January 14, 2008
Jan 14 11:19 Why? Jan 14 15:19 Huckabee: I'm "a Threat to GOP Elite" Jan 14 16:25 Jesusland Author Endorses Fred Thompson Jan 14 23:23 Achieving Liftoff???
Why?
Mike Huckabee has been using a clever phrase against Mitt Romney that needs exposing. He's repeatedly said that " There's a great need in this country to elect someone who reminds [voters] of the guy they work with, not the guy who laid them off ."
My question to Gov. Huckabee is why he thinks that. That's the type of thing that Democrats say. They're the party that hates business, at least in their stump speeches.
Gov. Huckabee's repeating this raises the question of what he thinks about business owners. More than likely, his use of that bromide was his attack vehicle against Mitt. It was cute then but it's starting to wear thin now. Still, Huckabee persists in using it. Why? Can't he move onto more substantive things than cute bromides?
This raises another question: Is Gov. Huckabee capable of getting beyond clever sayings and lightweight allegations? Yesterday, he accused Fred Thompson of lobbying for Libya:
"Fred Thompson talks about putting America first, and yet he's the one who is a registered foreign agent, lobbied for foreign countries, was in a law firm that did lobbying work for Libya," Huckabee charged Sunday morning on CNN.Sen. Thompson swatted that lightweight accusation away with ease:
Thompson Sunday acknowledged he was "in a law firm that did some lobbying work for Libya," but his involvement was minimal. He said he'd registered with the government because of "five minutes' worth of contribution" to discussions about another client, Haiti.As I said yesterday, this type of cute attack won't work against Team Clinton. Gov. Huckabee will get buried by Team Clinton.
Let's return to that first question. Does the nation need a guy who's a co-worker more than they need someone who's experienced at making difficult decisions under pressure? Looking at Gov. Huckabee's record, it's difficult to find a time when Gov. Huckabee didn't cave into the prevailing popular choice. He certainly didn't fight to keep taxes low. He definitely didn't fight to keep spending under control.
As near as I can tell, Gov. Huckabee did these things because they were the popular thing to do. That desire to be on the popular side of issues is reflected in his saying that the military should shut down Gitmo. It's apparent that he didn't think that through because shutting Gitmo down means that the remaining terrorists there would then get access to our courts and get the same rights as you and I have.
Gov. Huckabee's desire to be popular has led him to say some of the most foolish things I've heard in presidential campaigning. By saying that we need a president that "reminds [voters] of the guy they work with, not the guy who laid them off" is a cheapshot against business owners everywhere. Had he said it once, that might've been ok.
Now that he's repeated it numerous times, one wonders how far his liberal populism stretches. What I don't have to wonder is if I'll vote for him. I won't because I demand real conservatives that stand for the things that made this country great.
Posted Monday, January 14, 2008 11:19 AM
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Huckabee: I'm "a Threat to GOP Elite"
Mike Huckabee is certainly a threat to the GOP but not in the way he suggests in this article . Here's what I'm referring to:
"Apparently my candidacy comes as somewhat of a threat to a lot of the Republicans in the Republican establishment, some of the folks who have run the party in the Washington circles," he said. "They've maybe not understood that the heart and soul of the Republican Party is only as strong as the heart and soul of the rest of America."Let's examine that statement. It's apparent that he thinks that he's on the side of the angels and that everyone who isn't supporting him is on the wrong side. Let's ask what his evidence is of that. Can he answer that? I'm betting he can't. Let's not stop there, though.
Let's look at what the heavyweights of the Republican Party have stood for over the years. Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan had a strong libertarian streak in them because they believed in personal freedom above everything else. (BTW, when GWB showed that trait, he had the highest approval ratings of his presidency.)
Another thing Goldwater, Reagan and William F. Buckley stood for was limited government and free markets. They believed that the smaller the government, the more freedom individuals had. That's because taxes and spending were kept under control.
Now let's compare the underpinnings of the Reagan/Goldwater/WFB conservative movement with Gov. Huckabee's agenda. During the last debate, Gov. Huckabee tried justifying his liberal spending record, essentially saying that he got results from his increased spending and increased taxes. That isn't something that a conservative would tout.
Next, let's look at Gov. Huckabee's getting the NEA's endorsement :
The New Hampshire affiliate of the National Education Association has endorsed Mike Huckabee as their GOP candidate in the upcoming New Hampshire primary. The main reasons for the endorsement are non-Conservative indeed.Why Mike Huckabee wants to run in the GOP primaries as anti-federalist education spendaholic is beyond me. That's a surefire sign that Gov. Huckabee doesn't believe in strict constructionist judges or the principles of federalism. Does anyone in their right mind think that President Reagan would've signed a bill calling for federally funded, and mandated, arts and music curriculum? Let's get serious.
The union's President Rhonda Wesolowski called a news conference to praise Mr. Huckabee for opposing school vouchers and Huckabee's record in supporting higher taxes to improve public education.
Huckabee's opposition to private school choice and his support for a federally mandated and funded arts and music curriculum also please the NEA.
Reagan would've vetoed that bill 10 seconds after it landed on his desk. then he would've delivered a speech that would've ridiculed Congress for passing that bill.
By comparison, Mike Huckabee says that he'd be proud of signing that bill.
The point I'm making is that Mike Huckabee is considered a threat, though not to the GOP. Instead, he's a threat to the underpinnings of conservative thought. Another point I'm making is that his positions are only marginally different from a moderate Democrat.
Fred's right in saying that this is a fight for the heart and soul of the Republican Party. If Huckabee and his cadre of liberals were able to win the nomination, it wouldn't be the end of conservatism. What it would do is set the conservative movement back a few years. Then we'd regroup, then start a new chapter in the conservative movement.
