Their differences center on hair and cultural background. Otherwise Mike Huckabee and Donald Trump amount to the same prospective Republican presidential candidate.

A media celebrity first and always, tacky, conspicuously consuming, shamelessly self-promotional, glibly superficial on the issues, given to reckless demagoguery against Barack Obama — I wonder, is that Huckabee or Trump we’re talking about?

Advertisement

Yes.

One comes from the Southern Baptist pulpits of Arkansas and the other comes from the real estate glitz of New York City. They meet and begin to morph in the wasteland that is the glow of the modern American political spotlight, virtually indistinguishable at times from the show-business spotlight.

Advertisement

One of these fellows goes on television to say “you’re fired” and the other goes on TV to hoist a bass guitar and perform country-rock covers. 

One hangs out with Gary Busey and the other with Chuck Norris.

Advertisement

One lives in new-money extravagance in the Big Apple while the other builds with newer money still a garish, hotel-looking monstrosity on the sands of the Redneck Riviera. 

One golfs and one hunts. On has a volatile marital history and the other a volatile waistline history. 

Advertisement

Both gab hyperactively and adroitly. Both are hucksters.

One says we are entitled to question Obama’s natural-born American citizenship because we have not seen his birth certificate. The other says Obama is different from normal Americans because he grew up in Kenya exposed to madrassas instead of Rotary Clubs.

Advertisement

It’s all false and utter nonsense, of course, as if that mattered in this new political world where this thing we will call a Huckatrump could get seriously considered as a presidential candidate.

Neither of these men will take as much offense as he ought to take for being compared to the other. They met for lunch several days ago. Huckabee got quoted as saying he could envision himself on a Republican ticket with Trump.

Advertisement

A more serious Republican, prominent and accomplished, was telling me that he leaned toward former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty as his presidential candidate. It was because, he said, he knew less about Pawlenty than he knew about the rest — Huckatrump, Gingrich, Palin, Bachmann, Paul, Barbour and that uncommonly pliable composite of woodenness and plastic, which is to say Mitt Romney. 

How might Obama get re-elected? By the preceding paragraph, of course.

For the moment, though, Trump and Huckabee adorn the top of Republican presidential polls. Put their showings together and you will see that four in 10 Republican primary supporters support the Huckatrump.

Most likely there is yet one more likeness in these two men. It is that both engage in self-promotion and will not actually pull the trigger to seek the real job of the presidency, owing to their addiction to the easier money and faux glory of media celebrity.

Advertisement

The discerning among us can hope so anyway, because it is not at all out of the question that Huckatrump is a thing for our time.

Be a part of something bigger

As a reader of the Arkansas Times, you know we’re dedicated to bringing you tough, determined, and feisty journalism that holds the powerful accountable. For 50 years, we've been fighting the good fight in Little Rock and beyond – with your support, we can do even more. By becoming a subscriber or donating as little as $1 to our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage and continue to bring important stories to light. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, it's clear that our readers value our great journalism. Join us in the fight for truth.

Previous article Getting it Next article Tea Party governance in Baxter County