Will Huckabee's campaign encourage evangelicals to vote for a Democrat? (MUST READ)

The Christian Science Monitor ^ | February 4, 2008 | Brett Grainger

[2ndDivisionVet]

By far, the most significant story of the 2008 Republican primaries has been the unlikely candidacy of Mike Huckabee and his_single-handed_resuscitation of Christian conservatives as a force to be reckoned with in the Republican_Party. Yet, regardless of how he fares on Super_Tuesday_and_beyond, Mr. Huckabee will perhaps be best remembered as the man who, however unintentionally, helped persuade evangelicals to vote a Democrat into the White House in 2008 – and possibly in future races, as well.

Since the 1970s, conventional_wisdom has held that evangelicals are driven by a single-minded_concern with defending "moral values," while mainline Protestants focus on issues of social and economic justice. Huckabee has helped crack that old chestnut – and suddenly, the GOP is having a harder time standing for "God's Own Party."

While an orthodox Republican on "gays, guns, and God," Huckabee made his mark by presenting himself as a different type of Christian conservative. His campaign website devotes as much space to arguing for the need to increase funding for the arts, protect the environment, fight poverty, and reform healthcare as it does to the fight against abortion and gay marriage. And though he was forced to toughen his stand on immigration_and government spending, his record as governor of Arkansas, where he raised taxes and granted in-state tuition rates to the children of illegal immigrants, speaks for itself.

For such temerity, Huckabee has been slammed by his GOP colleagues as "liberal." Rush Limbaugh accused him of engaging in "class_warfare"; The Wall Street Journal said it's fair to call him a tribune of the "religious left." But in breaking from the conservative mold, Huckabee is following tracks laid by the National Association of Evangelicals, which last year incited a civil war among evangelical leaders by broadening its political agenda to include issues such as climate change.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Can we afford more of President Bush's "compassionate conservatism" writ large.

[MNJohnnie]

While an orthodox Republican on "gays, guns, and God," Huckabee made his mark by presenting himself as a different type of Christian conservative. His campaign website devotes as much space to arguing for the need to increase funding for the arts, protect the environment, fight poverty, and reform healthcare as it does to the fight against abortion and gay marriage. And though he was forced to toughen his stand on immigration_and government spending, his record as governor of Arkansas, where he raised taxes and granted in-state tuition rates to the children of illegal immigrants, speaks for itself.

And you call Romney a flip flopper?

[elizabetty]

I wonder how many thinking Baptists cringe every time that foul mouthed, uncouth, petty, arrogant little man opens his mouth?

[2ndDivisionVet]

Their number is legion, I’m sure.

[MNJohnnie]

While an orthodox Republican on "gays, guns, and God," Huckabee made his mark by presenting himself as a different type of Christian conservative. His campaign website devotes as much space to arguing for the need to increase funding for the arts, protect the environment, fight poverty, and reform healthcare as it does to the fight against abortion and gay marriage. And though he was forced to toughen his stand on immigration_and government spending, his record as governor of Arkansas, where he raised taxes and granted in-state tuition rates to the children of illegal immigrants, speaks for itself.

And you people are worried Romney will betray you?

[CindyDawg]

No, this isn’t quit true. If a Democrat wins then the Republican fiscal elites and the RNC can take a bow. We were told basically to shut up and vote for who we were told (Rudy) or run our own candidate. Shrug. You would have thought 2006 would have opened some eyes.

[grandpa jones]

Yup.

Whenever Mitt Romney has run for office, his public positions on the issues of the day have been in general agreement with the voter base whose approval he was seeking. In Massachusetts he was pro-choice, then pro-life, then pro-choice, then pro-life again. He was even more pro-gay rights than Ted Kennedy, for strict gun-control laws, for affirmative action, against the Boy Scouts’ policy on homosexual scoutmasters, for what he now calls “amnesty” for illegal immigrants, and against the Bush tax cuts. How can he have changed his mind on all of those issues and others so soon after deciding to run for the Republican presidential nomination? Link

[Hoodat]

Huckabee made his mark by presenting himself as a different type of Christian conservative.

