Huckabee Blogger Conference Call and Home Ec hardballs

I commend candidates like Mike Huckabee and Nashville Mayoral candidates who are reaching out to bloggers, but--especially on the Presidential level, it is a serious risk for the campaign . . . a risk that your candidate will react the way a normal non-candidate would to some of the stupid questions they are asked. This reminded me of Fred's touch-down in Nashville last week.

I guess there is the same danger with a professional journalist audience; but it's kind of a different type of "danger." I was eager to get Huckabee's reaction to what has all the appearances of a hit piece in Newsmax.com today--I say "hit piece" because it is recycling a lot of old data, is categorized under "Top News!" and it has a thesis akin to an op/ed and unlike a news report.

I was also interested to get his reaction to disappointing fundraising numbers for this quarter, but, alas, some blogger used precious con call to follow up their question (from the last conference call) about teaching home economics in schools.

The savvy and kindness with which Huckabee handled the Home Ec hardball is a credit to him and his strengths as a candidate . . . but the buzz in the blogosphere on the subject of Huckabee today is not likely to focus on the value of teaching teenagers how to make french toast.