I’m not part of the tinfoil-hat brigade that reflexively freaks out at the idea of a former preacher as President. I’ve known good pastors and lousy ones, just like I’ve seen good and bad Senators. So I’m neither excited nor fearful. As long as the guy (or gal) is honest, consistent, and doesn’t try to hide the ball, his/her position on Jeebus shouldn’t really matter.
Enter Mike Huckabee. The former Arkansas Governor was a Baptist minister for 12 years before entering politics. The reason he gave for that big career change was a desire to make the United States as Christian as possible.
This from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, back in 1998:
“Government knows it does not have the answer, but it’s arrogant and acts as though it does,” Huckabee said. “Church does have the answer but will cowardly deny that it does and wonder when the world will be changed.” …
“I didn’t get into politics because I thought government had a better answer. I got into politics because I knew government didn’t have the real answers, that the real answers lie in accepting Jesus Christ into our lives.”
“I hope we answer the alarm clock and take this nation back for Christ.”
Again, fair enough. At least he put it out there and said, essentially, “this is who I am.” If you pull the lever for the other guy (or gal), at least you’ll definitely know why. Heck — back in 1998, Huckabee signed a USA Today ad agreeing with the platform of the Southern Baptist Convention. Part of that platform is getting him into trouble today, because it bitch-slapped gay marriage advocates and said that the proper role of a wife is “to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband.”
(To be fair, the discussion at Daily Kos and Democratic Underground is ignoring the rest of the statement, which says that “the husband and wife are of equal worth before God.” But I’m quibbling.)
The real point is this: Why is Huckabee somehow less enthusiastic about his Christian message now that he’s a candidate for the top job? Today, Mother Jones reported that it tried to get copies of some of Huckabee’s old sermons from his altar-calling days. No dice:
When asked for copies of the sermons Huckabee delivered at Immanuel Church, an employee there claimed none could be found. A Beech Street Church pastor’s assistant maintained that much of the archival material from Huckabee’s tenure as pastor had been destroyed during a remodeling. The rest, she said, was not available to the press.
When Mother Jones contacted the Huckabee campaign and asked if it would help make his previous sermons available, the campaign replied in a one-sentence email that it had received multiple requests for such material and was “not able to accommodate” them …
In all the sermons Huckabee delivered before jumping into politics, he no doubt revealed beliefs and ideas that would be of interest to voters today. But his campaign, looking to attract evangelical Christian voters without alienating others, is not interested in seeing that material become part of the current political discourse. Huckabee the candidate is shunning Huckabee the pastor.
Mark 14:30? Or is that too harsh?
What would happen if Huckabee started Bible-thumping on the stump? Ask Pat Robertson and Gary Bauer. He’s be roasted and toasted by every reporter in America.
People often mistake the “to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband” as some Men is better sexist statement, but it’s not, it’s about the roles in the working family, just like in a business people are trained and prepared for certain jobs in order to keep the business running smoothly, same as in a family each member has an important role in order to keep a balance to the family. Men and women are different….period. Non is better as a person than the other, but Men are better at things then women and women are better at things then men. I believe that to have a working family the man should be head of the household, but this is not an some sexist pig way, but in the way to guide the family spiritually, finacially and in other ways. That doesn’t mean the wife doesn’t get any say so in the marriage or that she shouldn’t give her opionion by any means! Any way I don’t know if I like Huckabee just yet, I have a hard time believing politicians period! But it’ll be an interesting election! We are in serious need of a good leader though, so hopefully the nation chooses wisely!
Huckabee might think he can capitalize on the evangelical part of the base of the GOP, and his base may in fact be refreshed by his background in pastoring. The damning twist is, he doesn’t have a record of fiscal conservatism, and I think his campaign hopes to just ride the emotionalism of his social conservatisism. Fiscal, economical reform on the national level combined with an understanding of and respect for America’s Judeo-Christian values is what is truly needed to get Americans excited for a cantidate. We need a good CEO minded person as badly if not more badly than a spiritually-minded leader.
