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Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee's book, "God, Guns, Grits and Gravy," is a good preview of what kind of campaign the former Fox News host will run if he makes a bid for the White House in 2016. As the title of the Republican'sbook suggests, it would be an effort dripping with culture-war rhetoric and identity politics that the larger GOP has largely tried to leavebehind.

It would be about fly-over country (the realAmerica!) versus that other (not-so-real?) America -- theAmerica where people don't do stuff like ...accuse the first family of hip-hop of something amounting to prostitution.

Huckabee, turns out, didn't at all like that time Bey performed her song "Drunk in Love" with her husband Jay-Z on stage at the Grammy Awards. (Note: Huckabee watches the Grammy Awards but isn't aware of theBeygency. Consider this a heads-up).

He writes in his new book according to excerpts from U.S. News & World Report:

My reaction: Why? Beyonce is incredibly talented gifted, in fact. She has an exceptional set of pipes and can actually sing. She is a terrific dancer without the explicit moves best left for the privacy of her bedroom. Jay-Z is a very shrewd businessman, but I wonder: Does it occur to him that he is arguably crossing the line from husband to pimp by exploiting his wife as a sex object?

Nope, it probably didn't occur to Jay-Z that he was a pimp when they co-wrote the song or when they walked off the stage like any other married couple arm in arm. And it's such an odd leap that it's almost not worth engaging. (For the record, Beyonce is the one that upgraded Jay-Z, but we digress).

But Huckabee's attack on Bey and Jay is just a sample of the kind of us-versus-them cultural rhetoric that couldbe part ofthe GOP primary raceif the Southern Baptist minister jumps in. Don't expect many attempts to make concessions from Huckabee on this front. No talk about how"Modern Family" is a great show(Romney)or how,while there might be an allegiance to the sweater vest, that doesn't mean sex hasn't been had (Santorum).

Huckabee's rhetoric will play big in evangelical circles, who see the Grammy performance as part of thedecline of good old fashion American values. (At some point, Elvis Presley's swiveling hips were also a threat).

And for the GOP field, it could tie them to the type of culture fights they really don't want to have and frankly the type of fights that don't really have much cultural currency anymore, beyond a select few. A recent poll showed the idea that government should be in the business of "traditional values" is very much on the decline from 55 percent in 2004 to 41 percent today.

But Huckabee could also provide a very easy contrast for the rest of the field to emerge as the anti-Huckabees. By simply steering clear of these Bey/Jay/culture-in-decline arguments, they could gain a little easy pop culture cred and a centrist sheen.

More here:
Huckabee still hearts the culture wars. Bey and Jay and the GOP beware.