The Amazing Kreskin^[1] (born January 12, 1935), born George Joseph Kresge, is a mentalist who became popular on North American television in the 1970s. He was inspired to become a mentalist by Lee Falk's famous comic strip Mandrake the Magician,^[2] which features a crime-fighting stage magician.

Early life[link]

George Joseph Kresge was born in Montclair, New Jersey to Polish and Italian parents.

Career[link]

From 1970 to 1975, Kreskin's television series The Amazing World of Kreskin was broadcast throughout Canada on CTV and distributed in syndication in the United States. The series was produced in Ottawa, Ontario at the CJOH-TV studios. An additional set of episodes was produced in 1975, billed as The New Kreskin Show. He appeared on The Tonight Show 61 times from 1970–1980. In the 1980s and 1990s he came to prominence again through several appearances on Late Night with David Letterman. In 2009, he became the first guest to make three appearances on the new Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.^{[citation needed]}

He is still active as a live performer, appears regularly on WPIX in New York City, and appears annually on the Fox News Channel and CNN to give his New Year's Day predictions for the coming year.^[3] One of his best known tricks is finding his cheque for a performance, which he instructs the audience to hide while he is escorted off stage and into seclusion by other members of the audience. While finding the cheque on most occasions, he has failed to find the cheque nine times.^[4]

Though Kreskin makes "predictions," he does not claim to have paranormal or clairvoyant powers, and does not like to be considered a "psychic".^[5] He teaches classes for law enforcement groups, which "focuses on psychological methods such as jogging lost memories through relaxation techniques or detecting lies through body language and voice inflections."^[5]

The 2008 movie The Great Buck Howard is based on the experiences of writer-director Sean McGinly who worked briefly as the road manager for Kreskin.

Criticism[link]

In 2002, Kreskin made a prediction that there would be a mass-UFO sighting over Las Vegas, Nevada on June 6 between the hours of 9:45PM and midnight that would be witnessed by thousands of people. He also stated that if there was no sighting, he would donate $50,000 to a charity. Hundreds of people camped out that evening yet no sighting occurred. On June 8, Kreskin appeared in the opening segment of the Coast-to-Coast AM radio show, hosted by Art Bell, to explain what had happened. Bell read Kreskin's press release over the air to the effect that: "the sighting prediction was a total fabrication in order to prove people's susceptibility to suggestion post-9/11." Kreskin claimed he was concerned that a terrorist, with the skills of a mentalist such as himself, could pull a similar stunt involving something much worse. He stated that the predicted sighting was only an "experiment." When asked about the $50,000 donation he previously promoted, Kreskin claimed there was indeed a sighting that night since he said glowing green orbs were supposedly spotted in the sky just before midnight and reported by witnesses after news camera crews had already left the scene. Because of this one reported sighting, Kreskin said his prediction came true anyway and therefore he didn't have to pay the money he previously announced. This statement offended Art Bell, who opined that this was a merely publicity stunt on Kreskin's part, and officially banned Kreskin from his show.^[6]

As far back as January 1973, a magazine carried an interview with Kreskin in which he alluded to the possibility of this stunt - and to the dangers of the madness of crowds in general:

Kreskin is aware of both the benefits and dangers of hypnotism and claims that given an audience of 200 people, "I'll have them seeing flying saucers. Take the same crowd to Time Square on a hot evening and you can have them screaming "fire"." Hitler, says Kreskin, used hypnotic techniques in his speeches - the torchlight parades and the sombre drum beating being evidence of this. "Using suggestion, I could never make someone do something he didn't want to do. But it's different in a crowd," says Kreskin. "Psychologists don't know why, but somehow the level of morality is lowered and responsibility is lost." "If my name is forgotten in years to come, I can only hope that I have taught people to wonder." ^[7]

Bibliography[link]

• Secrets of the Amazing Kreskin. Prometheus. 1991. ISBN 0-87975-676-4. 
• Kreskin Confidential: The World's Greatest Mentalist Speaks Out. AuthorHouse. 2009. ISBN 978-1-4389-7279-4. 

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Kreskin at the Internet Movie Database
• The Amazing World of Kreskin at the Internet Movie Database
• The New Kreskin Show at the Internet Movie Database
• The Amazing Kreskin on The Hour

Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee in February 2012.
44th Governor of Arkansas
In office July 15, 1996 – January 8, 2007
Lieutenant	Winthrop Paul Rockefeller
Preceded by	Jim Guy Tucker
Succeeded by	Mike Beebe
12th Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas
In office November 20, 1993 – July 15, 1996
Governor	Jim Guy Tucker
Preceded by	Jim Guy Tucker
Succeeded by	Winthrop Paul Rockefeller
Chairman of the National Governors Association
In office 2005–2006
Preceded by	Mark Warner
Succeeded by	Janet Napolitano
Personal details
Born	Michael Dale Huckabee (1955-08-24) August 24, 1955 (age 56) Hope, Arkansas, United States
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Janet Huckabee[1]
Children	John Mark, David, and Sarah
Residence	Santa Rosa Beach, Florida[2]
Alma mater	Ouachita Baptist University
Profession	Politician, Author, Public Speaker, & ordained Minister
Religion	Southern Baptist[3]
Signature
Website	www.mikehuckabee.com

Michael Dale "Mike" Huckabee (born August 24, 1955) is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007.^[4][5] He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won (behind both John McCain and Mitt Romney).^[6] He won the Iowa Republican caucuses. Huckabee exited the race as McCain became the presumptive Republican nominee after winning the delegate-rich winner-take-all states of Florida, California, and New York.^[7]

Huckabee is the author of several best selling books, an ordained Southern Baptist^[8] minister, musician and a public speaker. He is also an ABC Radio political commentator.^[9] He and his wife, Janet, have been married for over 37 years and have three grown children: John Mark, David, and Sarah. Janet Huckabee was an unsuccessful candidate for Arkansas Secretary of State in 2002.

