Posted on 12/20/2007 5:37:55 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
WHEN Mike Huckabee went to Houston Tuesday to raise funds for his fast-rising, money-starved candidacy, a luncheon for the ordained Baptist minister was arranged by evangelical Christians. On hand was Judge Paul Pressler, a hero to Southern Baptist Convention reformers. But he was a non-paying guest who supports Fred Thompson for president.
Huckabee greeted Pressler warmly. That contrasted with Huckabee's anger two months ago when they saw each other in California. The Arkansas ex-governor took issue then with comments by Pressler that Huckabee had been a slacker in the war against secularists in the Baptist church.
Warmth in Texas and hostility in California reflects the dual personality of the pastor-politician: Huckabee can come over as either a Reagan or a Nixon. More than personality explains why not all his Baptist brethren have signed on the dotted line for Huckabee. He didn't join the "Conservative Resurgence" that successfully rebelled against liberals in the Southern Baptist Convention a generation ago.
Criticism from co-religionists stands apart from criticism of Huckabee's big-government, high-tax 10 years as governor. Because no GOP candidate since Pat Robertson in 1988 depends so much on support from evangelicals, opposition by fellow Southern Baptists is significant.
Huckabee's base is reflected by sponsors of Tuesday's fund-raiser at the Houston home of Dr. Steve Hotze, a leader in the highly conservative Christian Reconstruction movement. State Rep. Debbie Riddle was the only elected official on the host committee; David Welch is executive director of the Houston Area Pastor Council and entrepreneur J. Keet Lewis is an active Southern Baptist.
Better known is Baptist minister Rick Scarborough, founder of Vision America. In endorsing Huckabee on Nov. 1, Scarborough said, "I acknowledge that Huckabee is not the perfect candidate" but one "who will listen to wise counsel."
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Neither is this one.
I suspect that Huckabee is touting the Fair Tax purely as a campaign gimmick to burnish his ostensible conservative "cred". I doubt if in an interview with someone who is genuinely knowledgable about it that he could give a coherent explanation and analysis of it.
You aint a Baptist unless there is a split.
Who else is associated as Baptist? I have a great number of Baptist relatives and many more friends and the majority are Clintons supporters. NO I am not kidding!!!
Huckabee can't even get his own co-religionists behind him?
Uh-oh? What? Hillary can't even get all her own co-Methodists behind her?
Let's see these threads & media articles give equal time to all the faithful splits across the board...
Some other "so-called" Southern Baptists who received votes from church-going folks who didn't do their homework:
James Earl Carter
Albert Gore
Willard
Congress is not going to pass the Fair Tax or any other significant tax reform any time soon. The current system allows them to make beneficial adjustments to the tax code for major patrons and voting blocks.
Sure, Novak doesn't understand evangelicals. I do think it is news, given the image of evangelicals choosing a candidate and voting somewhat as a block (as done since 1976), that there is such a split.
Frankly, on the surface, I am surprised. Given Huckabee's record and stances, probably I am not surprised so much. If there is any surprise, it is why conservatives, including many of my close friends, would even consider him.
That would explain a Baptist supporting Hillary.
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