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We now stand five days before Super Tuesday. Time is of the essance. We must all unite around Mike Huckabee. John McCain is the frontrunner and it is clear to me why. Romney and Huckabee are splitting the conservative vote. If they all coalesced around one candidate they would beat McCain by ten points.
John McCain is an honorable man. He has bravely served our Nation with honor and he deserves all accolades for that. However this is not McCain's time. He will not win the General election. The theme for 2008 is change. While I think John McCain might make a good president (and I think he would have done a better job than Bush did) he represents the old guard in politics. His age does not help very much. No matter how he runs his campaign and who he chooses as his running mate McCain will not be able to survive that fact. Younger voters looking for change will not vote for him. Even if the Dem's nominee is Hilary Clinton they will relate to her more. That's a sad fact but it is true.
No matter what he says now John McCain also stood for amnesty for illegal aliens. Do you remember that? Have your forgotten our outrage just this past summer? Remember how hard we fought tooth and nail against his bill? Are you willing to give him a pass? What about McCain-Feingold? He has limited our 1st Amendment rights of political free speech. Are we going to stand for that? I SAY NAY!!!
Now that we've cleared that one up we have a decision. Mitt Romney or Mike Huckabee - Who do we unite and coalesce behind? I think the answer is clear. Mitt Romney has bought the victories he has made. Money shouldn't buy an election. Ideas, honesty, and authenticity should. Mike Huckabee has the freshest and most positive ideas. "Let's become energy independent in less than a decade and tell the Saudis that we need their oil like we need their sand! Let's stimulate the economy by ending our tax on productivity and put the going out of business sign on the doors of the Internal Revenue Service! Let's end the Illegal Immigration problem by enforcing our laws, building the fence immediately, and sending those who have come and have been here illegally back home to the back of the line! Let's make health care more affordable by treating problems pro actively instead of reactively."
Mitt Romney is polished. He has been successful and must be applauded for some of his accomplishments (the 2002 Winter Olympics for example) but he is as authentic as an aluminum Christmas Tree. None of the words that come out of his mouth are from his heart. They are written by paid advisers who think they know what we want to hear. His opinions and positions change with the political winds. I don't know who fip flops more - Mitt Romney or the local pancake house! Look at all the times he has changed his position on Abortion, Gay Marriage, the troop surge in Iraq, and other issues. He has almost changed them even more than he has changed the style of his hair in the past six months!
In comparison Mike Huckabee speaks from the heart and is honest and trustworthy. His positions never change no matter what other people or political polls say. Mike's deep rooted convictions are the same now as they were 15 years ago and what they will be 15 years from now.
So we have 5 days folks. We can either unite behind Mike Huckabee or we face 1976 all over again. My heart weeps at even the possibility of facing another administration like Jimmy Carter's. I was not alive then but through my studies I sure know how we suffered as a nation then. That's what we face with Clinton or Obama and it could be even worse!
THE TIME TO MAKE A DECISION IS NOW...I CHOOSE HUCKABEE! What about you?
this is a video from last night's debate at the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California. The question is "Would Ronald Reagan endorse you and why?" Mike got the last word and here is his answer.
This is a video of Mike Huckabee's appearance on Morning Joe this morning on MSNBC. As he was last night Mike is now bringing out the big guns. He is now playing aggressive and playing to win. I love how he goes after Romney. All Conservatives need to watch this. It's time to unite for Huckabee or we will be stuck with McCain. McCain is an honorable man but his policies have and would steer our nation in the wrong direction.
The big story revolving around this last debate of the cycle tonight was John McCain Vs Mitt Romney. McCain was endorsed by Giuliani before the debate and the rumors are that the Governator will do the same. NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND!! The clear winner tonight was Mike Huckabee. While McCain and Romney went blow for blow against each other Mike (who was given little time comparatively) stayed above the Frey while giving the most intelligent answers and looking (and sounding) the most presidential.
