Huckabee still has a strategy to win the Republican nomination. Huckabee’s strategy is to pick up enough delegates to keep McCain from the magic number of a first ballot nomination – 1,191.
Even if McCain leads in the delegate count, if it is less than 1,191 then the Republican Convention goes into extra ballots.
Huckabee’s new strategy is totally contingent on being successful in Texas and Ohio.
JRH 2/22/08 (Hat tip to PoliPundit)
]]>
Republicans have come to a cross road in which serious voting thoughts must be weighed. Senator McCain has the math on his side and there is no way Huckabee will win the nomination except by a true supernatural act of God in the realm of miracles.
Now I am a Christian that believes God works miracles today as much as in Old Testament and New Testament days; however I believe the reality of the situation is that Huckabee is a politician. Huckabee’s acquisition of delegates could make McCain’s margin of victory slim.
Huckabee may be destined to lose the nomination however the more delegates he acquires the more power and influence he will have at the Republican Convention. The kind of influence that could broker a deal to Huckabee's advantage with Republican unanimity with Social Conservatives as myself with McCain moderates, maverick and RINO Republicans. Huckabee may be able to acquire a Veep nomination or a Cabinet Post or influence the choosing of another Veep nomination.
Huckabee’s influence with Social Conservatives is obvious; however fiscal and America First Conservatives dislike Huckabee as much as they dislike McCain. Huckabee had a reputation of taxation and illegal alien sanctuary in Arkansas. McCain has a black mark with the questionably Constitutional McCain/Feingold Legislation and illegal alien amnesty.
I have come to the conclusion that single issues have splintered Conservatives because the Candidates that could appeal to multiple issues (like my man Fred) have been unwisely dispatched by short sighted voters of the moment failing to see the big picture of which the Republicans are in now. Since the Conservative voters screwed up early, it is time to get over the single issue position the voters have gotten themselves into.
It is cool that Huckabee is making a stand of influence; I don’t have a problem with that.
The big thing for Conservative voters is not repeat the screw-up of earlier Primaries and Caucuses. Pundits like Coulter and Rush (who I like by the way) must think of the long road at this moment. Sure write their misgivings about McCain but get over those misgivings and think of the one issue that McCain is reputed to be effective.
That issue is the Global War on Terror (GWOT). I am betting McCain will be a one term President if he wins in November. I also suspect McCain will be too occupied in cleaning up the GWOT to accomplish anything Social Conservatives fear. And during the GWOT McCain will have to listen to the America First (anti-illegal alien crowd) to activate political support for the agenda on the GWOT.
I am saying to my fellow Conservatives – GET OVER IT!
Let us unite to keep the fringe Democrats gaining power. The fringe Democrats WILL do that which Social Conservatives fear. The fringe Democrats will be pro-illegal alien and matriculate a cheap American citizenship or Entitlements to undeserving non-citizens. So if you do not vote for McCain for these reasons, you will guarantee Social Liberalism and a special status for illegal aliens by voting against McCain.
It is time to think of November 2008 and Republican unity to keep the fringe Democrats OUT. Conservatives live and regroup for another day. That day will more than likely be 2012 with what I believe to be a one term President if McCain is elect in 2008.
I like what Oliver North has to say about McCain and his essay Decision Ti me for Republicans moved me to think of Republican unity and to rally voters to turn out for McCain. Currently the Democrats are kicking Republican butts in voter turn out. Republican divisiveness and the current Democratic voter turn-out will see a fringe Democrat as President in 2008. I am not willing to gamble on a one term Democratic Party President. Bill Clinton was evil incarnate to Conservatives and was actually Impeached, yet Slick Willie completed two full terms as President with a delusionaly high favorability rating.
My fellow Republicans of all issues DO NOT RISK IT!
]]>
Super Tuesday has come and gone. The waters are a little less muddy but they are still muddy.
For the Democrats Hillary asserted herself as a front runner however by no means eliminated Obama from nipping at her feet.
For the Republicans the once down for the count McCain has beat the ten-count to be ahead in points. Romney had a surprisingly disappointing showing and Huckabee had a surprisingly strong showing; however that combination seems to have cancelled each other out giving the old man McCain new vigor toward a nomination win.
In politics things can change but it appears Huck's strong show may embolden him to go all the way through the primary process even if it is a loosing effort in the hope that miracles will continue to boost him toward an unlikely nomination.
