I never liked Huckabee's social conservatism, but I liked the man for a time during the 2008 Republican primary. Perhaps it was a "please beat Mitt" impulse stemming from my up-close view of Romney's transformation from the moderate Governor of Massachusetts to the ultra-conservative using Massachusetts as a springboard to higher office. Perhaps it was Huckabee's unorthodox campaign powered entirely by the grass roots that won Iowa despite being heavily out-spent by... well, by everyone. Perhaps it was his ability to deliver entertainment to the Republican debates, such as when he dodged controversy through his ability to tell a joke. Maybe it was his humble upbringing which involved lava soap. Maybe, just maybe, it was his truly Christian view that the children of undocumented workers should not be blamed for what their parents did. Maybe it was some misplaced hope that he would push the Christian right into being more compassionate about certain areas of policy.
Where the hell did that Mike Huckabee go?
Where is the Republican contender for his party's nomination as President of the United States that called for more hope and more "vertical politics" as opposed to left versus right? Where is the Huckabee that did not mind locking horns with the likes of Coulter? Where is the Huckabee that at least made an attempt at not bearing false witness? You know, the Huckabee that at times defended Barack and Michelle Obama from some of the more vicious attacks during the 2008 campaign?
Mike Huckabee has changed for political expediency. His politics and the policies he likes still suck, and now the man behind them sucks. He's trying to out-Palin Palin. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. The door to higher office has closed on Mike Huckabee, and he better not let it hit him or Chuck Norris on the way out. His brand has been forever tarnished.