As one of the few progressive bloggers who’s actually read Mike Huckabee’s new book God, Guns, Grits and Gravy, I’m a little puzzled he’s on a book tour that will take him to Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kansas and Virginia next week. The whole book is styled as an explanation to the elitists of “Bubbleville” (which he defines as being located in New York, Washington and Los Angeles) of the values and virtues of people in “Bubbaville” (everywhere else, especially everywhere southern). So what’s he doing hawking the book in Bubbaville? That’s particularly odd since he could be in sinful Washington, DC, shouting at Bubblevillians from the microphones at CPAC.
I dunno if this means Huck’s supposed presidential ambitions are just a shuck to sell books, or if he doesn’t like the competitive landscape at CPAC (all those libertarian college students, you know), or doesn’t think, as a former Iowa Caucus winner, he has anything to prove going into the cycle.
But I’d say he may be handling it better than Jeb Bush, who’s decided to take up an offer from CPAC to do an audience Q&A rather than a set-piece speech when his name comes up at the cattle call. This will draw attention to his reported discomfort with speechmaking, which is not the best recommendation for someone asking for a presidential nomination. It could also expose him to some potentially difficult inquiries–you know, like Why should we believe you won’t sell conservatives down the river like your old man and your brother did?
CPAC should be a fine show as usual.
