The End

Should have posted this several months ago... I have no plans to continue this blog, unless Mike Huckabee runs for President again in the future. I want to thank everyone who has visited, read, and commented, even the cranks. I especially want to thank my brother - The Calvinator - for being a co-writer with me. We had a good run, better than almost everyone expected.

We encourage everyone to go vote on or before next Tuesday. I am personally recommending John McCain (i assume Calvinator is too, but i haven't asked him) for President.

But let us also remember that our salvation - neither the profound sort nor the earth-bound - does not come from our politics. Let us not afford too much credit or blame to our governments. While they are indeed important, and we should choose our leaders wisely, they cannot transform hearts. They cannot be a substitute for hard work, for helping your neighbor, or for making the world a better place. That is our job, each of us.

We do also have a continued political job. We cannot sit back and let the moneyed class run roughshod over our country. The influence of money is pernicious in Washington, on Capitol Hill, in the race for the White House, in this bailout ridiculousness. And it won't get any better if the people don't stand up and say ENOUGH! Enough of deficit spending! Enough of wasteful pork! Enough of lobbyist driven vote trading! Enough of secret government! Enough of increasingly complex laws designed to thwart citizen activism!

We tried here to Huck the System. Let us continue to Buck the System.

Farewell...

Romney Should Drop Out

The conventional wisdom from the meanstream media (stole that from another poster at Huck's Army) is that the GOP race is down to two people – McCain vs. Romney. Mitt, of course, has seized on this theme and has asserted that a vote for Governor Huckabee is a vote for John McCain. If this is truly to become a two-man race, and the goal is to defeat the momentum-laden McCain (assuming last night's woeful performance in the debate didn't stop his momentum in its tracks), then the best thing to do is coalesce around the most conservative candidate, the most electable candidate, the candidate with the most upside. That candidate is not Mitt Romney; it's Mike Huckabee.

Most Conservative

Mitt likes to proclaim himself the standard-bearer on the 3-legged stool of conservatism, with the 3 legs being social, fiscal, and national security issues. Like he triumphantly proclaimed last night that of course Ronald Reagan would endorse him. But just because i can slap on a glove and cleats doesn't mean you should put me in at shortstop. Is Mitt Romney the Sidd Finch of politics? Is there any there there?

Consider the 3 leg formulation.

• Social – even if we believe that Romney has finally hit his conservative political puberty and has truly converted to the prolife position (at most it's a position with him, not a cause) and other social conservative bona fides, he would still lag far behind Governor Huckabee's convictions, record, and prospects on this leg. A big win for Huckabee
  
• National Security – Like almost all governors, you'll find little directly relevant foreign policy experience for either candidate. This would turn on judgment, toughness, and leadership. I'm not impressed with Romney's CEO experience and so don't give the leadership advantage that he surely thinks he owns. I believe Huckabee has better judgment and would be tougher with aggressive regimes.
  
• Fiscal – Romney believes this is his trump card. But here's your trump card...
  

TAX FREEDOM DAY

A tax freedom day is the day in the calendar when you've worked long enough in the new year to afford to pay all your taxes. It's a sad commentary on our times, but this date is usually in April, and seems to fall later and later (see table 1 at the link) all the time. In 2007, it is estimated that the national tax freedom day was April 30th. So let's compare the records of Governors Huckabee and Romney in their respective states, looking at the Tax Freedom Day when they took office vs. when each left office.

Governor/State		TFD – Start		TFD - End	Net Effect
Huckabee / AR		April 22		April 22	Same
Romney / MA		April 21		May 6	15 days WORSE

If you don't mind working an extra two weeks for the government, then by all means believe the talking heads that Romney is the fiscal conservative.

Most Electable

I covered this in my Typologies post, showing the polling evidence that Governor Huckabee would be a better general election candidate than Romney. You can also look at the head to head polls compiled at RCP. Against Clinton, Huckabee fares 2-3 points better than Romney does. Against Obama, Huckabee also fares better than does Romney. Granted, neither candidate is polling well against those two right now, but this has been a consistent pattern – Huckabee trumps Romney. Governor Huckabee is more electable than Governor Romney, based on all the evidence we have to study.

