The AP has a story entitled, "Republican Huckabee says don't denigrate Obama" (see here). The article states: "Former US presidential contender Mike Huckabee urged his fellow Republicans on Wednesday not to denigrate Democrat Barack Obama, saying they should celebrate the historic moment of a black candidate."
Later, the article says: "Huckabee, who won the first nomination contest in Iowa on the back of support from evangelical Christians, said he hoped Republican John McCain would defeat Obama but urged his party to highlight policy differences and not race" (emphasis mine).
I have a mixed reaction to Huckabee's remarks. My response was initially quite negative, and it went like this: "What do you expect McCain to do, Mike? Fawn all over Obama? Should Obama get a free pass because of his race? And why do you encourage the party to highlight policy differences and not race? The G.O.P. hasn't made an issue of Obama's race. McCain has hit Obama on the issues. The one making an issue of Obama's race is you, Mike."
And I still feel some of this, especially the part about the Republicans not focusing on Obama's race. But, after some thought, I have some sympathy for what Huckabee is saying. Huckabee always struck me as a positive candidate. He didn't really attack people that much, if at all. If he were the nominee, he would come across as so...NICE. He'd celebrate how far America has come while praising Obama on certain things. Yet, he'd point out policy differences between himself and the Democrats.
The political atmosphere would be so different. Right now, McCain attacks Obama, and Obama attacks McCain. And here Obama is supposed to be a unifier, someone who's above such bickering. Things would be much more civil if it were an Obama-Huckabee race.