Posted on 10/26/2007 8:37:20 AM PDT by pookie18
In some quarters, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee appears to be the flavor-of-the-month Republican candidate for president. Given his folksy charm, social conservative credentials, and embrace by the mainstream media, it is not surprising that some are increasingly enamored with him. But this flirtation does a great disservice to the conservative movement if it overlooks Huckabee’s stunning record of big-government liberalism.
During Huckabee’s tenure as governor, the average Arkansan’s tax burden increased 47 percent, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. A dyed-in-blue tax hiker, Huckabee supported raising sales taxes, gas taxes, grocery taxes, even nursing home bed taxes. He virulently opposed a congressional moratorium on taxing Internet access, and sat on the sidelines while his Democratic legislature pushed the largest tax hike in Arkansas history into law. What’s more, on his watch, and frequently at his behest, state spending increased by 50 percent, more than double the rate of inflation, and the number of state government workers rose by 20 percent. Yes, as a presidential candidate, Huckabee has signed on as a supporter of the Fair Tax and pledged against raising taxes, but when a candidate’s long and clear record flies in the face of his election-year symbolism, you can chalk it up to politics every time.
Of course, there is little actual chance of Huckabee winning the presidency — at least not in 2008. Notwithstanding his improved polling in Iowa, Huckabee isn’t really running for president — not with a near empty campaign treasury. Rather, the second iteration of the Man from Hope is trying to parlay his social conservative credentials and aw-shucks congeniality into the vice-presidential nomination next year. Before conservatives jump on that train, however, they should consider the likelihood that the presence of such a big government backer on the ticket would hurt the party’s prospects more than it helps.
In 2006, Republicans suffered a severe lashing at the polls in retaliation for years of out-of-control spending and government expansion. In the final days before last year’s elections, the Club for Growth commissioned a poll among voters in the 15 most competitive congressional districts across the country. The results showed a remarkable and painful erosion of the Republicans’ fiscal branding among these key swing voters.
For example, we asked voters whether they agreed or disagreed with the following statement: “The Republicans used to be the party of economic growth, fiscal discipline, and limited government, but in recent years, too many Republicans in Washington have become just like the big spenders that they used to oppose.” Sixty-six percent of voters in these key districts agreed with the statement, including 72 percent of Independents.
In order to earn back the public’s trust on economic issues, not to mention offer a compelling contrast with a Hillary Clinton-led Democratic ticket, Republicans must present a consistent message. A big-government liberal like Mike Huckabee, who takes pleasure in attacking the Republican party as the “party of Wall Street,” will only reinforce the image of Republicans as “the big spenders that they used to oppose.” A Huckabee nomination, even as vice president, will make it impossible for the Republican party to reclaim its brand of fiscal conservatism and limited government, without which it cannot be a majority party again.
Huckabee makes no secret of his desire to turn the GOP leftward, calling himself a “different kind of Republican,” adopting protectionist positions, and peppering his campaign speeches with the kind of class warfare rhetoric one expects to hear from John Edwards. No doubt, this is the reason that the liberal media is so smitten with him.
Instead of talking about curtailing government spending, Huckabee refuses to endorse President Bush’s veto of a vastly expanded S-CHIP. He is an unabashed fan of No Child Left Behind and an opponent of private school choice. Huckabee is also quickly becoming the labor unions’ favorite Republican, recently gaining a union endorsement along with Hillary Clinton.
In frontrunners Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, and Mitt Romney, the GOP is well on its way to nominating a candidate for president with a strong fiscal record. Each of them would provide a great opportunity for the GOP to reestablish its vitally important brand as the party of pro-growth tax policy and smaller and more affordable government. But no Republican presidential candidate can effectively claim that mantle with Mike Huckabee standing by his side.
Beyond those currently running for president, the eventual nominee has any number of strong across-the-board conservative prospects for vice president to choose from within the GOP ranks. Surely, he can do so without assuming the tax-and-spend baggage Mike Huckabee would bring.
In 2006, Republicans paid a steep price for big-government conservatism’s record-setting domestic spending spree. That is a lesson we should take to heart as we consider the choices facing us in 2008.
— Pat Toomey is the president and CEO of the Club for Growth.
Actually it was:
McCain, ronpaul,Giuliani, Huckabee...
transparent to us because we view politics as a contact participation sport.
The 85 year old viewer of CBS TV, (remote control TV is for you lazy good for nothing kids!) who is still waiting for walter cronkite to come back from vacation who is going to do what the MSM tells them should be done.
My ticket would be Romney/Thompson.
I don’t care for Huckabee. He supports the “fair” tax, a national sales tax. Bad idea.
IMHO, it is time for the Republican primary to get down to a small number of contestants. We need to remember that, most unfortunately, FR does not represent the majority of registered Republican voters and many Pubbie voters are swayed by the MSM. Our candidate has to win both here and out there.
