Spring Break
Candidates counting on Texas | Huckabee portrays himself as the conservative Republican candidate in hope of gaining votes in Texas
By: Rick Rojas
Issue date: 3/3/08 Section: News
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Walking on stage with a gray suit and red and blue tie, Huckabee strapped on a his bass guitar and played with a dimpled grin and a swagger to match the rhythm before speaking at a campaign rally for his Republican presidential campaign Friday in Rudder Theater.
His visit comes after a string of comedic television appearances, including "Saturday Night Live" and "The Colbert Report, in the hope of proving his campaign is still alive. And he brought the same lines to Texas, saying the vote in the Texas primary on Tuesday is what his campaign depends upon.
He began by playing a few songs with a band from Huntsville before introducing the man who he said, in jest, would be his secretary of defense and homeland security: Chuck Norris.
"He has the youth to lead this country, the experience to lead this country and the vision to lead the country," said Norris, the action movie star turned cult hero who has appeared in multiple ads and campaigned for Huckabee.
Norris said he was preparing to leave for vacation on Wednesday, adding, "I'll leave with a smile on my face when Mike wins the state of Texas."
But once Norris took a seat on the side of the stage and Huckabee took back the microphone, the tone of the rally changed as he tried to sell his message of bringing conservatism - fiscally and socially - to the White House.
"The purpose of government is not to fix us," he said. "It is the purpose of us to fix government."
In a thinly veiled counter to Republican frontrunner, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Huckabee attempted to portray himself as the conservative candidate in the Republican presidential race. He presented his plans for the presidency, which centered on limiting the size and reach of the federal government. "Every time we pass new laws, it's an indictment of the character of our nation," Huckabee said.
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