There are certainly substantive problems with Huckabee, and he may well be an easy mark.  But the DNC is denying this story (although I know folks who work there, and I doubt this is beyond them), and it seems odd that Republicans would allow the DNC to be so influential in their nomintion process.

As I mentioned at RCP, you often see the meme "don’t use Right-Wing talking points against other Democrats" floated around by progressive bloggers, and today you can see why.  This makes the DNC look far more powerful than they really are as an activist organization.  Voters ultimately decide who is weak, as does the candidate they ultimately match up with.  I don’t buy this story.

I’m not sure how useful it is as a strategy for the DNC to ‘hold its fire’ when the troops in the trenches are firing like mad (if this really is the strategy, someone better send the memo to Arianna Huffington.)

It actually sounds more to me like these guys know they have a little bit of dirt and they’re trying to leverage it to have bigger impact; instead of specifically slinging mud at Huckabee, their slinging insinuations (’Just wait, you’re not going to believe the goods we’ve got on this guy’) when there might not actually be much ‘there’ there.

Sounds like an awful lot of people are misunderestimating Huckabee, too. The attacks so far are helping him, not hurting- I think because he is so likeable that people don’t want to see someone with a positive message being attacked- so it backfires.

I also don’t get the comparison to the GOP not showing similar restraint against Howard Dean- isn’t it pretty well accepted that Dean would have been harder for the GOP to have beaten than Kerry was? So why should the GOP have shown restraint? By scaring the Dems away from nominating him, it seems the GOP played that one to their advantage.

I think this is the Romney campaign. 

I think hoping for one particular candidate simply because you have more dirt on him is… It’s the kind of politics I don’t want to see, yet at the same time I’m not going to demand anything from one side I won’t demand from the other side.

So yeah, the DNC may gamble if it wants to, but I don’t want to see it from the party I generally see as more capable to create a better world.

I think this is the Romney campaign.

I’m not sure. Could be either (DLC or Romney, or, who knows, a bit of both!).

I seriously doubt that the Romney campaign would ever play a religion card, even behind the scenes.

You took the link wildly out of context. The sight urges you to change your registration because Paul is the best candidate for all America and everyone should register Republican to vote for him, even if they are not Republicans ordinarily.

People will die or live over this election. With our troops fighting an immoral and unnecessary war partisan bickering is at best childish and at worst evil. For this, and only this election, I urge all people who are not republicans, to hold their nose and re-register.

People may have changed their affiliation to vote for Paul but it’s because Ron Paul is believable when he says he’d end the war. Not because they’re excited about any of the democrats all of whom will allow the war to continue.

I’m a democrat voting for Ron Paul.  In my meetup here in LA,  there are over 200 democrats, and we all had to change our political party registration to vote for him in the primary.  I had to take a few showers afterwards, and have hidden my voter card where I hope nobody will find it.  But to think with the democratic race as close as it is, that they would give up their votes just to undermind the Republican Party is ridiculous.  Democrats don’t think like that, that’s why they lose.

Huckabee would certainly be an easy enemy, as would the rest of the Republicans outside of Ron Paul. When the Constitution goes up against modern socialism, the difference will be clear and the choice will be obvious. Ron Paul would provide this country’s first landslide victory in quite a while.

Registering Republican To Vote For Ron Paul Is Not Undermining Anything Except Corrupt Power.

Ron Paul is the only realist running for president.

I Vote For Virtue; I Vote For Ron Paul !!!

The Wall Street Republicans are scared to death of Huckabee.  He cares about the arts, education, the environment, and as a governor, he actually took the time to do his job and review the work of the judges and penal system in his state. (Shocking)  He isn’t a racial bigot and cares about those who need a hand up. He isn’t bought by the big corporations or special interest groups and understands enough about theological ideas and issues to help us build bridges to the Muslim world instead of blowing them up.  As for the AIDS deal, if we could have found a compassionate way to keep those 300,000 people from infecting 100,000s of others over the past 10 years, many Americans and others around the world would still be alive. If you have lost someone to AIDS in the past five years, you might kinda agree with ol’ Huck.

Yes, with 70% of Americans opposed to the war, and Hillary and Obama not committing to do a damn thing about it — PLEASE register Republican and vote for Ron Paul!

Brett #13: What world do you live in, dude?

Huckleberry is a social-legislating, tax-raising, Bible-thumping, evolution-denying, flip-flopping RINO who would say and do anything to win the White House.

We’ve had 7 years with a President who believes God tells him to kill people. We don’t need another 4.

Yes everyone. Register Republican and vote for Ron Paul to help get a Democrat elected. He’s an easy beat…what with the impeccable integrity, the unwilingness to pander or lie.

I can’t wait to watch Hillary Clinton throw thrust herself at a rock over and over.

