Super Tuesday Pitch

This is an email i am sending today to friends and family in the super Tuesday states.

Dear Friends,

I hope this email finds you and your families well. I know that times are tough for some of us, and while we look first to our God for comfort and guidance, we also, as Americans, have the privilege (and duty, i would say) of selecting our governing leaders. You have such an opportunity this Tuesday when your state holds its presidential primary. If you'll indulge an old friend, i'd like to share with you my thoughts. I have no idea where most of you stand politically. I just humbly offer one man's thoughts.

Research / Learn

I've been intensely involved in this process this time around, more so than any previous campaign season. I'll tell you why in a bit, but one thing i've learned, to great dismay, is how the media distorts things. We've long perceived liberal bias in the large media, but what has greatly surprised me is how the conservative media (Rush, Hannity, etc) have made no effort to be "fair & balanced", to the point of proclaiming outright distortions of the records of anyone who is not their favorite. Call me naïve, but whatever happened to real journalism?

Thus, it is critical that we do our own research. Go directly to the sources, bypassing the media filters. Last Spring, i began my presidential search and began checking out the various candidates. I went to their websites and checked out some youtube videos. I wasn't expecting this at all, what with my Bush Fatigue and a growing disillusionment with politics in general, but i quickly became blown away by one candidate.

That candidate is Mike Huckabee. I'm not asking you to support him based merely on my (fwiw) endorsement. I am asking you to give him full consideration based on your own research. Go to mikehuckabee.com, and check out his Huckabee 101 page, or peruse the Issues section. Go to youtube, and watch the Decade of Duty series or the Mike Huckabee story, which cover Mike's 10 year record as Governor of Arkansas.

If you want more of my take, check out my blog – Huck The System (a play on bucking the system). Specifically, check out my view of the 3 pillars of picking a president – ideology, character, and competence. Or my analysis of why someone like Governor Huckabee is the MOST electable Republican in the field. Or where i turn the recent talk of a "two man race" on its ear, where you'll find surprising information about the tax record of Mitt Romney. You can read about my (with Julie) opportunity to meet the Governor last November.

A Vote for Huckabee is a Vote For…?

You should vote your passion in a primary, should you have such. If you lean Huckabee, then vote Huckabee. If you have a clear preference for someone else, go ahead and vote that way. It's what a primary is all about. Most states are not winner-take-all, so every vote is meaningful, and provides extra leverage for your preferred candidate and the issues that candidate holds dear.

But if you're undecided, or if you chief goal now is to thwart McCain, then you could consider pragmatic things. For example, if you live in a Southern state, most polls have shown that Governor Huckabee and Senator McCain are pretty close to each other, with McCain surging in the past couple of weeks. Now i personally don't have a big problem with John McCain, but i know many people find him too moderate for their tastes, and want someone more conservative. Mitt Romney would have us believe that he should be that guy, but it's pretty clear that he has no chance in the south. So, if stopping McCain is a goal, i submit that you should be strategic and vote Huckabee.

Why I Like Governor Huckabee

I am strongly supporting Governor Huckabee for President for many reasons. If you've seen any of the GOP debates, then you know how articulate and engaging his speaking style is. Governor Huckabee comes across – even more so in person – as wholly authentic, not a powerpoint crafted, poll-driven politician. He has this way of connecting with everyday Americans. And he's funny, too. In the tedium of incessant campaigns, and with the prospect of listening to a president for 4 or more years, that's quite an overlooked trait. This is a man of character, a man of humble beginnings, but aspirational achievements.

Having first been drawn in by his style, i then turned to his ideology, and found a candidate who is much like me. Not 100% – no one is – but a nice blend of social conservatism (without the self-righteous anger) and Reagan-style patriotism and core fiscal principles such as trusting people over big-powers like governments, of budgetary restraint so that we aren't just moving our burdens to our offspring. In short, government should be our first answer for very few things, but for those very few things, government should perform in an efficient and effective way. Get the job done while spending as little as possible. His campaign has been like that, living on smarts and frugality, while the self-funded Romney has flooded your TV and radio with misleading ads.

Character – check. Issues – check. So what about competence? As governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee transformed the state government into the modern era, making it one of the most internet-friendly of all states (imagine that – Arkansas leading the way in technology). He transformed a budget deficit left by his indicted predecessor into a huge budget surplus which is returning to the people with lower taxes. He led a popular initiative to improve Arkansas roads from one of the worst in the nation to now the most improved. He tried innovative educational programs which led to a recent 8^th place ranking by Education Week.

Here are some of his accomplishments in bullet form…

• Improved roads from the worst in the nation to most improved.
• Left office with a record budget surplus, after inheriting a deficit
• Grew the Arkansas economy at a rate higher than the national average
• Sponsored the largest broad-based tax cut in Arkansas history
• Cut the state welfare rolls in half
• Created the innovative health-care program for Arkansas children called ARKids, cutting the number of uninsured children in half.
• Created the innovative Smart Start and Smart Step education programs, which led to markedly improved student test scores
• Created the innovative Smart Core curriculum standards, which led to a massive increase in the number of AP tests taken by high-schoolers.
• Chaired the National Governors' Association
• Named one of America's Top 5 Governors by TIME
• Named a "Distinguished Public Health Legislator of the Year" in 2005
• Awarded the AARP's Impact Award in 2006
• Named a top "Doer, Dreamer & Driver" by Government Technology magazine, after leading AR to a top 10 finish in the 2004 Digital States Survey.
• Effectively handled the influx of 75,000 Katrina evacuees

What's Next?

• If you are on the Huckabee train, great! Spread the word to your family, friends and neighbors, especially if you've learned some things that the media doesn't mention. This has been a frugal, grassroots campaign, and so every foot soldier is important.
  
• If you have further questions, or specific concerns about a particular issue, i'd be glad to dialogue with you about it.
  
• If you prefer to do something else, not a problem. Thanks for reading this far.
  
• Don't forget to vote on Tuesday!