Patterico's Pontifications

12/26/2007

Mike Huckabee 2008

Filed under: 2008 Election — DRJ @ 8:19 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

Perhaps because I’m a discerning Texan, I agree with the Discerning Texan’s view of Mike Huckabee:

Huckabee Wanted 25K to speak in Churches

The hits just keep on coming from that “man of the cloth”, Mike Huckabee… Funny, though, I always thought that the idea was for preachers to move the people to give money to Churches, not to hit the Churches up for big bucks, just for the “privilege” of having a preacher-turned-politician solicit votes, brandishing his all-too-convenient theology and little else of any value.

Seems to me that this is exactly what the Founders were trying to avoid–but Social Conservatives in Iowa and elsewhere seem to be buying right into it. Never mind that Huckabee’s positions and recent statements indicate that his core beliefs when it comes to governing are light years apart from positions that Social Conservatives have taken for years. I have no problem with a religious man being my President. I think Presidents Bush and Reagan are excellent examples of men of faith who have governed admirably. I just have a problem with this particular man. Because I think he will do and say anything to get power–and in that he is no different than Hillary Clinton.

What a weird turn of events this Huckabee phenomenon has been; let us hope it dies a quick death, a la the Howard Dean “swoon” of 2004.”

I have the feeling Huckabee is nearing his Dean Scream moment.

— DRJ

26 Responses to “Mike Huckabee 2008”

  1. Politico has more on Huckabee’s speeches and usual subjects talked about – health and fitness.

    http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1207/7564.html

    The more I see him in action and the more I read things like his speech fees in churches, and his drinking a ‘different kind of Jesus juice’, the more queasy I get as my mind conjures up old time pictures of snakeoil salesmen making the rounds through naive small towns and congregations…

    Dana (fd88d5)

  2. Huckabee Wanted 25K to speak in Churches

    Huckabee tells Politico he didn’t ask for or want such fees:

    “There is no fee that I have for a church — none,” he said. “Occasionally a church has their own policy and they may provide an honorarium. But I’ve never asked, and I don’t, and that’s not part of the deal. When I’m speaking in a church in the course of the campaign, I don’t do it at all. Even if they offered, I wouldn’t.”

    http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1207/7564.html

    steve (d75f4d)

  3. Steve, let’s look at more from the article you linked:

    The question of paid speeches came to light when Huckabee critics provided the Politico and the blog Red State with an e-mail chain from Huckabee’s former speakers’ bureau, in which a representative appears to offer church appearances for $25,000 each.

    Huckabee said the agency, International Speakers Bureau of Dallas, is no longer authorized to act on his behalf.

    In the e-mail conversation, a person offering to hire Huckabee for a public appearance was told Dec. 20: “Due to the ongoing presidential campaign, Mr. Huckabee is not accepting speaking engagements.” The person who submitted the request as “Randy” says he “used a fake account and said I had a large church that wanted him to come speak within the next month.” When “Randy” mentioned a church, he got a different response.

    “I would be happy to help you with Mike Huckabee,” the bureau responded. “He charges a minimum of $25,000 per engagement plus expenses, and he can not address anything to do with his running for president. Do you have a date in mind for your event?”

    I guess it’s possible Huckabee’s former agent was misinformed about his fees for church speaking engagements – but that seems unlikely given that managing Huckabee’s speaking engagements was the agent’s job.

    DRJ (09f144)

  4. Get away from his religion and religious views….and read his policies….look at his actions while in office…

    You will not see a conservative….

    reff (99666d)

  5. reff,

    He reminds me of John Edwards re: several domestic issues. I even thought about doing a post comparing their positions on the issues … but I’m too lazy.

    DRJ (09f144)

  6. #4, reff, this is precisely why I wouldn’t vote for him – he does not represent conservative policy. He is running on a good ‘ol Arkansas Christian boy ticket and frankly, been there done that, except that this time round its minus the charm and savvy.

    Dana (fd88d5)

  7. [H]e does not represent conservative policy.

    As opposed to, say, the fiscal discipline that George Bush (and his Republican Congress) showed these many years. Ha, ha, ha. I’m still assuming that it’s Huckabee’s stopped-clock opposition to torture that’s the break with (21st Century) conservatism that’s beyond the pale.

    Andrew J. Lazarus (528bb8)

  8. Please tell me Iowans are too smat to fall for Huckabee’s liberalism.

    Connie (bd1517)

  9. Please tell me Iowans are too smart to fall for Huckabee’s liberalism.

    Connie (bd1517)

  10. Andrew….many MANY conservatives are not happy with President Bush and his fiscal policies….he has gone way out of the mainstream on spending…

    That said, Huckabee would do the same….AND risk our safety with his foreign policy….

    Of course, it is amazing that you, a dedicated liberal, would complain about increases in spending by a Republican President….such a hypocrit….

    reff (99666d)

  11. How are Huckabee’s beliefs light years away from what social conservatives want? IIRC, he’s pro-gun, pro-death penalty, pro-life, and pro-hetero-marriage. That sums up the litmus issues that social conservatives care about.