Huckabee currently hosts the Fox News Channel talk show Huckabee.^[10] Starting April 2, 2012 he will host The Mike Huckabee Show from noon until 3 pm weekdays for Cumulus Media Networks.^[11]

Early life[link]

Huckabee was born in Hope, Arkansas,^[12] to Mae (née Elder; 1925–1999) and Dorsey Wiles Huckabee (1923–1996), conservative Southern Democrats. He has cited his working-class upbringing as the reason for his de-centralized populist conservative political views;^[13] his father worked as a fireman and mechanic, and his mother worked as a clerk at a gas company.^[14]

His first job, at 14, was working at a radio station where he read the news and weather.^[15] He was elected Governor of Arkansas by his chapter of the American Legion-sponsored Boys State program in 1972^[12] and is a Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Foundation alumnus. He was student council vice president at Hope High School during the 1971–72 school year. He was student council president at Hope High School during the 1972–1973 school year.^[16] He has one sister, Mrs. Pat Harris, a middle school teacher.^[17]

Huckabee married his wife Janet on May 25, 1974.^[17] He graduated magna cum laude from Ouachita Baptist University, completing his bachelor's degree in Religion in 2½ years before attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. He dropped out of the seminary after one year in order to take a job in Christian broadcasting.^[18][19][20]

Pastoral career[link]

At 21, Huckabee was a staffer for James Robison, a television evangelist.^[16] Robison commented, "His convictions shape his character and his character will shape his policies. His whole life has been shaped by moral absolutes."^[16] Huckabee has stated, "Politics are totally directed by worldview. That's why when people say, 'We ought to separate politics from religion,' I say to separate the two is absolutely impossible". Prior to his political career, Huckabee served as pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church in Pine Bluff, Arkansas from 1980 to 1986 and the Beech Street Baptist Church in Texarkana from 1986 to 1992. In both Texarkana and Pine Bluff Huckabee started 24-hour television stations "where he produced documentaries and hosted a program called Positive Alternatives.^[12] He encouraged the all-white Immanuel Baptist Church to accept black members in the mid 1980s.^[16][21] He served as president of a religion-oriented television station. In 1989 Huckabee ran against the Rev. Dr. Ronnie Floyd of Springdale for the presidency of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention.^[22] Huckabee won and served as president from 1989 to 1991.

Early political career[link]

In 1992, in Huckabee's first political race, he lost to incumbent Senator and conservative Democrat Dale Bumpers, receiving 40 percent of the vote in the general election.^[23] That same election saw Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton ascend to the Presidency, making Lieutenant Governor Jim Guy Tucker the new Governor. In 1993, Republican state chairman Asa Hutchinson urged Huckabee to run in the special election for lieutenant governor held on July 27. Realizing his loss came among key conservative Democrats, Huckabee ran a decidedly conservative campaign appealing to several important conservative groups such as the Council of Conservative Citizens (CofCC). In the subsequent general election, he defeated Nate Coulter, who had been Bumpers' campaign manager the previous year,^[24] 51–49 percent.^[12] Huckabee became only the second Republican since Reconstruction to serve as Arkansas lieutenant governor, the first having been Maurice Britt from 1967 to 1971.

In his autobiography From Hope to Higher Ground, Huckabee recalled the chilly reception that he received from the Arkansas Democratic establishment on his election as lieutenant governor:

"The doors to my office were spitefully nailed shut from the inside, office furniture and equipment were removed, and the budget spent down to almost nothing prior to our arriving. After fifty-nine days of public outcry, the doors were finally opened for me to occupy the actual office I had been elected to hold two months earlier."^[25]

Dick Morris, who had previously worked for Bill Clinton, advised Huckabee on his races in 1993, 1994 and 1998.^[26] Huckabee commented that Morris was a "personal friend".^[26] A newspaper article reported on Huckabee's 1993 win: "Morris said the mistake Republicans always make is that they are too much of a country club set. What we wanted to do was run a progressive campaign that would appeal to all Arkansans.'"^[26] Morris elaborated, "So we opened the campaign with ads that characterized Mike as more of a moderate whose values were the same as those of other Arkansans."^[26] Consequently, he abandoned his earlier support for the CofCC when in April 1994 following an adverse media campaign against the CofCC, Huckabee withdrew from a speaking engagement before their national convention. He repeated the accusations made by various media and left-wing organizations such as the Southern Poverty Law Center recalling his past association with the CofCC saying, "I will not participate in any program that has racist overtones. I've spent a lifetime fighting [against] racism and anti-Semitism."^[27]

In 1994, Huckabee was re-elected to a full term as lieutenant governor, beating Democratic candidate Charlie Cole Chaffin with nearly 59 percent of the vote.^[28] However, the amount of money spent by Huckabee on the campaign gave cause to accusations of possible corruption. In subsequent investigations it was revealed that while Lieutenant Governor, Huckabee accepted $71,500 in speaking fees and traveling expenses from a nonprofit group, Action America. R. J. Reynolds was the group's largest contributor.^[21]

In October 1995, David Pryor announced that he was retiring from the United States Senate. Huckabee then announced he was running for the open seat and moved well ahead in the polls.^[12] He won the Republican nomination unopposed.^[29]

