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

I'm a Christian, politically conservative and pro-life. For those who just didn't experience a fatal cranial expansion, there may be some wonderment at why I don't have Mike Huckabee as my first pick of Republican presidential candidates. After all, he's up in the polls and the MSM touts his recent surge.

I'll start with what is generally considered the most important issue among social conservatives. Mike Huckabee is clearly pro-life and supports a pro-life amendment to the US Constitution. For some, perhaps many Christians, this and his being a former minister are enough. If I agreed with Huckabee on other issues this should help sway me, however, I have some disagreement with him even on this one. While it's a worthy goal to someday, perhaps, maybe amend the Constitution to eliminate or serious curtail abortion, I believe it to be a very large overreach at this time. Pushing for something so grand, will certainly cause a backlash and damage any pro-life movement we've experienced with the center in recent years.

While I'm very much pro-life, I believe first overthrowing Roe vs. Wade and a Federalist approach has the best chance of success and turning this country around on the matter for the long term. An amendment to the Constitution would be nice, but I think by the time something like that could pass, it would hardly be necessary and dealing with Roe vs. Wade and turning it over to the states would be a necessary first step anyway. Talking about a pro-life amendment may make for red meat at campaign stops, but for me, what can actually produce the greatest long-term results is more important.

Beyond this issue, it appears that Huckabee has big government/spending tendencies, which I disagree with. His willingness to accept any tax from Arkansas state legislators is not a good sign, as well as what may have been a slick attempt to explain that tax begging video that went around. A quote from the first article could portend more nanny state tendencies.

“He tended to raise taxes for specific government programs,” said Jay Barth, an associate political science professor at Hendrix College in Conway, Ark. “He does believe in a robust government as an active force in the lives of its citizens, especially in helping the little guy.

Speaking of slick, his dodging around about his support of scholarships for illegal aliens, is more Clintonesque than we need in any candidate, while also showing he's soft on illegal immigration. I usually don't think much of George Stephanopoulos but I have to commend him for actually hearing the answers and then responding with very relevant follow-up questions.

Several other issues that work to keep Mike Huckabee of the top of my list:

Close Guantanamo Bay because of mere symbolism.
Being slick regarding the parole of a rapist who then murdered.

His tendency to justify his positions on global warming, torture, that parole, etc. as being properly Christian actions, does not help. I guess this means those Christians who disagree are lousy Christians or just atheists? While he has a gift for speaking well, perhaps as good as or even better than Ronald Reagan, such moralizing not only alienates other well meaning Christians, but makes it a cake walk to portray him as a theocrat that so many in this country fear. And with them, I do not desire someone who intends to install a theocracy in this country. The charge against Huckabee may be unfair, but he makes it very easy for people to simply draw such a conclusion about him in their own minds, without any prompting from the usual suspects or the typical attack ads. What some Christians may see his equating this or that position as derived from his Christian faith as a strength, I see as a serious flaw in this candidate, weakening his chances in the general election.

For these reasons Mike Huckabee is not currently at the top of my list among the Republican candidates. However, he is still above any of the Democrats running. If he does get the nomination, I'm not the type to throw a temper tantrum and not vote. I really can't see myself helping any of the Democrats running, by not voting, as they're still worse in some areas.

---

Filed under: Politics

Trackposted to: Outside the Beltway, Rosemary's Thoughts, Adam's Blog, Right Truth, The Bullwinkle Blog, Leaning Straight Up, The Amboy Times, Big Dog's Weblog, Chuck Adkins, Conservative Cat, Pursuing Holiness, Wake Up America, DragonLady's World, The World According to Carl, Blue Star Chronicles, Pirate's Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Dumb Ox Daily News, Stageleft, Right Voices, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.