Huckabee unscripted

I don't know if any other campaigns are doing this, but Mike Huckabee has been holding fairly regular conference calls for bloggers. Here's a link to audio of his latest such call. ("Huckabee Blogger Conference Call 6/26") It is noteworthy that Huckabee will submit to unscreened questioning by for all purposes "unknown" bloggers.

This particular call may not appeal to some--both of the guests on the call are Social Conservative figures, but here's another example.

also posted at WisdomisVindicated Blog

Huckabee's example

Here's an interesting article about former Governor Mike Huckabee's discipline in staying fit. Huckabee's run hinges on his running - Politico.com.

Such a trait is perhaps the single best indicator of success. I suppose most people would be glad to know this about him.

hat tip, the Corner: NationalReview.com

cross-posted at wisdomisvindicated

Huckabee on McCain-Feingold

I found this information about Mike Huckabee's view of McCain-Feingold this afternoon: (here):

"Political Free Speech

Maximizing prosperity requires sound government policies. When the government strays from these policies, citizens must be free to exercise their constitutional rights to petition and criticize those policies and the politicians responsible for them.

Governor Huckabee is on record criticizing the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform, though the majority of his criticism has focused on discriminatory measures that allows senators to transfer money from Senate committees to presidential runs, but deny governors the same freedom to move state funds into federal accounts. While he called for less restrictions and more disclosure regarding campaign contributions (The Hill 11/29/06) and okayed unlimited soft money provided full disclosure (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette 03/10/00), Governor Huckabee is also on record favoring limiting individual, PAC, corporate, and political party contributions to state candidates (votesmart.org 2002)."

The last section refers to this report which is essentially the law as it stood (in relation to Federal Elections) prior to McCain-Feingold.

According to this Club for Growth press release from March, Huckabee and other potential GOP nominees have expressed "strong opposition" to McCain-Feingold.

also posted at WisdomisVindicated.

Huckabee passes McCain in Iowa poll

I'm pleasantly surprised to see that Mike Huckabee has passed John McCain in a recent Mason-Dixon poll of "likely caucus-goers" in Iowa. (here) In a way, this doesn't surprise me, given McCain's past disdain for the GOP base and his current disdain for sane Immigration policy. Add to this his disdain for the Ames Straw Poll, and I think it shouldn't be that big of a surprise. Of course, this is probably more a story about McCain's descent than anything else, but it is nice to see what appears to be an ascent for Huckabee.

I read one Lefty blog that mistakenly claimed McCain's declining poll numbers have something to do with his support of Bush's Iraq strategies . . . uh, I don't think so. I plan to post more about this later, but this reflects the Left's incomprehension of the GOP voter's unwillingness to leave the President out on a limb in the face of outrageous attacks from the Left. Bush may be a failed military strategist, but he's not evil or a criminal, and he's our failed military strategist.

Cross-posted at WisdomisVindicated

Early endorsement of Huckabee by HSLDA

“We believe that Mike Huckabee , (former) Governor of Arkansas, should be elected the next President of the United States ,” [Home School Legal Defense Association] President J. Michael Smith said in a call-to-action letter to members. Smith said [the 80,000 member] HSLDA is taking this “historic step of an early endorsement” because [] the process of electing the president is based on a radically different timetable in this election.

Smith touted Huckabee’s record as governor of Arkansas, pro-life, pro-family conservative values and presidential campaign platform, which includes a pro-defense plank and support for the FairTax, as reasons his organization stands behind Huckabee. There are a few other candidates in the race who are properly described as principled conservatives, but none of the media’s “frontrunners” would qualify for this designation, he stated.

“We believe that Mike Huckabee is by far the best communicator in the race – he is able to articulate his conservative principles in an incredibly winsome and articulate manner,” said Smith.

Noting that Americans have not elected a member of the House or Senate to the office of President in nearly half a century, Smith said: “Moreover, among the principled conservatives, Huckabee is the only one who has been a governor.”

cross-posted at WisdomisVindicated

Dreher likes Mike

Rod Dreher (whom I know primarily from National Review Online) is feeling it for Mike Huckabee (Beliefnet: Crunchy Con - "Huckabee Love") Linking to Huckabee's comments at a recent Forum, Dreher writes:

"I'm really starting to dig this guy. "

Cross-posted with a lot of other profound stuff at wisdomisvindicated

Is Romney's Pro-Life Conversion a Myth?