During his campaign, Huckabee opposed in December then-Governor Tucker's plan for a constitutional convention.^[30] The plan was defeated by voters, 80–20 percent, in a special election. In January 1996, Huckabee campaigned in televised ads paid for by the Republican National Committee and the Arkansas Republican Party against a highway referendum. Tucker supported the referendum, which included tax increases and a bond program, to improve 1,300 miles (2,100 km) of highway.^[31] On the referendum, the bond question, which included a sales tax increase and a gas tax increase, lost 87–13 percent. A second question, a five-cent increase on diesel tax, lost 86–14 percent.^[31][32] Huckabee also opposed Tucker's plan for school consolidation.^[32]

In May 1996, Tucker, involved in the Whitewater scandal, was convicted "on one count of arranging nearly $3 million in fraudulent loans" and he promised to resign by July 15.^[12] Huckabee then announced he would quit the Senate race and instead fill the unexpired term of Tucker.^[29]

Governor of Arkansas[link]

In 1996, incumbent Democratic governor Jim Guy Tucker was convicted of fraud. The Arkansas Constitution, like nearly all state constitutions in the United States, does not allow convicted felons to hold office, so Tucker was forced to resign. However, Tucker, insisting he had a strong case for appeal,^[33] rescinded his resignation as Huckabee was preparing to be sworn in on July 15. Within a few hours, Tucker reinstated his resignation after Huckabee threatened to initiate impeachment proceedings against Tucker.^[16] Huckabee was sworn in as Governor of Arkansas on July 15, 1996. In November 1998, Huckabee was elected to a full four-year term by defeating retired Colonel Gene McVay in the primary and Jonesboro attorney Bill Bristow in the general election, becoming the state's third elected Republican Governor since Reconstruction. In November 2002, Huckabee was reelected to his second four-year term by defeating State Treasurer Jimmie Lou Fisher, garnering 53 percent of the vote. By the end of his term, Huckabee owned the third-longest tenure of any Arkansas Governor. Only Democrats Orval Faubus, who served six consecutive two-year terms (1955–1967), and Bill Clinton, who served 11 years, 11 months (1979–1981; 1983–1992), had longer tenures.

Huckabee said that his experience as a minister afforded him special insight in being governor:

"My experience dealing every day with real people who were genuinely affected by policies created by government gave me a deep understanding of the fragility of the human spirit and vulnerability of so many families who struggled from week to week. I was in the ICU at 2 a.m. with families faced with the decision to disconnect a respirator on their loved one; I counseled fifteen-year-old pregnant girls who were afraid to tell their parents about their condition; I spent hours hearing the grief of women who had been physically and emotionally clobbered by an abusive husband; I saw the anguish in the faces of an elderly couple when their declining health forced them to sell their home, give up their independence, and move into a long-term-care facility; I listened to countless young couples pour out their souls as they struggled to get their marriages into survival mode when confronted with overextended debt . . . "^[34]

Post-governorship[link]

2008 presidential election campaign[link]

Huckabee announced his run for the White House on Meet the Press on January 28, 2007.^[35]

At the August 11 Iowa Straw Poll, Huckabee took second place with 2,587 votes, roughly 18 percent, splitting the conservative Republican party votes amongst other candidates.^[36] Huckabee spent $57.98 per vote in the Straw Poll, which is the lowest among the top three finishers.^[37] Huckabee drew attention with an unconventional ad featuring Chuck Norris.^[38] In a later ad Huckabee wished voters a merry Christmas, and said that "what really matters is the celebration of the birth of Christ."^[39] In a replay of his past speeches to other conservative Christian organizations such as the CofCC, some critics accused him being right-wing Christian, and it appeared he might back-pedal as he did with the CofCC. However, rather than repudiate his speech he merely denied it was politically incorrect.^[40][41] This lack of defense of his issues before conservative and Christian organizations caused several media outlets to pursue his past speeches. One such questioning asked Huckabee to deny or defend his position regarding America being a historically Christian Nation. According to the Associated Press, on NBC's Meet The Press on December 31, 2007, Huckabee "stood by" a 1998 comment in which he said, "I hope we answer the alarm clock and take this nation back for Christ." Huckabee told NBC that his comment was not politically incorrect and was "appropriate to be said to a gathering of Southern Baptists."^[42] Huckabee has credited God with some of his political success.^[43]

On January 3, 2008, Huckabee won the Iowa Republican caucuses, receiving 34% of the electorate and 17 delegates, compared to the 25% of Mitt Romney who finished second, receiving 12 delegates, Fred Thompson who came in third place and received three delegates, John McCain who came in fourth place and received three delegates and Ron Paul who came in fifth place and received two delegates.

On January 8, 2008, Huckabee finished in third place in the New Hampshire primary, behind John McCain in first place, and Mitt Romney who finished second, with Huckabee receiving one more delegate for a total of 18 delegates, gained via elections, and 21 total delegates, versus 30 total (24 via elections) for Romney, and 10 for McCain (all via elections).

On January 15, 2008, Huckabee finished in third place in the Michigan Republican primary, 2008, behind John McCain in second place, Mitt Romney who finished first and ahead of Ron Paul who finished in fourth place.^[44][45]

On January 19, 2008, Huckabee finished in second place in the South Carolina Republican primary, 2008, behind John McCain who finished first and ahead of Fred Thompson who finished third.^[46]

Mike Huckabee giving his concession speech after the 2008 South Carolina Presidential Primary in Columbia, SC.

On January 29, 2008, Huckabee finished in fourth place in the Florida primary, behind Rudy Giuliani in third, Mitt Romney in second, and John McCain in first place.