Most Upside

Romney has had the powerful two-pronged advantage of both MONEY and MEDIA behind him, and still hasn't won a contested primary other than Michigan, which is practically home for him, given that his father was a popular governor there.

Think about it. Romney has outspent even his well-funded rivals by orders of magnitude that boggle the mind. Millions upon millions on negative ads, distortions of the records of the other candidates. He has all the power of talk radio behind him, all the conservative establishment media serving as surrogate mouthpieces for his campaign.

And what does he have to show for it? If he hasn't been able to beat McCain up until now, why would he all of sudden start doing it next Tuesday or beyond? If anyone should drop out, it should be Romney. The conservative establishment should try something else. That something else is, of course, Governor Huckabee.

And the Rich Shall Inherit the White House

This is no way to pick a president. When the system hinges on who can write the biggest personal check to fund their campaign, then America is in trouble. It's a key step toward a plutocracy.

I'm reacting to an article at Real Clear Politics which logically concludes:

In a weird way, the GOP presidential primary campaign now hinges on Mitt Romney. More specifically, it hinges on whether Romney will be willing to spend as much of his personal fortune as necessary to win the GOP nomination. That could amount to as much as $40 million, on top of the $17 million he has already contributed to the cause. If he does decide to fully fund his own campaign, then he will be able to outspend his rivals on television advertising by as much as 10-to-1 in state after state after state (think: February 5th). If someone asks you: "can Mitt Romney win the GOP nomination?" ask them: "is he willing to write the check?"

Romney outspent his nearest rival by more than 3 to 1 in Michigan (in addition to promising to spend your tax dollars to the tune of $20 billion to prop up the Detroit auto industry). He outspent Governor Huckabee by 15 to 1 in Iowa, though Iowans gratefully saw through that.

The best way to buck this system is to Huck this system. Vote for the candidate outside this money-driven, inside-establishment system. Cast your vote for Mike Huckabee. Another way to make your voice heard is to contribute (just click the Ranger link at the top right).

Interview Questions

The Huckabee website has a link for bloggers to submit a request for interview. Here's what i would ask…

1. If you are familiar with Christian Just War Theory, how would you assess our current conflict in Iraq in those terms?
   
2. How do you work through which beliefs you hold that should be pursued in public policy, versus those that are better suited for private (or, non-public) pursuit? Are there any general philosophies of government that work well for you to make those calls? (For example, a person might believe that divorce is, more frequently than not, missing the mark spiritually, yet not consider it a problem best solved by prescriptive law.)
   
3. One of the reasons i started this particular blog (and called it what i did) was my utter dissatisfaction with our current process of selecting our political leaders, where it tends to be all about name recognition and the ability to raise mega-millions two years in advance. In most seasons, an underfunded, relatively unknown, but politically talented candidate like you goes nowhere. Any suggestions on how we keep the American political dream alive, where any kid can become president, and, perhaps more importantly, ensure that we don't devolve into a plutocracy?
   
4. As you reflect on your decade-plus tenure leading the state of Arkansas, what do you consider you greatest accomplishment there? Anything you'd do differently (other than the well-hashed case of Wayne DuMond)? What lessons would you take from the Governor's Mansion to the White House (by the way, don't you love it that governors get mansions, while the president just gets a house)?
   
5. One of the criticisms you received from your Arkansas detractors was that you are "thin-skinned". I have to say, I haven't seen that at all during this campaign. Quite the opposite, in fact. Was this ever a fair criticism, and if so, how have you progressed?
   
6. A presidential campaign takes you all over America, meeting tons of ordinary Americans. What have you learned about America in this process so far? What goes under-reported by the media about our country?
   
