Huckabee: Reagan Would Have A 'Very Difficult, If Not Impossible Time' Getting Nominated Today

[democracy1st]

Run time: 00:40 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRcNBXnyy8g   Posted on YouTube: May 06, 2011 By YouTube Member: thinkprogress5 Views on YouTube: 443   Posted on DU: May 07, 2011 By DU Member: democracy1st Views on DU: 1356

 
ThinkProgress has spent the past two years documenting the GOP’s ideological lurch to the right under President Obama, as evidenced most recently by last night’s GOP presidential debate featuring mostly fringe candidates and a pre-debate rally sponsored by extremist groups like the Oath Keepers militia and the paranoid anti-communist John Birch Society. Meanwhile, a heightened demand for ideological purity has forced GOP leaders to kowtow to an increasingly relevant and legitimized fringe. The result is a conservative agenda that is far more radical today than it was decades ago.

Potential presidential candidate Mike Huckabee acknowledged this shift on Fox News today, telling host Bill Hemmer that even former President Reagan, the great conservative icon, would likely be unable to win a GOP primary in the current Republican “atmosphere”:

HUCKABEE: Ronald Reagan would have a very difficult, if not impossible time being nominated in this atmosphere of the Republican party.

HEMMER: How come?

HUCKABEE: Because he raises taxes as governor, he made deals with Democrats, he compromised on things in order to move the ball down the field. As president, he gave amnesty to 7 million illegal immigrants. There were many things that would have been anathema. People speak of Reagan as if he was absolutely steadfast. He was in his convictions, but you have to govern in a way that is different that is different than the way you campaign.

http://thinkprogress.org/2011/05/06/huckabee-reagan-would-not-get-nominated/

In February, former GOP Sen. Bob Bennett (UT) — who lost a primary to a tea party candidate last fall — echoed Huckabee, saying, “Ronald Reagan would probably not recognize the description of Ronald Regan that is coming out of a lot of the tea party blogs.”

[emulatorloo]

1. Republican base is not going to like that statement.

Thanks for posting,

[patricia92243]

2. Huck better quit telling the truth if he wants the nomination. n/t

[LAGC]

4. No doubt.

"Red meat" conservatives don't want to hear that, or they'll be labeling him a RINO. :rofl:

[ChairmanAgnostic]

3. proof positive he is not running. Not with candor like

this. It also proves that even a religious nut job can be honest about some issues.

[AnnieK401]

5. He was telling the truth

Glad he was honest. Although, I am not sure if anyone on the extreme right will listen to this. I have given up trying to reason with them.

[democracy1st]

6. you're very smart welcome to DU,were you able to see the Frank luntz video ? link

it definitely proves your point

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x581586

[AnnieK401]

8. Thanks!

I appreciate that.

[Bucky]

7. I repeat... Huck is their most dangerous candidate. He talks Sane.

If the Republicans had the balanced political perspective to nominate him, he could give Obama a run for his money. Of course if they had balanced political perspective they wouldn't be Republicans.