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Why Huckabee is the Best General Election Candidate and What Makes Him the Ideal Candidate to Win (V
Myth Debunker | 12/14/2007 | Yomin Postelnik

Posted on 12/14/2007 11:43:07 AM PST by Yomin Postelnik

Why Huckabee is the Best General Election Candidate and What Makes Him the Ideal Candidate to Win

By Yomin Postelnik

An increasing number of pundits, both conservative and liberal but all heavily entrenched in Washington or Medialand disconnect, are making assessments about the candidates. As usual, they are wrong and a party that listens to them will gain their approval at the expense of the votes of the nation.

Pundits today generally take into account small anecdotal tidbits of history that best suit their own personal biases. No analysis is given to the overall race, the candidates, or to electoral history and how it relates to the changed field of today.

The fact is that there’s one simple formula to fielding a candidate. Look at the key issues of the day and couple that with genuine leadership abilities.

For the first part of this equation, every election season is different. In 2000 the public clamored for morality and the candidate best representing moral values and who came across as most genuine had the advantage. In 2004 national security loomed largest. In 1992 the public looked for economic change after being hammered with bad economic news, even if it didn’t translate into daily life. When economic woes did affect people on an everyday basis, those elections, 1976 and 1980, resulted in change (of course, in both of those elections change in leadership persona factored greatly too).

So what does this mean for today? In short, based on analysis and current voting concerns, for the GOP it’s Huckabee or bust.

As to the second part of the equation, while issues may, the glamour for a genuine candidate never does. The public consistently wants authenticity. Sure, they’ve elected inauthentic candidates once in a while, but only after being sold on their perceived realism and usually come to regret buying the inauthentic package. This factor too makes nominating Huckabee the best political move the GOP can make.

In this election cycle, partly due to the theatrics that have been its hallmark since its untimely and all too early inception, people are dazzled, enthralled, over-enthralled and then bored to death, but through it all they have more trouble relating to candidates than ever before. Simply put, this cycle is the first 12 months premature baby to survive outside of the womb and it’s got more than a few defects which are now all too apparent.

The top tier seems superficial and superficial is tiresome. This cycle, fortunately, it’s also become loathsome. In other words, electing “the most electable candidate,” meaning the one TV pundits say is most electable, is nothing short of a recipe for disaster.

Huckabee has shown the exact opposite, an ability to connect with voters over and over again. That’s how his campaign from nowhere was launched into first place. His support grew stronger after every debate, with people first asking “Why isn’t he in the top tier?” and later realizing that he is in fact the most trustworthy, likeable and broadly appealing.

All of the arguments the punditry use against him were the same type of arguments made that Reagan was a sure loser in 1980. We know how that turned out. In Huckabee’s case the “weaknesses” they attribute to him are actually strengths. He zeroes in on issues that bother the average person and proposes new ideas that are just what the average voter wants. It’s those qualities that translate into the average voter voting for him.

To date Governor Huckabee has proposed education changes that, unlike the Democrats, don’t seek to politicize the process by fighting achievements already made and unlike other Republican candidates, are solid and well thought out. The fact is that enhanced arts education is shown in study after study to develop civic awareness and dramatically reduce truancy and juvenile crime. Society would benefit in many ways, most noticeably fiscally, in the reduction in crime that these programs always show.

Governor Huckabee also realizes that the prison system is too harsh and needs reform. The current system not only makes career criminals out of non-violent offenders (as they’re exposed to harder and more violent crime) but is also a breeding ground for Islamic extremism, which recruits dejected inmates serving long sentences. As I’ve pointed out in previous posts, even prison owners stand to benefit by turning many facilities into short labor assignment places where non-violent inmates would be contracted out for hard backbreaking labor, then sent home at night, a stronger deterrent without the climate that leads to hopelessness, which in turn leads to violent and dangerous crimes.

As far as those who challenge his fiscal conservatism go, contrary to popular belief, Huckabee does have a fiscally conservative record. If you listen to his issues, he wants more effective spending, not more spending. Unlike many other candidates, he personally supported the line item veto and the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts.

Most importantly, fiscal conservatives will trust him to keep his promises because based on his record, he does keep promises. Social conservatives are less convinced that the socially liberal candidates will keep theirs. So yes, contrary to other pundits, Gov. Huckabee is far better positioned to keep the Reagan coalition of social and fiscal conservatives alive.

As for a campaign slogan, he’s got one, “I like Mike.” Something like that already worked form someone else who many talking heads once discounted because of his last name.

Lastly, it needs to be pointed out that in the general election, many solely fiscal conservatives will be voting Democrat or third party based on how they perceive the economy. Democrats are counting on this and will make this the issue. Nominating a primarily fiscal-only conservative plays into this game. Nominating a candidate who will follow conservative fiscal policies but who will relate to voters primarily for his bold societal ideas and genuine conservative moral values is the only answer to this as well. (Anecdotally, this is also why the GOP will probably lose Ohio but gain Pennsylvania this time, but that’s for another article.


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: gopnomination; huckabee; iowa; newhampshire
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To: Yomin Postelnik

Horse Hockey


21 posted on 12/14/2007 11:50:04 AM PST by ejonesie22 (In America all people have a right to be wrong, some just exercise it a bit much...)
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To: Yomin Postelnik

Don’t think so.


22 posted on 12/14/2007 11:50:56 AM PST by SouthTexas (Have a Merry and Blessed Christmas.)
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To: Yomin Postelnik
Yucky Hucky bump.