7. You have made two quite bold proposals in your platform. One, to abolish the IRS and its associated taxes, replacing it with the innovative FairTax. And two, to achieve energy independence by the end of your 2^nd term. Each idea would be worthy of an extended interview by themselves (which i would be glad to conduct someday). But my question now is this: how do you counter or handle the "nattering nabobs of negativity" (to borrow Safire's phrase) who scoff that such things cannot be done?
   
8. There has naturally been a lot of talk of Reagan in this campaign. For me, he is one of the 3 pillars of Republican presidents, the other two being the two guys on Mt. Rushmore – Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. What do you take from Lincoln and Roosevelt, in terms of your political goals and philosophy, and your leadership style?
   
9. Another potshot taken at you is that you wouldn't fare well in the general election. I don't get that one either. I have analyzed the Pew Political Typologies and their historical voting patterns, and find that you are the MOST electable GOP candidate, due to your ability to hold social conservatives, and pull in key swing groups such as the so-called Upbeats, Pro-Government Conservatives, and Disaffecteds. Take a look at my analysis. Was this intentional, or a natural consequence of meeting the people where they are?
   
10. Another influential read for me has been the Weekly Standard article called "The Party of Sam's Club" (soon to be expanded into a book called Grand New Party). Are you familiar with it, and if so, has it influenced your campaign at all?

The Dangers of the FairTax Platform

This is not about the merits of the FairTax itself, but about whether Mike Huckabee will be helped or not by his advocacy of the radical tax plan to replace most all current taxes with a national sales tax. I believe it is a dangerous, risky stance for Mike. Here's why…

• While not nearly as complicated as I expected it to be, the FairTax is such a radical change in our tax policy that the average voter will not immediately grasp what it's about. Even some should-know-better reporters are spouting falsehoods about it. To the extent that it is reducible to a soundbite, it is much more likely for that soundbite to be a negative one used by opponents of Huckabee and/or the FairTax.
  
• Continuing that point, detractors will make no effort to fairly portray the plan, even if they do understand that. We already see the merging of these 2 points with media assertions that the plan is overly regressive and, most damaging, that it will cause prices to rise by over 20%. Neither is actually true, and the latter charge is not even close to being true.
  
• The point about illegal immigrants and under-the-table earners now paying their fair share is a rhetorical winner, but it can be intellectually challenged by the expectation that a new underground economy would arise. The blackest of black markets.
  
• Given the criticism of Mike thus far about his record in Arkansas with taxes, and the skepticism by hardcore fiscal conservatives that he is bona fide, the FairTax is especially problematic for him. Given the first 2 points about confusion and obfuscation, voters, unable to sort it all out with facts, unsure whom to believe, might use the FairTax as a sign that Mike's opponents are correct. It does require a huge outlay of federal funds with its prebate (what makes it not regressive). Of course, the prebate is essentially a refund of taxes paid, so financially for the government it is not an outlay, but a wash. Will voters take the time and effort to figure that out, or will they be hoodwinked by devious ads and mailers saying "see, we told you this guy was a big-government conservative. See how much money he wants to spend."?
  
• Likewise, detractors will deviously assert that the FairTax is a big tax hike. "See, we told you this guy was Tax Hike Mike. He wants you to pay 23% more for your groceries. Will you even be able to afford that next new car?" In a soundbite world, can you make voters understand that CURRENT prices already reflect the cost of taxes, and that the FairTax wouldn't cause prices to rise materially, if at all?
  

Keywords: Take Control & Keep It Simple

The best pithy argument for the FairTax is not the abolishment of the IRS (even though that is a catchy line), but about Americans being more in control, and about making taxes simpler to understand. Fiscal conservatives talk about "starving the beast" of government, but how do you do that with an income tax (not to mention all those other federal taxes)? For most of us, we can't just stop making an income, so we have to keep feeding the beast. Sure, we can seek out tax shelters and such, but generally speaking those are marginal effects, and so the beast gets fed. With a sales tax, effectively kicking in above and beyond basic needs, taxpayers do have more control over how much food to put in the bowl, by way of discretionary spending. Of course, there are macro-economic impacts to those spending decisions which should not be ignored, but I would argue that for the most part, these would be purchases delayed, not purchases avoided altogether.

