# Can Mike Huckabee win the GOP nomination and the presidency? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 26, 2015, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mike-huckabee-win-the-gop-nomination-and-the-presidency/738603 "2015-11-26T04:40:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GloryDays](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9c0ed/32.png) [@GloryDays](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GloryDays)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mike-huckabee-win-the-gop-nomination-and-the-presidency/738603/1 "2015-11-26T04:40:37Z")
Can former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) win the GOP presidential nomination as a underdog and take it all the way to the presidency? He has Evangelical Christian appeal, he’s a Southerner with classic roots, blue collar appeal. Can he defeat Trump, Cruz, and Carson in the evangelical and Southern states? Can he appeal to Hispanics, African Americans, millennials, women, etc? > **[Mike Huckabee looks to broaden appeal during White House run](https://www.politico.com/story/2015/05/mike-huckabee-2016-presidential-announcement-117643)** > > In his second presidential bid, the former Arkansas governor hits populist themes > **[Pew: White Christians no longer a majority](https://www.politico.com/story/2015/11/poll-white-christians-population-216154)** > > White Christians now make up less than half of the U.S. population. > **[Republican presidential candidates condemn gay-marriage ruling](https://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/2016-candidates-react-supreme-court-gay-marriage-ruling-119466)** > > Democratic candidates hailed the decision while Republican candidates reacted with disappointment. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mike-huckabee-win-the-gop-nomination-and-the-presidency/738603/2 "2015-11-26T04:43:09Z")
There is already a thread on Huckabee. [Here.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=756184) ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_fun_ball/32/17664_2.png) [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Fun_Ball)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mike-huckabee-win-the-gop-nomination-and-the-presidency/738603/3 "2015-11-26T05:15:09Z")
He is too extreme, there is no way he can carry the general election even if he is the Republican nominee. I personally think Hillary is beatable, but not by Huckabee. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mike-huckabee-win-the-gop-nomination-and-the-presidency/738603/4 "2015-11-26T05:49:43Z")
The question now is about when the top three candidates can clear the field of the utterly insane no-hopes so they can focus on holding a real primary, not which of the middle-tier bench-warmers can pull off a miracle and get into the game. Huckabee is too much of a politician for crazy town and too crazy for politician town, so the only solution is to [del]chain him in the attic and feed him buckets of fish heads[/del] wait for him to bow out of the primary on his own and go back to semi-obscurity off in that part of America I never visit. That’s good. That works. He gets to think modern marriage licenses are death cookies, I get to postpone taking blood pressure medicine for a few more decades. Everyone’s happy. He isn’t Trump. He isn’t Carson. He’s got some tiny chance if everyone in the top three takes a huge tumble or gets indicted or falls ass-backwards into an indictment, like you like to hypothesize. However, you asked straight-up “Yes” or “No” and the reasonable answer to that is “No”. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mike-huckabee-win-the-gop-nomination-and-the-presidency/738603/5 "2015-11-26T05:53:59Z")
He’s no different than any terrorist leader. Call him al-Huckabee like I do. He’s a bigot, racist, supports “family values”'like the Duggar family has and wants to force his brand of religion on me and my country. He shouldn’t even be allowed to vote. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mike-huckabee-win-the-gop-nomination-and-the-presidency/738603/6 "2015-11-26T06:56:01Z")
Shoulda made it a public poll, OP. I’d love to see if you voted in it. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mike-huckabee-win-the-gop-nomination-and-the-presidency/738603/7 "2015-11-26T07:11:55Z")
Whoops, my bad. What’s your opinion, **GloryDays**? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mike-huckabee-win-the-gop-nomination-and-the-presidency/738603/8 "2015-11-26T12:55:03Z")
Huckabee and Santorum are yesterday’s news. Carson and Cruz have taken the niche they occupied in 2008 and 2012, respectively, and made it their own. Neither Huckabee nor Santorum is going anywhere this year. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mike-huckabee-win-the-gop-nomination-and-the-presidency/738603/9 "2015-11-26T12:58:53Z")
> [@GloryDays](#): > > Can former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) win the GOP presidential nomination as a underdog and take it all the way to the presidency? He has Evangelical Christian appeal . . . That alone dooms any presidential hopes. This is not your grandfather’s America, thank Og, “Bob” and Allah! ---
**Author:** ![GloryDays](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9c0ed/32.png) [@GloryDays](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GloryDays)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mike-huckabee-win-the-gop-nomination-and-the-presidency/738603/10 "2015-11-26T13:17:01Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Whoops, my bad. What’s your opinion, **GloryDays**? I voted yes. It’s possible he can win. Some people are upset that social changes are being made to our society. Some people want to know why Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is repealed. Some people want to know why homosexuals are in the military. I don’t have a problem with it, but some of my friends do. My former professor does. They think that homosexuals have no business in our military, that they will hurt the morale of the military. Huckabee appeals to an disgruntled group of Americans. I’m undecided in this election, but right now, Huckabee is a long shot. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mike-huckabee-win-the-gop-nomination-and-the-presidency/738603/11 "2015-11-26T13:25:30Z")
> [@GloryDays](#): > > Some people are upset that social changes are being made to our society. Some people want to know why Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is repealed. Some people want to know why homosexuals are in the military. Some people are flaming idiots. > [@GloryDays](#): > > Huckabee appeals to an disgruntled group of Americans. **Every** candidate of any party appeals to some disgruntled group of Americans or another. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mike-huckabee-win-the-gop-nomination-and-the-presidency/738603/12 "2015-11-26T13:27:37Z")
