Posted on 12/03/2007 10:04:42 AM PST by Eric Blair 2084
snip
On the Republican side, Mike Huckabee's candidacy rests on serial non sequiturs: I am a Christian, therefore I am a conservative, therefore whatever I have done or propose to do with "compassionate," meaning enlarged, government is conservatism. And by the way, anything I denote as a "moral" issue is beyond debate other than by the uncaring forces of greed.
His is a moralist's version of the intellectual vanity once ascribed to Oxford's Benjamin Jowett:
My name is Jowett
Of Balliol College;
If I don't know it,
It is not knowledge.
Many Iowans think it would be wise to nominate a candidate who, when the Republicans were asked during a debate to raise their hands if they do not believe in evolution, raised his. But, then, Huckabee believes America can be energy independent in 10 years, so he has peculiar views about more than paleontology.
Huckabee combines pure moralism with incoherent populism: He wants Washington to impose a nationwide ban on smoking in public, show more solicitude for Americans of modest means and impose more protectionism, thereby raising the cost of living for Americans of modest means.
Although Huckabee is considered affable, two subliminal but clear enough premises of his Iowa attack on Mitt Romney are unpleasant: The almost 6 million American Mormons who consider themselves Christians are mistaken about that. And - 55 million non-Christian Americans should take note - America must have a Christian president.
snip
If Huckabee succeeds in derailing Romney's campaign by raising a religious test for presidential eligibility, that will be clarifying: In one particular, America was more enlightened a century ago.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Further thoughts on this theme ...
Fact: Romney governed more conservatively than Huckabee.
Examples: Huckabee wanted in-state tuition for illegals, Romney vetoed it. Huckabee solved a budget crunch with sales tax increase; Romney cut taxes and spending during budget crunch.
Romney’s shifts on positions have been no larger than the Huckabee “I-was-for-DREAM-Act-but-now-I’m-a-maybe-on-it” dance, or any other number of issues. Yes, it is scary to see “compassionate conservatism II” in action because we got the GOP majority derailed on 3 simple issues - competence/corruption, spending, illegal immigration. AND WHERE IS HUCKABEE MOST WEAK? All 3!!
The big picture point is this - Romney is running more conservatively for President than Huckabee on these issues because that’s how he intends to govern as President.
Romney is better than Huck on exactly those issues where our compassionate conservatism has hurt us.
Because I think he's a left-leaning moderate. His political career, lobbying career and his alliances all paint him as a moderate who will grow government as a status quo candidate.
FRed will be the next George W. Bush - a strong leader against the Islamic threat and a huge disappointment to conservatives who are desperate to see limits placed on the size and scope of the federal government.
His down-home way is appealing, and the one time I met him I liked him very much. But I think there's a track record of supporting initiatives that grow government.
There are only two good conservatives in this race, and I don't think either of them stand a chance.
Huck is a proud ultra-leftist. His gleeful support of Kyoto should raise red flags to anyone who cherishes Liberty and capitalism. If Huck has any decency and honor, he would run as a Rat -- the home of rabid Socialist. Huck is a disgusting Fraud. I would like to ask where do "free will" come into the equation in his sick desire to impose nanny state solutions to everything.
Huck's first instinct to solve so called moral problems (i.e. smoking, illegals,etc) with the "force" of government doesn't sound very Christian to me. As a Christian, I am offended at how little faith the Huckster has in people "doing the right thing" because it is the moral thing to do, choices made freely.
Socialism is a cancer that will inevitably destroy any free society. Socialism at it's core is anti-Christian. Huck's rabid support of Socialism is sickening.
I think things would be different here. Fred understands that he was a necesary candidate because of grass root conservative support and if he wins it will be because of that support.
Well said.
I have a great respect for George Will. He is writing us what he thinks, and on Huck, he thinks cogently.
Dick Morris, the Huckster shill and lousy weather-vane prognosticator, on the other hand ... can go suck an egg. With toes, of course.
But what about Keith Olbermann, he has at least 9 regular viewers?
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Chapter 1: Live From the Reagan Building
It's "conservatives" like Will that actually make me enjoy the Huckabee surge even, though, Huckabee is liberal on far too many issues.
See, I’ve been saying that Mr. Huckabee is a POPULIST.
Thompson's background suggests he will grow the size and scope of the federal government. I don't trust him to become a conservative now just because he's telling people he is.
“Socialism is a cancer that will inevitably destroy any free society. Socialism at it’s core is anti-Christian. Huck’s rabid support of Socialism is sickening.”
I agree, socialism is anti-Christian. However, socialism gets a lot of headwind from ‘soft’ Christianity. Example, at our (Catholic) church this weekend, after Mass, they had a “Caring for God’s creation” table. I don’t know if they were selling socialism or environmentalism, but all of the ‘isms’ are being packaged as a form of ‘compassion’.
‘Social Justice’ is the same thing. It is socialism in another bottle. With a premise that inequality is evil, and a vocabulary that excludes freedom, of course you will end up with socialistic. Love thy neighbor becomes ‘tax thy neighbor’.
My conclusion is Christian belief and Christian organizations are not sufficient for conservative Governance, and in many cases lead people down the wrong path ... the path of good intentions gone awry.
The GOP clearly needs a marriage counselor. I always thought that they would just combine Giant Douche (Huck) and Turd Sandwich (Rudy) onto one ticket and hope everyone would be happy...after reading this article I am no longer so sure.
“Will despises Christians and social conservatives.”
Not true!
Read “statecraft as soulcraft”. Will’s book actually turned me *on* to a more social conservative path away from pure libertarianism.
FMCDH(BITS)
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