Romney was seriously hurt by Super Tuesday. He has the money to stay in the race; however at this point the businessman needs to calculate the profit and loss and decide on a strategy that could make him a king maker or part of the winning nominee's team in some influential manner. Of course as I have said, politics change. Any unforeseen occurrence could rearrange the fortunes of the Republicans top three candidates at any moment.
Which Republican do I support? I just cannot come up with a clear choice; however I do not suffer from a McCain Derangement Syndrome that might lead to a certain Democratic Party victory. A Dem victory although expected is not a shoe-in and is abhorrent to me.
I cannot vote for a Mormon to win the nomination because of my religious beliefs; however I will vote for a Mormon over a Democrat any day of the week especially in November 2008.
I like Huck’s self-proclaimed Social Conservatism and his stand of not being ashamed to be a Christian; however there are elements of taxation and immigration that bother me about Huck. Still I will vote Huckabee in November above any Democrat nominated. The Democrats are simply to fringe to the Left and although I know they think they are helping Americans by denigrating military confrontation with Islamofascists they are really emboldening the Islamofascists with greater confidence to continue acts of terrorism that could once again reach the land of Purple Mountain’s Majesty.
I’ll see at the Republican Convention who I will ultimately vote for in November. And may all Republicans set aside their differences and stand united behind whoever that winner is. The Democratic Party platform of “Change” is a change to the Left and that will not be good for America.
]]>
Look today is Super Tuesday. Since Fred Thompson dropped out because of a lack of support from those who should have supported the only true Conservative in the Republican race, I have been in a disappointing funk as to who I should support.
Frankly all the remaining candidates have just as many knocks as plusses and I truly do not know who the best is.
Although McCain has a history of teaming up with Leftists, he does have a decent Senatorial voting record on Conservative causes. The many pundits that are hysterical about McCain being the front runner as of this date are way overboard on the venom if you look at McCain in balance. Some pro-McCain Republicans have called this McCain Derangement Syndrome.
Romney has a solid record as an administrative person in the private sector and in government as the Governor of Massachusetts. However as a politician he has had to comply with a mostly liberal voter constituency in the State of Massachusetts thus he has made some politically social stands that are abhorrent to the social Conservative; viz. on abortion and homosexual rights. Being a politician and seeking to gratify a larger constituency – viz. the entire USA. This has given him the appearance of a flip flopper as Romney has recanted on some of his gubernatorial stands. The issue for me about Romney though is his religious faith. Yeah I know, to the secularist it sounds bigoted; however I am a Bible believing Christian that has always viewed Mormon theology as not even close to Christian basic theology that even Catholics, Protestants and Eastern Orthodox Christians agree on. Saying all that, if Romney was to pull out the Republican nomination, I would vote for him. Any Republican is way better that than the obviously Socially Left moral relativists who continue a Secular Humanist transformation of American society.
Then there is Mike Huckabee. At this stage Huckabee probably does not have enough money to make his case to the American people. Ironically Conservatives criticize Huckabee for being fiscally Leftist and acknowledge his Social Conservatism. Just today I ran into a website that is critical of Huckabee’s potential connection to “Reconstructionist Christianity.” The Reconstructionists (aka Dominionists) believe the Law of the land in America should be closer to that of Old Testament laws (bad news since Christ redeemed Believers from the curse of the Law in the Old Testament) than the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution. That is the knock; however from actual readings of Rushdoony’s (father of Reconstructionism) writings, he appears to be more of an advocate of inserting Christian principles into the Constitution rather than abolishing the Constitution of or the Bill of Rights. One other Huckabee gaffe was a December 30, 2007 interview with Leftist Tim Russert in which Huckabee is caught saying homosexuality is a matter of personal choice. Of course anti-Huckabee people wanted to make the Christian Right aware that Huckabee might not be as Socially Conservative as he proclaims.
I call it a gaffe because what the anti-Huckabee people fail to point out is Huckabee’s explanation of his “homosexual statement.”
Although Huckabee asked Russert to understand that "when a Christian speaks of sin, a Christian says all of us are sinners," he asserted that "the perfection of God is seen in a marriage in which one man, one woman live together as a couple committed to each other as life partners."
So here’s the thing. I am voting Republican in 2008 for whoever wins the nomination. For me there is no clear cut choice. However if I was pinned down on who to vote for today, I would lean toward Christian Social Conservatism and that would be Mike Huckabee.
