I think Mike Huckabee's problem - no, not his problem - I think that the problem that people have with Mike Huckabee is that he was a pastor, but let's not forget that he was a governor for 10 1/2 years AFTER being a pastor for...what...four years? Mitt Romney was a bishop (read PASTOR) in the Mormon church for longer than he was a governor in my home state. Religious bigotry cuts both ways. Evangelical Christians don't see their faith as being the same as that of Mormons, and for years Mormons have tried to get the LDS church accepted into the evangelical council, whatever that body is titled. The reasons for the difference between LDS and Christians, in their faith, are many. I won't detail them here, as I don't believe that this is the forum for it. Suffice to say that evangelical Christians don't group themselves together with Mormons in the faith, although Mormons try to group themselves with evangelical Christians.
But making this simply an evangelical Christian/Mormon debate is, in the end, pure foolishness. I wouldn't have a problem voting for a Mormon, just not that one. Similarly, I would vote for a minority or a female for president, were they of the caliber required for holding such an office. Currently, there are none in those categories of suitable caliber for the presidency, and much of the hullaballoo on the left has been generated on being the "first to elect a _____
Mike Huckabee would be the second preacher to hold office, as James Garfield was the first.
Back to the debate about faith, however. Will some evangelicals vote for Mike Huckabee because of his faith? Surely they will. But to assume that the large part of evangelicals are turning a blind eye to Governor Huckabee's policies in exchange for having a Christian president is laughable at best, and deplorable at worst. Such a statement intones that evangelical Christians are uneducated and are simply "sheeple", a term which many try to paste on their foreheads, but ultimately fail to make stick.
No, folks like myself, who are evangelical Christians yet highly educated and productive members of society, will cast their vote for Mike Huckabee because he shares our values, not just simply our faith. We like his ideas on the economy, we like his adherence to social conservatism on life and marriage, we like his compassion on health care and his respect for the environment, we like his sense of humor and even his awkwardness.
Supporters of Mike Huckabee like him because, as they say in the south, he's good people. He relates to a broad range of people on a variety of issues, and will make an excellent president.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
More thoughts on Mike Huckabee...
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3 comments:
Hey Tyler,
Great post. Allow me to provide some specifics on Gov. Huckabee's outstanding record. First, a set-up.
We conservatives are now faced with a decision.
The talk of Pat Robertson endorsing Rudy Giuliani now means nothing (not that it ever did!)
Neither does anyone care about the wide evangelical support that Mitt Romney won over.
We now have, on the left, Senator John McCain whom Dr. James Dobson says "is not a conservative, and in fact, has gone out of his way to stick his thumb in the eyes of those who are. He has sounded at times more like a member of the other party." John McCain promotes amnesty for illegal immigrants, he called Samuel Alito "too conservative" (a good indication of the judges he would appoint), he supports embroynic stell-cell research, and he has little regard for freedom of speech.
On the right: Governor Mike Huckabee, with 10 years of experience governing, a staunch pro-life record, and a proven force for defending marriage and religious liberties. During those 10 years, he reduced welfare roles by 50%, returned $400 million to taxpayers, and was called "One of America's Best Governors" by TIME Magazine.
Governor Huckabee's platform calls for secure borders, supporting the military, and reining in the rising costs of healthcare and energy through practical, market-driven methods.
And today, there is finally justice as Dr. Dobson endorses Gov. Mike Huckabee.
Conservatives need to back Governor Mike Huckabee for the good of our nation. Or do we have Hillary or Obama fans out there?
The lack of enthusiasm for Huckabee is baffling and, frankly, a betrayal of a man who has faithfully served his country--with conservative principles guiding his every step.
Can conservatives of all stripes unite around what we're FOR, rather than what we're AGAINST? If so, our values just might be represented in the White House come '09.
If we just want to play political games, then forget it. Let the 4 years of disaster begin, as some commentators have put it.
Vote Huckabee! And support his campaign!
-joshMshep
www.myspace.com/joshmshep
www.mikehuckabee.com
What do you think about the numerous ethics violations that Governor Huckabee received during his 10 years as Governor for illegally accepting gifts?
In addition, what do you think about how Governor Huckabee accepted speaking fees from churches during his Presidential run?
I think that both your accusations are baseless, but I published your comments anyway. First of all, the ethics violations have all been vetted out and Mike Huckabee was never charged with any crimes.
Second of all, he got speaking fees when he preached at churches - just like any other preacher would get. If Bill Clinton speaks, he gets paid to speak. The other people running for president were getting paid by us to drive and fly around the country, rather than do the job they were being paid to do, which was to be in Washington to generate and vote in laws.
I still think Mike Huckabee is the best choice for President of the United States. Either he should be McCain's veep, or he should run again in 2012.
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