Huckabama

Like everyone else who's been mentally ready to move on from the Bush regime since the first Wednesday of Nov. 2004, I've been giddy with anticipation for the political season and impending presidential election.

It fascinates me, the future of our country.

The recent Iowa caucuses have only fed this feeling, especially with the relative-upset victories of Barry Obama and Big Mike Huckabee (maybe it's the sports writer in me that appreciates the game actually having a level of unpredictability).

I read the following on a message board I frequent, posted by one of the more respected members of said board. It was a view I hadn't heard — or thought of, for that matter — which, to me is WHAT THIS SHIT IS ALL ABOUT.

It's about the possibility of Iowa's choices taking it past the conventions and onto the national ticket. I figured I'd post it here:

I think what would be most intriguing about a Huck-Obama match-up is that both represent parts of the party that the establishment expects votes from, but doesn't really want as a candidate. The Bush family represents the perfect GOP candidate: a faux-redneck who is really a wealthy elite with an Ivy League education and blue-blood connections. Huck is the opposite. He really is a redneck. For years, the Repubs have wanted the salt-of-the-earth vote for their blue blood candidates, and now a salt-of-the-earth guy has suddenly hijacked their party. I suspect it's making a lot of people nervous.

But the same is true of Obama, in a way. The Dems have come to simply expect the African American vote -- (I know for a fact that Kathleen Kennedy Towsend once told a black leader, "Who else are you going to vote for?" which shows how stupid she truly was) -- but they didn't exactly run to get in line to support someone like Jesse Jackson. His campaign, from most Democratic establishment types, got a nice pat on the head. Thanks for playing. Now run along and drum up support for us. But with Obama the Dems are actually looking at the possibility that an African American could be the top guy on the ticket. I suspect it's making a lot of people nervous on the Blue Team as well, regardless of what they say in public.
—— posted by 'Double Down'

Interesting take. More to come.