On February 5, 2008, Huckabee won the first contest of "Super Tuesday", the West Virginia GOP state convention, but only after the McCain campaign provided their delegates thereby giving Huckabee 52% of the electorate to Mitt Romney's 47%.^[47] Backers of rival John McCain said they threw Huckabee their support to prevent Mitt Romney from capturing the winner-take-all GOP state convention vote.^[48] Subsequently, despite his past repudiation of the CofCC, in a nominee list which included liberal Republicans such as McCain and moderate Republicans such as Romney, Huckabee remained the most conservative nominee in the context.^{[citation needed]} Consequently, he also registered victories in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia and Tennessee on Super Tuesday, bringing his delegate count up to 156, compared to 689 for Republican party front-runner John McCain.^[49]

On February 9, 2008, Huckabee won the first election following Super Tuesday, by winning 60% of the vote in the Kansas Republican Caucuses.^[50] This was also the first contest to be held without Mitt Romney, who was said to be splitting the conservative vote with Huckabee and some pundits suggested it was the reason for Huckabee's landslide victory.^[51] Huckabee also won the Louisiana Republican Primary with 44% of the vote to John McCain's 43% in second. Although Huckabee won the primary he was not awarded any delegates, because of the state party rules that state a candidate must pass the 50% threshold to receive the state's pledged delegates.^[52]

On March 4, 2008, Huckabee withdrew from seeking the candidacy as it became apparent he would lose in Texas, where he had hoped to win and that John McCain would get the 1191 delegates required to win the Republican nomination.

After the presidential campaign[link]

Even though Huckabee had signed a television contract and a book deal with a pressing deadline, he was mentioned by most to be on then-presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain's short list for his Vice Presidential running mate. Huckabee was eventually passed over for Sarah Palin. The late pundit Tim Russert even referred to Huckabee as "Vice President Huckabee" several times when he appeared on Meet The Press on May 18, 2008.^[53]

Former President Bill Clinton has praised Huckabee and stated that he is a rising star in the Republican Party. Clinton and Huckabee have collaborated on initiatives such as the fight against childhood obesity.^[54][55] Former Tennessee Republican Party Chairman and Huckabee's former campaign manager Chip Saltsman has called governor Huckabee, "The most successful failed presidential candidate in the history of our country."^[56]

In December 2008, Huckabee became an Honorary Member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity.^[57]

Books[link]

Since the campaign Huckabee has published, Do The Right Thing: Inside the Movement That's Bringing Common Sense Back to America (released on November 18, 2008) which became a New York Times Best Seller^[58] and "A Simple Christmas" (November 3, 2009), a non-political book.

Commentator[link]

On June 12, 2008, Fox News announced it was hiring Huckabee as a political commentator and regular contributor to their 2008 American presidential election coverage, in their New York election headquarters.^[10]

Huckabee filled in for Paul Harvey in July 2008.^[59] A few months later, he signed a deal with ABC Radio Networks (now Cumulus Media Networks) to carry a daily commentary, The Huckabee Report, beginning in January 2009.^[60] After Harvey's death his show replaced Harvey's broadcasts.^[61]

Huckabee hosts a weekend show, Huckabee, on Fox News Channel, which premiered Saturday September 27, 2008, at 8 PM EST.

On April 2, 2012, Huckabee is scheduled to launch a long-form daily talk show on Cumulus Media Networks, who provide the call-in guests. The show, which is targeted at second-tier broadcast stations, will feature long-form interviews and discussions, and will air in the noon to 3 p.m. time slot, directly opposite the market leader in talk radio, The Rush Limbaugh Show.^[62]

Reports of staged caller on The Huckabee Show[link]

The very first caller to the The Huckabee Show was "Mike from San Fransisco", who was actually Mike McVay – Senior Vice President of Programming at Cumulus Media Networks; McVay's identity and affiliation with The Huckabee Show was not disclosed to listeners while McVay praised Huckabee's new radio show across national airwaves, this according to an April 10, 2012 article by Jeffrey Lord.^[63] Mike McVay's call to The Huckabee Show was received just seconds after the phone number for The Huckabee Show was given to listeners for the first time.

Before publishing his article in the American Spectator, Jeffrey Lord e-mailed McVay asking why he didn't identify himself as a Cumulus executive and if Mike Huckabee knew Mike was actually Mike from the network? Lord received no response from McVay. Lord then e-mailed executives Lew and John Dickey at Cumulus Media; Lord inquired about the wisdom of using a staged questioner and asked if Huckabee knew it was Mike McVay calling. John replied as follows:

Jeff:

Thanks for listening to the show. To your question a colleague in the companywas excited about the new show and arranged to call in with the first questionwithout Governor Huckabee's knowledge. When I learned of this I began the process of reminding my colleagues in the company that we should reserve air-time for our listeners and refrain from calling in to our own shows.

John.^[64]

Cumulus Media Networks did not respond if Huckabee recognized the voice of McVay, also no response whose idea it was to stage the first caller on The Huckabee Show, also no response if this call from McVay compromises the honest reputation of Mike Huckabee. The actions of McVay, Huckabee, and Cumulus have raised questions of honesty and authenticity from the onset of Huckabee's radio talk show.^[65]

Clemency controversies[link]

