COMMENTARY: The Huckabee Phenomenon and the fall of the old 'religious right'

Catholic Online ^ | 1/4/2008

[11th_VA]

LOS ANGELES (Catholic Online) - First, it was Larry Sabato and then it was Rush Limbaugh. Sabato is the Robert Kent Gooch Professor of Politics of the Center for Politics at the University of at the University of Virginia.

[LightBeam]

Defying the Supreme Court and sending Marshall's to shut down abortion clinics for "murder" with Roe v. Wade on the books will only get your hypothetical President impeached and removed from office and a hard core abortion advocate in the White House.

Congress can only impeach the President for committing High Crimes and Misdemeanors. Enforcing laws against murder is not a High Crime or Misdemeanor. If Congress attempts to impeach a President for enforcing the law, then Congress itself is in violation of the law. Also, waving "Roe v. Wade" around isn't going to help you. Roe v. Wade is an ILLEGAL decision by the USSC, because it legalizes murder, which is against Common Law of both Man and God.

Besides, the President answers to a Higher Authority than just the Supreme Court or Congress -- or even the Constitution.

You would rather keep abortion on demand legal in all 50 states for decades to come just so that you can claim moral superiority for taking a path that is doomed to failure but is “holier than thou”.

No, I would rather the President of the United States use his God-given powers as Chief LEO of the Nation to ban abortion in all 50 states simultaneously. It can be done and only hasn't been done because our political class have forgotten the Christian roots of our nation over the past hundred years or so.

In the end, what makes you think that Florida would go one way or the other? If the daughter in Miami or Mobile has to travel to Maryland for the nearest abortion clinic, she might stop to wonder if the trip is really worth it and might start thinking that it would be a gift of life to keep that baby.

The specifics of where abortion will be illegal (and I can assure you it will be widespread) is immaterial to the fact that abortions will be happening under government approval and sanction. Its pointless to stop 100 abortions a year in South Dakota while there are 1 million a year in New York -- with full "legal" protections. It would be like Lincoln outlawing slavery in a state with no slaves, while leaving the South untouched.

Likewise, "letting the states decide" will give people the illusion that the issue has been settled.

The point is, we can't have one state outlaw murder while allowing another state to "legalize" it. Its for that reason that the President may -- no, the President MUST -- act decisively to close down murder-factories that operate in the United States. Barring that, a Human Life Amendment is the only other viable answer. However, a HLA means delay -- and while its delayed in Congress and the States (assuming that it would even be passed) more babies are being murdered. Thats an unacceptable delay.

The sad thing is, there may not be enough votes to outlaw abortion forever here in the US. If that is the case, my original point stands: the President make take whatever means necessary to safeguard and protect the lives of his citizens. Human Life is not to be decided at the ballot box.

[RetiredArmy]

Jesse Jackson is a Christian

Jessie Jackson is no Christian. He is a race pimp war lord. He never went to a bible college, nor was ordained as a minister. He made himself one by getting up in a church and running his mouth. He is no more a minister than Algore is.

[LightBeam]

They need to remember that nowhere in the Bible did Christ scrap His ministry to travel to Rome and demand the Senate arrest everyone not following His teachings.

Spoken like a true ACLUist. "Oh you silly Christians, just go back to your churches and be quiet about all the sin around you. Don't bother trying to change anything. Just shut up and do what Cesear tells you!"

So do you think that Christ would have nothing to say about abortion and homosexuality? Do you think he would be fine with those perversions being legal and accepted? Actually, He talks quite a bit about both in the Old Testament. He says that the penalty for both is death. Do you think He's changed his mind since then? Or have we changed ours?

[Domandred]

Supposedly people voted for Huckabee because he is pro-life. Well so is Fred Thompson, but Thompson only came in third and not a 10% leading first.

Supposedly people voted for Huckabee because he is a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment. Well so is Fred Thompson, but Thompson only came in third and not a 10% leading first.

Supposedly people voted for Huckabee because he is for changing the tax code. Well so is Fred Thompson, but Thompson only came in third and not a 10% leading first. I don’t think this was a big voter decision issue but whatever it’s there.

After those three issues Huckabee really has nothing, that’s all he’s got. Fred Thompson is the real conservative in the race (yes Duncan Hunter too, but I’m holding out for a Thompson/Hunter ticket).