This was Mike's best performance in a debate in the last month and maybe ever. Mike hit grand slams on Pro-Life and the last question about Reagan. the question was to all of them tonight "Would Ronald Reagan endorse you and why?" While the others explained why, Mike Huckabee turned the tables and refused to use Reagan to his political gain. Instead Mike endorsed Reagan and explained why he does. What class! I stood up and applauded!
America is not interested in candidates that take cheap shots at each other. They are looking for positive change and a positive message. That's Mike Huckabee to a Tee.
As for CNN they should be ashamed of themselves. Especially for how they treated Ron Paul tonight. they totally gave him the shaft tonight unfairly. I may not agree with him too much but at least give him a fair amount of time to speak. That was a disgrace!
I'll have video and more reaction later on (probably tomorrow). However there is no question that the overwhelming winner tonight was Mike Huckabee hands down! and boy did he need it! the campaign is hitting the 7th inning and Mike is now bringing out the big bats. Way to go Huck!
Newest goal is to raise $1 Million more online for the campaign by next Monday (Feb. 4th). There are a couple of neat supporter initiatives starting up.
First on Friday is "Max Out For Mike" day. Huck's Army describes it as such:
Huck's Army Recruits,
Today, we launched a new fundraising drive called ‘Max Out For Mike!’
http://www.maxoutformike.com, scheduled for this Friday, February 1st. It
has already been a featured on the official campaign website and endorsed
by the leadership of Huck's Army.
Our goal is to have a record-breaking fundraising day resulting in positive
free press for Mike in the days leading up to Super Tuesday! More than
anything right now, Mike needs funds to compete in multiple states. In a
few short hours, we’ve already received nearly 200 pledges!
=======================
MAX OUT THIS FRIDAY
http://www.maxoutformike.com
=======================
In order to stand with HucksArmy, you must use Donor Code 160 when
contributing. You can even click your own Ranger link first and then enter
Donor Code 160 on the form itself -- this way you can still contribute as a
member of Huck's Army as well as get credit on your Ranger account.
You can also help by doing the following:
* Contact all your friends and family and ask them to donate
* Spread the word among your meet-up group
* Post the ‘Max Out For Mike!’ banner on your blog
* Promote through Facebook and Myspace
Will you join us in supporting Governor Huckabee at this critical time in
the campaign? We appreciate that many of you may have already maxed out. If
so, please do all you can to raise awareness of this important fundraiser.
Will you be the somebody? Will you do the something to propel Mike to
victory on Super Tuesday?
=======================
IF NOT NOW, WHEN?
http://www.maxoutformike.com
=======================
Do Hard Things,
The Huck's Army Team
Goal To Raise One Million Dollars on Super Bowl Sunday!
It's time for Americans to make Super bowl party plans and include Huckabowl
Party dynamic by inviting family and friends to share your support for Mike
Huckabee. Flyers for invites, trivia and creative interactive fund raising
ideas will be at the site crafted for this event.
ATTENTION Huckabee MeetUp.com leaders and members please do all you can to
have a fun Super Bowl Party that includes Huckabowl fund raising.
Huckabowl.com will also feature a "Huckabowl YouTube Ad Contest" for
Huckabee supporters. Submit your own Super Huckabowl ad by Sunday
February 3rd to be eligible. Each television Super Bowl ad this year will
cost 2.7 million dollars for 30 seconds. This is the chance for Huckabee
fans to flood YouTube with Huckabowl Ads as part of a nationwide
grassroots effort to spread the word about Mike Huckabee to America.