Here is a good clip for a Christian to vote for Huckabee:
_________________
I owe a hat tip to the information to Jim Phelan.
]]>Remember to vote for Fred in ’08. That being said and knowing the current polls in Iowa seem to favor Huckabee, Romney and McCain and not my man Fred; I have to talk about the political war between Romney and Huckabee.
Do you recall at the end of one the Republican Debates Huckabee came up to Romney to apologize about an interview that would appear in the NYT Magazine that be construed as publicly criticizing Mormonism yet that was not the intent? And that Romney accepted that apology with a brandishment that one’s religion should not be an issue among legitimate issues in the electoral process.
Now Huckabee is saying that Romney owes him an apology for the negative campaign ads that blatantly are lying about Huckabee and making claims for Romney that are outrageously untrue.
JRH 12/31/07
]]>
Huckabee’s defense of his Merry Christmas ads in a Church Sermon is the kind of thing that will endear him to the Christian Right.
It is a huge step for a politician to do something so Politically Incorrect in this election’s atmosphere. Huckabee has a dump truck load political dirt from his past to overcome; however putting the Christ back into Christmas is a blinder that devout Christian voters might look askew to the dirt and see a social Conservative light that has been dimming over the years.
It is a smart move by Huckabee. Romney could not dare to inject such Christian symbolism into his campaign for it would re-awaken Mormon theological doubts by Christian big dog supporters who lined up behind him.
For my man Fred to get his poll numbers up, he will have to roll some dice on some sensitive political issues.
Let’s face it, although the Paleocons in the Republican may deplore the actual influence of mobilized Christian Right voters, they are still the king makers in the Republican Party. For a GOP nominee to win, he is going to have to sway a chunk of those Christian Right voters to their side. Now it might be a little different in the big dog November 2008 election in which the Christian becomes a faction of American voters, but even then the Christian Right’s ability to get people out to vote is remarkable if the Christian Right operates on inspiration rather than disappointment.
]]>
The Mainstream Media seems to have predicted Huckabee will win in Iowa on January 4th.
The prediction places Romney a close second.
Rasmussen Reports as of December 11 has Huckabee at 39%, Romney at 23% and my man Thompson and Giuliani tied at third with 8%.
McCain is at 6% and Paul one point behind at 5%.
I heard on Fox News this morning that Huckabee is taking the strength of his poll numbers in Iowa and will do a three day media blitz in New Hampshire to make a solid challenge to Romney’s numbers there.
Since I am a Thompson man, the numbers look disappointing to me; however I came across a Quinn Hillyer article in the American Spectator that raised my political spirits.
Hillyer says, “Fred Ain’t Dead.”
Again it is the comparison to Ronald Reagan coming from behind to beat George Bush I to win the GOP nomination in 1980.
]]>
Mormon Apologists have said that the statement “Jesus and Satan are brothers” is a Mormon smear by Christians that do not accept Mormonism as a Christian denomination.
Frankly I am in the camp that believes that Mormonism is a cult with more in common with ancient Gnosticism of which some Gnostics incorporated Jesus Christ into their belief system. I believe devout Mormons have the same ethics as devout Christians; however the differences of Mormon theology is way outside theology of Christians that are Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestants.
The primary difference is the Trinity.
The majority of Christians believe the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one God manifested in three persons. Trinity is total unity and uncreated and act as one much as a human being is a spirit, that has a soul (the mental faculties) and lives in a body. Humanity is three in one yet created.
The non-expert explanation of the Mormon Trinity is the “Godhead.”
The Father created spirits of which Jesus and Lucifer were of those created beings. For Christians that is an insinuation of brothers, for Mormons I guess it is an action of creating beings or spirits that will be housed by a body (remember not an expert).
Either way you look at it in the Mormon cult Jesus is a created being and not of the same nature as the Father.
From the pro-Mormon explanation I read of this, the Father placed the created Jesus as part of the Godhead. I don’t know how that works but it implies that the Uncreated Father and the created Jesus along with the Holy Spirit (I haven’t enough to know if the Holy Spirit is created or Uncreated) are part of the “Godhead.” Thus the “Godhead” is made up of created and Uncreated substance.
