Analysis: Huckabee may have gone too far

[Poiuyt]

After running an unconventional, surprisingly strong and sometimes strange race to the top tier of the Republican presidential campaign, the former Arkansas governor topped himself Monday with an eyebrow-raising campaign stunt.

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So he did what desperate candidates do. Huckabee took himself off the campaign trail Sunday to shoot a negative ad. He bought $30,000 in television time to air the spot and called a news conference to unveil it.

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When Huckabee arrived, he announced he had just changed his mind. The ad wouldn't run. It was too negative.

"I believe the people of Iowa deserve better, and we are going to try and give them better ...," he said.

But he didn't. Instead, Huckabee showed off the spot to the journalists, knowing full well his negative message would seep out of the room. He told the media to pay close attention.

"You're not going to get a copy of it," he warned, "so this is your chance to see it, then after that you'll never see it again."

The media laughed.

One of the funniest, most charming presidential candidates in recent memory, Huckabee normally makes reporters and voters laugh at his one-liners. On Monday, he made himself the butt of his own joke, urging journalists to take careful note of the negative ad he had withdrawn because he wanted to run a positive campaign.

more -

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080101/ap_on_an/huckabee_the_paradox;_ylt=AvZc0POmJf1dgsOs3YYmrd.s0NUE

[Olney Blue]

1. Jokeabee not smartabee.

[baldguy]

2. Don't think of an elephant.

[zanne]

3. I made a resolution not to criticize other candidates....

But this is a Republican, so it doesn't count. Ron Paul is just a curiosity who will fade away as soon as people realize he's insane, just like Ross Perot in '92.

[napi21]

4. NOBODY believed that BS story about his running that ad just

so the news guys would KNOW that he really did have one that he wasn't going to run! He's going to remain Wannabee for a LONG TIME!

[pansypoo53219]

5. you forget,

it will be the republicans voting who picked GEORGIE. they are not voting with the same brains we are. and fuckabee is so XTAIN.