Ron Paul supporters raised six million dollars in one day last December and
it seems that was the most press he has garnished to date. Now is the time
for Huckabee supporters to take the challenge to help raise one million
dollars on Super Bowl Sunday. Hopefully it will be a tremendous financial
boost before Super Tuesday.
ews Release: Mike Huckabee Comments On Florida Primary
January 30, 2008
Little Rock, AR – The following statement was issued by former Arkansas Governor and Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee regarding last night's Florida primary:
“Our campaign is full throttle toward Super Tuesday where a number of key Southern states, and other strong conservative states, are likely to add to our delegate count, which already had us in second place in delegates before Florida. I look forward to a healthy and constructive debate at the Reagan Library tonight as we discuss the conservative issues that matter to most Americans and will define our Party and our future.
“We have a long way to go in this nominating process. When you look at what we have done, with what we have, it's a remarkable story that is not even close to being over. In fact, we like to believe we're just really getting started. I'm convinced that my optimistic message of hope and change will continue to resonate with voters as we head into Super Tuesday.”
the following is an E-mail blast from FairTax.org:
Dear FairTax Supporter:
The FairTax Campaign Rocks the Boat!
What a thrilling time it is as our idea for a better nation finally starts getting traction everywhere.
While those threatened with extinction—federal tax lobbyists and tax policy experts—have begun throwing the kitchen sink at the FairTax, the public is also getting a lot smarter about how the income tax system hurts America.
The Pen is Mightier than the Sword (or the smear)
FairTax supporters have taken up their pens and are commenting online, sending letters to the editor and raising the FairTax flag wherever they can. A few writers have been making a huge difference and every supporter is invited to take up the pen—or the keyboard—and fight for the FairTax.
Every day sees a new letter to the editor or web posting defining the 67,500 pages of income tax regulations, the effects of the current tax system on the “Made in America” label and the benefits of a fair, simple and transparent national tax system.
Tax policy was once the exclusive domain of Washington, DC experts who have jealously guarded their elevated status, spun the truth of how the arcane details of the tax code work, helped Congress hide the real effects and size of federal taxes and stoked the political fires to pit citizen against citizen.
That day is coming to an end because of the FairTax.
They don't like the idea of a simple tax system, of course, and they don’t much care for citizens learning the "secrets" of the dysfunctional income system. The more educated the public becomes; the harder it is for politicians and their handlers to manipulate the truth--and the more popular the FairTax becomes.
Iowa, South Carolina, Florida, Michigan and onward to the nation!
In Iowa, the FairTax took root and catapulted our issue to the center of Presidential politics. It was the spark that has lit a grassroots fire across the nation and caused voters to sit up and take notice that there might be a real solution to the income tax mess that bedevils taxpayers and damages the economy.
In South Carolina and Florida, FairTax groups have hosted rallies that saw thousands attend as well as Presidential candidates.
In Michigan, FairTax organizers pushed even harder to extend the FairTax virtues to the state tax system.
In one Florida Presidential debate John McCain told Mike Huckabee that the FairTax is resonating across the country and chuckled as he noted that everywhere he turns he sees someone in a FairTax shirt.
The FairTax bus is still crisscrossing the nation to the delight and surprise of people everywhere.
This is the beginning of the transformation from a national campaign to a national movement with individuals at the local level dreaming up new and even better ways to spread the word.
One fellow from Georgia has asked for help in promoting a FairTax rally next Saturday, February 2 in the online virtual world, Second Life. "I own property next to the FairTax Support Center," he said. "That's where I would like to hold a rally!"
February 12 sees the release of Neal Boortz and John Linder's new book, FairTax: The Truth--Answering the Critics. You can order a copy now here through Amazon.com.The following is an excellent guest post from Huck's Army Soldier, kempo_dad:
What the Republican Campaigns Reveal About their Candidates
In this highly unusual presidential campaign, one thing has not changed – the passionate and hope-filled promises of a better America. The real ideas and hard facts for how they could actually work are few and far between, but the promises are there. The problem is most of us have heard them too often, and have grown skeptical.
According to the latest polls, the number one concern among republicans is the economy. We have a deficit in the trillions of dollars and an economy that is, at best, slipping into a recession. Each candidate has shared his promises and the, too often, empty words of dreamy results, but who can really change the course? Which Republican candidate is best qualified to lead this country back to financial health?