:-)


23 posted on 12/14/2007 11:51:16 AM PST by cgbg (Nada non nyet--nanny amnesty Huckabee.)
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To: Yomin Postelnik

A lot of emotion. No facts.


24 posted on 12/14/2007 11:51:30 AM PST by bcsco ("The American Indians found out what happens when you don't control immigration.")
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To: Yomin Postelnik

We need to remember, we are voting for Commander in Chief of the US Armed Forces, not the candidate that gives us the most warm fuzzy feelings.


25 posted on 12/14/2007 11:51:47 AM PST by mnehring
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To: papasmurf

26 posted on 12/14/2007 11:52:13 AM PST by Servant of the Cross (the Truth will set you free)
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To: Yomin Postelnik
The liberal media clearly want him to be the Republican nominee.

That sends up a lot of red flags in my book.

27 posted on 12/14/2007 11:52:20 AM PST by capt. norm (Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're paying for.)
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To: Yomin Postelnik

GTFO!


28 posted on 12/14/2007 11:52:20 AM PST by miliantnutcase
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To: p. henry

Let me think...

...um...no.

No, let me rephrase. HELL NO.


29 posted on 12/14/2007 11:53:05 AM PST by RockinRight (Fred Thompson spells gravitas B-A-L-L-S-O-F-S-T-E-E-L.)
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To: Servant of the Cross

I think you are correct, sir!


30 posted on 12/14/2007 11:53:36 AM PST by Old Mountain man (Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice!)
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To: Strategerist
That he appears to be as dumb as a box of rocks would seem to be a hindrance.

It doesn't stop Barbara Boxer or Patrica Bin Murray from being routinely elected to the U.S. Senate. But America is not California and Washington.

Don't you just love it when the enemedia picks our candidates?

If anyone needs further proof on just how worthless the Huckster is, they need only look at this site. The Huckster is the only one who has a total disconnect between his record (awful) on immigration issues and his statements (positive). Everyone else is fairly consistent:

Guilani and McCain: terrible and terrible
Thompson and Romney: so-so and so-so
Paul: good and good (but a moonbat on other issues)
Hunter and Tancredo: splendid and splendid.

31 posted on 12/14/2007 11:54:05 AM PST by Vigilanteman (Are there any men left in Washington? Or are there only cowards? Ahmad Shah Massoud)
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To: papasmurf
Anyone ever consider that the Huckster is the 3rd party candidate the Beast and her husband have been hoping for?

If Huck loses but has enough support to take the evangelicals with him, he could be the Manchurian Candidate for the Arkansas mafia. He would be perfect.

32 posted on 12/14/2007 11:54:05 AM PST by normy (Don't take it personally, just take it seriously.)
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To: ejonesie22

did dan** get ‘smarter’ and stop using screennames beginning with dan?


33 posted on 12/14/2007 11:54:16 AM PST by Servant of the Cross (the Truth will set you free)
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To: Yomin Postelnik

I may consider voting for Huckabee if he could do one simple task. Raise more money than Ron Paul.


34 posted on 12/14/2007 11:54:45 AM PST by Kuksool
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To: Yomin Postelnik; All
As for a campaign slogan, he’s got one, “I like Mike.” Something like that already worked form someone else who many talking heads once discounted because of his last name.

Well, then, it's all over folks. Who can beat logic like that /s!

35 posted on 12/14/2007 11:55:21 AM PST by bcsco ("The American Indians found out what happens when you don't control immigration.")
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To: dano1
Excellent column by Michael Reagan today. http://newsmax.com/reagan/romney_huckabee/2007/12/13/56858.html I disagree with him on Romney, who won't sit well with swing voters for the reasons I listed in the begining of the thread, but the rest is outstanding. His dad rubbed off on him.
36 posted on 12/14/2007 11:55:32 AM PST by Yomin Postelnik (Huckabee - The only conservative with a shot at it - and the best for general election swing votes)
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To: Yomin Postelnik
Hillary, Obama or even Silky Pony would crush Gomer Huckleberry like the Mayberry R.F.D. rube that he is! All three of them are trial lawyers, they’ll have the full weight of the DNC, Soros, the 527’s, the low popularity of the GOP, and the black & Hispanic vote, as well as the MSM on their side! How will Mike “Open Borders for Jesus” Huckabee fight all that? Answer: He won’t be able to, and he’ll go down like McGovern in 1972!! Please refute me with cogent arguments.
37 posted on 12/14/2007 11:55:58 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet (Your "dirt" on Fred is about as persuasive as a Nancy Pelosi Veteran's Day Speech)
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To: Yomin Postelnik
Governor Huckabee also realizes that the prison system is too harsh and needs reform. The current system not only makes career criminals out of non-violent offenders (as they’re exposed to harder and more violent crime) but is also a breeding ground for Islamic extremism, which recruits dejected inmates serving long sentences.

So that's his explanation for causing violent offenders to be released? Sorry, I'm not buying.

38 posted on 12/14/2007 11:56:21 AM PST by freespirited (I'm voting for the GOP nominee.)
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To: bcsco

It was based on analysis which I hope came through.


39 posted on 12/14/2007 11:56:43 AM PST by Yomin Postelnik (Huckabee - The only conservative with a shot at it - and the best for general election swing votes)
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To: Servant of the Cross

That’s priceless. My thoughts exactly.

May I use it?


40 posted on 12/14/2007 11:57:54 AM PST by papasmurf (FRed Thompson is head and shoulders above the rest. Vote for America, vote for FRed!)
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