Posted on 09/08/2015 3:00:55 PM PDT by markomalley
Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee praised Kentucky clerk Kim Davis as a champion of religious freedom as she emerged from jail, where she had been held for five days for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses.
The former Arkansas governor offered himself up in her place if she’s forced to return to jail.
“If somebody needs to go to jail, I am willing to go in her place, and I mean that,” he said Tuesday as Davis walked free.
Both Huckabee and fellow presidential rival Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) traveled to Kentucky on Tuesday with plans to meet with Davis in jail. But as supporters convened outside to attend Huckabee’s “Free Kim Davis Now” rally, a federal judge ordered that she be released.
The same judge jailed her last week over contempt of court for failing to issue the licenses in light of June's Supreme Court ruling in favor of a national right to same-sex marriage.
The court ordered that she must not “interfere” with her county issuing same-sex marriage licenses once she is released. Her lawyer told reporters alongside Davis and Huckabee that she’ll be returning to work this week and would not violate her religious beliefs, so it’s still unclear whether she’ll follow the court order.
Davis has become a cause célèbre among conservative politicians, especially presidential candidates looking to court the Christian conservative vote.
By taking the reigns to organize the rally and appearing side-by-side with Davis as she emerged from the Carter County Detention Center, Huckabee hopes to win favor with religious conservatives who view religious freedom as a paramount issue.
Huckabee and Cruz both took to Twitter to congratulate Davis, but also to share pictures of themselves meeting with Davis after she had been released — a tacit reminder to supporters of their advocacy.
Both candidates are focused on support within the religious right as fodder for their White House bids. Huckabee, the former pastor, has been a longtime favorite of religious voters and used that support in part to place second in the 2008 GOP presidential primary.
And Cruz, who regularly relies on his legal background to advocate for the protection of religious beliefs, is a two-time winner of the Value Voters Summit presidential straw poll, a litmus test for religious conservative voters.
But the Evangelical lane is much more crowded this year than it had been in past elections. Huckabee, Cruz, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, former Sen. Rick Santorum (Pa.) and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal are all running with the hopes of capturing that constituency.
And recent polling shows that support is fragmented across the field. Donald Trump leads the pack with white, born-again Evangelicals in Quinnipiac’s late August poll with 24 percent. Carson follows with 13 percent, and Cruz places third with 9 percent. Huckabee scores just 3 percent of that group, tied with Santorum and two percentage points ahead of Jindal.
Easy for the huckster to say, when he knows it’s not possible to go to jail in someone elses place.
Huck is playing to the crowd.
Indeed.
Straw Hat? Blue Jean Overalls?
Perpetrating a Kentucky stereotype, much?
Seriesly, that is a big ‘ol fella. I take it that is Mr. Davis?
God bless them both.
Best Idea the Huckster has had in years,
ABSOLUTELY!!
Ha! That kind of stunt is about the only thing that will get him any attention at this point...
Perpetrating a Kentucky stereotype, much?
I post the above to show you that this wasn't a setup by the Huckster...
They need to start calling this what it is...Kim Davis was a political prisoner while in jail, and she may yet be back in jail, it just depends on the whims of the progressive liberal democrat/rino communist judge.
I’d like to see the queers and homonazi’s who are uttering vile and disgusting things at Mrs. Davis say them to Mr. Davis.
I think he could take them on a dozen at a time.
And thanks for posting those pics of Mrs. Davis with two presidential candidates.
But where is the pic of her and the candidate who is a US senator from her own home state of Kentucky? Surely he would stand with her too, right?
Guess not.
OK Hucklebee...DEAL!
I to am for him going to jail in her place or maybe someone elses.
I don't remember him speaking up then.
I realize this is what politicians running for office do but its clear Huckabee intends to ride this one for all its worth.
What a Huckster.
Yep. He’s playing up to the stupidity of the masses there. I’m willing to bet that 1/2 of them are saying...”wow. What a guy. Think he’s going to jail.”
Plus he can lose some weight there.
Grandstanding Huck— doesn’t want Ted Cruz to speak -No equal time for Ted Cruz— Well I guess if I was losing like Huck is I’d try the same.
Huckabee needs to explain why Cruz was blocked from speaking but...he has been consistent on his views concerning gay marriage. Take a look.
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