At first, Mitt Romney looks as if he is the Messaiah on this point. A self-made millionaire who has a proven record of turning failing companies around, who better understands the economy – who better to lead America to financial recovery? But critics assail that his millions were made by corporate restructuring and sell-offs, which translated, is layoffs and job reductions. If so, that is hardly what we need.
Then, there’s John McCain. He touts his record of fighting against government waste and tenaciously denounces pork barrel spending, offering a handful of examples where he did just that. On the other side, he has never really had the responsibility of running a government or balancing its budget. Romney has asserted that he’s part of the “Washington is broken” problem.
Mike Huckabee did run a government, balancing its budget ten straight years. He got the attention of fiscal conservatives with a fresh, new idea for a stimulus package in the most recent debate – investing the money in a major infrastructure project using American labor and American-made materials. On the flip-side, he has been labeled by the Club for Growth and prominent conservatives as a tax-and-spend liberal.
Ron Paul makes the case that, were we not funding the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, we could divert that money to stimulate the economy. However, that would require abandoning our security interests in that region – something that most republicans would consider far too great a risk.
So, who is really offers America the most hope? Perhaps the answer is not in the promises or opinions, but can be found in the campaigns themselves.
It is no secret that Mitt Romney has outspent all of the other candidates. Estimates are that he has outspent some contenders by as much as 20-to-1. Yet, he has only managed to win three primaries or caucuses, two of which were not contested and one in his “home” state of Michigan. How well does that testify of his ability to control spending? How does it portray fiscal responsibility? How would it translate as an ability to cut the waste out of the federal budget?
And what about the current front-runner, John McCain? Not that long ago, his campaign was on life support – about to go under. His answer – borrow money. Would that he his solution to the economic woes of our country? What would that do to the federal deficit?
How about Mike Huckabee? Huckabee has never had an abundance of cash for his campaign. In fact, the media clearly stated that once Iowa was over, he would be done – that he couldn’t financially compete nationally. But Huckabee has inspired a grass-roots effort that has kept him in the race, in contention in the national polls, and poised for several victories on super Tuesday. When his campaign was feeling the tightness of the budget during the Florida campaign, he made some tough decisions to cut spending, but stay in the black.
America has a problem with spending and deficits. We need a leader who can inspire people, make tough decisions, and put us back on track financially. Some people have already written Mike Huckabee off in this presidential election. That’s a mistake, in more ways than one.
News Release: Mike Huckabee Endorsed by Missouri Legislators
January 29, 2008
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Former Arkansas Governor and Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee announced the endorsement of 31 Missouri legislators during a news conference Tuesday in Jefferson City, Mo. Huckabee spoke to a standing-room-only crowd of about 250 people in a conference room of the Associated Industries of Missouri building.
Since he is from neighboring Arkansas, Huckabee said he has certain kinship with Missouri.
"I want to turn the nonsense of our tax system to the common sense of what's often called the FairTax," Huckabee said. He also discussed being pro-life was well as his stance on homeland security, terrorism and the economy.
State Senator Delbert Scott and State Rep. Scott Lipke, two co-chairs of Huckabee’s Missouri campaign, introduced Huckabee and then presented the other state legislators supporting him.
"He is a solid conservative who isn't afraid to tell it like it is," Lipke said . "As governor, Huckabee cut taxes where he could and made good use of the revenues he had improving roads and education in Arkansas. That is the kind of common sense leadership the country needs right now."
Besides Scott and Lipken, the other co-chairs of the Huckabee campaign are Rep. Brian Yates and Rep. Mike Sutherland.
