Mike Huckabee needs to make up his mind re: Sarah Palin's decision to resign.
On the afternoon of her decision, he defended Palin on Fox News, calling the move "unusual", but claiming it was part of her charm, and "I don't think this ends her political career in any way".
"I think what she's showing is what many of us loved about her, her spunk. She is who she is and she's willing to take risks.
Today is an unusual and I'd say unexpected announcement. I would never have imagined it. On the other hand, I don't know what's in her heart, what's in her mind.
I wouldn't even pretend to know that. But what I know about her is that she is a very candid, forthright person, and I think we're seeing a level of candor. Now, if it's because she's just been unmercifully attacked by the press, then you have to say 'get some rest', because it has been tough.... I don't think this ends her political career in any way.... this is a lady who's spent her political career sort of going against the grain."
Then, that Sunday, he appeared on Fox News Sunday (video after the xcript), and took a much tougher line, arguing that her decision would be difficult to defend in the heat of an election.
CHRIS WALLACE: Governor Huckabee, look, almost every politician is on the firing line. You may not have been to the degree as Governor of Arkansas that Sarah Palin was, once she achieved national prominence, but what about this argument "I'm doing this for my state because the attacks against me are getting in the way"?
MIKE HUCKABEE: Well, if that had been the case for me, I'd have quit about my first month, because I was a Republican governor in a state where 89% of my legislature were Democrats.
I had constant ethics complaints filed against me, even by newspaper editors. And a lot of it was because if they can't attack you on policy, they absolutely bombard you with personal attacks and keep you tied up in court.... Arkansas was a tough political environment, period -- even tougher for a Republican.
And one of the things you have to do is just decide "look, they're not gonna chase me out".... the danger that Sarah Palin faces, and let me be very quick to tell you -- in the way of full disclosure -- I am a Sarah Palin fan. I like her personally. I like her points of view. I think she's right on the issues. The challenge that she's going to have is that there will be people who say "Well, look if they chase you out of this, it won't get any easier for you at other levels of the stage."
That brings us to last week, when Mike Huckabee spoke to a group of high school students who were participating in a debate program at Oklahoma Christian University.
There, he seemed to sound much like he did on that first interview of July 3 (ea).
"She has had a very different kind of approach in direction, and I’m not going to be critical of her because it could turn out to be the smart play for her.”
Huck needs to give Clausewitz a call.
