Politico writes that Mike Huckabee's record as governor of Arkansas is simply too liberal for the Republican presidential primary electorate.

Mike Huckabee had a pretty good record as governor. It’s too bad he can’t run on it. Better known in recent years for saying occasionally outrageous things as a commentator, Huckabee governed Arkansas for more than a decade as a pragmatist, devoting his attention to basics such as roads, schools and health care. On those issues, though, Huckabee generally took positions too liberal to suit a Republican presidential prospect in 2016—posing a conundrum for him as he plunges this week into the 2016 presidential race

Just days after Huckabee won election to his final term in 2002, the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled that the state’s funding levels for education were inadequate. Huckabee launched a campaign to consolidate school districts and did not hesitate to propose a sales tax increase, telling reporters the figure he proposed was “the starting line, not the finish line.”

As governor, Huckabee supported in-state tuition rates and scholarships for students brought to the country illegally—a stance he continues to defend, even while taking a tough line against illegal immigration in general.

Huckabee’s major achievement was a health program known as ARKids First, which he pushed through in 1997, his first full year in office. It extended coverage to children whose parents earned too much to qualify for Medicaid, but still couldn’t afford private insurance. To pay for his various initiatives, Huckabee raised taxes—gas taxes, sales taxes, a tax on beds in nursing homes.... the state’s total tax bill increased on his watch, as did state spending and the number of state employees.

This has led to a longstanding feud with the anti-tax Club for Growth, which denigrates Huckabee’s record as governor. The libertarian-leaning Cato Institute has also given him poor marks, once describing him as “the biggest big-government conservative.”

Big taxer?  Check.  Big spender?  Check.  Benefits for illegal aliens?  Check.  Selling "cure" for diabetes?  Check.

But how does his record compare to the other governors running for president?  (Excluding Chris Christie, who seems to have gone a bridge too far.)  As we know, Rick Perry also supports in-state tuition for illegal aliens, and he even created a university where instruction was in Spanish, probably also for illegals.  We know where Jeb Bush stands on illegal aliens.  Scott Walker has been very much for and against benefits for illegal aliens.  Bobby Jindal has been against it.

As for spending, Scott Walker is also a big spender, increasing spending 5% in one year alone.  Rick Perry gets a "B" from the Cato Institute on spending – not bad, but not great.  Jeb Bush has a similar rating.  Bobby Jindal gets an excellent rating.

In short, Huckabee's record is comparable to the other governors except Jindal, who has a much better record.  Now if Jindal could learn how to excite a crowd, he could become president.

This article was produced by NewsMachete.com, the conservative news site.