Other Missouri legislators endorsing Huckabee include:
Missouri Faith and Family Chair, Senator John Loudon
Representative Jim Avery
Representative Brian Baker
Senator Matt Bartle
Representative Mark Bruns
Representative Wayne Cooper
Representative Cynthia Davis
Representative Ed Emery
Representative Barney Fisher
Representative Ward Franz
Representative Steve Hunter
Representative Will Kraus
Senator Brad Lager
Representative Bob May
Senator Rob Mayer
Representative Brian Munzlinger
Representative Bob Nance
Representative Brian Nieves
Representative Darrell Pollock
Senator Chuck Purgason
Representative Don Ruzicka
Representative David Sater
Representative Rodney Schad
Representative Charlie Schlottach
Representative Tom Self
Representative Jason Smith
Representative Don Wells
Representative Dennis Wood
Sorry about not posting last night but I was viewing the returns with my Meetup group at the local Mellow Mushroom Pizza joint and by the time I got home I was beat. It was emotionally exhausting but very fun nonetheless. A broadcast journalist from Athens, GA showed up to film and do some interviews and that was very fun. She was really nice too. I enjoyed viewing the results with friends more than I did reading them at home.
So here are the results folks. I know they are not what we wanted but we should be proud of them nonetheless because we worked our tails off with very few resources and not much money.
(with 99% precincts reporting)
John McCain - 36%
Mitt Romney - 31%
Rudy Giuliani - 15%
Mike Huckabee - 14% (beating the polls expectations percentage wise)
Ron Paul - 3%
It is expected for Rudy to drop out today and endorse McCain. That leaves us with a three horse race (and Ron Paul) for Super Tuesday. All will win delegates. It's now a fight for delegates to a brokered convention.
LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!
the following is a surprisingly fair and mostly positive from National Review Online:
What the Huck Happened?
From frontrunner to Florida failure — but not dead yet.
By David Freddoso
Tampa, Fla. — Who was it that won Iowa again? Oh, yes, it was that pleasant Christian fellow. What ever happened to him?
Well, he’s still alive and well. His supporters show up to events in much greater numbers than Mitt Romney’s. They show greater enthusiasm than Romney’s supporters or those of John McCain.
Mike Huckabee told the crowd of 300 well wishers last night that he hadn’t expected so many people to show up for an event in an airport hangar at 9 P.M. “I’d underestimated the people of Florida,” he said. “And I think the national media has underestimated the wonderful people of Florida, too.”
Huckabee worked the crowd of young families, senior citizens, small-business owners, and homeschoolers like a seasoned performer, drawing cheers loud enough to be confused for the airplane engines that occasionally filled the background. The appearance, which stepped on President Bush’s final State of the Union address, gave the impression that Huckabee could have done much better here. All he can hope for now is the moral victory — a third-place finish ahead of Rudy Giuliani. In a nearby parallel universe, though, he is probably winning Florida right now.
An entire Republican-heavy section of the state — the northern panhandle — could have been created just so that Mike Huckabee would win Florida. He has also gained endorsements, not just from evangelical pastors, but from real Reagan conservatives throughout the state. House Speaker Marco Rubio is a Roman Catholic, in addition to being the first Cuban to head a state legislative body. His endorsement of Huckabee came as a big surprise to many in Florida’s GOP, and gave Huckabee at least one inroad into the Cuban community that dominate Dade County GOP politics.
Mike Haridopolos is a young state senator who will either run for Congress this year or become the senate president. He helped lead the successful conservative coup against the moderates who controlled the state senate in 2006. Known principally for his knowledge of economic issues — not necessarily for his Baptist faith — Haridopolos announced his endorsement of Huckabee shortly after John McCain’s victory in South Carolina.
“Legitimately, the guy is a good conservative,” said Haridopolos. He admitted that Huckabee had raised taxes in Arkansas, but he said that the governor understands economic issues as well as the other issues that matter most to conservatives. “Whether you like his past or not, he’s been a really straightforward guy. He signed the no-tax pledge. He is strongly pro-gun — more so than anyone left in this race. He is strongly pro-life.”
