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This is why I've always said I trust him on defense policy and not just social conservatism. His gaffes recently have shown me that his base of knowledge is weak, not that his instincts are bad. Still, a President should have a wider base of knowledge then the man does at this point--but somehow, I think six months on the Presidential trail would solve that problem easily.

No one of good character leaves behind a wasted life - John McCain

I'm immune to the Huckatrance. Did he answer any of the major policy issues that Penj brought forward in his front page analysis?

How exactly will toe the line between too much and too little democracy export? Energy independance? Military spending? etc, etc, etc.

Russert, the pit bull that he is, went after Huck, and Huck survived. He was not great, but he kept his air of authenticity and honesty under a barrage of challenging questions.

Tell me who else held their breath when Huck had to answer what the majority of Muslims were in Pakistan... He seemed like he almost guessed. If so, he guessed correctly.

Fortunately, for Huck the headline changed from what could have been (Huck bombs on foreign policy with Russert) to what will be (Huck slams Romney for being dishonest).

Huck seems to be campaigning two things: (1) Presidential Nomination and (2) Vice-Presidential Nomination. The way he has laid off on Rudy and sticking up for McCain is very telling.

Altogether I thought it was a fine performance, but not a great one. And I do support Huck.

Huckabee did well this morning. His "performance" though, was just that--political theater. He was prepped to answer as he did, to deflect what needed to be deflected, to clarify what needed clarifying, to backtrack where needed. I guess I am more like the female version of mbecker--I don't appreciate someone who has to spend his time spinning all over the place. Give me someone who takes a position and stands up for it. Of course it helps if they take the right position in the first place.

gamecock I think your analysis of redemption is comparing Huck today to the Huck on MTP a few weeks ago. What happens if we compare Huck of the 12/30/07 MTP to Fred of the 12/30/07 FNS?

MTP transcript

FNS transcript

Huck taking the bait from Russert to attack Mitt Romney.

MR. RUSSERT: But has Mitt Romney said anything that's untrue about you?

GOV. HUCKABEE: How long do we have on the program today? He's said many things that are untrue.

Fred refusing to take the bait from Chris to attack Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee.

WALLACE: Straight out, do you think that Mike Huckabee is prepared to be commander in chief?

THOMPSON: Well, I'm not going to throw a — that kind of a large blanket over Mike or anybody else. I will say that people are going to have to make up their own minds. I'm not sure politicians are the best critics of their colleagues on matters like this.

I just say take a look at everybody. Take a look at the experience and what they're saying.

WALLACE: Let me ask you about the other person who's leading you in the polls. Do you think Mitt Romney is prepared to be president and has a consistent record as a conservative?

THOMPSON: Difficult to pin Mitt down as to exactly what he does fundamentally believe and which of those beliefs he would stick with through thick and thin in the future when the strong winds are blowing.

Now, as far as — it's not for me to judge a person's fitness. It's just objectively clear that Mitt does not have any foreign relation experience and doesn't have any experience with dealing with matters of national security.

He's got vast experience in the business community, been very successful, and I'm sure he's been a good manager. So all of us have things to bring to the table.

Comparing the two I appreciated Fred's interview skills much more than I did Huck's.

Now there's no more oak oppression,
For they passed a noble law,
And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet, axe, and saw.

Or Romney will be left defining Huck, McCain and any other opponent he chooses to run endless ads against.

Guns don't kill people, abortions kill people.

Huck's explanation of "bunker mentality" made no sense whatsoever. It was in fact a transparent dodge.

I suppose we all have our own perceptions but what I saw was a man who is skillfully glib and deceptively vicious. Those characteristics served him very well today and this interview probably did indeed restore some of his gloss.

I was all set to watch Fred this morning but dozed off in the middle of it.

Here are some of my comments from Mark's wrap-up

Not one question about his ethical violations.

Not one question about his pardons and commutations.

No challenge of his "executive experience claim"

No follow up on issues with spending and taxes

At least 5 minutes without being interrupted rant about Romney

No questions about the McCain/Huckabee strategy after his promotion of McCain

Russert showed how Huckabee had flip-flopped on immigration but let him give a weak answer and didn't follow up afterwards

Let him get answer a tough "bunker mentality" question by deflecting the question with criticism of Romney

How again was this a tough interview? Compared to the Guiliani and Romney interviews this was absolutely a cakewalk.

* PRIESTCRAFT is thus defined: “The stratagem and frauds of priests; fraud or imposition in religious concerns. Management of selfish and ambitious priests to gain wealth and power, or to impose upon the credulity of others.”

I've been leaning Huck for a month or so and I think he did OK.

I do think that due to time constraints Russert was A LOT softer than most interviews on MTP. He didn't have time to follow up on anything. If Russert can ask Guiliani about a fake mistress accounting story, and can ask Romney about all his flip-flops for political expediency, then he should ask Huck about his mis-steps as governor.

As a soft supporter of Huck, I WANT to see how he addresses these legitimate problems with his record. They are going to come up again if he wins.

Huck's our savior!

Thanks to MTP, it has been revealed that that nasty lying brother of Satan, Mitt Romney, has unfairly and unjustly smeared the perfect conservative bona fides of the One True Candidate, Michael Huckabee.

Pardon me while I throw up.

Huckabee isn't any less liberal after MTP than he was before--and that's plenty liberal. Romney has his own challenges in this regard, but it's amazing to me that Huck can defend his own outrageously liberal record with a straight face--and some conservatives nod stupidly and drink it down.

Don't be deceived. Ten years of a Huckabee governorship has demonstrated beyond all doubt that Huckabee thinks that "compassionate conservatism" on the taxpayer dime is not just a great idea--it's what Jesus wants.

As a person well-versed in what the former mayor accomplished in NYC, and as a federal prosecutor, it's getting frustrating watching the (current) focus fall on a shallow, ill-prepared neophyte (Huckabee), a politician in the classic sense of the word (Romney), and a war vet who is only a foreign policy Republican (McCain.) The only two candidates who has offered concrete plans once in office has been Giuliani and Fred Thompson (my #2). It speaks very poorly on voters that they aren't demanding concrete plans once in office, instead of the usual political platitudes and election-time rhetoric.

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