Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Please Volunteer to Make Phone Calls!
The grassroots Huckabee campaign is making a final push with phone calls to South Carolina and Nevada. Please join us! Go to www.phonecallsformike.blogspot.com and sign up. It's very important to get as many South Carolina voters contacted as possible before Saturday. We've been making calls all week, and have discovered that most of the S.C. voters are still undecided!
Friday, January 11, 2008
Pledge now!
Last night the Huckabee campaign's goal of raising 1 million dollars by the 10th was met!
Huckabee Momentum is organizing a fundraising effort. Please go to www.huckabeemomentum.com and pledge to donate just $25 when ten thousand others have pledged to do the same. Please sign up and encourage your family members and friends to do the same. There are 159 pledges so far.
Huckabee Momentum is organizing a fundraising effort. Please go to www.huckabeemomentum.com and pledge to donate just $25 when ten thousand others have pledged to do the same. Please sign up and encourage your family members and friends to do the same. There are 159 pledges so far.
Debate Analysis
Gov. Huckabee clearly did very well in last night's South Carolina Republican Debate. We thought he had the best answers of the night, and we agree with this analysis from the Weekly Standard:
"A Big Night for Huckabee"
"For the third time in six days, the Republican candidates gathered for a presidential debate in South Carolina on Thursday night. They say the presidential campaign isn't a sprint but a marathon. This week, it felt like a triathlon. The pre-debate agendas for each candidate were clear. Rudy, Fred, and Mitt had to do something to lift themselves off the mat. McCain and Huckabee had to broaden their appeal while avoiding any catastrophic errors that would make a Mitt, Fred, or Rudy rebound more likely: Oh, and Ron Paul had to stop embarrassing himself and the philosophy of libertarianism, something that seemed only slightly more likely than John McCain going the entire evening without saying "My friends." So how did the contestants fare? In ascending order: 6) Ron Paul: Paul has become the Washington Generals of politicians, assuming the Generals had thousands of zealots who showed up every time they played the Globetrotters and cheered like lunatics whenever the Generals hoisted up a shot, regardless of whether or not it went in. Paul's sole function at these things is for the other candidates to point out his relentless silliness and score points at his expense. The cranky Texan provided a wealth of opportunities for righteous indignation this evening, and it was a sad commentary on the Republican field that only Brit Hume and Mike Huckabee effectively rebuked him.
5) Mitt Romney: The stakes were highest for Romney. He came into tonight's debate with a harsh, looming deadline. If he doesn't win in Michigan next Tuesday, he's pretty much done. Fred and Rudy at least don't have their respective final exams until South Carolina and Florida. So it was an odd night for Romney to go invisible and say hardly anything original or inspiring. This was Romney's most lackluster debate performance of the entire campaign, and it came at a time when he could least afford it. If the guy who showed up in New Hampshire on Sunday showed up tonight, maybe Romney could have rallied. He still might, but this debate won't be the reason.
4) Rudy Giuliani: Giuliani has made himself utterly irrelevant. As if to underscore his irrelevance, his campaign sent out a photo during the debate of Rudy shaking Ronald Reagan's hand in the Oval Office. Wow! Gotta admit, that's pretty great. If that 25 year-old picture doesn't salt away Florida, I don't know what will.
3) John McCain: Tonight was like a microcosm of the senator's career. McCain is sometimes an inspiring and courageous leader. At other times, he seems to take a strange pleasure in being his own worst enemy. McCain had some wonderful moments tonight. His role in making the surge happen can't be overstated. He also sounded great when talking about the Navy. It's not just McCain's biography that makes him a credible Commander in Chief. He really understands military matters, and that separates him from the field in both parties. But there was also the other McCain, the one who seems to love to annoy conservatives for no apparent reason. Can anyone tell me why he opted to dance through the climate change minefield on his own volition? Why didn't he just go all in and offer some glowing praise for Al Gore's courageous leadership on that issue while he was at it? As has been the case throughout his career, McCain had some good moments and some bad ones. The problem is his principal rival, Mike Huckabee, has good moments and great ones.
2) Fred Thompson: If he keeps this up, Thompson will wrest the title of most frustrating candidacy from Mitt Romney. When he asserted himself tonight, Fred was brilliant. But he doesn't assert himself nearly enough, especially for a guy with his standing in the polls. Fred really has a great command of the issues. His comments on the economy were cogent and well-informed. He gets bonus points because his observations don't seem like the product of pre-debate cramming. He had one of his best moments of his campaign when he attacked Mike Huckabee for some of his more liberal positions. Fred spoke for many Republicans who have qualms about Huckabee. Problem is, Fred was attacking an exceptionally skilled politician.