Even if someone is voting single issue on pro-life they still have Fred to go to, guess Fred just isn’t Christian enough. Every issue that Huck is conservative on Fred Thompson (or someone else) is also conservative on.

I submit that a large portion of people voted for Huckabee because he is a Baptist Minister and not because of his actual stances. Past pro-life and Baptist Minister a lot of people didn’t even ask.

Welcome to the Carter Part Deux: The GOP Edition.

Of course my State the GOP nominee will pretty much already be chosen before I get to vote (May GOP primaries in Idaho...WTF).

[VirginiaConstitutionalist]

Actually I’m a lifelong and active Southern Baptist. The difference between us is I didn’t take a look at the Taliban and think “Heeeeey, pretty cool idea.” I take my faith seriously. I don’t need a massive central federal government to force moral behavior on me at the point of a gun. I choose it freely.

Again, please direct me to the chapter in the Bible where Christ commands His followers to stop evangelizing, move to Rome, lobby the Senate and instead just have the government arrest everyone not following His teachings.

So I take it in addition to demanding the government execute homosexuals you’re also advocating the arrest and imprisonment of people who have sex outside of marriage and look at naked women?

[Eva]

Yes, saying that he is a Christian does cover a lot of issues, but not necessarily the issues that should be considered in a political election.

For instance, Huckabee’s support of marriage act does not necessarily preclude civil unions. I can see Huckabee interpreting his “do unto others” and forgive the sinner, philosophy to acquiesce to the demand for civil unions.

[VirginiaConstitutionalist]

Spoken like a true ACLUist. "Oh you silly Christians, just go back to your churches and be quiet about all the sin around you. Don't bother trying to change anything. Just shut up and do what Cesear tells you!"

Actually that comment perfectly crystallizes the mindset of the lazy Christian. Just like liberals, they see a problem (sinful culture) and rather than commit any personal effort to solving it (personal witness) they resort to brute government force.

They then comfort themselves my telling themselves that Christ was an advocate of massive state force and earthly police powers, despite the fact He saved souls not by having the Roman Senate crucify those who don't follow, but by witnessing to them and telling them how much He loved them.

They miss the irony in supposedly worshipping someone murdered by the goverment at the behest of political activists for defying religious teachings (the Pharisees) by demanding that the government enforce their own beliefs through earthly law.

[Domandred]

Romney v McCain v Huckabee race, Romney is BY FAR the most acceptable qualified and credible candidate.

I'll give you qualified for sure, not convinced on his credibility though. Too many recent politically expedient changes.

[Polybius]

Congress can only impeach the President for committing High Crimes and Misdemeanors. Enforcing laws against murder is not a High Crime or Misdemeanor. If Congress attempts to impeach a President for enforcing the law, then Congress itself is in violation of the law. Also, waving "Roe v. Wade" around isn't going to help you. Roe v. Wade is an ILLEGAL decision by the USSC, because it legalizes murder, which is against Common Law of both Man and God.

And who decides what is the supreme law of the land is in the United States of America?

The U.S. Constitution or anybody like you who decides that their personal views trump the U.S. Constitution?

Whether you like it or not, the system of check and balances of the U.S. Constitution has legalized abortion in the U.S. for the time being and nothing short of a Constitutional Amendment (a political impossibility in today's America whether the Amendment is pro or con) or changing the make up of the Supreme Court will alter that legal fact.

Besides, the President answers to a Higher Authority than just the Supreme Court or Congress -- or even the Constitution.

All your ramblings about what you personally believe is or is not the law and that the law is meaningless when it conflicts with your religious beliefs is nothing more that anarchist bloviating.

If you really believe that abortion is legally murder in the U.S., then you I would suggest you stop wasting your time on the Internet and, instead, file a murder complaint against your nearest abortion clinic.

You have an obligation to Higher Authority to do that.

Get back to us on how far you get with that at the District Attorney's Office.

[the808bass]

“It’s that he’s wrong.”

About?

[hinckley buzzard]

are also compassionate and see government as a tool not a master.

Self-appointed "compassionate" people who feel entitled to use the "government as a tool" to advance their personal moral agendas have historically given rise to tyranny and are among those most to be feared by a free people.

