Mike Huckabee - you have a shifty mentality
That's my impression, reinforced by Mike Huckabee's performance in tonight's debate. If you question my post, I'm going to seriously, and several times, question whether you even read it before commenting or just read about it. When pressed, I'll say I didn't mean that about Mike Huckabee, but about his policies. Sweet tactics eh? Even better, I learned them from Mike Huckabee.
This has been his reaction to being criticized for characterizing Bush's foreign policy as having a bunker level mentality. Not only has he used this tactic again in tonight's debate, he has previously lied as to what the actual criticism was about, as I noted here.
It's rather interesting that Mike Huckabee was talking of limited government during tonight's debate before the New Hampshire primary. One has to wonder at the sincerity of that when a Huckabee strategist recently said:
His aides are wary of New Hampshire. “It’s all no tax, no government there,” said Bob Wickers, a top strategist. “It’s not ideal.” But they believe that the message of economic anxiety that he preaches will help in Michigan’s primary on Jan. 15 and in states in the South, which have high poverty rates in addition to strong groups of social conservatives. (source)
A Republican, claiming to be conservative, that thinks no tax and no government are not ideal? I'm really supposed to take Huckabee's rhetoric tonight as anything more than flim flam? Let's also consider his support for a federal smoking ban, regulating eating habits and saying government would have to regulate CEO pay if the company boards did not.
Beyond that, his performance tonight tossed out a whopper. He claimed Romney had not supported the troop surge when he had. Unfortunately for Mike Huckabee, he's been caught flip-flopping once again.
MSNBC's NORAH O'DONNELL: "We have a Rudy Giuliani, who supports the president's plan on Iraq. We have Governor Mitt Romney, who also supports a troop surge. How are you different from any of those candidates."
HUCKABEE: "Well, I'm not sure that I support the troop surge, if that surge has to come from our Guard and Reserve troops, which have really been overly stretched." (MSNBC's "Live," 1/24/07) (source)
In a glaring bit of hypocrisy, Mike Huckabee took shots at Mitt Romney's perceived changes in policies. Mike Huckabee is certainly not one to say someone is a flip flopper with his dramatic reversals concerning illegal immigration.
Let's consider the tally thus far. Mike Huckabee has flip-flopped on government regulation and that's being generous. I would say he's actually been deceptive about his real principles in this latest attempt to pander. I suppose lucky for him, the moderator wasn't a 7 year old. He's been caught being dishonest about his support of the troop surge. Most of his other statements tonight were simply rhetoric. Sure, sounds good, but where's the substance, let alone the sincerity?
Are those who support Mike Huckabee really so desperate they can only back someone like this?
Previous posts:
Mike Huckabee and foreign policy
Mike Huckabee thinks you're stupid
Mike Huckabee - illegal immigration flip flopper?
Huckabee - what kind of preacher is this?
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: Politics
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