No Bret. Idiots agree with old Huck.

You don’t stymie people’s civil, God-given freedoms because they’re sick. What is this Nazi Germany? Could Paul and Huckabee be any more opposite?

To Bret #13

And by the way,

1) Wall Street is scared of Huckabee because he doesn’t have a clue about economics.
2) Caring about arts and education is different from spending other people’s money on them.
3) What do you mean he doesn’t want to blow the Muslim world up? He wants to continue the war, doesn’t he?
4) His theological ideas? Please. The best Christian candidates are the ones who don’t tout it. 
5) And locking up AIDS victims, dude? It’s not whether it’s compassionate, it’s whether it completely violates everything our Constitution and founders stood for. He doesn’t have the right. Period. 

G 

Ron Paul is the only Republican who can beat Hitlary or Osama.

AG #19:

I think you’re referring to Hillarudy McRomobamson. [g]

http://billstclair.com/blog/images/hillarudymcromobamson-big.jpg

I hate to burst your bubble A G, but Ron Paul’s not going to win. Thanks for playing, but with grade-school name calling like that you’re showing exactly why he and his fanatical sycophants will never be taken seriously.

Oh PLEASE, let Ron Paul take a crack at Sen. Clinton. Can you imagine the spectacle of her running against someone who has NEVER, I repeat NEVER been misleading, untruthful or perceived as hypocritical? He’s got the anti-war Dems with him on the left and the pro-economic and government reform Repubs on the right, not to mention our liberty loving Libertarians and independents.

It would be the biggest blowout since Reagan’s re-election. When a Republican gets support from Moveon.org, as well as Pat Buchanan and Barry Goldwater, something special’s happening. Please God let the Republicans figure it out before next month.

Poor Dustin.  If Ron Paul doesn’t win, the country has nothing to look forward to but continued war,  continued generation of new enemies, continued destruction of liberty, and economic collapse caused by a falling dollar and half trillion dollar a year military budget.  But understanding any of that is beyond poor Dustin, who thinks calling Dr Paul’s supporters names is how a adult takes part in a political debate.  But then, of course, Dustin is the expert on not being taken seriously.

So John do you just cut and paste your opponents name into that reply or are you really that condescending and disingenuous? Because to be quite honest from where I’m sitting that reply could have been written by a Pro-Paul script bot…

Only Ron Paul can defeat the demoncats. Ron Paul is the greatest candidate I’ve ever seen. Consistent for 30 years. No flip flops. We are done with WAR, we want a real currency, we want peace, we want the welfare-state for the military industrial complex to END, we want to fix America and stop policing the world and to stop the authoritarian oppression here NOW.

Dustin, just because one Paul supporter is tackless, does not represent the entire spectrum of Paul supporters…that is just being narrow minded. Now, if you want an adult-type debate, then just put yourself out there. I believe in Ron Paul. Who are you voting for? Don’t let someone turn you off from a genuine, principled candidate. He is definitely the real-deal.

There is nothing in the Constitution about a two party system.  The partisan primary process shuts out many independent voters who don’t want to associate themselves with either party.  A vote is a vote.  If someone decides to vote for Ron Paul in the primary his vote is no less important than a twenty year member of the party.  One man, one vote.  Pick the best candidate regardless of political party.

Ron Paul 2008

Huckabee an "easy kill"? Yes.  He is simply a cleaned-up version of W.  I won’t vote for him. And I am a 2-time W-voter. I reluctantly pulled the lever the 2nd time because Kerry had no plan to get us out of Iraq - Kerry was just another gutless politician striving to say the right things at the right time.

Ron Paul an "easy kill"? Are you kidding? Never has there been such a groundswell of grassroots support.  Paul is real.  Paul is authentic. 

I don’t think even the Dems are that foolish to think that Ron Paul would be easy to defeat, especially since he was one of only 6 republicans voting against the Iraq war measure. How did Hillary vote on this? Hill voted yes - she is the politicians politician.
 

I agree that Ron Paul is likely the only Republican who can beat the Dems, even considering that there is effectively no difference between the official MSM approved candidates for both parties. There is only one honest person running for president the rest are pure politicians.

Both Huckabee and Ron Paul would win in an election with Clinton.  All they need is some name recognition!!!

Dustin, just because one Paul supporter is tackless, does not represent the entire spectrum of Paul supporters…that is just being narrow minded.

When Ron Paul supporters, all using similar language patterns and talking points, swarm any and every blog that so much as mentions his name I’d say that it’s more than "one Paul supporter". 

With regards to Mike Huckabee, your reporting is accurate.  Democratic Party sources have stated that they hope for a Huckabee candidacy because he is a ‘glass jaw;’ he has so many problems in his past that he will be simple to destroy.

