Posted on 12/15/2007 9:35:27 PM PST by SmithL
Is Fred dead? Is Mitt a twit? Is McCain too plain? Is Rudy too fruity? Or does something else explain why so many people suddenly like Mike?
Former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson has, so far, been unable to convince conservative Christians - the most populous and passionate block of Republican primary voters - of his bona fides, and his tepid campaign is on life support, even after an endorsement from the National Right to Life Committee.
Mitt Romney gave a Kennedyesque speech defining the place of religion in the public square and his private life because of Mike's hike in the polls. But, it's not Romney's Mormonism that has him in trailing in Iowa. It's his insincerity, stupid!
Sen. John McCain shows no signs of the populist fervor that energized his 2000 campaign. McCain's straight talk on immigration and his unswerving commitment to actually getting something done in the Senate have cast him as a compromiser, a dirty word to many conservatives.
Serial cross-dresser and unapologetic supporter of gay and abortion rights Rudy Giuliani has been a non-starter with conservative Christians from the get-go. An endorsement from Pat Robertson only proved that he holds little sway with the voting block he helped coalesce for Ronald Reagan.
Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas governor and former Southern Baptist preacher, now leads Romney in Iowa by double digits, is up by double digits in South Carolina and is marginally ahead in Michigan. Real Clear Politics poll has him barely behind Giuliani nationally and ahead of Romney.
Huckabee's ascent has awakened detractors. One national newspaper wrote that Huckabee's "glib naivete should provide some indication of how seriously the former Governor has thought through the political and policy complications of his biggest idea - and also explain why, until recently, Mr. Huckabee was considered an implausible candidate."
One scribe accused Huckabee of profiting from questions about whether Romney's Mormonism matters - Huckabee said it doesn't - and called Huckabee's response "the kind of maneuver one comes to expect from slick former governors of Arkansas lusting for the presidency." Another pundit wrote that Huckabee "is getting enough favorable buzz that, when combined with his evangelical base, it makes real conservatives shudder."
Those attacks, in order of appearance, came from the Wall Street Journal, conservative commentator Charles Krauthammer and conservative pundit Robert Novak. Huckabee is catching heat for criticizing CEO pay, being concerned about fair trade and for allowing children of illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates while governor of Arkansas.
The Huck is being hammered for his populism, an unpopular term inside the Beltway and on Wall Street. Which leads me to wonder if my right-leaning friends have forgotten history.
In 1980, Ronald Reagan rode Jimmy Carter out of town by congealing an unlikely coalition of fiscal conservatives and regular Joes and Janes who liked Reagan's positions on God and guns. That same coalition rallied to the "regular guy" who "shared their values" in 2000 and 2004 and sent George W. Bush to Washington.
But, in 1992, George H.W. Bush, a Texas transplant with Yankee sensibilities and a knack for being out of touch with middle America, got his keister kicked out of the White House by a no-name governor from Arkansas. Bush the Elder's elitism - real or imagined - led to his defeat.
For two decades, the Religious Right was mostly defined by what it was against. Times have changed. Even theologically conservative churches now are at least talking about Christ's teachings about caring for the poor, the outcast, the stranger. For a like-minded nominee, churchgoing folk will be the ones putting out yard signs, getting out the vote and providing the roots for the 2008 grass. For a nominee they deem insincere and/or elitist, they'll stay home and spend time with the kids.
Now that he is being both harangued and hailed for his populism. Huckabee's wave could crest at any moment. But Republicans will not win in 2008 without the power of the people that have come to like Mike.
And comparing his populism to Reagan?? Absolute twaddle.
And the party killed him. Then they sent golden-boy Kerry to his doom.
An apt comparison.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
True Christians are supposed to provide such help out of their own pockets—and not force strangers to foot the bill at the point of a gun wielded by government tax enforcement agents.
That needs to be repeated over and over again. And, they aren't going to be satisfied by someone like Multiple Choice Mitt.
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I agree entirely with the idea of populism. As for Christians being called to help their fellow man, one should keep in mind that Jesus never took someone’s house for failure to pay tithe. Taking from others under the threat of force is not a Christ like position no matter how much good you think can be done with it. The growing of government is a faithless endeavor, it puts faith in the bureaucracy of man and distrust in the charity of the individual. God is never about forcing charity but instead about Hilarious giving. And no I’m not talking about giving to Hillary Clinton. lol
Is merging the USA and Mexico a popular populist position? It is certainly a Huckster position.
Huckster would pick Ron Paul for VP. He seems to be trying to blame America first.
So Reagan beating Carter was all about redneck voters and “guns and God” eh? The Democrat debacle in 1980 couldn’t have had anything to do with Raegan’s promise of tax cutting, the mass defection of blue collar unionized workers to the Republicans (Raegan Democrats), or Carter’s record of pathetic ineptitude in foreign affairs, double digit inflation rates, and the worst economy since the Great Depression, or could it? It’s pretty obvious where this guy is coming from. He isn’t going to be voting for any Republican. Huckabee is just going to be the easiest one to beat.
Serial cross-dresser and unapologetic supporter of gay and abortion rights Rudy Giuliani has been a non-starter with conservative Christians from the get-go.
I'll vote for Rudy over Huckabee and see tag.
This “writer” has it all wrong, Average Joe Christians are worried about rising tuition costs, losing their decently paying jobs to Chinese off shoring, and seeing the value of their paychecks slip lower and lower.
INOW. Middle America is feeling the pinch of Globalism, and they don’t like the idea that CEO’s get raises while they get layed off.
Ignore that to our peril.
Good article. Thank you!
Well, it was 2004, but your point still remains.
YYYEEEEEEEAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGHHHH!!!
And all that is a limited-government position, how? Or is this an admission that limiting government is not something many of the populist care about and that in fact enlarging the government is the desired goal?
Solid points!
Anyone, repeat ANYONE, who wishes to use government as a tool to shape behaviors and to curb liberty. And the populists will do just that, too, using very persuasive sounding arguments to trick you.
Now is a very good time to read (or re-read if you already have) the first few verses of the Gospel According to John, Chapter 12.
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