As governor, Huckabee commuted and accepted recommendations for pardon for twice as many sentences as his three predecessors combined; in total: 1,033 prisoners.^[66] Twelve of those had previously been convicted of murder.^[67] Huckabee’s pardons and commutations became an issue during the 2008 Republican Primary, with most of the controversy focusing on Wayne Dumond.^[68][69] Huckabee's handling of clemency petitions received national attention in November 2009 with the case of Maurice Clemmons. Clemmons had committed burglary without a weapon, and his 60-year sentence was commuted by Huckabee to 47 years, making him eligible for parole if approved by the parole board. The prosecuting attorney of Pulaski County, Arkansas vehemently objected to the commutation. As factors in his decision, Huckabee cited the unusually long sentence of 108 years for Clemmons, who was 17 at the time, that Clemmons had already served 11 years of jail time, the unanimous decision by the bipartisan state pardon board in Clemmons's favor, and the original trial judge's support for clemency. When Clemmons received the 60-year sentence, he already was serving 48 years on five felony convictions and facing up to 95 more years on charges of robbery, theft and possessing a handgun on school property.^[70][71] After his release in 2000 Clemmons was arrested a number of times for multiple offenses including child molestation and aggravated assault, but was released after prosecutors declined to file charges. On November 29, 2009, four police officers were murdered in Lakewood, Washington, and Clemmons was named by witnesses as the only suspect. After a two-day manhunt that spanned several cities in the Puget Sound region, the armed Clemmons was shot and killed by a Seattle Police Department officer in south Seattle after refusing police orders to stop charging the officer.^[72]

In 2003, Eugene Fields received a six year prison sentence after his fourth conviction of driving while intoxicated in five years. Gov. Huckabee granted clemency over the objections of the local prosecutor and sheriff, the Arkansas Prosecuting Attorneys Association and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). A spokeswoman for Mr. Huckabee, Charmaine Yoest, said that Mr. Fields’s political donations [to the Arkansas Republican Party] and connections played no role in his clemency. About two years after Mr. Fields’s sentence was cut to 11 months, he was arrested again for driving while intoxicated as his truck crossed the center line directly into the path of an oncoming police car. ^[73]

Recent controversies[link]

In comments made March 1, 2011, on The Steve Malzberg Show, Huckabee said of President Barack Obama, "I would love to know more. What I know is troubling enough. And one thing that I do know is his having grown up in Kenya, his view of the Brits, for example, is very different than the average American." ^[74][75] (This is a reference to the Mau Mau Uprising against the colonial rule of United Kingdom in 1952).^[76]

In comments made March 4, 2011, on the Michael Medved Show, Huckabee spoke about pregnant, unwed actress Natalie Portman saying "...it's unfortunate we glorify and glamorize the idea of out of wedlock children." ^[77] Huckabee denies he defamed Portman.

In April, he was criticized for a remark he made, "I almost wish that there would be a simultaneous telecast and all Americans would be forced, at gunpoint, to listen to every David Barton message," in praise of David Barton.^[78]

Possible 2012 presidential campaign[link]

In a November 19, 2008, article by the Associated Press, Huckabee addressed the possibility of running for President in 2012. He said, "I'm not ruling anything out for the future, but I'm not making any specific plans".^[79]

Amid speculation about a future run for the Presidency, a CNN poll in December 2008 found Huckabee at the top of the list of 2012 GOP contenders, along with former Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin, fellow 2008 Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.^[80]

On December 3, 2008, local NBC news station WLWT asked Huckabee about the prospect of running, to which he said, "I'm pretty sure I'll be out there. Whether it's for myself or somebody else I may decide will be a better standard bearer, that remains to be seen." ^[81]

A June 2009 CNN/Opinion Research Corporation national poll showed Huckabee as the 2012 presidential co-favorite of the Republican electorate along with Palin and Romney.^[82] An October 2009 poll of Republicans by Rasmussen Reports put Huckabee in the lead with 29%, followed by Romney on 24% and Palin on 18%.^[83]

In a November 2009 Gallup poll, Huckabee was shown as the leading Republican contender for 2012.^[84]

In November 2010 CNN projected in a poll that Huckabee would defeat Barack Obama in a hypothetical 2012 contest.^[85] In a Rasmussen poll taken January 11–14, 2011, Huckabee was even with Obama: 43% – 43%.^[86]

On May 14, 2011, Huckabee announced on his Fox News television show that he would not be a candidate for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012. Despite his high national poll numbers and being seen by many as the front runner, Huckabee declined to run, saying, "All the factors say 'go', but my heart says 'no'."^[87]

Political positions[link]

Electoral history[link]

Public image[link]

Personal life[link]

Weight loss and health advocacy[link]

Huckabee (second from left) in August 2002 before his weight loss.

When elected governor of Arkansas, Huckabee was obese. In 2003, physicians diagnosed him with type 2 diabetes, and informed him that he would not live more than 10 years if he did not lose weight. Huckabee acknowledges that he has weighed as much as 300 pounds (135 kg). Prompted by this diagnosis (as well as the subsequent death of former Governor Frank D. White, whose obesity contributed to a fatal heart attack), Huckabee began eating a healthier diet and exercising. He subsequently lost over 110 pounds (50 kg).^[88][89][90] The New York Times called the weight loss so rapid that "it was as if he simply unzipped a fat suit and stepped out."^[91]

Although Huckabee has stated that he never smoked nor drank,^[17] he declared himself a "recovering foodaholic". Huckabee has publicly recounted his previous burdens as an obese man: the steps of the Arkansas capitol from the entrance of the building up to the Governor's office were so long and steep that he would be out of breath and exhausted by the time he reached the top of the stairs. He once joked that he would be interviewed by media at the top of the steps, and that he would be too out of breath to respond.^[92]

Huckabee has discussed his weight loss and used health care reform as a major focus of his governorship.^[93]

At an August 2007 forum on cancer hosted by Lance Armstrong, Huckabee said he would support a federal smoking ban, but has stated that he believes the issue is best addressed by state and local governments.^[94]

Huckabee has completed several marathons: the 2005 Marine Corps Marathon, the 2005 and 2006 Little Rock Marathon and the 2006 New York City Marathon.^[95] The 2005 Little Rock Marathon featured an impromptu challenge between Huckabee and Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack. Huckabee completed the marathon in 4:38:31, defeating Vilsack by 50 minutes. He wrote a book chronicling his weight-loss experience, Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork. Huckabee was one of 10 recipients of a 2006 AARP Impact Award acknowledging his work as a "health crusader."