Yet Huckabee knows he is lagging in Florida. The first clue is that he spent nearly all of Monday — election eve — in faraway Tennessee. Having given up hope of a victory in winner-take-all Florida, he has spent time there and in Alabama and other Super Tuesday states that are rich with evangelical Christians and award their delegates proportionally. Despite a lack of resources, he is planning for a long race, hoping to bring as many delegates as possible to the convention this fall.
He was once the national frontrunner. It was less than a month ago that he won in Iowa, but it feels like it has been a year. What the heck happened to Huck? Haridopolos offers the same frank assessment that many have offered before him. “Had he gone from New Hampshire straight to South Carolina, he’d probably be competing for the victory in Florida,” he said.
Instead, Huckabee went to Michigan, giving Fred Thompson a chance to come to life in South Carolina and erode his base. Huckabee had every reason to think he would perform well in Michigan. His message of economic populism seemed promising among the autoworkers in that state’s East, and he could have also caught fire with the Dutch reformed and Evangelical communities in the West.
It was a strategic error — a bridge too far for a campaign always short of resources. Macomb County, outside of Detroit, gave Huckabee a pathetic 13 percent. He lost to McCain and Romney among voters from union households, despite his witty ad contrasting himself (“the guy you work with”) to Romney (“the guy who laid you off”). Huckabee even lost to Romney (34 to 29 percent) among self-identified Evangelical and Born-Again Christians.
The subsequent loss in South Carolina definitely hurt his credibility with Florida voters. Polls from both Rasmussen and Quinnipiac show him losing six points in the Sunshine State since his close second-place finish there. At the same time, his rate of donations has stayed steady, if it remains comparatively slow. According to the live feed from his website, Huckabee had raised $2 million this month before the Jan. 19 contest in South Carolina. He has raised just under $1 million in the ten days since.
And he still draws those impressive and enthusiastic crowds. “He energizes an critical wing of the party and keeps them interested,” said Haridopolos. “If it isn’t Huckabee — whether it be McCain or Romney — I think he’s positioned himself very well to be vice president.”
An overall victory now seems unlikely. But Huckabee probably will not die today in Florida, either. If he does well in the south and shows up in Minnesota this September with enough delegates, the vice presidency could still be a possibility — which is probably what he was counting on showing up at the airport hangar last night.
— David Freddoso is an NRO staff reporter.
From mike Huckabee's Website:
Tennessee Right to Life announces today the group's endorsement of Governor Mike Huckabee for the February 5 Presidential primary. The strength of Governor Huckabee's public record on matters concerning the protection of human life and strong support among the organization's grassroots members were key to making the decision.
"The beauty of a grassroots organization is that your members set the priorities," said Brian Harris, president of the state's oldest and largest pro-life organization. "For pro-life Tennesseans, the election of a sincere, proven pro-life president is paramount," said Harris. "Our members recognize Mike Huckabee as ‘one of us' and that enthusiasm is driven by his demonstrated record of leadership and sacrifice toward the shared cause of protecting life," said Harris.
In particular, Governor Huckabee's pro-life leadership as Lt. Governor and Governor in Arkansas resulted in the following protective polices:
• Passage of the Arkansas Unborn Child Amendment
• Ban of Partial Birth Abortion
• Parental Notification for minor daughters seeking abortion
• Informed Consent for Women considering abortion
• Unborn Child Pain Awareness provision
• Unborn Victims of Violence ActGovernor Huckabee also supports ethical stem cell research but opposes destructive embryonic stem cell research. He was the second governor in the country to sign into law a ban on Human Cloning.
"What I accomplished as Governor proves that there is a lot more that a pro-life President can do than wait for a Supreme Court vacancy, and I will do everything I can to promote a pro-life agenda and pass pro-life legislation," said Huckabee. "If I am saddled with a Democrat Congress, I'll veto any pro-abortion legislation they pass. I will staff all relevant positions with pro-life appointees. I will use the Bully Pulpit to change hearts and minds, to move this country from a culture of death to a culture of life.