ABC has a pretty comprehensive look at new challenges from Romney's GOP rivals concerning his claims that he changed his mind on abortion during a famed 11/04 meeting with a Harvard stem cell researcher. Is Romney's Pro-Life Conversion a Myth?. The challenges are based on two "revelations" about un-"pro-life" actions by Romney after his supposed epiphany. Read it for yourself.

I've not hidden my questions about Romney's sincerity on this issue, and that was without even knowing about some of the things reported in this article. For example, one bit of "old news"--it appears, was that McCain's campaign was already chewing on Romney on a different, but related point:

This week, the campaign of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., blasted Romney for saying in May 2005 that he was "absolutely committed to my promise to maintain the status quo with regard to laws relating to abortion and choice" -- six months after his position changed on abortion.

Cross-posted at WisdomisVindicated.

Trustin' they don't use Google in the heartland

In one of my various Google Alerts (the one for Brownback and Huckabee) I am daily deluged with hits including "Brownback" and "Huckabee" and "evolution" and "dismissively-telling-presidential-candidates-to-raise-their-hands-to-simplistic-questions." I've always contended that the "blogosphere" represents a left-of-center, narrow slice, of a small segment of the population, but this Google Alert stampede has reminded me of how unrepresentative of the population online media truly are.

Don't get me wrong . . . people are free to write and say whatever they want about public policy (unless it relates to a guy who happened to be African-American and popular with Liberals), but the hard secular Left appears oblivious to how offensive its message is to the average voter (not to mention its mean-ness). I'm not cowed by the many unscientific, illiberal pronouncements from "scientists" on the Left about things like Evolution and Global Warming, and I don't suspect I'll be following their political lead anytime soon. But many in the Heartland who sometimes vote with America's Left-of-Center Party would be surprised to know what leaders of said party "believe" about a lot of things. I'd like to hear some good "hardball," follow-up questions on the subject at a future Democrat debate . . . average voters probably aren't getting daily reminders of this truth via email.


Cross-posted on wisdomisvindicated

Slavemasters to science

Lefties are quick to hurl accusations that others are "at war with science" . . . it is an ironic charge given the Left's hostility to advances like those discussed in this report--I'd say many American Liberals are only "pro-science" inasmuch as it can help advance their agenda. ("Patients, Not Politics"--National Review Online).

Here's Huckabee's platform on the Sanctity of Human life.

Huckabee's performance drawing raves

Frank Luntz was just on the Sean Hannity radio program and commented on the GOP debater who most resonated with his debate focus group last evening: Mike Huckabee.

Luntz commented on how Huckabee answered the most difficult questions with aplomb--highlighting this response to the obtuse question, "What is the most pressing moral question of the day?":

"Why do I get all the "moral" questions? I guess that's better than all the "immoral" questions."

cross-posted on WisdomisVindicated

Huckabee: here I stand

In tonight's GOP NH debate, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee nicely addressed (and defused, I think) the Evolution question. Watch it here.


cross-posted at WisdomisVindicated

Polls: Mirror, Mirror on the wall

Bill Hobbs has an insightful post about the latest Bloomberg Poll. ("McCain Slips to Third in Latest Bloomberg Poll as Fred Rises; Huckabee Happy Too") It's interesting to see how--based on a campaign's expectations, the same poll can be read so many different ways. For example:

"Most interesting data above other than Fred Thompson in second in a race he hasn't even entered and winning among Christian Conservatives: Romney's 6 percent among Christian Conservatives. That's dismal for Romney, though Huckabee's 6 percent among the same group has got to have the Huckabee camp jazzed up today. They're running their campaign for the equivalent of the Romney campaign's pocket change, and have pulled even with Romney among the single most important group of voters in the Republican primaries. "

Cross-posted at wisdomisvindicated