In 2009 Huckabee acknowledged that he had gained back a fourth of his weight due to a foot condition that prevented him from running.^[96]

Capitol Offense (rock band)[link]

Capitol Offense performing at the Republican Party of Iowa's Lincoln Day Dinner on April 14, 2007 in Des Moines.

Huckabee plays bass guitar in his classic-rock cover band, Capitol Offense.^[97] The group has played for political events and parties, including entertaining at unofficial inaugural balls in Washington, D.C. in January 2001 and later again 2005, both organized and promoted by the conservative website Free Republic^[98] as well as the 2004 GOP Convention.^[99]

Organizations[link]

Huckabee was made the chair of the Southern Governors' Association in 1999 and served in capacity through 2000. He has chaired the Southern Growth Policies Board, the Southern Region Education Board, the Southern Technology Council, the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, and the Education Commission of the States. He is also a member of the Republican Governors Association and former chairman of the National Governors Association. Huckabee is presently the chairman of conservative PACs called the Vertical Politics Institute and Huck PAC.

Honors[link]

Huckabee received two honorary doctoral degrees: a Doctor of Humane Letters, received from John Brown University in 1991, and a Doctor of Laws from Ouachita Baptist University in 1992.^[100][101]

In July 2010, Huckabee became a fundraiser on behalf of for-profit Victory College in Memphis Tennessee and was designated Chancellor of the Victory University Foundation, although he did not take up residence in Memphis.^[102]

Books[link]

Huckabee has written or co-authored several books:

• Character is the Issue: How People With Integrity Can Revolutionize America (1997), a memoir (inspired by the crisis surrounding the incidents prior to his taking office as governor)
• Kids Who Kill (1998), a book about juvenile violence (inspired by the Jonesboro massacre, which took place during his tenure as governor)
• Living Beyond Your Lifetime (2000), a guide for leaving a personal legacy
• Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork (2005), a health and exercise inspirational guide (based on his personal health experience) Publisher: Center Street
• From Hope to Higher Ground: 12 Steps to Restoring America's Greatness (2007) Publisher: Center Street
• "De-Marketing Obesity" in the California Management Review, (with Brian Wansink), 47:4 (Summer 2005), 6–18.
• Huckabee also wrote the foreword to My Story Your Story His Story (2006) by Larry Toller
• Character Makes a Difference: Where I'm From, Where I've Been, and What I Believe, by Mike Huckabee (2007)
• Do the Right Thing: Inside the Movement That's Bringing Common Sense Back to America, by Mike Huckabee (2008)
• A Simple Christmas: Twelve Stories that Celebrate the True Holiday Spirit, by Mike Huckabee (2009)
• A Simple Government: Twelve Things We Really Need from Washington (and a Trillion That We Don't!), by Mike Huckabee (2011)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikisource has original works written by or about: Mike Huckabee

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Mike Huckabee

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mike Huckabee

	Arkansas portal
	Biography portal
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• Mike Huckabee official website
• Huckabee official Fox News talkshow website
• HuckPAC
• Mike Huckabee 2012 Grassroots Forum
• Biography at the National Governors Association
• Biography at WhoRunsGov.com at The Washington Post
• Issue positions and quotes at On the Issues
• Campaign contributions at FollowTheMoney.org
• Appearances on C-SPAN programs
• Appearances on Charlie Rose programs
• Appearances at the Internet Movie Database
• Collected news and commentary at The New York Times
• Collected news and commentary at The Guardian
• Works by or about Mike Huckabee in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Profile at Notable Names Database
• C-SPAN Q&A interview with Huckabee, February 13, 2005
• Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
• Profile in The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture
• Mike Huckabee at the Open Directory Project
• Mike Huckabee Wiki, an external wiki

v t e Governors of Arkansas Territorial (1819–1836) J. Miller Izard Crittenden Pope Fulton State (since 1836) J. Conway Yell Adams Drew Byrd Roane E. Conway Rector Flanagin Murphy Clayton Hadley Baxter Brooks* Baxter Garland W. Miller Churchill Berry Hughes Eagle Fishback Clarke Jones Davis Little Moore Pindall Martin Donaghey Robinson Oldham Futrell Hays Brough McRae Terral Martineau Parnell Futrell Bailey Adkins Laney McMath Cherry Faubus Rockefeller Bumpers Riley Pryor Purcell Clinton White Clinton Tucker Huckabee Beebe Italics indicates acting governor * Disputed; see Brooks-Baxter War

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (July 2011)

Joey Reynolds is the pseudonym of Joey Pinto, host of the U.S. radio program The Joey Reynolds Show via the WOR Radio Network.^[1] Reynolds' broadcasting career started on TV- in Buffalo at WGR TV 2 his first radio job was WWOL in Buffalo with Dick Purtan then WKWK,Wheeling,WV after that he continued at several venerable stations, including WKBW in Buffalo, New York, WHTZ and WNBC in New York City, KQV in Pittsburgh, KMPC and KRTH in Los Angeles, WDRC in Hartford, WIXY in Cleveland, and WIBG and WFIL in Philadelphia.