> [@GloryDays](#): > > Some people are upset that social changes are being made to our society. Some people want to know why Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is repealed. Some people want to know why homosexuals are in the military. Some people remember when everything was great and you could hop on a trolley car for a nickel. ---
**Author:** ![GloryDays](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9c0ed/32.png) [@GloryDays](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GloryDays)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mike-huckabee-win-the-gop-nomination-and-the-presidency/738603/13 "2015-11-26T13:38:11Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Some people remember when everything was great and you could hop on a trolley car for a nickel. Yes, I know. However, some people have serious issues about the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Some people want honor and tradition, not different waves entering the military. People like some of my friends want that. They want honor back. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mike-huckabee-win-the-gop-nomination-and-the-presidency/738603/14 "2015-11-26T13:47:49Z")
> [@GloryDays](#): > > Yes, I know. However, some people have serious issues about the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Some people want honor and tradition, not different waves entering the military. People like some of my friends want that. They want honor back. So tell them the truth: There is nothing to get “back.” The United States Armed Forces have just as much honor now as ever they had – and no more gays in them now than ever they had in the days when they had to hide their sexuality in the foot-locker. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mike-huckabee-win-the-gop-nomination-and-the-presidency/738603/15 "2015-11-26T13:48:08Z")
> [@GloryDays](#): > > Yes, I know. However, some people have serious issues about the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Some people want honor and tradition, not different waves entering the military. People like some of my friends want that. They want honor back. Why don’t you let your friends make their own argument? If it bothers them that much, they’re welcome to join up and state their opinions. They don’t need you to do it for them. I don’t see a lot of _your_ opinions in your posts. You frequently refer to “your friends” or “some people”. If you don’t have opinions of your own, why are you here? ---
**Author:** ![GloryDays](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9c0ed/32.png) [@GloryDays](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GloryDays)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mike-huckabee-win-the-gop-nomination-and-the-presidency/738603/16 "2015-11-26T13:55:02Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Why don’t you let your friends make their own argument? If it bothers them that much, they’re welcome to join up and state their opinions. They don’t need you to do it for them. > > I don’t see a lot of _your_ opinions in your posts. You frequently refer to “your friends” or “some people”. If you don’t have opinions of your own, why are you here? I have a lot of opinions, Frank. I’m here because this is one of the greatest forums in the world. Opinions and conversations are excellent. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mike-huckabee-win-the-gop-nomination-and-the-presidency/738603/17 "2015-11-26T13:56:18Z")
> [@GloryDays](#): > > I’m here because this is one of the greatest forums in the world. Aw, shucks. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mike-huckabee-win-the-gop-nomination-and-the-presidency/738603/18 "2015-11-26T13:59:04Z")
> [@GloryDays](#): > > Yes, I know. However, some people have serious issues about the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Some people want honor and tradition, not different waves entering the military. People like some of my friends want that. They want honor back. Honor is not the same as tradition. There is plenty of honor regardless whether some bigots are offended by changes in society. And, as noted above, you can find “some people” to support any cause or any candidate. In order to get elected president, one must persuade a majority of voters in sufficient states having sufficient votes in the Electoral College to vote for one. The Religious Right has a limited ability to influence the Republican primaries to have a say in who the GOP will nominate, but they have nothing close to the votes to actually elect a president. Huckabee is not a long shot; he is a footnote indicating that there is a certain number of voters who share his beliefs, but that number is still a minority that cannot force their choice on the country. ---
**Author:** ![desertmonk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@desertmonk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/desertmonk)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mike-huckabee-win-the-gop-nomination-and-the-presidency/738603/19 "2015-11-26T13:59:25Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Why don’t you let your friends make their own argument? If it bothers them that much, they’re welcome to join up and state their opinions. They don’t need you to do it for them. > > I don’t see a lot of _your_ opinions in your posts. You frequently refer to “your friends” or “some people”. If you don’t have opinions of your own, why are you here? He’s stating his opinions behind the cover of “his friends”. I have to think you already know that. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mike-huckabee-win-the-gop-nomination-and-the-presidency/738603/20 "2015-11-26T14:02:21Z")
> [@desertmonk](#): > > He’s stating his opinions behind the cover of “his friends”. I have to think you already know that. Maybe I do; maybe I don’t. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-mike-huckabee-win-the-gop-nomination-and-the-presidency/738603.md?page=2)