Grant Gerson, 88, founder of Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, and his wife, Ruth, were among the first in line for a chance to meet Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor.
Huckabee, who was a candidate for the 2009 presidency, bowed out of the race when Arizona Sen. John McCain became the Republican nominee.
“If he would’ve been elected president, we wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in,” Grant Gerson said.
“(Huckabee) is the man. He’s truthful, honest, and tells it like it is. I like that,” said Donna Arp, 79, of Simi Valley.
Inside the Presidential Learning Center, Huckabee, 53, an Arkansas native, spoke in front of a sold-out crowd of almost a thousand guests, which included former first lady Nancy Reagan.
Read the article or listen to the Podcast in its entirety, here.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Kristofer Lorelli can be contacted at lorville@rogers.com, on Facebook and twitter/Kris_Lorelli.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:09 am
A little better than the crowds he was drawing in 2005, wouldn’t you say?
And in California no less! EVERYONE knows that NOBODY likes Huckabee west of Texas!
June 30th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Almost a thousand people? Game OVER!
June 30th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Television personalities draw crowds. This happens every day for Sean Hannity when he is on tour. Nobody is saying Sean Hannity should be President.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:22 am
Slovak president forced off plane after warning
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090630/od_nm/us_president_odd
June 30th, 2009 at 11:26 am
Nice crowd, I would say. You can’t be in a three-way tie for first place in the GOP 2012 race without being popular with somebody.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:26 am
I went to see Michael Jackson once a long time ago. Pity he’s now dead, because with the crowds he and Cher bring in… heck, they can be totally qualifed for president now!
A thousand in CA whippie. You get 10 times more than that on an average Sunday at Saddleback church to see RicK Warren. And by no means is he qualifed to be president either, nor would I want him for one.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Pity that crowds don’t always translate into votes! Mac and cheeswiz drew huge crowds and I don’t need to point out that they lost the election.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:30 am
Knickers, be nice.
Compare this to the hype the Palinites have been giving out about “Thousands turning out to see Sarah in a Parade” as if the parade had nothing to do with it. Huck at least attracted the thousand there on his own. Give him credit for that.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:30 am
Did nobody under 79 have anything good to say about him? Just kidding, congratulations to Huck.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:33 am
I would go see Huckabee if he were in town and it was free. I wouldn’t vote for him unless I had no choice but Obama-like.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Based on the crowds Palin was getting, this qualifies Huck to be Mitt’s VP.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Speaking of Sarah, nice write up in Vanity Fair..
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2009/08/sarah-palin200908
June 30th, 2009 at 11:38 am
SANFORD LIED BIG TIME
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/06/30/south-carolina-governor-admits-encounters/
June 30th, 2009 at 11:40 am
Illinoisguy,
Is your prupose on this site to attack every member of the GOP?
June 30th, 2009 at 11:43 am
No! WHat is that supposed to mean?
Nobody is bashful about linking things not necessarily favorable to Mitt…we had a front page about one yesterday as a matter of fact. The Sanford thing is about a guy who is already written off, just indicating that he is now admitting he lied through his teeth recently.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:45 am
Kristol: Liberal Media and GOP Hacks vs. Palin
http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2009/06/kristol_liberal_media_and_gop.asp
June 30th, 2009 at 11:47 am
I would go see Palin, but never Huck, for whatever that’s worth.
Illinois, I read it. It was a hit piece, but there were some things that rang true that I’ve been saying from the beginning:
1. She’s all about Palin, not necessarily ideology. 2. She puts herself above everything/everyone else, including family.
3. She’s a personality above everything else, and not interested in becoming prepared, informed, or articulate. You could say she knows her strength and where her votes come from.