1) Mike Huckabee: Huckabee deftly parried Thompson's aggressive and spirited attacks early in the debate. It was a battle on terrain that was unfriendly to Huckabee, and Thompson attacked with skill. And yet Huckabee got out of the exchange unscathed. The exchange with Thompson came early in the debate, and Huckabee was just getting warmed up. For the first time in this campaign, Huckabee looked like a credible commander in chief when the conversation turned to those Iranian speedboats. His normal joviality vanished, replaced by an appropriate gravity. Then he got even better. He seized on a characteristic piece of Ron Paul idiocy to give a spirited speech defending America's commitment to Israel. Again, he looked credible as a commander in chief. But this was also an extremely shrewd piece of politicking. Conservative foreign policy types obviously loved it as did inherently pro-Israel people (i.e. Jews). But Huckabee's core audience of conservative Christians, a much larger segment of the society than either of the other two groups, adored it also. Mike Huckabee's an exceptional politician whose package of skills is often sold short. He's a lot more than an affable dispenser of one-liners who only knows how to play to the home crowd. For people who might be inclined to dismiss Huckabee, compare his response to Thompson's adroit offensive with McCain's blundering into the climate warming thicket. These two are the likely finalists, and one of them is much better at politics than the other. Here's what I said on November 28, the night of the YouTube debate, the night that catapulted Huckabee to his huge lead in Iowa: "Was this a seismic night? I'll give that one a big yes. Tonight heralded the arrival of Mike Huckabee as a force in this race. Not a spoiler, not a wildcard, but a force."
Although fewer people watched this evening's festivities, tonight was even bigger for Huckabee. For the first time, it was not only possible but easy to imagine Mike Huckabee as the leader of 300 million people. He combined this new-found authority with his old standbys of off-the-charts likability and a deft way of tapping into aspirational politics.
In the race for the Republican nomination, Mike Huckabee is going to be tough to beat."
--Dean Barnett
For more,visit: http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/014/571gtvok.asp?pg=1
"A Big Night for Huckabee"
"For the third time in six days, the Republican candidates gathered for a presidential debate in South Carolina on Thursday night. They say the presidential campaign isn't a sprint but a marathon. This week, it felt like a triathlon. The pre-debate agendas for each candidate were clear. Rudy, Fred, and Mitt had to do something to lift themselves off the mat. McCain and Huckabee had to broaden their appeal while avoiding any catastrophic errors that would make a Mitt, Fred, or Rudy rebound more likely: Oh, and Ron Paul had to stop embarrassing himself and the philosophy of libertarianism, something that seemed only slightly more likely than John McCain going the entire evening without saying "My friends." So how did the contestants fare? In ascending order: 6) Ron Paul: Paul has become the Washington Generals of politicians, assuming the Generals had thousands of zealots who showed up every time they played the Globetrotters and cheered like lunatics whenever the Generals hoisted up a shot, regardless of whether or not it went in. Paul's sole function at these things is for the other candidates to point out his relentless silliness and score points at his expense. The cranky Texan provided a wealth of opportunities for righteous indignation this evening, and it was a sad commentary on the Republican field that only Brit Hume and Mike Huckabee effectively rebuked him.
5) Mitt Romney: The stakes were highest for Romney. He came into tonight's debate with a harsh, looming deadline. If he doesn't win in Michigan next Tuesday, he's pretty much done. Fred and Rudy at least don't have their respective final exams until South Carolina and Florida. So it was an odd night for Romney to go invisible and say hardly anything original or inspiring. This was Romney's most lackluster debate performance of the entire campaign, and it came at a time when he could least afford it. If the guy who showed up in New Hampshire on Sunday showed up tonight, maybe Romney could have rallied. He still might, but this debate won't be the reason.
4) Rudy Giuliani: Giuliani has made himself utterly irrelevant. As if to underscore his irrelevance, his campaign sent out a photo during the debate of Rudy shaking Ronald Reagan's hand in the Oval Office. Wow! Gotta admit, that's pretty great. If that 25 year-old picture doesn't salt away Florida, I don't know what will.
3) John McCain: Tonight was like a microcosm of the senator's career. McCain is sometimes an inspiring and courageous leader. At other times, he seems to take a strange pleasure in being his own worst enemy. McCain had some wonderful moments tonight. His role in making the surge happen can't be overstated. He also sounded great when talking about the Navy. It's not just McCain's biography that makes him a credible Commander in Chief. He really understands military matters, and that separates him from the field in both parties. But there was also the other McCain, the one who seems to love to annoy conservatives for no apparent reason. Can anyone tell me why he opted to dance through the climate change minefield on his own volition? Why didn't he just go all in and offer some glowing praise for Al Gore's courageous leadership on that issue while he was at it? As has been the case throughout his career, McCain had some good moments and some bad ones. The problem is his principal rival, Mike Huckabee, has good moments and great ones.
