While Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee claims he’s not smart enough to be intentionally trying to remain in the race just to block John McCain from becoming the official Republican presidential nominee, nobody can question his intelligence when it comes to picking good spots to do paid speaking engagements.
Huckabee will be in the Cayman Islands this week giving a speech at the Young Caman Leadership Awards banquet. Don’t worry Huckabee fans, this doesn’t mean he’s giving up:
“We’re not giving up,” Huckabee campaign manager Chip Saltsman said. “He hasn’t had two days off in a row in over a year. … We are coming right back on the trail on Sunday night. … This is the man’s job, his livelihood. These speeches and books that he sells … are how he makes his living. Everyone else running has the taxpayers paying their salary, he doesn’t. If he does not do this, from time to time, he can’t pay his mortgage.”
Far be it for me, or anyone else for that matter to tell another person how to make their living. But it just seems like an odd time to jaunt off to a literal island when you are in the midst of a campaign.
Maybe it’s not that odd for Huckabee though, who drew raised eyebrows for the lavish gifts he accepted during his time as governor of Arkansas. In a December New York Times Magazine piece Zev Chafets described this aspect of Huckabee’s personality as a preacher’s sense of entitlement.
None of this will probably mean much, as McCain has all but sewn up the nomination anyway. Strange timing is all I say. But hey, who wants to campaign in Ohio when it’s 79 degrees in the Caymans.
Mason Cohn
