Ahead of the Curve

Don't you want your president to be forward-thinking? To drive change, not merely tag along. To put forth innovative ideas, not rehash the same old platitudes. In short, to be a leader and not a follower. Of course you do.

Governor Mike Huckabee is just that. Consider what we've seen on the campaign trail, as Governor Huckabee has led the conversation on many issues, and other candidates have trailed or parroted his ideas. Or will soon.

• The most innovative and bold idea on any candidate's platform – Republican or Democrat – in the FairTax.
  
• Energy independence within 8 years & an understanding that it is a national security issue
  
• Exploration of switchgrass as an alternate biofuel
  
• Stimulating OUR economy – not China's – by investing in our infrastructure. Namely, to start with, widening I-95.
  
• Recognizing, several months ahead of the other GOP candidates and the pundits, that the economy was weakening (about a minute into the video)
  
• A focus on actual health, not just health insurance or the medical system
  
• A call for total government transparency
  
• A bill of rights for our military veterans
  
• A detailed plan to address illegal immigration
  
• A focus on whole-brain education
  
• Closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay, a position for which he was criticized by Fred Thompson, only to have the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs come out just a few days later saying the exact same thing, agreeing with Governor Huckabee
  

The Governor is stereotyped as a bumpkin', a view that i count as bigotry. Prejudice against southerners, against evangelicals. But he is leading the intellectual charge.

WallBuilders

I know that Huckabee's weaknesses aren't in the Social Conservative area, but I felt it would be good to point folks to the WallBuilders Voters Guide.

Issue: Economics

I'm not going to type a long defense of Governor Huckabee's Economic record or plan. Instead, I'm simply going to point everyone to the video of Governor Huckabee's speech to the Detroit Economic Club last Friday.

There should be a new rule that any critic must address what the Governor said in this speech before being allowed to attack him as a "Liberal."


Part 1:



Part 2:



Part 3:



Part 4:



Part 5:



This is one of the best speeches I have ever heard, and I have two degrees in Speech Communication, so I've studied some of the best.

Issue: School Choice

One of Fred Thompson's attacks on Governor Huckabee in the South Carolina debate was that our favorite candidate opposes School Choice. Other media talking heads have parroted this same accusation.

Simply put, it isn't true.

The Club for Growth (no fan of Huckabee for sure) wrote this:

Governor Huckabee's record on school choice is mixed. On the one hand, he fought hard to protect the rights of parents to home school their children and was a vocal proponent of charter schools (Arkansas Time 09/22/05). In 1997, he supported a proposal that would expand charter school eligibility to include public and private universities, governmental agencies, and nonprofit organizations (AP 02/12/97). He signed legislation in 1999 that allowed for as many as 12 charter schools to be established in Arkansas, an important achievement given the state's onerous laws governing charter schools (Time 07/10/00).

On the other hand, Governor Huckabee is on record opposing the most important element of genuine school choice-voucher programs that allow poor students in failing public schools to attend private schools and inject much needed competition into a decrepit public education system-because of a concern about government control of parochial schools (Arkansas Times 09/22/05).

Found in: Mike Huckabee's Record on Economic Issues

In short, Governor Huckabee does not oppose School Choice, but he did and does oppose School Vouchers. He's not alone among Conservatives in this regard. Texas Eagle Forum came out in opposition to Vouchers for the very reason Huckabee cites. (Private school vouchers: A conservative view). Governor Huckabee favors expanding the Child Tax Credit (until the Income Tax goes away in its entirety) to assist families in paying private school tuition if they'd like. He also supports policies to allow parents to choose among public schools.

The next time you hear this attack, just remember that Vouchers are not the same thing as School Choice.

Issue: Spending

In one of the debates this weekend, Fred Thompson used the term "revenue neutral" to talk about any changes in the tax system. Why are Conservatives worried about being "revenue neutral"? It seems to me that Conservatives should be willing to support a tax plan that brings in fewer dollars because they foresee reducing the amount that our Federal Government is spending.

I just did a quick hit of all five of the major Republican Candidates' websites. The only candidate who actually proposes specific reductions of current levels of Federal Government spending is Rudy Giuliani. McCain and Thompson make broad claims about removing earmarks and increasing transparency. Thompson says we need to reduce wasteful spending but doesn't make any specific proposals. Mitt Romney's plan is merely to slow the rate of growth for spending.

Governor Huckabee talks about ensuring balanced budgets by giving the President a line-item veto. That's something of a start, and it is a point shared with Giuliani and Romney. This is an area where our favorite candidate could strengthen his position and perhaps allay some of the fears of the traditional fiscal conservatives.

Governor Huckabee's tax plan is unquestionably the most conservative, but he needs to back it up with a concrete plan to reduce spending. This is an area where Governor Huckabee could gain some traction, but he has to be willing and able to spell out the cuts that can and should be made.