2) Fred Thompson: If he keeps this up, Thompson will wrest the title of most frustrating candidacy from Mitt Romney. When he asserted himself tonight, Fred was brilliant. But he doesn't assert himself nearly enough, especially for a guy with his standing in the polls. Fred really has a great command of the issues. His comments on the economy were cogent and well-informed. He gets bonus points because his observations don't seem like the product of pre-debate cramming. He had one of his best moments of his campaign when he attacked Mike Huckabee for some of his more liberal positions. Fred spoke for many Republicans who have qualms about Huckabee. Problem is, Fred was attacking an exceptionally skilled politician.
1) Mike Huckabee: Huckabee deftly parried Thompson's aggressive and spirited attacks early in the debate. It was a battle on terrain that was unfriendly to Huckabee, and Thompson attacked with skill. And yet Huckabee got out of the exchange unscathed. The exchange with Thompson came early in the debate, and Huckabee was just getting warmed up. For the first time in this campaign, Huckabee looked like a credible commander in chief when the conversation turned to those Iranian speedboats. His normal joviality vanished, replaced by an appropriate gravity. Then he got even better. He seized on a characteristic piece of Ron Paul idiocy to give a spirited speech defending America's commitment to Israel. Again, he looked credible as a commander in chief. But this was also an extremely shrewd piece of politicking. Conservative foreign policy types obviously loved it as did inherently pro-Israel people (i.e. Jews). But Huckabee's core audience of conservative Christians, a much larger segment of the society than either of the other two groups, adored it also. Mike Huckabee's an exceptional politician whose package of skills is often sold short. He's a lot more than an affable dispenser of one-liners who only knows how to play to the home crowd. For people who might be inclined to dismiss Huckabee, compare his response to Thompson's adroit offensive with McCain's blundering into the climate warming thicket. These two are the likely finalists, and one of them is much better at politics than the other. Here's what I said on November 28, the night of the YouTube debate, the night that catapulted Huckabee to his huge lead in Iowa: "Was this a seismic night? I'll give that one a big yes. Tonight heralded the arrival of Mike Huckabee as a force in this race. Not a spoiler, not a wildcard, but a force."
Although fewer people watched this evening's festivities, tonight was even bigger for Huckabee. For the first time, it was not only possible but easy to imagine Mike Huckabee as the leader of 300 million people. He combined this new-found authority with his old standbys of off-the-charts likability and a deft way of tapping into aspirational politics.
In the race for the Republican nomination, Mike Huckabee is going to be tough to beat."
--Dean Barnett
For more,visit: http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/014/571gtvok.asp?pg=1
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Republican Debate Tonight
There will be a Republican debate tonight sponsored by Fox News. It begins at 8:00 Central Time.
Click here to sign up to make phone calls for Gov. Huckabee in Michigan. The Michigan primary is just 5 days away.
Click here to sign up to make phone calls for Gov. Huckabee in Michigan. The Michigan primary is just 5 days away.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Third In New Hampshire
The Huckabee campaign celebrated a third place win in New Hampshire last night. The win for John McCain there will be helpful for Gov. Huckabee. Click here to watch the speech Gov. Huckabee gave last night.
Click here to read a RCP article on Gov. Huckabee's momentum.
Click here to read a RCP article on Gov. Huckabee's momentum.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
A Very Good Time For The Huckabee Campaign
Yesterday Rasmussen Reports, Real Clear Politics, and Gallup showed Gov. Huckabee leading in national polls. The Gallup numbers: Mike Huckabee, 25%; Rudy Giuliani, 20%; John McCain, 19%; Fred Thompson, 12%; Mitt Romney, 9%; Ron Paul, 4%.
South Carolina holds a very important primary on January 19th. Several polls are now showing Gov. Huckabee with a comfortable lead there.
And New Hampshire holds the first in the nation primary today. John McCain appears to be the favorite to win there. He won the state in the 2000 primary against George W. Bush and is very well-known and well-liked there. Mitt Romney's plan all along was to win Iowa and New Hampshire, then count on these wins to propel him to victories in the Super Tuesday primaries. Gov. Huckabee upset his plan with a huge win in Iowa, and it looks like McCain is going to upset the Romney strategy further with a New Hampshire win. Even if Mitt Romney comes in second in N.H., it will be a big blow to his campaign -- he was the Governor of a neighboring state, so he has the name recognition. Plus, he owns a vacation home there. A second place finish would be nothing less than embarrassing for Gov. Romney.
As for Gov. Huckabee, no one expected him to even be a factor in the N.H. primary, so the third place win that we're hoping for would further establish his standing as a national front-runner. And a McCain win in New Hampshire would be the next-best thing to a Huckabee win there. So today looks like a very good day for the Huckabee campaign!!