I think her supporters should at least acknowledge #3, To his credit, Kris does somewhat. When I compare her to Obama and his cult following, he responds that Obama won that way. True, but are repubs really like dems when they vote? We shall soon see. I don’t think so. When it comes time to vote, we are going to choose someone we see as competent, not necessarily a rock star.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:47 am
Almost a thousand when Nancy Reagan was there isn’t newsworthy.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:49 am
Gingrich gay half-sister appears to question LDS Church’s gay marriage stance
http://www.abc4.com/content/news/national/story/Gingrich-gay-half-sister-appears-to-question-LDS/6N7mrSYs2kKtVsblm58cYQ.cspx
June 30th, 2009 at 11:49 am
Kris, oh brother – again. Mr. Nut Job has been lying through his teeth. It’s relevant, and I shall never defend him. He needs to be taken off the sidebar post haste.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:52 am
IT wasn’t as bad as listing that stupid poll yesterday two years after Mitt had anything to do with the program, and not including a poll showing 70% approval a short time after he had left.
At least this didn’t purport to be something it wasn’t, like that stupid poll was passed off to be.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:53 am
Romney did Meet the Press this week and had THOUSANDS watching him!
June 30th, 2009 at 11:54 am
19 So? Lots of people do!
June 30th, 2009 at 11:54 am
#21, I never posted that poll. In fact, I would agree with Romneycare 100% if it did not include the mandates. Of course, I have no idea how Mitt could have controlled costs with mandating care to younger residents?
If you want Sanford’s picture taken down; kavon_w_nikrad@yahoo.com
June 30th, 2009 at 11:55 am
#22 millions!
June 30th, 2009 at 11:56 am
Ill. I’d go see him too, if the tickets were free as well. I would never pay to see him. And would never vote for him under any circumstances. However, I’d go see him. Chances of him coming back to SLC are pretty slim though. I’m sure he takes routes that don’t even fly over Utah!
June 30th, 2009 at 11:56 am
Pawlenty on MN Senate election.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBeErXAINOw
June 30th, 2009 at 11:57 am
Gingrich (Mr. Irrelevant) has a gay half-sister who questions the LDS gay marriage stance?
Wow, interesting.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:59 am
Dynamics Of Change (Carly Fiorina)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rkoind-Jp4I
I hope she becomes the next Senator from CA. In fact, I hope it launches a Presidential run one day.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:59 am
25. mea culpa MILLIONS! And none are a captive audience! Each person made the decision to click on the TV on Sunday morning, or as I did, download it for another site to view later.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Martha. And why is this news? Catholic’s have gay marriage ban too. AND her bro just converted over to Catholic! Many other faiths have same ban. And the big deal is???????
Ok, so Romney loses the far left gay vote. Her point?
June 30th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Essay Contest Winners
Hundreds of people responded to Mitt Romney’s Free and Strong America PAC essay contest, flooding our mailbox with many excellent answers to the question, “What does a free and strong America mean to you?” The winner: 15-year-old Jacob Walters from Peosta, Iowa. He has received an all-expense-paid trip for two people to a Boston Red Sox game versus the Oakland A’s at Fenway Park on July 8. Jacob said he will be taking his father as his guest.
Jacob’s winning essay is reprinted below, as are the essays of five runner-ups and one poem deserving of honorable mention.
http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=115082941022&h=Wq0RJ&u=bJZxX&ref=mf
June 30th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Sold out eh? Anyone give a little relevance to this by saying how much tickets actually cost?
June 30th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Kris, to be fair to Pawlenty, I listened to the interview live, and he made it clear that he would give time for any further court action to take place, and if the Supreme court ordered a stay, he would certainly not go through with it until final court action.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Now Kris, Turnabout is fair play. If you can link articles critical of Mitt Romney, surely Romney supporters can link an article or two critical of Sarah Palin.
I read the article. I must say, plenty of grains of salt are required. However, in amongst all the trash are some interesting tidbits. For example, I was not aware that Palin’s co-chair of her 2006 election committee is now estranged to her. What’s the story with that?
June 30th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
good news folks!
