The Huckabee Trap

Time Magazine ^ | Dec. 13, 2007 | RAMESH PONNURU

[TalonDJ]

Good job Time Magazine. Thanks for pointing out the reasons for me to not vote for him. I knew that would be the case when I heard the ad that started out, “He is a strong Christian leader and Time Magazine named him one of the best governors.” Ouch! Way to establish credibility and then nuke it in the same sentence.

[TalonDJ]

It’s not just Iowa — Huck is leading in S Carolina, Florida (!) and some national polls.

Liberal pollsters. I would not trust them to tell me the color of the sky.

[Arthalion]

I have lost a great deal of respect for the evangelicals in this country, particularly in Iowa. Seems most want a quasi-theocracy, not a constitutional republic.

God, Family, Country...in that order.

The problem, from my perspective, is that few voters actually liked Mitt or Rudy, they just gave them support because those two candidates have been portrayed as the only two with a chance of winning. From Day 1 Huckabee and the rest of the pack have been presented as "also-ran's" unworthy of support.

Like it or not, the vast majority of Republicans are Christian, and as such have never been comfortable with Rudy, the gay-loving atheistic gun grabber, or Mitt "Stormin Mormon" Romney. People are beginning to see Huckabee as a viable candidate, and as such he is the natural candidate for them to gravitate toward.

[David In Staten Island]

The Huckster can talk all he wants, but shouldn’t we be actually looking at his record instead? Talk is cheap as the saying goes, and Huckabee’s actions while governor show he aint no conservative. But hey, just think of how many murderers he could set free as president!

[FocusNexus]

The club for Growth is very much against him — they are running ads against Huckabee, pointing out his penchant for raising taxes.

http://www.clubforgrowth.net/2007/12/clubforgrowthnet_doubles_ad_bu.html

ClubforGrowth.Net Doubles Ad Buy In Iowa and South Carolina

Washington — Today, Club for Growth.Net is more than doubling its initial advertising buy in Iowa and South Carolina, adding an additional $200,000 to the effort.

Entitled “United,” the ad addresses the ongoing tax battle in Washington and urges taxpayers to call Mike Huckabee and challenge him on his tax policy. While the former governor has repeatedly argued that he cut taxes 94 times, the ad demonstrates his willingness to raise taxes. Indeed Huckabee’s tax increases far surpassed his tax cuts with the average Arkansas tax burden increasing 47 percent over his tenure. Mike Huckabee’s support for tax hikes includes:

1996 Sales Tax Hike: Huckabee campaigned for an amendment to raise the sales tax
1999 Gas and Diesel Fuel Tax Hike
2001 Cigarette Tax Hike
2001 Nursing Home Bed Tax
2002 Grocery Tax: Huckabee opposed repeal
2003 Income Surcharge Tax
2003 Tobacco Tax Hike
Taxes on Internet Access
2006 Beer Tax: Huckabee opposed letting the tax expire

“Club for Growth.Net is more than doubling its original ad buy because we believe Americans deserve to know the truth about Mike Huckabee’s tax policies so they can question him about his record,” said Club for Growth.Net President Pat Toomey. “Huckabee’s laundry list of tax increases is too long to simply ignore.”

The $200,000 ad buy will run on broadcast TV and statewide cable in Iowa and statewide cable in South Carolina.

[bilhosty]

I am pretty leery of Huckabee Thin. I don’t think he would be a strong candidate and the last thing I think we need if we are going to get back suburban and coastel voters is a Baptist preacher man from Arkansas. But I am wondering about all of those working class Dem’s in places like Flint, Muncie, Dayton, Akron and such many have Southrn roots and inclined to unions and such. I am wondering if he might make inroads with them and maybe if he does not run against obma or clinton if he could not attract a few blacks. But this is just speculative.

[Guenevere]

Ann Coulter was just on John Gibson's Show and she said HUCKABEE IS THE REPUBLICAN'S ....JIMMY CARTER!

Let's see how much mileage that gets!

[WOSG]

On environmental issues, too, he has broken from the pack. Only John McCain and he have urged the Federal Government to combat global warming. "I'm one of the few Republicans who talk very clearly about the environment, health care, infrastructure, energy independence. I don't cede any of those to the Democrats," he says.

He's talking LIKE a Democrat. I don't see Romney or Thompson "ceding" anything. I do see McCain and Huckabee signing up for the bad idea of carbon trading caps - that IS ceding the issue to the Democrats completely, and will leave us under a socialistic regime in the energy sector.

[WOSG]

Be very afraid ...

Randy Minton, chairman of the Arkansas chapter of Phyllis Schlafly’s national Eagle Forum, said, “We called him a pro-life, pro-gun liberal, when I was in the state legislature and he was governor.” Phyllis Schlafly herself was even more direct.

