Posted by
Ryan Hawkins on Friday, January 11, 2008 11:42:39 AM
Once again, Huckabee is taking it to the churches to win yet another state.
What is most ironic about the continued Huckasurge from evangelicals is that evangelical leaders are the ones who threatened to abandon the GOP in the general election if a pro-choice nominee such as Giuliani were to end up being the nominee. (Remember September, 2007 with the meeting in Salt Lake City where these evangelical leaders mulled over the idea of running an independent candidate if Rudy became the nominee?) Now these folks obviously seem to be the ones using their infrastructure to get the vote out for Huckabee and attempt to shove down our throats a candidate who meets their agenda, but not the agenda for the rest of conservatives.
I liked Rudy, but have since gravitated toward Mitt due to my understanding that Rudy was un-electable without the support of pro-life, pro-traditional-marriage evangelical GOP voters. Mitt's platform still possesses all the fiscal/economic issues I want to see in a candidate while maintaining a pro-life, pro-traditional marriage platform that would appeal to any evangelical voter. Fred's platform appeals too (although to a lesser extent than Romney because of his opposition to a federal marriage amendment.)
It is time for the evangelical Huckabee supporters to understand that Economic & Fiscal conservatives now get to make the same threat that Evangelicals made earlier. Evangelical Huckabee supporters don't like Rudy because he's pro-choice. Economic/Fiscal conservatives don't like Huckabee (nor McCain for that matter) because these guys aren't fiscal or economic conservatives at all...their records prove it.
Here are the ultimatums from both sides:
- Nominate Rudy and Evangelicals abandon the GOP in Nov.
- Nominate Huckabee (or McCain) and Econ/Fiscal conservatives abandon the GOP in Nov.
Either way - we all lose.
Fred & Mitt are the only candidates who offer both groups what they want in a presidential platform and thus Fred & Mitt are the only candidates who can win in November. Of those two - Fred is the long shot and doesn't have a whole lot going for him at all...which makes him the poorer choice of the two. The time has come to take a serious, serious look at Mitt Romney and everything he stands for.
The GOP victory or loss in November might very well be decided in the next few weeks. Evangelical support for Huckabee (due to identity politics) is a very short-sited approach for America that could get him the nomination, but will ultimately lose the presidency due to Huckabee's isolation of the non-evangelical GOP voters. On economic and fiscal issues - there is little difference between Huckabee, McCain, Hillary, or Obama...which makes Huckabee (and McCain) un-electable in November...since people like myself wouldn't vote for any of those choices come November.
Once again, here's my ultimatum to evangelical conservatives: You thumb your nose at me by nominating your one-issue pastor for pastor I mean president...and the rest of us in the GOP will let you try and win this election on your own. Clearly, none of our GOP's fiscal/economic agenda is being represented if Huckabee (or McCain for that matter) becomes the nominee.
Choose your vote carefully.
UPDATE:
Someone commented that I was too hard on McCain. Truth be known, I probably wasn't hard enough on McCain. Check out some of the highlights of McCain's record.
Regarding my thoughts on Fred...he took 13.4% (barely 3rd place) in Iowa and 2.2% (6th place) in New Hampshire. Mitt has yet to take anything worse than 2nd place. Don't get me wrong...I like Fred a lot, but if Fred can overcome his early performance and win the presidency, it will be unprecedented...and nothing short of miraculous. In choosing between the two most conservative candidates on the GOP side (Mitt & Fred) the smart money is on Mitt.