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0609/24338.html
June 30th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
#35,
I posted a link to the essay contest winner…I do not believe that was critical of Romney.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
I think he was referring to the stupid gingrich half-sister’s link about gay marriage. To me, it was just irrelevant, but as Mark pointed out, the vanity fair article had some good incites, albeit not supporting Palin.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
#38, not really. It was pure trash. No one on the record? Sure!
June 30th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Why have so many repubs turned against Palin in Alaska? It makes you think there might be more truth in the hit pieces. Why would they vocally oppose her so much, and why have so many former supporters changed their minds about her? Perhaps they have motives that we cannot see, or perhaps they have a closer view of Palin than we do. Probably a little of both.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
#38, how was that attacking Romney? In fact, is that not bad news for Newt? His own sister won’t vote for him.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Kris, there are plenty of people with names in Alaska – many former supporters, who are willing to talk about Palin.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
#37.
Yes you did. Thank-you.
#39 Palin’s former co-chair was on the record. Now how about Sarah’s side of the story? Do you know it? I would like to hear it.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Kris, do you think all the McCain staff are lying about Palin’s troubles during the campaign?
When someone says something good about Palin, it’s the gospel truth. But when someone criticizes here, it’s just a lie/smear.
All the folks in Alaska cannot be lying.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
#41. It wasn’t. In fact, when you read the article, she comes across as a first class loon.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
#33. The tickets are suite tickets in lux box. It is strictly VIP territory. I suppose if you had to pay for them, they’d be a thousand a piece or better. Had family enjoy a nice game in them last year.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
MarK,
http://juneauempire.com/stories/071608/sta_304741233.shtml
Hickel is a protectionist.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Here is Hiuckel blasting the Exxon-TransCanada deal:
http://www.newsminer.com/weblogs/dermot-cole/2009/jun/11/hickel-blasts-exxon-deal-with-transcanada/
June 30th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Kristol called out Schmidt! hahaahhahah
Nothing like hand-to-hand combat between two social moderates.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
#44:
Let’s not exaggerate.
First of all, not ALL McCain staffers were critical of Sarah. Only a few were. They can easily be ignored as sour grapes. Second of all, not ALL folks in Alaska are critical of her, either. She leads by a wide margin in almost all the polls there.
It is far more interesting to me that a former close confident of hers (her 2006 co-chair) has now turned against her. I really would like to hear the story behind that one.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
I thought the McCain-Feingold link I posted above would receive some comments! Isn’t it a big deal?
In a sign that the Supreme Court is seriously considering overturning one of the underpinnings of modern campaign finance rules, Chief Justice John Roberts on Monday announced that justices would rehear a case challenging restrictions on corporate-funded campaign ads.
The result of the argument, which is scheduled for September 9, could reshape the way American political campaigns are waged on the precipice of the 2010 midterm and the 2012 presidential elections.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Thank-you Tommy. So in a nutshell, he doesn’t like Sarah’s gas pipeline.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
marK, I think it’s more than a few people from the McCain campaign who have grumbled in public and private about Palin. And it starts at the top with Schmidt who must be considered credible.
Sure, all the folks in Alaska are not critical of her. What I meant to say was this – all the people who are critical of her cannot be lying.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
And Kristofer, if I was off limits posting a left wing article, I apologize. Just seems to me that Mitt can do great things month in and month out, and none of you post a dang thing on it. We go months without anything positive even though Mitt is working his tail off every week across this nation for the good of the party and conservatism.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
51. Thanks for the link, I read it.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
I stopped reading the Vanity Fair piece after this:
“What does her [Sarah Palin's] prominence say about the importance of having (or lacking) a record of achievement in public life?”
I hate to beat a dead horse, but where exactly was the record of achievement in Obama’s public life?
June 30th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Martha,
Not one McCain staffer has had the guts to say anything like what was said by these unnamed McCain sources in the Vanity Fair article on record.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
#38,IlliniDude:“…the vanity fair article had some good incites…”
Was that a Freudian slip?
June 30th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Oh my, I need to go back to school!
June 30th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
I do not believe this came from anyone in the McCain inncer circle.
