee has otherwise been somewhat unique among Republican candidates as having stated that tax cuts would NOT be a major selling point. And what of that arts education comment? The sense I immediately got from reading that was a local example - Griff Griffin. Nice guy. There's nothing about him that ever leads you to dislike him if you were to meet him. But if you ask him to talk city government policy, the conversation gets incredibly small-ball. I remember him talking to me about the licensing process at City Hall. No doubt - to some, that may be a key issue. but running for an At Large seat, is it fair to see that as a major issue overall?

To be sure, Huckabee's not quite that light on policy. But at times, it sure seems to leak out of him that he might be. Likable guy, though. But I think I'll stick with my first choice.