Huckabee is PHONY! He plagiarized his immigration policy. He acts so innocent but is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
When it comes to illegal immigration, Huckabee is a sheep in wolf’s clothing. From my right wing point of view, he is the worst type of Christian - one who uses the New Testament to govern. No way. This is one conservative who will sit the election out if Hispandering Huckabee is nominated.
Hasn’t anyone noticed the eerie similarity between Huckleberry Hound and Huckabee?
Copy this link to your address bar and click on go to unmask him once and for all:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwTTs6j2fWA
When Huck left the Governor’s office, he destroyed the hard drives of all of his staff’s computers. Do you see a pattern?
He uses religion as a political tool. When people call him on it, he accuses them of attacking Christians and religion. He chides reporters for focusing on his role as a Baptist preacher, rather than his policies. But when his policies are questioned, he quickly slides into talking about how important his faith is. He’s learned those tricks from the leaders of the mega-churches and GWB’s handlers.
It’s unfortunate that the evangelicals do not know that they are merely pawns in his greed game.
Mike Huckabee is the biggest phony of them all. And for someone who spouts his religion so much he is damn cruel. He said the stray dog his fatso son tortured and killed while working as a Scout Master, was a mangy dog. He constantly brags about eating squirrels that he cooked in a popcorn maker. He says it over and over as though it was great fun and he is so clever. His weigh loss may be commendable but why are his sons still heavy and his wife too. He does look as though he is porking up again even as he brags about running ten miles on a snowy day.
I can’t stand him. His folksiness masks his true vicious nature. Can’t wait until he quits the race and we don’t have to see his hillbilly face anymore. Yes, now I am being cruel but anyone that is cruel to animals deserves derision.
Mike Huckabee is the most qualified man in the presidential race today. Everyone dislikes him because he loves Jesus, how dare a man have morals in the united states today. Huckabee is the man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[Thanks for the note, George! But in the future, please stick to one fake e-mail address per IP. -- The Management]
“What would happen if Huckabee started Bible-thumping on the stump? Ask Pat Robertson and Gary Bauer. He’d be roasted and toasted by every reporter in America.”
And rightfully so. Here’s how it’s supposed to work, people (as the Founding Fathers so wisely designed it):
church
[[[BIG IMPENETRABLE WALL]]]
State
What do y’all find so hard to understand about that?
Show me where the phrase “church and state” or the idea of “separation” or a “wall” exists in the U.S. Constitution. Or even in the Federalist Papers. It’s not there.
What do you find so hard to understand about that?
(I know I’m asking for a flame war, but it’s Thursday and I’m bored.)
The first Amendment in the Bill of Rights: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;”
The second part of that Amendment clearly allows everyone in the US is free to practice whatever mythology, er, I mean religion, they choose. But the FIRST part also clearly prohibits a codification of any religion. And all of these (scary) candidates campaigning ON their faith, and their plans to adopt “The Law of God” to supercede the “law of man” are absolutely looking to turn this counrty into a theocracy. President Skippy McDumbass has TRIED to do it for the past seven years (by his own admission he talks to God, you know), but thankfully is so generally inept at eveything he touches it hasn’t quite taken.
IMHO, ANY candidate that openly states their intention to base their decisions and policies on ANY book of religion– be it the Bible, the Koran, Zen and the Art of Motrocycle Maintenance, whatever– is dangerous, and woe be the day that Amerika elects them.
You do realize you’ve just black-listed most of our first dozen Presidents …
No I didn’t. Our first dozen Presidents were religious, even pious, men… no doubt. BUT THEY DID NOT GOVERN THIS COUNTRY WITH THE BIBLE. They Governed it with common sense, compassion (REAL compassion, not “Compassionate Conservatism”) and basic humanity.
The same way Abe Lincloln, FDR, Harry Truman, JFK and Ronald Reagan governed it.
Yes, the Mark 14:30 passage is too harsh, as explained by Flipkid’s first post. But, I must post to ask the question? Who is Jeebus?