It would ruin their political career.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Kristofer,
Schmidt just called out by the King of neoconservativism as noted in your link.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Tommy,
I am not so sure…Schmidt stands to make a lot of $ and friends…what would be his motivation?
June 30th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
I don’t think Romney ever attracted a crowd of a thousand people during any event of his campaign.
If Romney runs for Prez in 2012, perhaps he can hold all his rallies in mirrored rooms to increase the crowd size.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
I am so sick and tired of “Victim Sarah”.
Yes, people are out to get her. No, it’s not right. But she is incapable of stifling criticism because she is so bumbling and ineffective in speaking.
You need brass balls to be in politics. It’s not right or fair but if you aren’t up to snuff you ought to just move out of the way.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Flip,
I am pretty sure that if Romney was at a meeting with Nancy Reagan he’d see his crowds swell too.
A thousand people didn’t show up to hear about Huckabee squirrel fry recipe.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Kristofer,
Schmidt probably didn’t think Kristol would call him out publically and that he could remain anonymous. It appears he may have miscalculated.
Having Kristol ID you is pretty darn devestating. It’s a little bit higher than David Frum Iding Nicole Wallace.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Adam,
If that’s the strategy she’s pursuing, it’s working out pretty well for her among Republicans and some center of right indies.
To me, she’s bashing low-hanging left-wing fruit (Letterman, Kerry). To you, she’s playing the victim. To each his own my friend.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
The fact is, he was invited. Has Mittens been invited to the library?
June 30th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
So? Mitt has his share of supporters in the national party too. Jeb Bush comes to mind. That may come in handy in the future in FL.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Good for Huckabee. It was a sold out event.
I recently saw him at an event in Texas that also had 1000 people attend. Brought my “Do the right thing” book to get it autographed, but he did not do a book signing and was wisked away right after his speech.
Y’all should go see him in person. He is very personable and humble when he speaks.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Court ruled for Franklin. Another joker in washington.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Well, i think it’s sad on both ends. You Romney people shouldn’t be so degrading towards the huckster. Give him some props. And i think absolutely Romney would’ve attracted a big crowd as well. These are both beloved people in the republican party. Just because most people are in one camp or the other is no reason to fling mud over AN APPEARANCE! For crying out loud. It’s childish. Stop it all of you.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Or flipper, he can do what he’s always done. Be classy, presidential and unlike the other two, actaully answereing questions on TV, where MILLIONS of folks tune in to see!
June 30th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
#71, cut and paste from Malkin, eh?
June 30th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
#72 – It’s pretty much a chicken and egg thing I guess. We see our candidate defamed, and defend him. You see it the same way, only opposite. I wish so very, very much that this whole thing was about competence….I would be happy as a lark if we would approach it that way, as well as electability, of course.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
You have to remember it is also about likeability. People have to like the candidate. Hillary had more experience than Obama, but people liked Obama. Remember, even Obama said that Hillary was likeable enough. That is why Obama won-people liked him better and they did not care enough to research his actual policies. Oh wait-Obama did not have hardly any experience so he would not have any policies to base his campaign on. But he was likeable and he won!
June 30th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Huckabee has many ‘political’ qualities including being likeable.
I will ask the question I asked yesterday. Could somebody give me a profile of a Huckabee voter and why is his side apparently not better represented on the Internet or the right-wing blogosphere including race42012.com and Hot Air?
Would his supporters be considered behind the times?
June 30th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
#72.wateredseeds:“You Romney people shouldn’t be so degrading towards the huckster. Give him some props.”
*cough* *cough* #5, #8, #9
Oh, and please don’t judge non-Romney people by certain of the posters here, either. Not all Romney detractors here at Race4 are like them, thank goodness. We seem to attract a more mature, thoughtful, and civilized crowd here (exceptions noted). That is why I keep posting here.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
78 – Need a lozenge? I made a little harmless, non-personal joke and followed it by congratulating him.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
oops, misread that. Sorry marK.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Bob
Huckabee has a lot of his supporters working for his Huckpac getting local and state candidates elected. They are pretty active in his pac and do have their own blogs.