How would that work? Well, it might not work, given how hard it is for the federal government to pay attention to us. But you do what you can, and if you don't like the way the government is operating, or disagree profoundly with how it spends its money, you can "vote with your wallet". A drop in the ocean, it may feel like, but no less important than your single vote among millions. Even if there is no direct impact or benefit, there would still be a psychological or symbolic benefit for taxpayers. In short, a sales tax is more in line with the precepts of "of the people, by the people" than is the income tax.

Mike should also hammer away at the idea of making taxes simpler. You shouldn't need a CPA to understand how your government is funded. The current system is so complex that even the experts can't figure it out. Such a setup fosters discord and distrust that weasels will not pay their fair share. It breeds anxiety that the taxpayer is a sucker unless he ponies up for expert help.

Both of these rhetorical approaches connect at the point of governmental transparency, a big hot button for young voters. And so while the FairTax platform for Huckabee presents some difficult challenges, it also affords an opportunity to connect with voters if handled correctly. Governor Huckabee has demonstrated an ability to lead and persuade on issues important to him, and I have confidence in him on this subject, despite its risk.

Now a Ranger

I finally got my activation code from the Huckabee campaign to become a "Huckabee Ranger". This means i am a dedicated and passionate supporter pledged to help raise funds.

Consider any contribution as an investment in a better future for America. Let's not let power entrench in only the self-appointed elites, the big media, mega-wealthy backroom dealers, cash-burning lobbyists. To steal an old slogan, Power to the People!

You can find my Ranger link on the top right. Or click here.

Let's do this thing. Mitt & Rudy have their wall street cronies. Fred & John have their Capitol Hill connections. Hillary & Barack & the other John all have their hollywood pals. Huckabee has and needs you, the everyday Americans. The folks who, in the words of George Bailey (from my favorite movie of all time), "do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community."

Don't sit back and expect someone else to do it for you. It's time for you to get in the ring and fight. I close with the words of Edward Everett Hale, former chaplain of the US Senate:

I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do. And by the grace of God, I will.

Not (Merely) Republican or Democrat, But American

Underscoring my point from Friday, Rick Scarborough presents this anecdote about the support of Mike Huckabee.

This week an activist in Iowa made an interesting comment to me about the Mike Huckabee phenomena. While the Romney campaign has spent millions in Iowa to attract voters, the Huckabee campaign has aired few commercials because, until recently, they couldn’t afford a full campaign staff--let alone spend money on media buys. Yet Romney is falling like a rock in the polls and Huckabee’s numbers are soaring. This long time activist in Iowa politics said of Huckabee that rank and file people of both parties in her state are attracted to him because he is neither Republican nor Democrat, but American.

As I pondered her statement I thought, how refreshing, and perhaps how insightful. Huckabee has rankled the ire of many traditional conservatives with his unorthodox politics; while being unapologetic about his traditional social views, he challenges some of the conservative conclusions with many of his views regarding taxes, immigration and education. That mix usually spells disaster among Republicans yet he is leading the pack at present.

There are many speculative reasons offered for why he holds those views, but my friend’s comment that he is American resonates with me. Could it be that people are drawn to him because in him they see a genuine, authentic American, who embraces biblical truth and is attempting, in his humanity, to apply it to public policy? No one will ever get it completely right, and Huckabee won’t, but people like the fact that he is trying and not affected by the attacks from both the left and the right. And I believe that true Americans like the fact that in his campaign, “they,” not the handlers, nor the money people, nor the media, nor the political hacks, are driving his candidacy. His campaign has lacked money but it has generated what millions cannot buy--true believers.

Well said. That's how we Huck the system.

