Mark My Words - commentary on news, politics, religion, philosophy, science and social issues

Mike Huckabee has been running as the Christian leader, he's a former Baptist preacher and has been speaking to churches while on the campaign trail, for which he charges $25,000. Yet in talking to Iowa voters before their upcoming caucus, he seems very much to be appealing to their pride and not being very honest about why he's been criticized on his foreign policy.

A vote for him, Huckabee says, would reinforce Iowans’ self-interest in their role as the first voters in the presidential contest.
“If we’re able to pull this off, do you think there will ever be a future candidate that will come and just throw some money at you and say, ‘Hey, you ought to vote for me’?” Huckabee asks an enthusiastic crowd packed into a high school auditorium in Sioux City.
“People will be coming to this state [in future caucuses] and they’ll work it, they’ll prove the value of the Iowa caucus like nothing else ever has. So it’s good for me; it’s good for you.”

[...]

Huckabee’s stump speech does touch glancingly on his record as governor and his policy views.

While it's understandable to be proud of being first in the primary schedule, the absence of much policy in his speeches, leaves him little to use as motivation. It's unfortunate that someone who should know scripture, should then be so emotionally manipulative as to border on appealing to pride. I'm sure many Iowa voters know that scripture says, "pride cometh before a fall". Has Mike Huckabee forgotten, or is his being elected more important than scripture?

Also, considering how close the race is in Iowa, it's rather presumptive for him to claim it only matters for Iowa if they vote for him. Sure, typical political rhetoric, but rather distasteful when one is also using man of God rhetorical cues and religious faith in such a crude and over bearing manner.

Perhaps just as bad, according to the report, he clumsily spins why he was criticized over his statements on foreign policy.

“I’m getting some criticism because I’ve even suggested that there were mistakes [in Iraq], primarily the light footprint concept,” Huckabee offers at a morning rally in Council Bluffs.

The only good explanation for that would be he was misquoted, otherwise the only other conclusions are he's stupid, seriously uninformed, or a liar. Also, a question raised by his spin on the matter is how little does he think of those he's addressing? The reporter notes the real reason he was criticized.

But it was not the size-of-force criticism — a common and inoffensive critique even among Republicans — he offered well into the Foreign Affairs piece that drew a rebuke from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Rather, it was the start of his second paragraph that generated the buzz: “American foreign policy needs to change its tone and attitude, open up and reach out. The Bush administration's arrogant bunker mentality has been counterproductive at home and abroad.” (source)

It's no wonder he would avoid speaking much on foreign policy, considering the naiveté of that Foreign Affairs piece, as can be seen here, here and here. For those who have been impressed that Huckabee doesn't have speech writers, his response to criticism of his "bunker mentality" shot at the administration contradicts that, as well as being a Clintonian reply, all of which can be seen here. It also cuts against hoping that he was just uninformed about what he was actually criticized for in his latest campaign speeches.

So Mike Huckabee appeals to voters pride and assumes they are uninformed fools. If he keeps talking, he's going to show it's a good thing he's no longer a pastor. Hopefully that isn't at the expense of Christian influence in politics and/or the security and well being of the country.

Relates posts:

Mike Huckabee - a twofer
Huckabee - Christian leader?
The taming of a shrewd
Evangelicals - short term thinkers?
It's a good thing I'm registered as an independent
Why I don't heart Huckabee

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Filed under: Religion -- Politics

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