Now, the problem with Huckabee isn’t that he’s not conservative. He is. The problem is that he’s a Christian first, a conservative second. His religious views are mostly in line with Modern American Conservative political theories, but on the rare occasions where his politics and his religion conflict, he’ll choose his religion first, as he did with that prisoner whose sentence he commuted and with his outreach to the Hispanic community. That is the one thing the conservative movement absolutely cannot tolerate.

Worse from their point of view, if Huckabee’s perspective (that you should be a Christian first and a conservative second) wins out, the door is open to people much less conservative than he finding a way to express themselves in the GOP later on down the line; particularly the members of the new generation of evangelicals, who care about things like the environment, social justice and peace overseas as well as abortion and gay marriage. In short, the risk is that a Huckabee victory will remake the GOP from a right wing party into a Christian Democratic party like the ones that exist in Europe and Latin America.

It’s a very remote possibility for sure. But it’s real enough that the conservative elite spent so much of the campaign trying to sink him, and that significant factions are now calling for pro-life and traditional marriage issues to take a backseat to the values of that abortion of a movement calling itself the Tea Party.

In other words, Huckabee was the only populist (in the American sense) in this campaign. Very interesting. Even more interesting is the fact that he’s lax on immigration and has tried to reach across the aisle to the Latinos and other minorities, eschewing thirty years in which the Christian Right was nothing but a fraternity of unreconstructed segregationists.

Assuming this portrait is accurate, then if Huckabee’s movement can take over the Republican Party and remake it in his image, the same way William Jennings Bryan did to the Democrats in 1896… then let’s just say I’d be okay with that. I do not like or approve of his views on social issues, but if a party governed by the Christian Right means eschewing racism, imperialism and Gilded Age capitalism, it’s more than worth the trade. (And the Democrats will always be there as a counterbalance to their most extreme tendencies). Perversely, I of all people am now hoping Huckabee succeeds.

Everyone makes fun of Utah. I do too, so I don’t take any offense at it. On the whole I like living somewhere unimportant, being a big believer in that “interesting times” cliché.

Me too – I spent some childhood in Seattle, haven’t lived there since the 70s, and still crave that stuff. Mmmm.

I’m craving some oyster soup–wonder if Emmet Watson’s delivers.

Or a scary slug story. Seagulls are why god created Alka-Seltzer.

Reminds me of that Tool song . . . learn to swim!

Okay, now I’m craving a bag of fried clams from Ivar’s. Dang it. Long John Silver’s doesn’t do it for me.

When eating outdoors in Seattle, you really have to watch out for those damned gulls. Everyone in Seattle has a scary gull story.

We Coloradians are the ones who make fun of Utah. The fact is, some are waiting for the day when Grand Junction becomes the new left coast. I’n not saying I’m one of those people mind you–but I do like me some large bodies of water.

I think a lot of things have changed in Seattle in the five years since I lived in the area. I wish I could get back out there for a visit. I haven’t been in a long time. Oh, for some good seafood – or even some nice greasy Ivar’s fish ‘n chips. Hey! On the bright side, we have some decent sushi places here in Dead Moines now. Not that I can afford it right now, but at least the option exists.

The liberal fascists may be to blame for the loss of the Russian place. For everything else there’s Tim Eyman . . . ;-).

Yeah, Sam, I feel your pain. Heck, people from Iowa make fun of Utah. Nah, just kidding. The state Iowans make fun of is Missouri.

Yeah, I had to give the great Armando a stern talking to about the whole coastal liberal elitist thing. Then there are the nut-jobs talking about how all of the new Democratic caucus-goers where probably Repubs trying to swing it for Obama because they think he’s the one they can beat. Grrr. They just don’t understand that Iowans, on he whole, are truly honest, up-standing, wonderful people whole and won’t do such things!

Was the Clinton aggitator who was hassling you a guy named George by any chance?

Speaking of the U District, I am still saddened to find that my favorite little Russian place is gone and I can’t get a decent porogi in Seattle anymore. I blame the liberal fascists or something.

I hear the Gare-bear as a teenager I once sat near in a restaurant. I never saw the kid, and I’m glad – he sounded like a majorly annoying little shit. From what I overheard, it sounded like he and his dad were there on dad’s custody day and the boy was not at all enthused about it. He had the most petulant, mopey, passive-aggressive whine I’ve ever heard and I was amazed his dad managed not to throttle him.

I used to know a New Yorker who would say, “There’s New York over here, and Los Angeles over there, and everything in between is Iowa.”

That’s unusually cosmopolitan for a NYer – acknowledging that LA and the spaces in between exist.

But seriously, I know what you mean. Look where I come from.

My son is only fifteen, but he’s been dragged around to political events all his life. Bill Clinton once tickled him in the ribs and called him a “Fine little fella.” His first caucus with me was actually 96, and as a political junkie, I attended it although Clinton was running unopposed. I think there were six people there. A wee bit different this time. The kid doesn’t remember that one. His only complaint is that you can’t attend any kind of Iowa Democratic event without being bombarded by Tom Petty music.

g, remember when we were talking about drinking at the E on the Ave. in the U in Seattle? LOL. America really is a village. That’s the thing I love about the ‘net.

Yah, that’s kind of how I hear Gary. Either that, or a kind of simpering, wimpy, yet angry, man’s voice. I sometimes hear that too.

Great! Another bad actor who can’t bother to learn his lines…

Is is just me, or does anyone else immediately picture Chuck going off and trying to run some scam on Reuben Kincaid every time his face pops up on MSNBC?

Unlike Robertson (and the host of tyro candidates who have run recently) he would know the way to the bathroom.

Where he will assume a wide stance, no doubt.