Huckabee’s still in it, but barely.  Just barely.  Or maybe not.  Either way, here are two encomia to the man and his wife.  The first is an article about Janet Huckabee with a title that belies the irony of a healthy marriage: ”Shoots Bear, Submits to Husband.” 

She likes her pie, is middleweight boxing champ Jermain Taylor’s biggest fan, and, with the help of her Baptist decorator, made a hash of the Arkansas governor’s mansion, jettisoning draperies to let the light in and stowing antiques in favor of faux. She slams doors, packs heat, and, like most of us, will never be confused with Jackie Kennedy: “Janet is not White House material; I doubt she’s learned which fork to use,” says one of her Little Rock detractors, who was apolitical before Mrs. H. made him apoplectic. “She’s such a big old horsy woman, she has no grace. I’ve seen her chew gum on television!” So it’s a shame she doesn’t give more speeches and interviews, because what a lot of Americans would say to a person of such poor comportment and little breeding is: Come and sit here, by me.

The second article is an older one about Huckabee the Joker and how it’s both good and bad to have a funny president. 

Some of our most popular recent presidents have been able to keep people smiling. John Kennedy was a first-class wit who delighted in humor for its own sake. Reagan was more of a grandfatherly teller of set-piece jokes with some famous quips. “Honey, I forgot to duck,” he told his wife after he was shot. To the surgeons he said, “I hope you’re all Republicans.” Clinton was a great storyteller and knew how to make fun of himself.

So what’s wrong with Huckabee’s sense of humor?  Does it belie a lack of seriousness?