Huckacide? Nice try.

This was my reply on www.realclearpolitics to Rich Lowry of the National Review, who, in a thin and wishful opinion piece, failed miserably at trying to present Mike Huckabee as the GOP's Howard Dean of 2008:

It was a mediocre try, the article falls apart for so many reasons. Below are Lowry's quotes with my comments:

"Like Dean, he is rising toward the top of polls in a crowded field based on his appeal to a particular niche of his party."

-Is it just a "niche" of voters that are placing him in the lead by 12 pts in Iowa and almost 8 in South Carolina. Since when is a "niche" a majority?

"Social conservatism has to be part of the Republican message, but it can't be the message in its entirety."

-Also, completely off as far as describing Huckabee. Social conservatism is by far not his only message (but a great one for the GOP as the article mentions). He also believes strongly in investing in education and innovation in order to maintain our much threatened economic vitality. Also, he's in a freakin' rock band.

Huckabee has declared that he doesn't believe in evolution. Even if there are many people in America who agree with him, his position would play into the image of Republicans as the anti-science party.

-Um, the GOP doesn't need any help on that front--stem cells, evolution, global warming.

In a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in September, Huckabee struck notes seemingly borrowed from Barack Obama, hitting the Bush administration for its "bunker mentality" and strongly supporting direct talks with Iran.

-No advisers huh? This is from a recent AP release, "nowhere is the change in thinking more advanced than in the US military, which is pushing for greater diplomacy, economic aid, civic action and civilian capabilities to prevent new wars and win the peace in Iraq and Afghanistan." Wow, could it be that we may have a president that actually listens to the experts in the military as opposed to only hearing what he wants to?

Here's the article link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071213/pl_afp/usmilitarydiplomacy

-I don't support Huckabee, but I think contrary to what Lowry and the National Review wish, his support is only going to grow. Who Huckabee represents is not the fundamentalist pharisees, but the everyday, human, intelligent main-stream Christian.

This article was weak, I can' t believe that's all it takes to write for a national "journal."

p.s. If anything makes Huckabee vulnerable, it is the corruption, that almost defies belief, of Arkansas state government. It did Bill Clinton no harm however. If anything, I'd say Huck is the Repub's Clinton, not Dean.

Lowry's "article" can be read here: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/12/huckacide.html