Huckabee's Black Belt Assist
Updated: 3:15
GOP hopeful Mike Huckabee has his first television ad up and running in Iowa, featuring a face familiar to many TV viewers: Chuck Norris. The former Walker, Texas Ranger is now supporting the former Arkansas governor.
"Mike Huckabee is a lifelong hunter who'll protect our Second Amendment rights," Norris says in the ad, looking like the martial arts champion he is, a man whose rights--to bear arms or otherwise--it may seem prudent not to mess with.
The playful banter from the martial artists/television star and Baptist minister/presidential candidate is of a different mold than many of the more biographical candidate ads on the Iowa airwaves these days. So will it play in Davenport?
Not necessarily with the martial arts crowd. Nick Tarpein runs a martial arts center there and has trained several fighters on the Ultimate Fighting Champion circuit. Tarpein, who has been teaching martial arts in Iowa since the 1970s, said he's not aware of anyone in the area who teaches the Norris-created Chun Kuk Do hybrid martial art. Davenport is more of a UFC town--one champion has a school nearby and Tarpein, admittedly not a neutral bystander, but a close-observer of the field nonetheless said "people talk about Iowa, and they say that's where you go for UFC training."
Tarpein described himself as "pretty conservative" and said he is currently leaning toward Romney, but "if another guy comes out, I'd be open."
He said he hadn't heard much from Huckabee at all yet, and the new ad, which he said he saw part of during news coverage last night, didn't look promising.
"When I saw it, it kind of turned me off," Tarpein said. "Chuck Norris was a great movie star, and a good point fighter, but in today's martial arts world he's just not that tough. So it kind of seems like a double joke on Chuck Norris."
It's not that he thinks there's no room for humor in political ads. He said he liked the Bill Richardson spot where the New Mexico governor deadpanned about his looks (""I'm sure not the best looking, or the flashiest, but I know who I am. And I know how hard I'll work for you.) "That was kind of humorous," Tarpein said. "I guess it's a way to get people to watch this stuff. But it's important not to go overboard. This is the highest office in the land and you're poking fun of it."
He added that other non martial arts professionals may feel differently about the Huckabee ad. "I guess I just don't have a real high opinion of Chuck Norris, I don't think he's a real great martial artist, that's just my personal opinion."
For more on Norris and Huckabee, check out Channel '08's fine summary of the ad and of the finer points of the Chuck Norris oeuvre.
--Rachel Dry
Posted at 11:14 AM ET on Nov 19, 2007
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Posted by: rayfinn | November 30, 2007 3:19 AM
Mabye he's targeting children?
Hee hee. Yeah, target them now so they vote for you when their old enough and you run for office again. Hee hee. They won't forget you.
Posted by: navarrjj | November 19, 2007 5:46 PM
If the WaPo wants to link a Huck video, let me suggest this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5Dp7FaKIJo
Sure, it's from me, and it's certainly not as entertaining as the one above. On the other hand, it discusses things Huck actually did as governor, and things that those who would vote for him should know about.
Yet, instead of looking into that and ask Huck about it, the WaPo seems to think their mandate is to entertain (or perhaps something else).
Posted by: LonewackoDotCom | November 19, 2007 4:01 PM
I agree, sence of humor isn't a terrible thing...to take stands on campaign issues visit www.mitchellinteractive.com
Posted by: tenniswrestler | November 19, 2007 3:39 PM
I'm amazed at the animosity this has generated in the comments section of both this article and the one from Channel '08. I'm a true-blue Democrat, and I can't stand Huckabee, but this is a funny ad. I realize not everyone gets the Chuck Norris jokes, but kudos to Huckabee for at least having some fun with it. Compare this with Tom Tancredo's ad, or any of the other fear-mongering Republican ads, and you can't tell me this isn't the preferred alternative.
Posted by: ManUnitdFan | November 19, 2007 2:01 PM
This is as good a reason as any to show why he is not fit to be President. What a clown. Infact the whole GOP field is a joke. They could not be handing the office to Hillary anymore if they tried.
Posted by: PatrickNYC1 | November 19, 2007 1:51 PM
Pretty incredible for Huckabee to believe that such a stupid spot could win over voters in Iowa or elsewhere.
But, then, who knows--he and Chuck seem to target only those who have lost their minds.
reflectivepundit.com
Posted by: bn1123 | November 19, 2007 1:16 PM
How very funny!
One buffoon helping another-
Posted by: kase | November 19, 2007 1:07 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
I thought Mike's attempt to help Rudy on the Bible question was condescending. I do not want a preacher of the United States. I want a president. If we go by religious values alone, Jimmy Carter beats Regan hands down. Mike appears to be a nice guy, so does Jimmy Carter. Google Huckabee and ethics or Huckabee and Jesus juice.
A Baptist minister, Huckabee singled out Holt, also a Christian. Said the governor: "I drink a different kind of Jesus juice."
I am not a Huckabee basher, but he is not presidential caliber. My first choice is Newt Gingrich (possibly someones VP?),coming in second are Romney and Tancredo.
Those who want Huckabee because they drink his kind of "Jesus juice" really need to look beyond that. Do your own real homework and do not be taken in by this guy.