However, your quote implying that the same is true for Ron Paul is completely out of context.  The call to vote for Dr. Paul in the primaries absolutely has not come from Democratic circles; rather Ron Paul and his supporters are urging Democrats and independents to vote for him.  This is completely different than the circumstances involving Mr. Huckabee.

My reason for posting is not due to your rejection of Ron Paul, but rather is because your headline is inaccurate.

I have a pile of ALL CAPS, angry, incoherent letters from Bush supporters that responded to an article I wrote awhile back. If I keep hearing Paul’s critics claim they have some kind of monopoly on good behavior, I wont hesitate to let these out.

Hypocrisy abounds.

The path to hell is paved with good intentions. Mr. Huckabee is a well intentioned man with good moral character. His world view is not practical, period. Dr. Ron Paul will trounce any Democrat in the Presidential race, bar none. Chew on that.

Even though much of Ron Paul’s “dirty secrets” have been debunked, they can still be used as political attacks, and I seriously wonder how effective they will be to the easily led mainstream.

Ron Paul is an embarrassment to the pro-Bush Republican Party for one simple, obvious, glaring reason:   He is a Genuine Conservative (as in Constitutional, limited gov’t, no undeclared wars) and Bush is, well….not.     Romney, even in his I-just-got-religion conservatism, will not touch the welfare/warfare leviathan.  Huckelberry is soft on crime/immigraton and wants to send a man to mars while our currency is dying.  Giuliani is, well, a NY Liberal much like Hillary.  McCain is Mr. Amnesty who thinks America’s greatness is found in the ability to kill others in foreign lands such as Vietnam and Iraq for no apparent reason.
     Come on, folks, get over Bushes’ debacle and back a true conservative.  Drop a C-note on ronpaul2008.com for the TEAPARTY on Dec. 16                                    
  BREAKING NEWS:  Paul will go at it with Glenn Beck for 1 hour the day after the TEAPARTY

I think this is one of the worst ideas I’ve ever heard, personally.  There is a Democratic primary going on as well…and a tight race at that.  Why would voters give up their votes for their own favored candidate, and risk that candidate losing the primary, just to "stick it to Republicans?"  Or turn the table.  Would anyone here switch their party affiliation to D just to vote for Obama so Clinton doesn’t get the nomination when the Republican race is so close?

This seems to me to be a copout type of excuse for why so many Republicans are disenchanted with the "main candidates".  Instead of actually listening to their own voters, now they’re going out and looking for bogeymen to blame.  You know, some of us are just plain angry.  We’re somewhere around 30, and grew up listening to Republicans in the 90s preach about a return to small government, and a change from the corruption of the Clinton White House.  We were throroughly happy when, not only did we get the White House, but the Senate and the House too!  Then we were devastated when that Congress spent more money than ever on pork and other useless stuff, when the party turned its back on its promises of smaller government, and…well, I could go on and on before I even get to the presidency.  Sorry for the rant…but you know, Occam’s Razor and all that.  The simplest answer is usually right.  Is it a vast cross-party, highly-coordinated nationwide conspiracy in which Democratic voters abandon their own candidates to corrupt the other party, or do voters just simply feel like they’ve been used, and so rather than vote for a Democrat who would make things even worse, hard as that is to believe, they’re supporting the lesser-known Republican candidates who they feel like they can trust? 

Right, they’re so determined to set him up to be the easy mark that they’re sending him $100 per person too.  *rolling eyes*

That’s what I love about the fact that his biggest representation of popularity is in financial contributions.  You can’t spam it (at least non-governmental types can’t) it represents real convictions and support, it represents diversity, you can’t manipulate it like the polls, you can’t exclude or include people in your sample arbitrarily.  It’s the most real support a candidate can show for their campaign efforts.

Excuse me folks.  But if you don’t think the Democrats are afraid of Dr. Paul please help me to find one liberal leaning and/or democratically control Mainstream Media Source that is running a story about him. 

There is an article in the Times that came out today about the latest Republican debate titled "The GOP Race: None of the Above" that stated the exact reasons Dr. Paul has a chance but with no mention of him.  They even cut him out of the picture on the article!

http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/The_GOP_Race_None_of_the_Above

LMAO, Ron Paul is the onlyone who can beat any dem. Yes, vote for RP in the primaries or not. His supporters are and he is going to win.  RP has allready won the primaries and they are using this as a reverse sychology. Sorry mitt RP allready got the primary locked up.

This our guy can beat your guy crap is pretty mindless. so is the two party system because it perpetuates this type of mindlessness. Also, just a thought, there was little mention of ron paul as possibly being an easy win for the democrats. I think paul vs anyone in the demorcatic party would be a hard win for any one of them. He doesnt B.S. like the rest of the republicans.