He rose to fame as a Top 40 radio personality during the 1960s and 1970s, amassing huge audiences in places such as Hartford, Connecticut, Cleveland, Ohio, Detroit, Michigan, and his hometown of Buffalo, New York. Reynolds is often regarded as the originator of "shock talk radio", whose sometimes outlandish on and off-air stunts garnered widespread publicity. (The Four Seasons even produced a special radio jingle for the introduction of his daily radio show). He was the focus of a two-part series on The Oprah Winfrey Show concerning talk radio personalities, on which more than a dozen of Reynolds' media peers paid tribute to him. Moreover, he has been invited to speak about entertainment media at several radio industry conferences. During his time in Buffalo, he and fellow DJ Danny Neaverth recorded a novelty single entitled "Rats in My Room."

Reynolds and Neaverth, on behalf of WKBW, were offered the chance to bring The Beatles to Buffalo Memorial Auditorium on February 10, 1964, the day after the band had appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. It would have been the Beatles' first concert in North America. Unwilling to risk the $3500 appearance fee for a Monday night concert, in the poor February weather, for an unproven band he did not expect to sell out the auditorium, the two declined the offer. It was not until after Beatlemania swept the nation that they acknowledged that it was a mistake to not bring them in. In the three years the band toured North America, they never performed a show in Buffalo.^[2]

Joey Reynolds was in the category of disc jockey, playing music on music intensive radio stations from the very late 1950s until the mid-1980s during his time on Z 100 and WFIL. In 1986, he arrived at the former WNBC in New York City doing the afternoon drive, Howard Stern's previous shift. That station was attempting to move into a more talk intensive full service format with music taking a backseat but still heard. Reynolds was basically playing a mix of oldies and adult contemporary cuts along with comedy and personality, and was most notably on the air when the station's traffic helicopter crashed, killing reporter Jane Dornacker. He exited WNBC at the end of February 1987 and was replaced by Alan Colmes.

His next stations were morning shows and at that point Joey had evolved into more of a talk intensive program. He was less a DJ and more like a talk show host. By 1995, Joey was no longer playing music on his shows and in 1996 he arrived at WOR in New York. He has been a talk show host since.

While Reynolds' present persona can be considered mellower by comparison, he still retains a loyal audience. In Denver, Colorado, he hosted a radio-television simulcast on KOA-AM, and launched (and hosted) the first nationwide satellite radio programming featured on more than 35 radio stations coast-to-coast.

Reynolds' career memoir is titled, Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella, But Don’t Get a Mouthful of Rain. He maintains a second home in Florida and spends most weekends with two daughters from a previous marriage.

On March 10, 2010, it was revealed that WOR would pick up Coast to Coast AM from Premiere Radio and would cancel "The Joey Reynolds Show." (Coast to Coast had been heard on crosstown rival WABC for several years, before that station dropped the show in favor of an in-house offering from Doug McIntyre, which led Premiere to seek WOR as the new New York affiliate.) Reynolds' last show, which was segregated into the "Final Gay Hour," the "Final Jewish Hour" and "The Final Hour," aired the morning of April 3, 2010.

Reynolds later hosted All Night with Joey Reynolds on WNBC-DT2, the digital subchannel of television station WNBC-TV known as "New York Nonstop." It was broadcast live from the NASDAQ site in Times Square at 43rd Street and Broadway. Reynolds was reunited with his former WNBC radio sidekick, Jay Sorensen, as the program's announcer. The series ended on April 25, 2011.

Stations at which Reynolds has worked[link]

This biographical section of an article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (September 2010)

• WNCO, Ashland, Ohio
• WWOL, Buffalo, New York
• WKWK, Wheeling, West Virginia
• WAME, Miami, Florida
• KQAQ, Austin, Minnesota (1960–61)
• WNDR, Syracuse, New York (1961–62)
• WPOP, Hartford, Connecticut (1962–63)
• WKBW, Buffalo, New York (1963–66)
• WDOK/WIXY, Cleveland, Ohio (1966)
• WXYZ, Detroit, Michigan (1966–68)
• WDRC, Hartford, Connecticut (1968–1971)
• WIBG, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1971–73)
• WHLW, Lakewood Township, New Jersey (1973–75)
• KQV, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (1975–76)
• KMPC, Los Angeles, California (1976–80)
• KRTH, Los Angeles, California (1980–81)
• WGAR, Cleveland, Ohio (1981–83)
• WHTZ, New York City, New York (1983)
• WHYT, Detroit, Michigan (1983–84)
• KMGG, Los Angeles, California (1984)
• WFIL, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1984–1986)
• WNBC, New York City, New York (1986–87)
• WSHE, Miami, Florida (1988)
• WQAM, WIOD and WPLG-TV, Miami, Florida (1988–90)
• WFLY, Albany, New York (1990–94)
• WBZT, West Palm Beach, Florida (1994–96)
• WOR, New York City, New York and national syndication (1996–2010)
• WNBC-DT2, New York City, New York (2011–present)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Web site
• WOR page
• No More Joey Shoey

Arthur W. "Art" Bell, III (born June 17, 1945) is an American broadcaster and author, known primarily as one of the founders and the original host of the paranormal-themed radio program Coast to Coast AM.^[2] He also created and formerly hosted its companion show, Dreamland. Semi-retired from Coast to Coast AM since 2003, he hosted the show many weekends for the following four years. He announced his retirement from weekend hosting on July 1, 2007 but occasionally serves as a guest host. He attributed the reason for this latest retirement to a desire to spend time with his new wife and daughter, born May 30, 2007. He added that unlike his previous "retirements," this one will stand, while leaving open the option to return. Classic Bell-hosted episodes of Coast to Coast AM can be heard in some markets on Saturday nights under the name Somewhere in Time.