I have noted that many Huckabee supporters have left this site. Including one of the frontpage posters who just visited and said the lack of common courtesy is why he left.
Same with hotair-they are big Palin supporters over there and when a Huckabee supporter posts, they tend to get chewed out.
But Huckabee’s own website, mikehuckabee.com is doing well and has support from viewers who watch his show. Many of those that comment say they did not vote for him in the primaries, wished they had, and hope he runs in 2012.
Why keep posting on a site that is unfriendly and degrading? Better use of time to stay off those boards.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Texasconserv (#81):
Is this refrain from appearing on ‘enemy’ web sites orchestrated by Huckabee himself or his staffers or do you think it is individually driven on a case by case basis?
I guess what I am asking is how tight do you think the link between Huckabee and his diehards is and does he have the same influence over his own supporters as Sarah Palin has on hers?
June 30th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
#77.bob,
That is a very good question, bob. I will give you my take on the matter. *Disclaimer*, I am an ardent Romney supporter. I’ve been following his career since his 1994 Senate run where he came closer than any in history in knocking off Ted Kennedy. I am also a devout Mormon — been one for over a half a century.
Huckabee is a very likable, personable sort of guy. But he made two key mistakes in 2008.
(1) He played Identity Politics. This came in two parts. The first was he kept telling people that he was the “Christian” candidate. While it was key to his rise (he would have likely lost Iowa without it), it also rubbed a number of observers the wrong way. “Vote for me because God is behind me”, doesn’t win you many friends outside of your little group. The second part is he picked a fight with the Mormons. This has been discussed ad nauseum, so I shan’t repeat it. Suffice it to say that not only did it royally tick off a key GOP demographic, it struck a number of observers unaffiliated with the church as being way out-of-line.
(2) He wouldn’t let go. Mitt Romney left the race shortly after Groundhog Day 2008. He immediately threw his weight behind getting John McCain getting elected. Many people claimed he was just cynically angling for the VP position, and who could blame them? But after he continued to work hard for McCain, even after Palin was chosen, people began to respect him more and more.
Mike Huckabee, on the other hand, refused to let go. He would not let bygones be bygones. He continued to slam Romney every chance he got. He led a movement to deny Mitt the VP position. Even after the VP selection had gone to Sarah Palin, he wouldn’t let up. I even remember Huckabee slamming Romney after the election. Is that being petty or what? Huckabee went so far as to fill page after page of his book “Doing the Right Thing” with rehashed grievances real or imagined that Mitt supposed inflicted upon him.
How did Romney handle this? Short answer:with Class. He refused to be drawn in. He never once returned fire with fire.
So you had a situation where all the former opponents of McCain — Thompson, Romney, Giuliani, etc. — were letting bygones be bygones for the good of the party. Not Huckabee. He, instead, chose to sit and stew in his juices, breeding division and discord in the ranks. He lost a great deal of respect and good will because of it.
Couple this with a number of atrocious gaffes, and Huckabee lost a great deal of status and respect last year. This likely accounts for your preceived lack of Huckabee supporters generally on the Internet, except at places such as HucksArmy.
Now Huckabee, to his credit, seems to realize that he made some serious mistakes in 2008 and is attempting to correct them. For instance, since January, he has kept his nose perfectly clean on his TV show. There hasn’t been one Romney slam that I am aware of, and he has kept his Christian Identity shtick to a minimum. Good for him. His status has been rising steadily because of it.
As to a profile of a typical Huckabee voter, he has a mixed bunch. Evangelicals are his natural base, mixed in with some populists. He is also a very likable, charismatic guy. People like his sense of humor, which is considerable. So, I would say that since Identity Candidates always come down to “us-versus-them”, most of Huckabee’s supporters lie in his “us” group.