Never underestimate the powers of fraud.  There WILL be vote fraud.  It’s beyond naive to believe that think-tanks have been addressing the only ways they can effectively destroy Ron Paul’s supporting votes.  They have had the technology & they’ve used the technology.  This the the real elephant in the dining room right now. 

It is our duty to start caring and to commit ourselves to this fight.  This is only the beginning of Americans finally trying to take their country back.  Ron Paul is a true God-send and we are fools not to get behind him with all the energy and spirit we feel  Truth, Freedom & Liberty for us and our children is worth.

Link deleted by site manager.

If you want to talk about how much a candidate “sucks” fine… just don’t think a drive-by link spam will pass muster next time.

Look, frankly I think a lot of us get carried away with Ron Paul.  I’m supporting him.  I like him.  I don’t agree with him necessarily on everything, but definitely I agree with him on far more issues than any other candidate.  But thinking he’s a lock for the primaries, or that the only way he’ll lose is if "they cheat," that’s wishful thinking. 

I’ll be happy if he generates enough votes and money to really turn some heads, and causes enough havok to really get the Republican Party to focus once again on its lost message of small government.  I hope RP’s campaign and message takes the party away from the fringe base that’s being pandered to now and puts it back in the average conservative’s hand - by showing the powers within the party that there are plenty of dollars and votes to be had by championing the average hard-working American who wants to be able to make some money without the government taking it all away so that it can happily spend itself into ruin.

I really don’t care how many times a candidate can make the sign of the cross in a minute, I don’t care about gay marriage, or really even about abortion.  These issues mean little to me and to a vast majority of the incredibly shrinking middle class.  I care about the fact that every year I have to move further and further away from my job because of the cost of living.  I care that the only people who seem to have politicians listening to them are groups that represent the ultra rich or the poor, while the rest of us end up subsidizing both groups.  Ron Paul talks about these issues, and that’s why he has my support.  He talks about the Fed printing money at will, about the true costs of our government’s reckless spending, about our insane debts to other nations to finance our actions.  Frankly, I’m more concerned about those issues than I am about Iran somehow wiping us from the face of the earth.  If I’m in the minority there, then fine, but take one look at how the dollar is doing against all other forms of major currency and you can see we’re in real trouble.  And no one talks about that because they’re more concerned with school prayer, or some other borderline issue that’s fine to address at a time when your nation is not in utter chaos.

I will gladly hear the other candidates out if they start talking about these things that are important to me, and my hope is that RP gets enough support to open the party’s eyes and force them to talk about this stuff.  If RP wins, which I think is a long shot, then all the better.

/novel

Ron Paul is the only Republican with a remote chance of winning in the general election.  Anything the Dems do to encourage people to vote for him in the Repub primary is going to hurt them in the end (but help America, thankfully!)

Ron Paul is the only honest, down to earth, realistic candidate running for either of the "major" party nominations, and is clearly the best candidate for America at the moment.   As somebody else said earlier, if he wins the nomination he’ll provide the first landslide win in many years, especially if he goes up against Hilary. 

"Thanks for playing, but with grade-school name calling like that you’re showing exactly why he and his fanatical sycophants will never be taken seriously."
~Dustin Metzger

And what game is that, Dustin? Grade-school name calling is taken less seriously then, um, intelligent name calling such as fanatical sycophant (I had to look that one up), right?

"And the cycle to the bottom continues."

As many people have pointed out, Republican for a day is a site dedicated to recruiting independents and disenfranchised Democrats that are looking for a pro-civil liberties, anti-war candidate.

The only part of your article that is factually correct you copied from a blog. Trying to lump Paul in with Huckabee shows your ignorance of the facts, but at least you got a lot of viewers by displaying your ignorance, so congratulations.

And what game is that, Dustin? Grade-school name calling is taken less seriously then, um, intelligent name calling such as fanatical sycophant (I had to look that one up), right?

Many of Ron Paul’s "fans" have all the debate skills of a cult member, so yes I’d say my term was accurate. I’d say that’s far and away higher classed than slandering the top democratic candidates by comparing them (however crudely) to Hitler and bin Laden. You may not see a difference; that’s your loss.

Ron Paul is the only honest, down to earth, realistic candidate running for either of the "major" party nominations, and is clearly the best candidate for America at the moment. As somebody else said earlier, if he wins the nomination he’ll provide the first landslide win in many years, especially if he goes up against Hilary.

Only if you guys hack the voting machines… Look, you’re welcome to your dreams but he.will.not.win. It’s that simple. I don’t even care if he should win, he won’t. What we on the web say and do matters little to most voters, and the simple fact of the matter is that in the Real World Ron Paul is a 2nd tier party candidate. That’s all he’ll ever be.

At most the guy’s got a chance to be this elections Ralph Nader if he decides, after he loses the nomination, to go 3rd party.