Here's another speech Gov. Huckabee gave:
"We need to have a president who understands what struggling to make a living really means," he said at a morning rally in the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel's Ford Ballroom, packed with about 600 people.What Michigan needs is a governor that won't keep raising their taxes. What Michigan needs is someone with a tax-cutting record to seize control of the reins of leadership. What they don't need is another populist raising their taxes. What they don't need is another populist telling them that 'I feel your pain.' I don't care if a politician feels their pain as long as they put in place solid economic policies that cures the economy's ills.
"I understand the workers in this state. I can see the fear in their eyes. They know that any day could be the day when they are told their jobs are headed to Mexico or the Middle East, and when that happens they'll wonder how they're going to put food on the table."
This part utterly exposes Huckabee's disregard for federalism:
"This country owes Michigan for its freedom," Huckabee said. "Michigan helped save America, and, now, America needs to help save Michigan."After reading that, it's undeniable that he's opposed to federalism. The thing that's killing Michigan's economy aren't federal policies. What's killing Michigan's economy are Jennifer Granholm's policies. While the US economy was adding jobs, Michigan was losing jobs. That tells me that it's a Michigan problem, not a national problem.
Huckabee said the state would get a boost from training programs for displaced workers and fair-trade policies protecting both consumers and employers.Protectionism sells in Michigan but it's awful policy. It should be left in the dustbins of history.
"India's talking about a $2,500 car," he said. "Do we even know if that would meet our emissions standards? Does it have lead paint?"That last sentence could've come from an Amy Klobuchar speech. Sen. Klobuchar is as liberal as it gets. Does Gov. Huckabee still think he's taken seriously as a conservative? It's time he got laughed out of serious contention.
Posted Monday, January 14, 2008 3:25 PM
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Jesusland Author Endorses Fred Thompson
A major Christian leader has endorsed Fred Thompson. This time, David Jeffers, who authored Understanding Evangelicals: A Guide to Jesusland , has given Fred Thompson a substantive endorsement that's sure to be noted within the evangelical community. Here's part of Mr. Jeffers' endorsement statement:
"Evangelicals are looking for a candidate who is strongly pro-life, is for traditional families, and who is an actual Reagan Conservative." Jeffers explains, "Every GOP candidate is espousing Reagan-like characteristics, but only Thompson has the record to back it up."Jeffers makes a persuasive case for Fred, which isn't surprising. Mr. Jeffers' articulation of Reaganite conservatism is spot on, which is why this will likely remind SC voters of the total 'Reagan Package'. Here's another portion of Jeffers' statement:
"There are three important agendas in the Reagan Conservative and while the social agenda is certainly important, Huckabee is weak on the foreign policy and fiscal agendas," Jeffers said.
"Senator Thompson has a 100% pro-life voting record, is a strong defender of 2nd Amendment rights, and is a proven fiscal conservative."As an evangelical Christian, I know that each of those things are important to me in screening potential presidential candidates. As I've said before, Fred's the gold standard on each of those issues.
It's time for evangelical Christians to understand that the ideal presidential candidate is more than just being pro life. I believe that they've come to that realization to a large extent. Now it's time for them to make that statement at the ballotbox this Saturday.
Posted Monday, January 14, 2008 4:27 PM
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Achieving Liftoff???
That's the question Peter Robinson is asking in this post at NRO's Corner . Here's the full post:
All eyes are naturally enough on the Michigan primary tomorrow-all eyes, that is, except mine, Jonathan Adler's, and those belonging to readers of this happy Corner who have been wondering, along with Jonathan and me, when the polls down in South Carolina would finally begin to move in Fred Thompson's direction. Now, Rasmussen reports, they have. Fred ain't dead. Lately, as the South Carolina debate demonstrated to all the world, he ain't even drowsy.I've been wondering all weekend when the zombified media would pick up on the start to this 'revolution-in-the-making'. While Peter Robinson and Jonathan Adler aren't part of the Agenda (zombified?) Media, they've got a pretty significant readership. Now that they're asking questions about the Fredhead Revolution, it won't take long before it's the subject on the cable news networks.
Which brings me to a question. Earlier today I talked with an old friend who's close to the Thompson campaign. At every Thompson campaign stop in South Carolina, he told me, there is something new: real excitement. The crowds are big and growing by the day-for the first time, people are being turned away from Thompson events
because they're already full. The state troopers are showing that special deference and respect they reserve for candidates whom they actually suspect will soon become the commander in chief. And Thompson himself is pointed, energetic, combative. In other words, the campaign feels as though its achieving liftoff.
Are there any readers of this Corner in down in South Carolina who can confirm this? If you're a citizen of the Palmetto State who has been to a Thompson event this week, I'd be obliged if y'all would drop me a line.
This isn't just about growing crowds for Fred, either. When I last visited Fred08 , the Red Truck Challenge had topped the $1 million mark. They're even suggesting that all their small donors contribute $10 at 10 o'clock local time'. Since they issued that challenge, they've been averaging about $100,000 per day in online contributions.
Rasmussen's polling shows Fred gaining ground , mostly at Mike Huckabee's expense:
Over the past several days, the only real movement in South Carolina's Republican Presidential Primary has been a four-point gain for Fred Thompson and a five-point decline for Mike Huckabee.This polling doesn't include John McCain's immigration meltdown in Michigan either. I'd bet money that that won't help McCain in South Carolina. In fact, I'd wager that it'll damage him here.
The bottom line is that people are making a big mistake if they're writing Fred off. I'm not predicting Fred as the next commander-in-chief. I'm not predicting him as the GOP nominee. But I certainly won't rule those possibilities out either.
Posted Monday, January 14, 2008 11:24 PM
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