Red state: Huckabee reveals Cardinal roots
Cardinal Nation - you have a kindred spirit on the presidential campaign trail, even if he became a Redbird by necessity.
Republican Mike Huckabee on Tuesday was accepting the endorsement of Van Meter, Iowa native Bob Feller - a former power pitcher for the Cleveland Indians known as the âHeater from Van Meter” - when the ex-Arkansas governor was asked his preference in baseball teams.
Here’s what he said, according to The Caucus blog at The New York Times:
Growing up, Mr. Huckabee said, he was a St. Louis Cardinals fan because St. Louis was geographically closest to his hometown of Hope, Ark. He often listened on the radio when Bob Gibson was pitching, he said.
âBut of course, that was before the Texas Rangers and the Astros existed,” he said, âso really it was St. Louis or nothing.”
Even so, Huckabee is enough of a Cardinals fan that he was at Old Busch Stadium for the final game of the 2004 World Series - the one that didn’t turn out so well for the home team, even if everyone else seemed to enjoy the outcome.
âI was thinking I wanted the Cardinals to win, but if Boston wins, I’m thinking, “This is going to be the biggest story in sports history, and I’ll be here to see it,’” Huckabee told the Caucus.
Rooting for the Red Sox over your favorite team? Sounds like he’s taken a page from the Rudy Giuliani playbook.
Huckabee sounds like a reluctactant Cardinal fan (not a proud one).
Well, what ELSE did he have — Royals? hah!
That’s kinda my point. He just rooted for the Cardinals because they were there. A real citizen of Cardinal Nation has it ingrained in their heart–if not their DNA.
Regardless, it doesn’t affect the way I feel about his candidacy.
Yeah suzyjax, it sounds like he wishes he could have been rooting for the Astros.
The Red Sox winning was the biggest story in sports history? That’s pretty debatable. One team won that hadn’t won for a long time, but the sport itself didn’t change. It can’t compare to Jackie Robinson starting for the Dodgers, or Texas Western beating Kentucky, or the Jets winning Super Bowl III, or Andy Messersmith being declared a free agent.
So basically he is trying to make everyone happy by saying he is a fan of whoever is close/convenient at the time. Not that being a fan of one team or another matters in deciding who I would vote for, but if he is going to say he is a fan of a team he should at least want them to win the series. Is he a flip-flopper on sports teams or will he make a decision and stay the course no matter what? lol
Hey, Huckabee is a Cardinals fan because they are the CHRISTIAN TEAM (Cardinals, eh? get it?).
I personally escorted Gov. Huckabee to the airport from Wash U. last March. We discussed the Cardinals, as well as our dependance on foreign energy and the potential for wind energy. This was prompted by the Albericci green bldg. and wind turbine on the innerbelt. Huckabee regularly brought his kids to Cardinals games. Yes, it was the closest team, that is certain. But anyone knows that there are thousands of Cardinal fans in Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma-to this day. It was about KMOX too. Don’t misconstrue the quote. And don’t misconstrue me, a life-long dyed in the wool Democrat.
No, the quote makes him sound wishy-washy.
But, it really isn’t relevant (and this from a die-hard Cards fan). No more than half of the inane questions these folks are asked (boxer or briefs anyone?).
Say it ain’t so, Joe, - uh , Huck. Regardless, I am a Cards fan from my first breath to my last. I didn’t know anyone could be so ambivalent about the Cardinals, especially an Arkansan.