Apologies: A Study in Contrast

This has been the week of apologies in the presidential races. In one example, Hillary Clinton apologized to Obama for the comments of one of her (since resigned) top staffers, who brought up Obama's drug usage.

But let's take a look at two apologies (and i use the term loosely, as you shall see) - one from Mike Huckabee, and then one from Fred Thompson.

First, Governor Huckabee personally apologized to Mitt Romney for the way his question about Mormon beliefs, as posed to a NYT reporter, had been misconstrued and blown up by the media into a big to-do. You can hear the governor discuss it in this interview on Morning Joe, about 4 minutes into the video.



That's how an honorable man does it, how a leader handles things. By all accounts, Romney was gracious and accepted the apology, as both governors hoped to move on.

Contrast that with this "apology" from Fred Thompson. An excerpt:

"We apologize for telling reporters that a BA in Biblical Studies from Ouachita Baptist University doesn’t, in fact, make Huckabee more qualified to fight the war on terror than say…Fred Thompson."

Besides being quite rude, this missive fails not only on the humor meter, but also on the truth meter. It is the typical sort of politics that turns off so many Americans. Throw out a bunch of half-truths and spin, and hope your voters aren't smart enough to see through it. It is not the best of America. We can do better.

At the youtube debate, when each candidate was permitted to air their own 30-second ads, only Fred Thompson went negative. I immediately thought, "this is the end of the Fred Thompson campaign." And repeated polls confirm that Fred is falling more out of favor every day.

• In Iowa, Fred polls in the single-digits, and i predict he'll curry fewer delegates there than does Ron Paul, of all people.
• In New Hampshire, Fred is polling at HALF the level of gadfly Paul.
• He's in single-digits in Michigan.
• He lost the lead in South Carolina, and is closer to 6th place than to first place.
• Huckabee outpolls Fred by 3-1 in Nevada.
• Fred is in single digits in Florida, where Huckabee just pulled into the lead over Giuliani.
• In fact, if you look at all the posted December polls at Real Clear Politics, you cannot find a single one, nationwide or for any single state, where Thompson is favored over Huckabee.

It seems clear to me that the people have weighed the two men, and have made their choice. One guy is positive; the other is nothing but snarky and negative. In my experience, in a contest like this, people turn negative about others when they can't think of anything positive to say about themselves.

Huck & The System

Good online interview with Huckabee from Newsweek. Wanted to highlight two excerpts. One explains why i want to shed light on our flawed political system, why i support someone like Huckabee generally. And the other provides a glimpse of why i support Huckabee specifically.

But why can’t you raise more money?
McCain-Feingold is really a very corrupted system. It’s a disastrous system. If you’re a federal officeholder, a senator, you just transfer some money over to your presidential campaign from your Senate campaign and you’ve jump-started the whole process so you can hire fund-raisers, you can send letters, you can do all this stuff that … it takes money to raise money. So you have to have money to start with, or if you’re very wealthy, you write a personal check, you pop it into your account, because you can give unlimited amounts to your own campaign. It’s not because the law restricts me, but my checkbook restricts me. So we have a system that is really tilted toward already entrenched Washington politicians and very wealthy people. We need to be screaming about how the process is really corrupt. But I’m not one of these going around whining about it.

Excerpt #2

Dan Bartlett, former counsel to President Bush, recently remarked that you have "obvious problems" as a candidate. These "problems" were your last name, Huckabee, which he apparently thought was flawed in some way, and the fact that you're from Hope, Ark. What is your response?
My last name has never opened doors for me because it's not the name of a prominent, wealthy or heralded political family. But the Bible says that "a GOOD name is more to be desired than great riches." And my name represents the sacrifice, hard work, and old fashioned discipline that my Dad gave me when he didn't have the education, wealth or position to give me anything else. It's a name I wear proudly—not just for myself, but all those who like me have fought their way beyond poverty to live and love the American dream.

P.S. What the interview doesn't mention about Bartlett's comments is that he called Huckabee "the most articulate, visionary candidate of anybody in the field."