Huckacide

[Fash]

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/Rich ... /huckacide

The ghost of Howard Dean haunts the pundit class. As soon as a candidate of either party spikes up in the polls, he is compared with Dean, who had a spectacular boomlet in the second half of 2003 only to deflate as soon as people began to vote in early 2004.

After many false prophecies, Dean circa 2008 has finally arrived. He is former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Not because he will inevitably blow himself up in Iowa. But because, like Dean, his nomination would represent an act of suicide by his party.

Like Dean, Huckabee is an under-vetted former governor who is manifestly unprepared to be president of the United States. Like Dean, he is rising toward the top of polls in a crowded field based on his appeal to a particular niche of his party. As with Dean, his vulnerabilities in a general election are so screamingly obvious that it's hard to believe that primary voters, once they focus seriously on their choice, will nominate him.

The GOP's social conservatism inarguably has been an enormous benefit to the party throughout the past 30 years, winning over conservative Democrats and lower-income voters who otherwise might not find the Republican limited-government message appealing. That said, nominating a Southern Baptist pastor running on his religiosity would be rather overdoing it. Social conservatism has to be part of the Republican message, but it can't be the message in its entirety.

Someone needs to tell Huckabee. His first TV ads in Iowa touted him as a "Christian leader," and his target audience of evangelicals has responded. But according to a Pew poll released in early December, only 1 in 7 nonevangelical Republicans support him in Iowa and 1 in 20 nonevangelicals in New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Huckabee has declared that he doesn't believe in evolution. Even if there are many people in America who agree with him, his position would play into the image of Republicans as the anti-science party. This would tend to push away independents and upper-income Republicans. In short, Huckabee would take a strength of the GOP and, through overplaying it, make it a weakness.

He'd do the same on taxes. In general, the public tends to support Democratic proposals for bigger government, which Republicans counter by saying that the proposals will require higher taxes. Huckabee will be equipped poorly to make this traditional Republican comeback, given his tax-raising history in Arkansas. Huckabee tries to compensate with a sales-tax scheme that allows him to say he supports eliminating the IRS, but is so wildly implausible that it would be a liability in a general election.

Then, there's national security, the Republican trump card during the Cold War and after 9/11. Huckabee not only has zero national-security credentials, he basically has no foreign-policy advisers either, as a New York Times Magazine piece this Sunday makes clear. In a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in September, Huckabee struck notes seemingly borrowed from Barack Obama, hitting the Bush administration for its "bunker mentality" and strongly supporting direct talks with Iran. A foreign-policy debate with a Democratic nominee would be a competition over who can promise to be nicer to foreign countries.

None of this is a winning formula. Huckabee has been running his campaign out of his back pocket, and has done it extremely well. There's a reason, though, that serious candidates surround themselves with policy experts. It's necessary to running a campaign based on more than sound bites. Wherever you scratch Huckabee on policy, he seems an inch deep. Do Republicans really want to enter what is already a tough political year with a candidate apparently allergic to preparation, and who has shown no predilection for organizing or fundraising, when he can do cable TV appearances instead?

Democrats have to be looking at Huckabee the way Republicans once regarded Dean -- as a shiny Christmas present that is too good to be true.

I'm kind of surprised this guy is gaining in the polls... If he truly is taken seriously, we're going backwards... We don't need any more religion in the white house!

[Sueven]

Huckabee is doing well because he truly is a good human being who genuinely cares about people and believes what he says. That said, he's a horrible presidential candidate.

Here's hoping for Huckabee versus Obama in 2008!

[Nick]

Truly good as long as they're not gay or women who've had abortions.

[Sueven]

In his worldview, he genuinely believes he's doing what's best for them. I think he's wrong, but that doesn't mean he's not genuine. Christian conservatives think that my worldview is horrible for them, but I genuinely believe that they're wrong.

Being a good person isn't about being normatively right.

[Nick]

That's nonsense reasoning. Being "truly" good is more than just having a conviction.

[Sueven]

No shit.

It's also sure as shit not about being normatively right about everything.

[Nick]

No shit.

It's also sure as shit not about being normatively right about everything.

So if its not about conviction and about being normatively right, what is it? Giving you a nice cuddly feeling inside?

The man is pretty fucking far from "truly good".

[Sueven]

Asking me to give you an accurate definition of what it means to be a good person on VeeshanVault is asking a little much, I think.

It certainly involves empathy, caring, introspection, strength of will, etc.

[rhyae]

And he helped out that nice man Wayne DuMond too.
That's enough to give me warm fuzzies.
Wait..

[Markulas]

Back in 1992-

we need to take steps that would isolate the carriers of this plague

homosexuality is an aberrant, unnatural, and sinful lifestyle, and we now know it can pose a dangerous public health risk

In 1992 the CDC had a good understanding of how HIV was transmitted, including that it was not spread through casual contact. Indeed there were some groups that still believed in the homosexual bullshit that was pulled in the 1980s, but these statements show that Huckabee trusted Christian groups over science. I'm truly worried that our public health in this country and in others will continue to get worse if Huckabee is elected. We desperately need someone to overturn the mandate that 30% of all HIV/AIDS funding in Africa needs to be in Abstinence-based education.

[Sueven]

One thing that maybe I should make clear:

I'm rooting for Huckabee versus Obama because I know that Obama would absolutely trounce Huckabee. I have no desire to see Huckabee as president whatsoever. I'm not at all concerned with him getting the nomination because there is ZERO chance he would win a general election, against anybody, Hillary included.

You Hillary haters out there (Ashur, Winnow, etc): If you would vote for a man who doesn't believe in evolution over Hillary, you should be ashamed of yourselves. I hope you'd at least vote third party.

[Fash]

I wouldn't vote for him, or hillary.