[hinckley buzzard]

If Huckaboom wins the nomination, it won’t be because he is a evangelical

Among Iowa republicans who identify themselves as "not evangelical Christians", Huckabee got 14%, about the same as McCain and Thompson. Not exactly "connecting with the larger portion of the electorate."

[Juan Medén]

First of all, what do you mean by “self-appointed” compassionate people? Since when does compassion require an appointment of any kind? Either you feel compassion or you don’t. If you mean to say that their compassion is misguided, that is another issue.

Secondly, all those who govern use government as a tool, whether it is a conservative who uses government to pare down the federal bureaucracy or a liberal who uses it to subsidize social programs. Government is a tool for governance, plain and simple. It is an instrument for achieving a desired end. It is going to be used by someone. It just depends on by whom and for what ends.

In the same way, all those who govern, govern according to their morals. To expect them to do otherwise is ludicrous. You may agree or disagree with the morals of those who govern but to think that you can elect governors that are moraless or, even worse, amoral is misguided. Abraham Lincoln was guided by his morals. Ronald Reagan was guided by his morals. A leader who has strong moral conviction around those principles which are essential to good government are about as far from tyrants as you can get and will always get my vote.

[Dante3]

Exactly.

Huckabee is a left-wing Christian who supports amnesty and perks for illegal aliens. His agenda includes rewarding those who break the law. He is also uninformed on many issues.

[LightBeam]

Again, please direct me to the chapter in the Bible where Christ commands His followers to stop evangelizing, move to Rome, lobby the Senate and instead just have the government arrest everyone not following His teachings.

You're being dishonest. Christ never commanded those specific things, and you know that, but you also know that Christ has commanded his followers to keep the Law and that It is Holy. I find it hard to believe that one can be a Southern Baptist and reject the Old Testament to a point where you're okay with allowing sin to pollute the land.

So I take it in addition to demanding the government execute homosexuals you’re also advocating the arrest and imprisonment of people who have sex outside of marriage and look at naked women?

Yes I would be very much in favor of such laws. Those laws against adultery and pornography were happily upheld for a great majority of our nation's history. They were also understood to be crimes punishable by the Christian State throughout Christian history as well. The problem is that you've bought into the modernist, secular culture that says God has no place in society.

Well, he does, and it's at the very top.

[LightBeam]

And who decides what is the supreme law of the land is in the United States of America?

God, as revealed in His Word. And not just in the United States, but everywhere and at all times.

All your ramblings about what you personally believe is or is not the law and that the law is meaningless when it conflicts with your religious beliefs is nothing more that anarchist bloviating.

But it doesn't conflict with *my* religious beliefs -- it conflicts with the Will of God.

The problem here, as I see it, is that you believe your "rights" come from a document called the US Constitution. And its true, the document in question does outline a number of rights -- rights that are endowed by the Judeo-Christian God. Our Founding Fathers understood that the concept of "rights" is meaningless in a godless universe. In such a universe, you would have the same "right" to life, liberty and happiness as a frog -- or even a tree -- that is to say, no "right" at all.

Our rights come from God, and not just "God" as a concept, but the God of the Old and New Testament. He is the final arbiter of what is "right" and "wrong" -- since He Himself defines both right and wrong by his very whim.

He has also revealed to us, through His Word, that certain crimes (abortion, homosexuality, devil worship, witchcraft, etc.) are abominations and are not to be tolerated under any circumstances. If the US Supreme Court and my local DA office disagree, it's because they're wrong. Even if the US Constitution disagrees with God (which, in its original, "un-spun" version it doesn't) then the Constitution would be wrong as well.

God's Will has been revealed clearly and without hindrance through His Word. If our national leaders continue to deny Him, then I truly fear for the future of our country.

[Checkers]

“Huckabee is about to have them. That’s what winning does for you in politics.”

Huck only raised 350k overnight. That’s not a lot for coming in first in IOWA.

[firebrand]

Um, that was the parable of the talents. Parable. I hope you were joking.

[firebrand]

“Uninformed on many issues” is a bit of an understatement. He apparently doesn’t even read the newspapers.

[firebrand]

I noticed that too. Among Iowa Republicans who do not identify themselves as evangelicals, he lost 2-1.