This 'different type' of conservative is commonly know as 'non-conservative.

[coramdeo]

Huckabee is irrelevant, he just doesn't realize it.

It has been interesting to watch his increasingly bizarre and nasty attacks on Mitt and the conservatives who are supporting him. The last two days would raise a serious question about Huckabee's mental stability - especially his attack on Sean Hannity, in which every single factual allegation he made was false.

[CindyDawg]

Have you listened to him speak? I have and there was no reason to cringe. However some of the posts here attacking him are foul mouthed, uncouth, petty and what else...oh yeah arrogant and I have cringed.

[Leisler]

"And you people are worried Romney will betray you?"

No, I'm dead certain comfortable that Mitt will betray. It's not even a issue.

[Ron in Acreage]

The author is nuts. Evangelicals are not going to run into the arms of the abortionists party. Not now, not ever.

[MNJohnnie]

Vote for Huckabee or Paul and this is who your candidate will be. Mr "raise the national gas tax $ .50 so we can fight the myth global warming and massively damage our economy while the rest of the world laughs at our economic stupidity and gullibility" McCain. Maybe you all will get lucky and McCain will pick Huckabee for his VP and you can get the tax hike AND Huckabee's Big Nanny State Nation Wide Smoking ban!;

Boy won't that be a great team. Next International Crises McCain will form a commission headed by Huckabee who will apologies for the USA existing then organize our surrender!

Pretty high price to pay simply because some of you are hysterically afraid of a Mormon. Well better a Mormon then a moron in the White House. Right now those are our only two choices.

[elizabetty]

Have you listened to him speak? I have and there was no reason to cringe.

Of course I have, have you?

You are not offended by a man who wants to be President of the United states saying things like, "where to put the poll" "Fred is constipated," "political puberty" etc?

If not, why not?

[mnehring]

I need another drink.

[Eric Blair 2084]

Sometimes, left wing Big Government is very accomodating to social conservatives who want to use the power of government to advance an agenda. That's what the left is for.

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1,500,000,000 rounds of posts, arguments, insults, cheesy graphics, name calling, and ad hominem personal attacks that pass as debate for the FUTURE OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY!

"Introducing first, to my right, fighting out of the red corner, wearing their Sunday best with a gold crucifix...weighing in at 810 and 1/4 pounds...the social conservatives, the religious right, the champions of family values...from the Southern States...The Evangelicals!" (wild applause)

"And in the blue corner, wearing an off the rack suit, Goldwater ’64 lapel pin and a belt 2 sizes too small...weighing in at 141 pounds soaking wet...the fiscal conservatives, the last champions of limited government...from the Western States...The Libertarians!" (wild applause)

Chapter 1: Live From the Reagan Building

[Tennessee Nana]

The Christian Science Monitor ???

Scientology ???

You listening to Tom Cruise now ???

[cookcounty]

"Have you listened to him speak? I have and there was no reason to cringe."

I cringed.

I heard the after-debate interview in which he said he thought it a good possibility that the WMD of Iraq are being secretly held by the (generally pro-American) King of Jordan. Very wierd. Very ignorant.

[Tennessee Nana]

I wonder how many thinking Baptists cringe every time that foul mouthed, uncouth, petty, arrogant little man opens his mouth?
__________________________________________

Probably about the same percentage of thinking mormons who cringe every time that foul mouthed, uncouth, petty, arrogant little man, RINO Romney, opens his mouth

[ElPatriota]

... moving to the Democrats?...

... No, but we - Social-Conservatives of all kinds, religious and non-religious - should consider a separate block, if not a third party, just like Blacks do...

The DemoCrapas made a choice to be the party of evil and inmoratlity, so that is not an option. On the Republican side, many of our 'fiscal/Economic' conservatives have a viceral anthypaty of anything that has to do with religion or social values, as we have seen with all their venun toward Huck... So why not just serparate?... Many countries have many parties... and I can see why. What is the point of kidding ourselves we all belong together?