Are his voters behind the times? No more than Palin, Romney, or Pawlenty supporters. How can any supporter be considered “behind the times” when their candidate has a legitimate shot at winning the contest?
June 30th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
One of the reason I like it here at race is because it doesn’t have any anti-Mormon bigots posting all sorts of nonsense. A lot of other sites were pretty bad during the campaign.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
I was at this event…Huckabee was a very engaging speaker, and seemed like a very genuine guy. He also made some excellent points in his lecture. After seeing him speak in person, I can say I would be very comfortable if he is the GOP nominee in 2012.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
#85,
Thanks for the post, aldo. Tell me, did you go for Huck, for Nancy, or for them both?
June 30th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
What did tickets cost?
June 30th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Looks like $65
On Monday, June 29th, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation welcomes Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee for a Reagan Forum and Book Signing for his book, Do the Right Thing, made possible by the Charles and Ann Johnson Foundation. Tickets to attend the 6:00 p.m. lecture are $65 per person and include a dinner. It is free to only attend the book signing, which will take place from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. in the Library’s Museum Store. To purchase tickets, refer to the reservation form below, or call 805-522-2977. If you cannot attend the lecture but would like to purchase a book, please call the Reagan Library Museum Store at 805-522-9953.
June 30th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
#83
Nice summation of Huckabee’s presidential aspirations from the view of an ardent, but fair, Romney supporter.
The longer Mike Huckabee goes without bashing people or proclaiming himself the “Christian Candidate” the better he looks. He is extremely talented at politics, and very, very funny.
June 30th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Bob
Huckabee is not in contact with the folks at Hucksarmy-in fact I think it is against campaign laws for him to be in direct contact with the officials at Hucksarmy.
The refrain from “enemy” sites has nothing to do with Huckabee. People just get tired of the nonsense. I myself have a hard time coming on this site and hearing about how Huckabee is a bigot and all his supporters are bigots. Especially when we have gone out of our way to give direct links to explain things and it is all discounted. So if you don’t see Huckabee supporters on all the sites-one they are busy doing work for Huckpac and Hucks national volunteers or two they are tired of the rudeness expressed on certain sites. Me included.
June 30th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
MarK
Here is my view, and how I perceived the whole Christian Leader ads. Because Huckabee was a former pastor, that was how he was introduced on every talk show that would interview him. You would never have known he was recently a former governor. The MSM and even Fox, made it seem like Huckabee jumped right from the pulpit to the national trail. During the debates, he was always given some religious question. Remember all of this happened before December of 2007. Before Chuck Norris and the Huckaboom. So instead of denying Christ and his past, Huckabee put it front and center and was proud to say that he is a Christian. As a fellow Christian myself, I was excited to see a political leader unashamed and proud to be a Christian. Especially given the recent lawsuits about the pledge and “one nation under God”, the war on Christmas, and atheists trying to take “in God we trust” off of our currency. I took it as here is a leader who will put God first and keep the values that America was founded on.
After December and the whole NYTimes article, I can see how a Mormon would be offended by the commercials and think that Huckabee was attacking Romney. If you link the two together, and the animosity between Romney and Huckabee, it appears to be a very shallow move.
However, for most of the country who were not paying attention to the primaries until January of 08, it was not about Romney and whether he was a true Christian or not. People here in the bible belt were thrilled to have someone stand up for the prolife issues, traditional marriage, adult only stem cell research, and especially to say, I will keep God as my primary consultant when I make important national decisions. It was not about Romney.
So when you say that everything Huckabee did was identity politics, I can see where you think it was wrong when you view it from Romney and his supporters lenses. But if you view it from the aspect of people worried that God is being taken out of America by the secularist and you have a candidate who is not afraid to talk about God and Christ, then you would see it through an entirely different set of lenses.
Now, as a Huckabee supporter who has tried to explain things before, and those from other camps don’t even try to “see” what is being said, you could see why Huckabee supporters stay off of many internet sites.
