2012 Hypothetical Race: Huckabee vs. Obama
Gallop released their daily presidential tracking for Dec. 30th with the President’s Approval rating remaining stagnant at 47%. 46% of the nation continues to disapprove of the Presidents job performance. Meanwhile, the 2012 GOP speculation heightens. A recent MSNBC report (video shown below), is tagged with the headline “MSNBC Promotes Huckabee”. The gist of the MSNBC report is a positive/negative look at the potential 2012 presidential candidate, former Governor Mike Huckabee. Huckabee is noted as being a conservative who does not immediately attack Democrats or the President, rather assesses each individual issue, on the other hand, the report begins with the, now typical moniker assigned to Huckabee: Baptist Minister. The “Baptist Minister” citation is a liberal “call to alarm”. The left views Governor Huckabee as “right wing religious nut” rather than his more updated calling as two and one half term Governor of the State of Arkansas. One would think that in a political arena, the fact that Huckabee was a successful Republican Governor in a traditional southern Democrat state might trump the fact that he was, in his lifetime, an ordained minister.
Huckabee, in 2005, was one of Time Magazines “American’s 5 Best Governors":
Huckabee has approached his state’s troubles with energy and innovation, and he has enjoyed some successes. Most notably, he created ARKids First, which offers health insurance to poor children and has helped reduced the percentage of uninsured Arkansans under 18 to 9% in 2003-04, compared with the 12% for the nation and 21% for neighboring Texas. Since he became Governor in July 1996, welfare rolls have declined by nearly half, and last year the state’s economy grew 4.4%, beating the national average of 4.2%.
The attacks on Huckabee during the 2008 GOP General Primaries were based on his fiscal policy – the man who created a budget surplus in Arkansas, raised the level of education, and generally improved almost every aspect of the State’s government (Again winning not one, but two terms as Governor in a heavily Democratic state), actually increased taxes. The New York Times ran the following article on Huckabee and the attacks from a particular right of center fiscal “Club for Growth”:
During Mr. Huckabee’s tenure as governor, he did raise taxes to improve the state’s roads and schools, with the support of both Republicans and Democrats in the state legislature. He ended his tenure with an $800 million budget surplus.
Mr. Huckabee lowered some taxes as well. But, on balance, he raised more than he cut and that’s behind the Club’s disdain for Mr. Huckabee.
What was left out of that particular article, as well as advertisements denouncing the Governor, was the fact that several states were forced to raise taxes due to: Federal Mandates increasing State's services.. Additionally, one must also be reminded that America’s best President (blog opinion), Ronald Reagan also raised taxes on more than one occasion.
As conservatives try to out-Reagan one another, the one man that can lay claim to actually having governed like the “Gipper” is that rascally Baptist Preacher and former 2-1/2 term Governor of the State of Arkansas. Should Huckabee actually decide to run, he would do well to counter the naysayers with a bit of historical fact.
As of this moment, however, every prominent Republican is included in the list of possible candidates, and the President may have dodged a primary challenge from the left of the Democrat party (Charles Rangel), however, it remains to be seen if a challenge will be mounted by a more moderate Democrat (Dick Morris via Fox News as well as rampant speculation from the press in general). It is simply, a time to speculate, with no clear idea of who will actually aspire to the nation’s top job in 2011-2012.
Note: Huckabee led Obama in hypothetical match up as of 11/4/2010 in CNN poll,(Politico) The poll referred to on MSNBC is from Quinnipiac Nov. 22nd, in which overall voters would prefer another candidate to Obama: 49-43%
MSNBC Video
6 comments:
We need a sincere impassioned pro-life president who has over 10 years experience as the governor of a state who is articulate and likeable and who could clean Baroque Obama's clock in a debate. Thats why I fully and enthusiastically support Mike Huckabee for President in 2012. Can he win? Of course he can- if we have the courage and energy to support him. He already has the best favorables v. BHO out there. Huckabee 2012!
Good article pointing out the many positives for Governor Huckabee. It's time to move beyond the preferences of the pundits and elect a man of the people ... one who understands the challenges faced by ordinary Americans and is willing to fight for us. Huckabee for 2012!
Glad to hear that mentioned - that Club for Growth (based in Pennsylvania) ran expensive TV ads in Iowa against Huckabee so early in the primary with funding from Mitt Romney. I was a supporter of Club for Growth who got totally baffled by the extravagance until I learned the story behind.
I enjoyed finally reading an article with some actual facts rather than the usual anti-Huckabee spin. When attempts are made to make the case that Mike Huckabee is a "big government liberal" it's like saying "Michael Jordan was a great quarterback for the Chicago Bears." One- it's false and two, it's stupid. People like Michelle Malkin, Rush Limbaugh, and Ann Coulter all know full well Huckabee is not a big government liberal. They also know that that even though his conservative roots are sunk in deep, that he doesn't blindly follow all the talk radio blather and fall into their little right-wing groups. He is a true leader who thinks for himself and treats others (regardless of party) how he would want to be treated. They don't like that. He's not "one of them." In addition, it irritates them that Huckabee continues to do so well in polling with the American people- despite their determined attempts to mangle his record and conservative credentials. Governor Huckabee stands in a class of his own with the character,leadership abilities, and communication skills to be the greatest American President in a century.
It was great to see Huckabee run in 2008. Let's hope he does it again, it's entertaining and refreshing unlike some of the other 2008 losers.
Well-written article, which (refreshingly) included facts instead of just parroting GOP talking points. Huckabee has a solid record, and is consistent on his positions because he leads on his core principles, not polls and consultants. I wish everyone would do their own research instead of letting celebrities do their thinking for them.
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