[Funkmasterr]

One thing that maybe I should make clear:

I'm rooting for Huckabee versus Obama because I know that Obama would absolutely trounce Huckabee. I have no desire to see Huckabee as president whatsoever. I'm not at all concerned with him getting the nomination because there is ZERO chance he would win a general election, against anybody, Hillary included.

You Hillary haters out there (Ashur, Winnow, etc): If you would vote for a man who doesn't believe in evolution over Hillary, you should be ashamed of yourselves. I hope you'd at least vote third party.

Either that or not at all.

[Noysyrump]

does eveyone think that this country is really ready for a black or female president?

On a daily basis i hear too many remarks from various people degrading other races or beeing sexist. Its not as much on the surface as it was in the 60s but it's still there.

I Honestly believe if either Obama (sin Laden) or Hillary run for president MANY party regulars will actually abstain or vote republican and cause a landslide loss.

Just a hunch.

Edit ps. And I live in southern california! not even gettin close to how people are in the south!~

[Dregor Thule]

does eveyone think that this country is really ready for a black or female president?

No, I really don't. I would say though that I think America is more ready for a female president than a black president.

[Funkmasterr]

does eveyone think that this country is really ready for a black or female president?

No, I really don't. I would say though that I think America is more ready for a female president than a black president.

I agree.. I'm not saying that I would mind either, because I don't. Unfortunately though there are still too many people who base their decisions solely off of race/religion/sex.

[Noysyrump]

I was really Hoping for Colan Powel to prove me wrong, but even he pulled the race card and told all the black people "we gotta stick together"... umm what about me and the other 75% of america?

[Siji]

Good thing Obama isn't black and Hillary isn't female..

[Aabidano]

does anyone think that this country is really ready for a black or female president?

I think either would have a decent chance, Colin Powell for instance would have. Not so sure about Obama, but he's far more electable than Hilary. He's an unknown with a decent message who happens to be black. That she's Hilary is Hilary's biggest issue.

Edit ps. And I live in southern california! not even gettin close to how people are in the south!~

There are ignorant people everywhere, outside of the cities you've got just as many ignorant bubbas in CA as any place else in the country. "The south" as you seem to think it is only exists on TV and in the minds of people in Southern CA.

Huckabee seems like a good, honest man to me. I wouldn't vote for him, due to some of his views that would impact his ability to serve impartially. I think he'd win against Hilary though.

[Nick]

Huckabee seems like a good, honest man to me.

Seriously though, no, what the fuck guys? Stop getting carried away with this bullshit. You do realise he's a stupid fucking fundamentalist moron right? That's not "good", by anyone's standards other than a completely ignorant fuckwit.

[Aabidano]

You do realise he's a stupid fucking fundamentalist moron right? That's not "good", by anyone's standards other than a completely ignorant fuckwit.

He's a decent human being with a consistent set of morals, that have guided his actions throughout most of his life. Why does the source of them get your panties in such a knot? Whether some of them are going to impact his ability to serve or not should be the concern, not the source.

A religious stance that doesn't make sense to you, or me for that matter doesn't imply stupidity or that he's a bad person.

[Nick]

Given that what a "good man" actually is a subjective thing, you have a point, sort of (ish). However, it says a lot that you, or anyone else, think its "decent" to have a consistantly anti-evolution, anti-abortion, anti-homosexual stance.

[Boogahz]

Given that what a "good man" actually is a subjective thing, you have a point, sort of (ish). However, it says a lot that you, or anyone else, think its "decent" to have a consistantly anti-evolution, anti-abortion, anti-homosexual stance.

It says a lot about you as well. I, for one, can respect that everyone is able to have their own opinion, no matter how outlandish it may seem to me. That does not stop anyone from being a good person. If their beliefs views do not impact me directly, I acknowledge that I have no right to persecute them based on those beliefs. Then again, I guess this is a big reason why people crossed the pond in the first place.

[Nick]

You're looking at this in a totally arse about face manner.

you're so mean because you won't respect the guy who believes the earth is 6000 years old.

Frankly, if that says a lot about me, I'm glad of it.

[Boogahz]

You're looking at this in a totally arse about face manner.

you're so mean because you won't respect the guy who believes the earth is 6000 years old.

Frankly, if that says a lot about me, I'm glad of it.

So, because he believes that, he is a worthless pile of shit? I think it just makes him an idiot, but that doesn't mean he cannot also be a good person.

[Nick]

Yes, that only makes him an idiot. Its the whole hating people for their sexual orientation that makes him a bad person.

[Fash]

I've been thinking about this some more, yet I come to the opposite conclusion of the article. The country seems to love religious white males. Bush fit the mold, despite being a creepy idiot on camera, and he won twice. Huckabee vs Clinton or Huckabee vs Obama... If that's what the US is faced with... I could see him winning by a small but not questionable margin.

Also, he has Chuck Norris campaigning with him... When I saw this earlier I thought of a new spin-off show... Walker Texas President! Chuck Norris doesn't win votes, he roundhouse kicks them in the face.

[Aabidano]

Yes, that only makes him an idiot. Its the whole hating people for their sexual orientation that makes him a bad person.

I wouldn't say it makes him an idiot, I work with people who hold the same belief, as do some of my neighbors. Two EEs, an MBA and an RN off the top of my head. I haven't pursued the topic with any of them really, their belief is their belief. If he's true to his portrayed character I really doubt he hates any group.

Thinking on it over the weekend and looking at Fash's post I think he's got a good chance vs. Clinton or Obama as long as he keeps a consistent stance, doesn't let them drag him into a bog on this and doesn't try to appease people on this issue. I thought he was toast on Fri. If they attack him on this area at all they're pretty much committing campaign suicide with middle America, I wonder if they're smart enough to know it.