Huckabee kills ad then shows it

News Type: Opinion — Seeded on Tue Jan 1, 2008 10:44 AM EST

Article Source: The Washington Post

Huckabee Unveils Ad Only to Disavow It

By Michael D. Shear and Perry Bacon Jr.
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, January 1, 2008; A01

DES MOINES, Dec. 31 -- Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee took an unorthodox gamble in his bid for the presidency Monday, unveiling an attack ad against Republican rival Mitt Romney and then immediately pledging not to run it in the hopes of appealing to the better nature of Iowa voters.

Flanked by posters his campaign produced to question Romney's credibility, Huckabee decried gutter politics in America but then directed the attention of scores of reporters and television cameras to a movie screen, where he played the 30-second hit piece on Romney's honesty and record.

"I pulled the ad. I do not want it to be run at all," he said. But within minutes, the ad was being played on national television and had been posted on blogs and other Web sites -- without costing his campaign a penny.

The campaign's decision to not buy airtime for the ad came after an internal debate over how to arrest the damage from a week of critical Romney campaign commercials and several highly publicized flubs by Huckabee, whose sudden status as front-runner in the GOP contest here appears to be in jeopardy.

Huckabee has not had a good day in nearly a week as he has tried to respond to attacks by Romney on his Arkansas record and to increasingly skeptical media coverage. A poll released Sunday showed him trailing Romney here after once leading by double digits. Over the weekend, he began telling reporters that a second-place finish would be wonderful.

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george s

This guy is a phony

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#1 - Tue Jan 1, 2008 10:48 AM EST

{"commentId":1318020,"authorDomain":"wood-s"}

trex-138069

Well, he isn't THAT big an ignorant hick if he knows the rhetorical tactic of "praeteritio." ("I'm much too much of a gentleman to discuss the rumors of my rival's adulterous orgies with extraterrestrials.") Cicero used to use it masterfully in his speeches, but Huck, I've read Cicero. I've taught Cicero. Governor, you're no Cicero.

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1 vote

#2 - Tue Jan 1, 2008 11:13 AM EST

{"commentId":1318509,"authorDomain":"narky"}

Narky

Ah, man, is he flip-flopping already?

{"commentId":1318509,"threadId":"196383","contentId":"1197102","authorDomain":"narky"}

#3 - Tue Jan 1, 2008 2:20 PM EST

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Huckabee Denounces Ads, Needles Romney	Associated Press	Sat Dec 29	1
Huckabee Won't Air Anti-Romney Ad	Associated Press	Mon Dec 31	1
Analysis: Huckabee May Have Gone Too Far	Associated Press	Tue Jan 1	3
Huckabee Attack Ad Runs Anyway	Newsweek	Thu Jan 3	3
McCain, Huckabee Assail Romney	Associated Press	Sun Dec 30	0

GEORGE S

Backyard

Huckabee kills ad then shows it

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