Bell founded and was the original owner of Pahrump, Nevada-based radio station, KNYE 95.1 FM. His broadcast studio and transmitter were located near his home in Pahrump while he hosted Coast to Coast AM except from June to December 2006, when he lived in the Philippines. He returned to the Philippines March 10, 2009 with his family after having significant difficulties obtaining a U.S. visa for his wife Airyn.^[3]

Early life[link]

Bell was born in Jacksonville, North Carolina to Arthur Bell, Jr., a United States Marine Corps Captain, and Jane Gumaer Bell, a Marine drill instructor. Arthur Bell, Jr. died in 2000 and Jane Bell died December 23, 2008.

Art Bell III was always interested in radio and at the age of 13 became a licensed amateur radio operator. Bell now holds an Extra Class license, which is in the top U.S. Federal Communications Commission license class. His call sign is W6OBB.

Bell served in the U.S. Air Force as a medic during the Vietnam War and in his free time operated a pirate radio station at Amarillo Air Force Base. He would go out of his way to play anti-war music (like "Eve of Destruction" and "Fortunate Son") that was not aired on the American Forces Network.^[4]

After leaving military service he stayed in Asia, living on the Japanese island of Okinawa where he worked as a disc jockey for KSBK, the only non-military English-language station in Japan. While there, he set a Guinness record by staying on the air for 116 hours and 15 minutes. The money raised there allowed Bell to charter a DC-8, fly to Vietnam, and rescue 130 Vietnamese orphans stranded in Saigon at the war's end. They were eventually brought to the United States and adopted by American families.^[5]

Bell returned to the United States and studied engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park. He dropped out and returned to radio as a board operator and chief engineer, and had opportunity to be on the air a few times. For several years he worked behind and in front of the microphone. After a period of working in cable television, in 1989 the 50,000-watt KDWN in Las Vegas, Nevada offered Bell a five-hour time slot in the middle of the night. Syndication of his program to other radio stations began in 1993.

Broadcasting career[link]

Art Bell was living in Watsonville, California and worked for KIDD 630 AM in Monterey, California during the early 70s.^{[citation needed]} He also owned a dating service^{[citation needed]} and worked for KMST channel 46.^{[citation needed]}

First a rock music jockey before moving into talk radio, Bell's original 1978 late-night Las Vegas program on KDWN was a political call-in show under the name West Coast AM.^[1] In 1988, Bell and Alan Corberth renamed the show Coast to Coast AM and moved its broadcast from the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas to Bell's home in Pahrump.^[1]

Bell abandoned conventional political talk in favor of topics such as gun control and conspiracy theories, leading to a significant bump in his overnight ratings. The show's focus again shifted significantly after the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. Many in the media did not want to be blamed for inciting anti-government or militia actions like the bombing. Subsequently, Bell discussed off-beat topics like the paranormal, the occult, UFOs, protoscience and pseudo-science. During his tenure at KDWN Bell met and married his second wife, Ramona, who later handled production and management duties for the program.

According to The Washington Post in its February 23, 1997 edition: Art Bell was at the time America's highest-rated late-night radio talk show host, broadcast on 328 stations. According to The Oregonian in its June 22, 1997 edition, Coast To Coast AM with Art Bell was on 460 stations. At its initial peak in popularity, Coast To Coast AM was syndicated on more than 500 radio stations and claimed 15 million listeners nightly. Bell's studios were located in his home in the town of Pahrump, located in Nye County, Nevada; hence the voiceover catchphrase, "from the Kingdom of Nye."

Critical reputation[link]

Fans regard Bell as a master showman, noting that he calls his show "absolute entertainment"^[6] and expressly says he does not necessarily accept every guest or caller's claims but only offers a forum where they will not be openly ridiculed. Bell was one of only a few talk show hosts who did not screen incoming calls, but this changed in 2006. On the October 31, 2006 edition of Coast to Coast AM, (renamed for the night to Ghost to Ghost AM), Bell was asked why he was now using call screeners. The explanation given was that for him to use unscreened open phone lines while in the Philippines would require listeners to call there directly at enormous cost to them. Art admitted that he should have chosen New Zealand instead of the Philippines as an alternative to the USA. He said, "It was a bad choice, and I'll regret it, one day, in the near future." He subsequently stopped screening calls upon his return to the United States.

His calm attitude, patient questions, and ability to tease substance from nebulous statements of callers and guests gave his show a relaxed yet serious atmosphere. This earned him praise from those who declare the paranormal deserves a mature outlet of discussion in the media as well as the approval of those simply amused by the nightly parade of bizarre, typically fringe topics. Ed Dames, Richard C. Hoagland, Terence McKenna, Dannion Brinkley, David John Oates, and Robert Bigelow have all been regular guests. Some of Bell’s regular guests, particularly Hoagland, continue to be regular guests on Coast to Coast AM now hosted by George Noory.

Bell's own interests, however, extend beyond the paranormal. He has interviewed singers Crystal Gayle, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Eric Burdon and Gordon Lightfoot, comedian George Carlin, writer Dean Koontz, hard science fiction writer Greg Bear, X-Files Writer/Creator Chris Carter, TV talk host Regis Philbin, Star Trek actor Leonard Nimoy, actor Dan Aykroyd, former Luftwaffe pilot Bruno Stolle, actress Jane Seymour, actress Ellen Muth, actor and TV host Robert Stack, human rights lawyer John Loftus, legendary disc jockey Casey Kasem and frequent guests physicist Michio Kaku and SETI astronomers Seth Shostak and H. Paul Shuch.