June 30th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
Tex made an excellent summation in #91.
I would just ad that many SoCons have developed a keen sense of when they are being BSed by a politician who is trying to use them for their vote. Typically these politicians will use a cliched line as the beginning and end of their thoughts on the right to life, or speak in shallow platitudes about traditional values. These are the BS candidates who have been using us for decades.
HUCKABEE, on the other hand, spoke in an authentic way. He spoke the way that true believing, grass roots activists speak. He spoke- are you ready- “the language of Zion” if you will. Here’s the difference (and I’m making these quotes up as examples.
Fake politician using platitudes to dupe SoCons:
“My faith life is very important to me. I pray every day. We need to respect life.”
Real SoCon, speaking the “language of Zion”:
“I believe in God, and His only Son, Jesus Christ. When God created man, he created him in His own image and likeness. This means that man has an inherent dignity that no law can take away. Think about that. We are created in the image of the living God. One day, we will stand before our creator and give account for how we treated, and protected, our fellow man- especially the most vulnerable. And that means the unborn. The absolute, God-given right to life must be enshrined in our laws.”
June 30th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
#86
I got to meet Huckabee, because he was doing a book signing in the gift shop, but Nancy Reagan was kept under very tight wraps-she wasn’t brought in until a few minutes before Huckabee’s speech started, and she was ushered out immediately after the speech ended, so unfortunately I wasn’t able to see much of her. Huckabee seemed like a very sincere guy though; he made some conversation with me while he was signing my book, and thanked me for coming to his event.
June 30th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
91. Texas. You are living proof that many Huck fans just don’t get it. I’m sorry if that offends you. Huckabee’s blatant religion-baiting was a tactic, and he used it well. He was not and could not gain traction any other way. Before he started the anti-Mormon nonsense, he was going nowhere. When you add up all of his actions together, his intentions are very clear – to drive a wedge between Romney and his evangelical supporters by using religion. Texas, most everyone acknowledges this strategy.
He has chosen not to try to repair the damage with LDS voters. The reason he was always asked religious questions is because he framed his entire campaign using religion.
How you can not see this is baffling. I, too, want a man who is not reluctant to speak about his faith in God. But I found the way Huck used God in a political campaign terribly pathetic.
July 1st, 2009 at 11:43 am
Texas,
I think you are missing my point in #83. First of all, I was addressing bob’s question as to why Huckabee is so little supported in the blogosphere outside the sites dedicated to Huckabee. He asked a serious, honest, open question; and I attempted to respect his query with a serious, honest, open answer. That is the context in which to read my post.
Second, you will note that I mentioned TWO big mistakes Huckabee made in 2008. You only dwelt upon the first but if anything, the second was perhaps Huckabee’s most egregious.
I am a regular lurker on a number of sites around the internet. I watched on site after site as Huckabee literally self-destroyed his reputation in his single-minded vendetta against Mitt. People who hated Romney’s guts and had felt sympathetic to Huckabee’s populist rhetoric were turned off by the crusade and began to defend Romney. And as Romney continued to steadfastly refused to engage Huckabee at his level, the respect for Mitt grew while the respect for Huckabee diminished. People could see that for whatever reason, Romney was working to bring the party together. Huckabee, whatever the reason, was working to tear it apart. Not a very good comparison for Huckabee in the eyes of neutral observers.
I saw this happen on site after site. Huckabee dug himself quite a hole. He now has to climb out of it.
Now, Texas, ask yourself this question. If Huckabee is such a good Christian, why was he being so petty and vindictive towards Romney last year? Who was turning the other cheek? Who was forgiving their neighbor their trespasses? Who didn’t just talk the talk but walked the walk?
Who was being the better Christian? The man who talked about being a Christian, or the man whom he attacked relentlessly long after there was any point to it?
Do you see now why Mike Huckabee’s second mistake was worse than his first? It actually magnifies the problem of the first.
July 1st, 2009 at 12:18 pm
MWS,
You are wicked, you know that?