Now in typical Christianity the closest to the created and the Uncreated being one is ONLY in Jesus Himself. Jesus being fully God and Uncreated with the Father and Holy Spirit yet incarnated into the likeness of a human through the fully human Mary. Thus Jesus is fully Uncreated God and fully created (via incarnation) human. It is Jesus’ sinless humanity (because of the incarnation) that pays the price to redeem corrupted humanity (Deliverance and Salvation) by an unjustified condemnation to death. Thus the Resurrection power of God raised the God incarnate from death back to life restoring not only the Glorified substance of Godhood but Glorifying the human substance with a Glorified human body. Thus as Christ is so shall all be that trust in Him.
The Gnostic Mormon Jesus of being a created higher being that will lead lower beings to godhood simply does not line up.
So for Mike Huckabee to ask, "Don't Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?" is a legitimate question for Christians to ask. Mormons may not agree with the Christian interpretation; nonetheless no matter how you go about it, Jesus is considered just as much a created being as Lucifer in Mormonism. The former joined the Mormon “Godhood” and the latter rebelled against his Creator Father transforming from Lucifer to the Adversary Satan.
Do Romney and any other American have the right to believe this cult as their religion? Of course they do, this is America in which freedom of religion is a stellar right not to be abridged by the Government.
Do Christians have the right to question the legitimacy of Mormonism as a Christian denomination? Absolutely! Mormonism does not meet the basic standard as Christianity.
Now if we can get the Christians together and drop their petty differences over Pentecostalism, Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditionalism and sanctified rituals among other truly trivial differences; then Christians can begin to stop accusing each other as not being Christians.
I do not want a Mormon President; however I especially do not want a godless Leftist that subscribes to Secular Humanism as the standard of morality that either denies the Creator or views the Creator as a mythos philosophical system that is archaic and outdated relative to modern comparative morals. That system makes the creation superior to the Creator. As a Christian, I view that as bad news.
So here is the way I see it, I will vote Republican no matter who wins the nomination. Even a socially liberal Giuliani would be better than a Democratic Party Leftist.
That is right Lefties; I am placing religion in politics. Good faith makes for the best opportunity to reverse the violence and moral degradation the Democrats have supported and transformed this nation in which the rule of law accepts homosexuality and pornography as freedom of expression. That is simply Constitutional manipulation allowing the portion of the Judiciary that is Leftist to exterminate Christianity. And frankly, that is specifically against the First Amendment. Keeping religion out of government is prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The government is only to insure that no religion be adopted as a State religion and even that inference is toward Christian Denominations. Non-Christian religions were not in the thought processes of the Founding Fathers – even the Deists.
Before those of the Judaic faith hammer at me, I believe there were Jews in the Thirteen Colonies thus I believe the inference relates to the Judaic faith of which the incarnate God Jesus was wholly a member in the thirty-three years He walked the earth as a Son of Man.
Vote Republican to hold off Secular Humanism social agenda to transform America into a secular non-Christian hedonistic nation.
I still think that Fred Thompson possesses the best skills to be a Conservative and a viably electable candidate to beat which ever fringe Democrat wins their nomination.
With that minute preamble let us discuss Mike Huckabee of whom I am not convinced is electable against a Hillary Clinton.
The thing I like about Huckabee is he is a man of Faith; therefore he is a man that would support Christian Right Conservative social causes which are so dear to my heart.
Two critical issues have come across my view screen concerning Huckabee’s viable electability.
Apparently Huckabee had some ethics issues while Governor of Arkansas. That is not a good image for an ordained Baptist Minister turned politician. I have to read an explanation from a pro-Huckabee apologist on this issue.
The second issue is taxes. Evidently Huckabee was the tax hike king during his tenure as Governor of Arkansas. On this issue I have found a very credible explanation that support the tax hikes during his tenure as Governor.
Most of the taxes were hugely beneficial in Arkansas and were bi-partisan in nature. By the time Huckabee finished his “decade” long stint as Governor, Arkansas had an $844 million surplus as opposed to a $200 million “shortfall” when he began his Office as Governor.
This hugely satisfies my doubts on issue two.
]]>
Here are some not nice words from a conservative periodical about Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee. Jonah Goldberg lays it heavy on Huckabee.
I have to tell you though; Goldberg’s criticism of Huckabee is something that will endure him to social conservatives rather than alienate him. The real mud on Huckabee has to do with political ethics and taxes while Governor of Arkansas.
Fred Thompson is my man but if he falters through some gaffe, Huckabee will my next choice.
JRH 11/24/07
******************************
Don’t Be Scared
Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee
By Jonah Goldberg
November 21, 2007, 0:00 a.m.
