Opinion: Known for his wit, Mike Huckabee shows none in NRA ‘joke’

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Mike Huckabee unquestionably has a feel for the artful quip and the smart ad-lib that is rare among politicians -- it’s what helped fuel his surprise rise early in the Republican presidential race (recall his response to a ‘what would Jesus do’ question during a debate late last year).

But just as clearly, there were moments as the campaign wore on when his attempts at humor seemed strained -- a forced effort to live up to his reputation. And occasionally he displayed bad taste, pure and simple. We recall his effort, last summer, to impress Iowans with his political successes in Arkansas by saying, ‘A Republican in my state feels about as out of place as Michael Vick at the Westminster dog show.’

Few laughed at his reference to the horrific dog abuse charges that landed the Atlanta Falcons quarterback in jail.

That side of Huckabee surfaced again Friday when a loud noise sounded during his speech to a National Rifle Assn. gathering in Kentucky. ‘That was Barack Obama,’ Huckabee said (as you can see and hear for yourself below). ‘He just tripped off a chair. He was getting ready to speak. Somebody aimed a gun at him and he ... he dove for the floor.’

Setting aside the lack of anything approaching a punch line in the remark, it obviously was uncalled for, as Huckabee realized. Not long after he left the convention stage, he issued a statement saying, in part, ‘I made an offhand remark that was in no way intended to offend or disparage Sen. Obama. I apologize that my comments were offensive. That was never my intention.’

To his credit, Huckabee did not try to couch the apology by saying ‘if’ the comments were considered insulting. Still, it was not a well-timed stumble for a fellow widely viewed as a strong contender for the vice presidential spot on John McCain’s ticket.

-- Don Frederick