Posted on 12/04/2007 12:36:01 PM PST by pissant
Pretty much. Here’s what he said:
MIKE HUCKABEE: I’ve been to Guantanamo, I was there, I guess it’s been about a year and a half ago. I think the problem with Guantanamo is not in that its facilities are inadequate. It’s the symbol that it represents. It’s clearly become a symbol to the rest of the world as a place that has become problematic for us as a nation. I was quite frankly impressed with the quality of the facilities and even the attention to care that was given to the detainees, but that aside, it doesn’t alter that Guantanamo to the rest of the world is a symbol that is not in our best interests to continue pursuing.
Never mind the fact it’s been a valuable source of information. No, he thinks it’s a bad symbol, so it should now be closed.
After the Iowa poll showed that Republican voters like him but found him much less “presidential” and “electable” than Romney, Huckabee sought to build his foreign policy credentials, meeting with a group of retired generals who are in Des Moines to urge the 2008 candidates to commit to opposing torture. After the meeting, Huckabee joined Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in declaring his opposition to the interrogation procedure known as “waterboarding,” and said he would support closing the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a contrast with the other leading Republicans.
Bryan:
That paragraph suggests that you’re easily swayed by a single meeting on important issues that have been before the American people for years…
My take: He’s putting symbolism over substance and putting worldwide condemnation ahead of the security realities. Those are not good qualities in a commander in chief who’ll lead a country that was globally envied and reviled long before the war even started.
Paul Mirengoff:
I suspect that Huckabee required little lobbying. Waterboarding and long-term detention aren’t very “Christian”; they merely keep terrorists out of action and, in special circumstances enable us to find out where we’re going to be attacked next and/or where we can find those who are planning the next attacks. But if Huckabee actually did reach his position based on the views of a handful of generals, and without consulting the people actually charged with protecting this country from terrorists, then he’s even less qualified to be president than I suspect.
With any luck, this will be the end of Huck’s presidential chances.
I doubt it'll have much effect. Huckabee's most serious wound, strangely unknown to most Republican voters, is the Wayne Dumond case. It makes Romney's Espanol gardeners and Giuliani's mistress deductions look about as offensive as using a toothpick at the dinner table.
It might seem so, but I have my doubts. A lot of polls show that illegal immigration tops the list of GOP voter concerns. Yet, we saw Huckabee stand right on that CNN debate stage and declare he would grant college scholarships to illegal aliens. The result? He surges in the Iowa polls. It's crazy.
So Huckabee is a social metaphysician who confuses the opinions of others rather than reality and reason as the standard of truth.
It would be interesting if we had a new poll up to see what this does to the Dope from Hope’s numbers here on FR. He’s at 16.7% right now, I bet he’ll be in single digits after this.
That is my preference too, but I doubt that we will be so lucky.
The rest of the world didn’t like George Bush, either, Huckie. Plus a lot of them don’t like our TV shows, movies, and think hamburgers are disgusting. Let’s make ourselves into the Euro-image then.
VOTE HUCKABEE: THE HETERO-LOOKING JOHN KERRY
Like Rudy, the more people know about him the less likely they are to support him.
Excellent point.
Because Huckleberry Hound was NOT discussing Guantanamo in a logical WOT American perspective, that’s why. Our military and leaders can discuss many aspects of Gitmo. Huck actually said we should reconsider it ON THE BASIS OF WHAT OTHER COUNTRIES THINK. A la Kerry, le choix francais.
SAY NO TO HUCKABEE!
bingo
it’s very similar to what romney said about not appointing a muslim to his cabinet because there’s not enough representation in the population
“....but that aside, it doesn’t alter that Guantanamo to the rest of the world is a symbol that is not in our best interests to continue pursuing.”
Contrasted with the “....I will not apologize for the United States of America..” heard in the last debate.
Hey, I wonder if Huck would also agree that the Twin Towers were a symbol of our wealth and prosperity that weren’t worth pursuing. Or the Pentagon - a symbol of our military strength that isn’t worth pursuing?
Is Rudy really the frontrunner? It seems that he’s losing in all the primary polls. I know that he’s running first in national polls, but that’s not how we’re picking our nominee.
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