As the hopeless but energetic presidential campaign of Rep. Ron Paul (R., Tex.) builds momentum in name recognition, fundraising and cross-ideology appeal, some conservatives are beginning to attack him in earnest. A GOP consultant condemns Paul’s “increasingly leftish” positions. Syndicated columnist Mona Charen calls Paul “too cozy with kooks and conspiracy theorists.” Film critic and talk-radio host Michael Medved looks over Paul’s supporters and finds “an imposing collection of neo-Nazis, white supremacists, Holocaust deniers, 9/11 ‘truthers’ and other paranoid and discredited conspiracists.”
For the most part, these allegations strike me as overblown and unfair. But, for argument’s sake, let’s say they’re not. Let’s even say that Paul has the passionate support of the Legion of Doom, that his campaign lunchroom looks like the Star Wars cantina, and that his top advisers have hooves instead of feet.
Well, I would still find him less scary than Mike Huckabee.
While many are marveling at Paul’s success at breaking out of the tinfoil-hat ghetto, Huckabee’s story is even more remarkable. The former Arkansas governor and Baptist minister is polling in second place in Iowa and could conceivably win there. He’s still a long shot to take the nomination and a pipe dream to take the presidency, but Huckabee matters in a way that Paul still doesn’t. One small indicator of Huckabee’s relevance: His presidential opponents are attacking Huckabee while ignoring Paul like he’s an eccentric sitting too close to you on the bus.
What’s so scary about Huckabee? Personally, nothing. He seems a charming, decent, friendly, pious man.
What’s troubling about The Man From Hope 2.0 is what he represents. Huckabee represents compassionate conservatism on steroids. A devout social conservative on issues such as abortion, school prayer, homosexuality and evolution, Huckabee’s a populist on economics, a fad-follower on the environment and an all-around do-gooder who believes that the biblical obligation to do “good works” extends to using government — and your tax dollars — to bring us closer to the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.
For example, Huckabee would support a nationwide ban on public smoking. Why? Because he’s on a health kick, thinks smoking is bad and believes the government should do the right thing.
And therein lies the chief difference between Paul and Huckabee. One is a culturally conservative libertarian. The other is a right-wing progressive.
Whatever shortcomings Paul and his friends might have, Paul’s dogma generally renders those shortcomings irrelevant. He is a true ideologue in that his personal preferences are secondary to his philosophical principles. When asked what his position is, he generally responds that his position can be deduced from the text of the Constitution. Of course, that’s not as dispositive as he thinks it is. But you get the point.
As for Huckabee — as with most politicians, alas — his personal preferences matter enormously because, ultimately, they’re the only things that can be relied on to constrain him.
In this respect, Huckabee’s philosophy is conventionally liberal, or progressive. What he wants government to do certainly differs in important respects from what Hillary Clinton wants, but the limits he would place on governmental do-goodery are primarily tactical or practical, not philosophical or constitutional. This isn’t to say he — or Hillary — is a would-be tyrant, but simply to note that the progressive notion of the state as a loving, caring parent is becoming a bipartisan affair.
Indeed, Huckabee represents the latest attempt to make conservatism more popular. Contrary to the conventional belief that Republicans need to drop their opposition to abortion, gay marriage and the like in order to be popular, Huckabee understands that the unpopular stuff is the economic libertarianism: free trade and smaller government. That’s why we’re seeing a rise in economic populism on the right married to a culturally conservative populism. Huckabee is the bastard child of Lou Dobbs and Pat Robertson.
Historically, the conservative movement benefited from the tension between libertarianism and cultural traditionalism. This tension — and the effort to reconcile it under the name “fusionism” — has been mischaracterized as a battle between right-wing factions when it’s really a conflict that runs through the heart of every conservative. We all have little Mike Huckabees and Ron Pauls sitting on our shoulders. Neither is always right, but both should be listened to.
I would not vote for Paul mostly because I think his foreign policy would be disastrous (Also, he’d lose in a rout not seen since Bambi versus Godzilla). But there’s something weird going on when Paul, the small-government constitutionalist, is considered the extremist in the Republican party, while Huckabee, the statist, is the lovable underdog. It’s even weirder because it’s probably true: Huckabee is much closer to the mainstream. And that’s what scares me about Huckabee and the mainstream alike.
__________________
Jonah Goldberg is editor-at-large of National Review Online.
© 2007 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
]]>