Some reports have alleged that there is a floating white cross in the ad. The candidate says it is simply the outline of a bookshelf. Donahue suggested it was some form of subliminal message to evangelicals in Iowa.
Donahue, the president of the Catholic League and an ardent defender of Christmas in what he believes is a secular "war" against the holiday, told hosts of the Fox and Friends morning program that the ad had gone too far."The whole idea is to give the appearance of a cross," he said, "and this is just injecting religion into politics even too far for guys like me."
Asked if the ad was "too much," Donahue said it was.
"Because there's a pattern here," he added. "Every other word out of [Huckabee's] mouth is that 'I'm Christian.' He's calling into question Romney's Mormonism...let people talk about their faith, but don't sell it on your sleeve."
Added Donahue, "Yeah, I believe in freedom of speech and freedom of religion, but don't become a salesman. Don't hawk it like that on the street."
The Catholic League president suggested that Huckabee was relying on his faith too heavily as a campaign tactic.
"If it was just the Christmas ad, I wouldn't have one complaint about it," he said. "But when you juxtapose that with all these other kinds of things, there's a subliminal message there, and it's all done intentionally...what he's trying to say to the evangelicals in Western Iowa is 'I'm the real thing.'"
"You know what?" concluded Donahue. "Sell yourself on your issues, not on what your religion is."
I don’t understand why the Catholic League would be upset over this. It’s not like it was a crucifix.
Donahue is probably upset because it is a Protestant cross rather than a Catholic one with a dead Jesus hanging from it.
I’ll vote for a “Catholic” when ont that’s pro-life runs. I love Rick Santorum. Mike Huckabee isn’t pretending to be a Christian, he was a Baptist Minister. The Baptists are one of the most democratic (small c) denominations.
I cannot believe us grownups are concerned about such nonsense. This is political season and one can read anything into any of these ads. Check them all out and then let your imagination go to work. Every ad has intended and unintended messages - so be it.
I just checked out the Catholic League’s web site. Apparently, Donohue was only expressing a personal opinion that he thinks Huckabee’s ad is corny (which it is). The Catholic League has issued no statement.