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“I’m probably the craziest man who’s lived,” says former Arkansas governor and GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, “to try to do 56 cities in 2 1/2 weeks. It’s really pretty bizarre.”
On the day of this interview just before Thanksgiving, Huckabee is somewhere in Texas on a whirlwind tour of appearances for “Do the Right Thing,” the latest of several books he’s authored or co-authored on subjects as diverse as conservative politics, children who kill and weight-loss tips (he lost 110 pounds).
He’s also a Southern Baptist minister, a public speaker and a bass player – and now he’s added TV talk show host to that resume. In late September, Fox News Channel premiered “Huckabee,” a one-hour show airing in prime time on Sundays.
According to Nielsen, it’s averaging almost 2 million viewers.
“It’s an experience that takes me full circle,” Huckabee says. “I don’t know if you know that I started in radio when I was 14 years old. My first job was working at the local daytime radio station, then I worked my way not only through high school doing that, but also through college and grad school.”
In each episode, Huckabee interviews show-business types, newsmakers and ordinary people, then ends the hour with a performance by his house band, the Little Rockers.
With Huckabee on bass, the band features various Fox News staffers – including religion correspondent Lauren Green on keyboards – and such guest musicians as members of Yes and Ricky Skaggs.
“This is different than anything I’ve done,” Huckabee says, “but it’s absolutely been wonderful. I have had a blast.”
One might expect Huckabee to take the easy road and have on only guests whose cultural, religious and political views jibe with his. But that hasn’t been the case. Among those who’ve appeared so far are actor Richard Dreyfuss, who discussed Americans’ civic involvement; Bill Maher (“Real Time With Bill Maher”), talking about his film “Religulous,” which satirized organized religion; and filmmaker Oliver Stone, whose recent film, “W.,” is a profile (with poetic license) of President Bush.
In particular, Dreyfuss and Maher mentioned they came on the show because they respected Huckabee and anticipated having a civil conversation.
Despite being a minister, Huckabee says he’s not interested in just preaching to the choir.
“I feel like my views aren’t threatened by somebody who has a very different point of view,” he says. “In fact, it only gives me an opportunity to strengthen my own perspective, if it’s really put to the toughest test it can be put to.
“For a long time, I’ve felt that sometimes in broadcasting today, there’s such a confrontational spirit, it’s more about seeing whose volume can get the loudest rather than who can actually engage in a thoughtful perspective.”
As for political guests, Huckabee says, “We have tentative commitments, when they can arrange their schedules, from both Bill and Hillary Clinton, Tony Blair, Al Gore. I’d love to have Henry Kissinger. I’d love to get Colin Powell.”