President and Founder of Eagle Forum, Phyllis Schlafly, said this about Governor Huckabee: “He destroyed the conservative movement in Arkansas, and left the Republican Party a shambles.”

http://travismonitor.blogspot.com/2007/12/huckabees-arkansas-betrayal.html

[Free Vulcan]

As long as you do your homework that’s fine. But Huckabee has a horrible record, and props up Jesus as a smokescreen to cover it.

[3niner]

I’m continually astounded that so many people can look at economic problems caused by the government, and see increased government involvement as a solution.

[LibLieSlayer]

If things are so damned bad... why is it that I NEVER hear any of my fellow Mississippians complaining about bad times are?... many of us lost everything... or almost everything.

Those of you out there that were around during the catah years... those were hard times... and a President was telling the Nation that they had to learn to live with less... "America has seen it's peak... we must learn to live like the rest of the world". Those were not his exact words... but they damn sure convey his intent. Reagan reminded that it was "Morning in America"... That "You ain't seen nothing yet" and that we were a "Bright, Shiny City upon the hill".

There always will be people that make bad choices... get in money binds and credit card debt. We also have people, that by no fault of their own, are in dire straights. A good part of the 3.5 Trillion Dollar budget is set aside each year to help people like this. We have faith based groups doing a great job of support...We have Federal Programs to help the poor and unfortunate... but we also have some lazy people that think America owes them everything that they want or desire.

These pols always have to make it out like America is the “haves” and the “have nots”... and now dukakabee sounds just like edweirds. I going for duct tape... I need to wrap my head because it is going to EXPLODE!

LLS

[LibLieSlayer]

“Just revealing NR`s backing of Mitt Boy.

Neither Huckabee or Romney will get my vote.

GO FRED GO!!!!”

As El Rushbo would say... “RIGHT ON RIGHT ON RIGHT ON”!

LLS

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

Maybe Mike Huckabee sounds more like a neighbor rather than a politician. It might be a refreshing change for the voters.

The mainstream media is not pushing Mike Huckabee on anyone. He gained stature with potential voters FIRST. The media attention has followed his rise in popularity.

If the media controlled Republican primaries, George W. Bush would never have become president.

Rather than exhorting those who presently support Mike Huckabee to get their heads out of their a****, it might be a more intelligent course for conservative critics of Mike Huckabee to get their heads out of the same location and take a realistic look at WHY Huckabee has gained in stature.

The guy obviously has something appealing and he didn't get it from the liberal press. If anything, the press has been trying to destroy him for his religious beliefs.

If you recall, Reagan was considered to have a Teflon coating because none of the trash thrown at him stuck to him. I think Huckabee may have the same potential for popularity.

Denial is not a river in Egypt.

[Sola Veritas]

“I have lost a great deal of respect for the evangelicals in this country, particularly in Iowa. Seems most want a quasi-theocracy, not a constitutional republic.”

I respectfully submit that is a mischaracterization. I for one think that if we get the morality issues right, the rest will fall into place. I don’t want a theocracy, I just want a president that genuinely is a moral person and lives that in his life and it influences his decision making process. I consider President Bush to be a guinely moral person - a breath of fresh air after the disgusting moral behavior of President Clinton. I think that Governor Huckabee will be even better. Will he make mistakes? Of course! Who won’t make some?

If this nation cannot deal with a real (no Jimmy Carter phoney - and he was) evangelical Christian in the Oval Office, then there is no hope for the future of this country? IMO.

[Tlaloc]

The Club for Growth is also run by Grover Norquist who was exposed as an agent of foreign Islamist influence by Frank Gaffney. Maybe what Grover really doesn’t like is Gaffney’s influence on Huckabee’s policies.

[LowCountryJoe]

Even his position on life is NOT in line with federalism. He favors a federal Gov't nation-wide solution that does NOT allow States to make their own decisions.

There's people here that find the federalist solution unacceptable. I should know, I argued with several FReepers about this specific point a few weeks back. They went everywhere in their replies, too, even invoking Terri Schaivo.

[LowCountryJoe]

The Club for Growth is also run by Grover Norquist.

Wrong! They're on the second president, Pat Toomey. Their first one was the founder, Stephen Moore

[Uriah_lost]

I think the polls are being “Moby-ed”. The only way I can see this being factual is that there has been some really strong “back channel” arm twisting going on in church circles and I would have heard about that by now.(I’m still kinda connected to a very conservative “Evangelical” denomination.)

[Free Vulcan]

Agreed with your premise, but my bitch is evangelicals don’t do their homework! Huckabee’s record is horrible. But he plays the Jesus card to smokescreen his record his left wing social proposals, and the evangelicals ooh and ahh. I can’t accept social liberalism in the name of Jesus. It is not the govt’s job to provide for people.