    Mike (8e0e3b)

  12. Huckleberry believes in letting criminals out of jail, raising taxes and trusting our enemies…..

    and i don’t believe him for a moment on anything he says that isn’t supported by past actions.
    that’s the same reason i can’t support McCain.

    in short, he’s just another RINO, and i’ll pass, thankyouverymuch.

    redc1c4 (39c24a)

  13. hey, i’ll speak at your church for only ten grand! i can deliver wry quips for an hour with anyone, sample: jesus walked into a galilee shoreline bar. the bartender said “we don’t get very many sons of god in here.” jesus said “and at your prices, you won’t get many more.”

    assistant devil's advocate (9dbe39)

  14. That’s terrible, ada. Here’s one that would resound perfectly with Christian conservatives and libertarians: If Jesus were to perform the miracle at Cana, here and now, He would be arrested for bootlegging.

    nk (c87736)

  15. I liked Bill Clinton’s brand of fiscal policy, the one that related money in to money out. Modern conservatism is based around idolatrous worship of tax cuts regardless of their effect on the budget, and other fiscal nonsense.

    Andrew J. Lazarus (7d46f9)

  16. I thought that was Ross Perot’s policy.

    DRJ (09f144)

  17. 15, Any cuts Billy Boy made were at the expense of the military. While he had officers serving cocktails at his big bashes, armored troops at Ft Hood trained by marching down the road in “tank” formation to the cadence of ” clank clank, I’m a tank”.

    TMAC (5408eb)

  18. Any cuts Billy Boy made were at the expense of the military.

    And which party in control of congress stood by and let him do it? 2 million active duty cut to one million in uniform…
    Hint: think elephant

    voice of reason (10af7e)

  19. Who shut *down the government* trying to instill some economic discipline? Elephants were blamed, and lost the battle.

    TMAC (5408eb)

  20. And the cuts in the military were passed by the Congress in 93-94, before the GOP took control due to the elections of 94. From that point on, Congress rammed as much rebuild as they could down Bill’s throat.

    If it wasn’t for the Gingrich-led revolution in that Congress, we would not have the military we have that was able to march from Kuwait to Baghdad in six-weeks, and overthrow the Taliban (with just a handful of troops) in a similar time-frame.

    Another Drew (8018ee)

  21. And the cuts in the military were passed by the Congress in 93-94, before the GOP took control due to the elections of 94.

    Dick Cheney’s “peace dividend” military cuts of 1990-1991 don’t count?

    New York Times, January 30, 1990:

    Under Mr. Cheney’s plan, the number of Army and Air Force personnel would be reduced in 1991 to its lowest level in 40 years, a cut that includes the elimination of two active Army divisions, the Second Armored Division at Fort Hood, Tex., and the Ninth Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, Wash.

    Mr. Cheney said three additional divisions, one active and two reserve, would be eliminated in the future if the Soviet conventional threat continues to recede. The Pentagon projects reducing active Army strength in five years by 135,000 soldiers, about 18 percent from its current strength of 764,000.

    Other reductions that Mr. Cheney said could be made pending completion of arms control efforts includes cutting Air Force tactical fighter wings from 36 to 31, reconsidering plans to build Trident submarines and other ships, and further cuts in the National Guard and the Reserves.

    Mr. Cheney also made public a list of 35 domestic and 13 overseas bases that the Defense Department is considering closing, a move that is expected to touch off a political uproar on Capitol Hill.

    steve (35d5f7)

  22. Bush 1 cut fat followed by Clinton slicing thru the muscle to the bone.
    http://www.heritage.org/Research/NationalSecurity/bg1000.cfm?renderforprint=1

    TMAC (5408eb)

  23. Will a real Republican conservative please stand up? Dean and Huckabee do share a certain whacko factor. HUckabee’s “apology’ for the murder of Bhutto — jumping the shark? His economic policies are anything but conservative.
    I note there is chatter about McCain surging upward in the polls. Yech! McCain Feingold, the folding 14 and his recent oppo to tax cuts define him as more of a democrat than a Republican.
    the top three: Giuliani, Romney and Thompson.

    atmom (56a0a8)

  24. His Dean Scream moment for me was his recent hunting expedition and his “joke” about killing people who don’t support him, how they will end up like the dead birds in front of him.

    Gulp.

    Patricia (f56a97)

  25. The media made Huckabee, not his campaign team. They built him up because he’d be the easiest viable Republican candidate for a Democrat to beat. But what the media build, they also destroy. Once a few items leaked out that might derail his ascent to the GOP nomination, his media support collapsed.

    After Iowa, where he’ll under-perform, he’ll fade completely.

    Bill Hennessy (b3a946)

  26. They [the media] built him up because he’d be the easiest viable Republican candidate for a Democrat to beat.

    They why did they carry those disquieting stories?

    steve (d46b0f)


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