Tennessee Right to Life urges concerned pro-life Tennesseans of every political background to actively support the election of a demonstrated pro-life leader who will make pro-life protections a priority. For more information, contact Tennessee Right to Life toll free 1-877 choose life or www.tnrtl.org.
The following is a promising story from Newsmax:
Don't Give Up on Huckabee | |
| |
.
Talking heads are saying that the race for the GOP nomination is now between John McCain and Mitt Romney. But as Lee Corson would say on College Game Day, “not so fast.”
Gov. Mike Huckabee’s campaign has already startled the wearisome herd of pundits who visit the same watering holes in the Boston, New York, Washington corridor. Last September he was considered “peaking” as the national favorite of 9 percent of GOP voters which put him behind the anointed media winner Rudolph Giuliani, followed by Fred Thompson, John McCain, Mitt Romney and even New Gingrich, who had already signaled he wasn’t going to run.
In January, the same ABC polls showed him second only to McCain nationwide and leading in Iowa.
While the same mindless herd now gives it all to John McCain, with the same certainty that they had once consistently held for two years for Rudolph Giuliani, and while this time the herd is probably right, there are still some looming stories on the horizon for the Feb. 5 Super Tuesday primary. As Lee Corso would say, “not so fast.”
As of today, McCain will carry New York and California, which is, gulp, saying a lot, and neighboring states like New Jersey, Connecticut, and his home state of Arizona. Romney will try to make his stand in Illinois and carry Colorado, Utah, and Idaho. And Giuliani states, New Mexico, Delaware, and Minnesota will probably abandon the mayor after his expected trouncing in Florida.
With Huck and Romney splitting the conservative vote in those states (oh, yes, there are conservatives in moderate-liberal states, and they are usually more conservative than many in the South,) McCain will probably pick up those too.
But while Huckabee is being written off, perhaps a good thing leading into Super Tuesday, Huckabee is still leading in Georgia, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Alabama and his home state of Arkansas, all Southern states with higher delegate counts to the GOP convention than proportionate population. At this writing he is still ahead of McCain in the big Texas event set for March 4.
The three, McCain, Romney, and Huckabee are virtually tied for Missouri.
So why then is this being portrayed as a McCain-Romney contest? Who decided that Gov. Mike Huckabee is out? Obviously not the voters.
Huckabee may have been partly done in by an unlikely source. “The Fair and Balanced” Fox television network. Remember, you were warned, it is fair and balanced, (wink, wink) but evangelical Christians failed to believe it.
They became lazy, relying on Fox, who does indeed show some cultural diversity in its programming, to sort all of this out for them.
There is good evidence to suggest that Huckabee has been “Miered.”
Now, to explain what it means to become “Miered” you will have to venture back into my archives at Newsmax.com. You know what it means to be “Borked”? That’s when you’re denied something that you should probably get. As in Robert Bork, America’s premier judicial mind being denied his Supreme Court spot because liberals in the Senate decided he was too conservative.
Well, being “Miered” is different. It is when you are accused by conservatives of being liberal even when you aren’t. As when Judicial Committee Chairman, Sam Brownback, Ann Coulter, Bill Bennet, Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Paul Weyrich all openly questioned the conservative bona fides of George W. Bush’s nomination to the Supreme Court, Harriet Miers.
Now, Harriet Miers, everyone now knows, is very conservative and always was.
Her problem was that she was an evangelical Christian and her antagonists on television, those who questioned her conservatism, from Brownback to Weyrich, were all so-called movement conservatives. They were all Catholic, wanting another appointment of their own. Can’t fault that. Someone who they knew and saw at the G.K. Chesterton night dinners.
Of course, the evangelicals need the Catholic spokesmen and thinkers and activists. In the past, they enthusiastically supported the nominations of Catholic Supreme Court appointments, Richard Bork, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and John Roberts. And although Bork didn’t make it, they tried hard for him too.
