Des Moines, Iowa
At an event for some medical students and faculty at Des Moines University this afternoon, Huckabee went on a long riff about how you need to change cultural norms to bring about changes in behavior. It included the following:
Then the crash dummies came along, and they really helped us to see you know it might be a good idea to wear a seatbelt. Now every state except New Hampshire has a primary seatbelt law. New Hampshire's the only one that doesn't. Of course, their motto is "live free or die." ... I said, "You guys are really serious about this."
Huckabee left town tonight for a fews days on the trail in New Hampshire--part of a push to capitalize on what he hopes will be some big mo' coming out of Iowa. But at times like this, you get the sense his nanny-state impulses may be a less than ideal fit for voters in the nation's first primary.
--Noam Scheiber