There are many influential media voices that are backing Rooty and they are successfully swaying uninformed voters. You can also see how the media has 'promoted' several different candidates at various times, Huckabee the latest, McCain always & Rudy as a sly strategy. The MSM (and Hillary) are salavating over Rooty being the Republican nominee. Our job is to first defeat the Trojan Horse (Rooty) within our own camp so that we can be prepared to defeat the Hildebeast storming the castle next year. This cause will not be successful if the team is not united in defeating Rooty.
We can't afford to dilute this battle to beat Rooty any longer. Toomey effectively argues against Huckabee. L Ron, Trancredo, Keyes and McCain eliminate themselves. Duncan (God love him) Hunter just will not be able to break out above 5%. That leaves Fred and Romney to face off against Rooty. I like Fred's chances a whole lot.
Flame suit on.
If by several you mean under 2 1/2 months, or about 70 days. That might mean "forever" or it might mean "too late" in politics.
Hard for me to imagine the super-rich and connected Romney accepting the No. 2 slot.
Probably earlier, if absentee balloting is allowed. Is it in NH and Iowa?
the power players are using the MSM to vote split.
Huckabee surges just in time to split Thompsons support.
(when he has no money left too.)
A goober that will not allow thompson to pull out the red pickup caravan.
It is all about message manipulation.
AND NOW we have Giuliani puff stories to make him look tough?
FNC even had GERALDO(!) saying he drove Giuliani around town! (what next Geraldo saying Giuliani, John Lennon and he were zipping around town in a vw bus)
FNC channel has truly jumped the shark on their Giuliani support. They are even having a PRO-abortion special with the anecdotes of women who chose abortions. (copying the homosexual style anecdote stories during the marriage amendment debates.)
Well, since that is not the case, who do you see as our viable candidate circa later March 2008?
I’m supporting Fred, but if he doesn’t make it I’m voting for the Republican nominee...
As long as that oil painting of Romney in the attic holds out, Romney will be the same age in eight years...
Libertarians are kind of like Democrats that don't want the government to do anything for them.
They tend to be the closest you can get to being anarchists while still coming together in a political movement.
They are every bit as susceptible to irrational conspiracy theories as the radical left.
Democrats want the government involved in most everything. Libertarians want the government involved in almost nothing.
Democrats want the government to engage people and other nations in dialog. Libertarians want the government to shut up and go away.
The more radical parts of the Democratic Party often seem to be more libertarian than Democrat. The Democrat politicians that appeal to them seem to seem to be overtly in sincere in their support for individual freedom, yet their followers don't seem to care.
Libertarians seem to be much more consistent, if not more rational.
The early voting seems to keep changing. Here’s what Wiki says at the moment:
Dates
Republican candidates in the 2008 U.S. presidential election will campaign for the nomination from their party. The tentative timeline is as follows, with the number of delegates awarded for each state in parentheses:
Phase One: Early Primaries and Caucuses
Thursday, January 3, 2008 - Iowa (41)
Saturday, January 5, 2008 - Wyoming (12 of 28)
That's akin to saying that Mormons are kind of like San Franciscans that don't want to consume drugs, denounce God, and sodomize one another senseless in broad daylight on public streets.
“Well he probably is just a hair to the left of him, but they both have proved themselves as lefties.”
Giulianni, Romney, Thompson and McCain are also to the left of George W Bush.
“Libertarians are kind of like Democrats that don’t want the government to do anything for them.”
They are Democrats that like guns and don’t want to pay taxes.
“Someone tell me how Toomey is any less sold out than Mike Huckabee.”
How so? Toomey is president of Club for Growth who are for low taxes, limited government and fiscal responsibility. I like the Club. For that matter, who has Huckabee sold out to? You may not like either with valid reasons but its bad enough that we cons attack each other during the primaries. We should keep it honest.
Huckabee is a cross between Bill Clinton and G.W.B. He’s being pushed forward for two reasons. He’s a Southern Governor with strong social conservative credentials. And he’s liberal on damn near everything else, but he’s just soooo charming (like Clinton) we’re not supposed to notice.
Well, if people haven’t noticed yet there are going to.
Just as Rudy is unacceptable for his social positions (among other issues), Huckbee is not acceptable because he’s right on only one issue. Both men will turn away a segment of the GOP that is crucial to winning elections. Two groups turned 41 out on his ear in ‘92 aside from blue dogs/Indy’s. they were the social conservatives (new world order) and the fiscal conservatives/libertarians (read my lips).
While Toomey is right on Huckabee, he’s wrong on Rudy. And while Christians are right on Rudy, they are wrong about Huckabee. Time to turn both of them loose from contention.
Explain how Thompson is to the Left of G.W.B., except, perhaps on the marriage issue.
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