Today, along with Anthony Kennedy, there are now five Catholic justices on the Supreme Court, two Jewish Justices, a woman justice, and two blacks, all commendable. Even the gay community proudly claims one: Justice John Souter, who although not gay, was embraced by many in the community and has consistently supported them on almost every issue. (Souter was a puzzling appointment by George H.W. Bush. I was on staff in the White House at the time and was curious to learn of the immediate support of Ted Kennedy.)
So why not a born again justice? Someone to represent the 42 percent of Americans who according to Gallup claim to be born again Christians? I had had that discussion with George W. Bush a dozen times since 1987, how evangelicals chaffed under an IRS and INS devoid of anyone of their faith and how it led to abuse and how the absence of evangelical federal judges led to nuisance lawsuits that crippled evangelical congregations.
So I was delighted that he remembered and made the Harriet Mier’s nomination.
It was a wrong he was trying to make right. The problem was that the evangelicals were asleep at the switch. They didn’t even see it happening. And the movement conservatives where appalled. What? We don’t know her? Why not Sam Alito? Or someone we know? And so they rushed to their stations at Fox to declare she was not one of them, not a true conservative and her nomination collapsed.
Now, we evangelicals are good sports. And we rallied to good old Catholic, Samuel Alito, and we put him on the Court too, with our phone calls and letters. And most conservative evangelicals would say he sure beats anyone who Obama or Clinton will pick, but couldn’t we have had just one? Just one?
This is what happened when Mike Huckabee appeared on the scene.
Fox had been talking about Catholic Giuliani for two years. Can’t blame em. They all live in New York City. It isn’t often that a politician actually does something you can see and they could all see the end of crime at the hands of the mayor. Impressive. And they held out for Newt Gingrich, teasing us for months, and finally poured on the gas for Fred Thompson. So when Southern Baptist, Gov. Mike Huckabee appeared out of nowhere, well, who was he?
He didn’t quote G. K. Chesterton, he quoted Francis Schaeffer.
Fox may have actually learned something since the Miers episode, at least behind the scenes. It knows that it needs evangelical viewers too, that Catholic conservatives are the intelligentsia, the spokesmen of conservatives, the leaders, but the money and numbers are almost all evangelical.
So this time the attacks were less impulsive than they were for Miers. Nonetheless, Phyllis Schaffly and others challenged Huckabee’s conservative credentials and enough damage was done. Of course, it was pure nonsense.
The problem was that many evangelicals fell asleep at the wheel, trusting Fox to look out for them, failing to do their due diligence, failing to believe that Fox really is fair and balanced and not their conservative watch dog. Many are only now waking up to the fact that Huck was their man all the time and they just didn’t see it.
This past week I received a call from the pastor of a large Florida church who had just met Huck and was blown away and quite surprised. “I had been watching Fox,” he said, “I didn’t realize Huckabee was a true conservative. In the Bush, senior campaign of 1988, we met this same pastor, had our photo with him, and had him promoting us for two years before the Florida primary.
This time he was just coming around, too late to do much.
Evangelicals and movement conservatives need each other. Without evangelicals, Ann Coulter’s books would have never made the best-seller lists, Ed Feulner’s buildings would not have been purchased, and Phyllis Schlafly would have run out of hair spray long ago. But sorting all of this out in advance was critical to a Mike Huckabee’s shot at the White House. And now?
The GOP will likely get John McCain but even so, as Lee Corso would say, squinting into the camera lens and pinching a little bit of air with his thumb and finger, “Yes, yes, it will be McCain, but this one will be closer than they think! Closer than they think!”
Doug Wead, presidential historian, is The New York Times best-selling author of "All the Presidents’ Children." He also wrote biographies for both the Reagan and Bush campaigns. He has served as an adviser on evangelical matters to two presidents. Visit http://dougwead.wordpress.com/.
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