South Carolina holds a very important primary on January 19th. Several polls are now showing Gov. Huckabee with a comfortable lead there.
And New Hampshire holds the first in the nation primary today. John McCain appears to be the favorite to win there. He won the state in the 2000 primary against George W. Bush and is very well-known and well-liked there. Mitt Romney's plan all along was to win Iowa and New Hampshire, then count on these wins to propel him to victories in the Super Tuesday primaries. Gov. Huckabee upset his plan with a huge win in Iowa, and it looks like McCain is going to upset the Romney strategy further with a New Hampshire win. Even if Mitt Romney comes in second in N.H., it will be a big blow to his campaign -- he was the Governor of a neighboring state, so he has the name recognition. Plus, he owns a vacation home there. A second place finish would be nothing less than embarrassing for Gov. Romney.
As for Gov. Huckabee, no one expected him to even be a factor in the N.H. primary, so the third place win that we're hoping for would further establish his standing as a national front-runner. And a McCain win in New Hampshire would be the next-best thing to a Huckabee win there. So today looks like a very good day for the Huckabee campaign!!
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Debate Tonight
Tonight there will be a Republican debate in New Hampshire at 7:00. It will be hosted by ABC News, WMUR and Facebook.
Here's the debate schedule for January:
January 5, 2008: Republican debate hosted by ABC News, WMUR and Facebook - 7 p.m.
January 6, 2008: Republican debate on Fox News at 8 p.m. with Chris Wallace
January 10, 2008: Fox News holds a Republican debate moderated by Brit Hume from South Carolina
January 24, 2008: MSNBC hosts a Republican Presidential debate from Florida Atlantic University
January 30, 2008: CNN and the Los Angeles Times host a debate of the Republican candidates in California
Here's the debate schedule for January:
January 5, 2008: Republican debate hosted by ABC News, WMUR and Facebook - 7 p.m.
January 6, 2008: Republican debate on Fox News at 8 p.m. with Chris Wallace
January 10, 2008: Fox News holds a Republican debate moderated by Brit Hume from South Carolina
January 24, 2008: MSNBC hosts a Republican Presidential debate from Florida Atlantic University
January 30, 2008: CNN and the Los Angeles Times host a debate of the Republican candidates in California
Friday, January 4, 2008
Articles
Here are links to a couple of articles with analysis of the Iowa Caucuses.
http://michaelmedved.townhall.com/blog/g/6fc7e64c-aae4-492c-bb9c-2ae0bacb6116
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/01/04/upheavals_leave_huckabee_exultant_competitors_scrambling/?page=2
http://michaelmedved.townhall.com/blog/g/6fc7e64c-aae4-492c-bb9c-2ae0bacb6116
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/01/04/upheavals_leave_huckabee_exultant_competitors_scrambling/?page=2
Iowa Caucus Results
"The Lord hath done great things for us..." Psalm 126:3
Gov. Huckabee gives victory speech in Des Moines Despite the fact that most polls in Iowa showed Gov. Huckabee and Gov. Romney in a dead heat in Iowa this week, Gov. Huckabee had an incredible 9-point lead over Mitt Romney last night. In less than an hour after the caucuses began, most major news sources had already named Huckabee the big winner. With 95% of the precincts reporting, here are the results:
Huckabee - 39,814 votes - 34%
Romney - 29,405 votes - 25%
Thompson -15,521 votes - 13%
McCain - 15,248 votes - 13%
Paul -11,598 votes - 10%
Giuliani - 4,013 votes - 4%
Hunter - 515 votes -1%
CNN conducted entrance polls in Iowa last night and had some interesting results. Of the 60% of Iowa Republicans who caucused last night, 60% were Christians. An overwhelming number of these - 46% - voted for Huckabee, compared to 19% for Romney and smaller percentages for the other candidates. For those who say Huckabee isn't a conservative, Iowans have a different view. Gov. Huckabee won the "very conservative" and "somewhat conservative" voters by a sizable margin while Romney and McCain tied with the highest percentage of the moderate conservative vote. The Iowans were also asked what they thought was the top quality of their candidate. Of those who picked "says what he believes," Huckabee was the top choice at 33%, Thompson at 22%, McCain at 16%, and the others lower. Of those who said "shares my values" was the top quality of their candidate, 44% chose Huckabee compared to Romney's 26%. Much more entrance poll information is available at this link: http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/epolls/index.html#IAREP One more interesting fact: of the voters who decided which candidate to support the day of the caucus, 29% chose Huckabee! (That's 10 points more than Thompson, 11 points over Romney and 12 points above McCain.)
Most news sources are reporting that Gov. Huckabee took Iowa last night because of the major effort on the part of Christians, pastors, homeschoolers and pro-lifers to volunteer, tell their friends and get out the vote. It is true that Gov. Huckabee couldn't have done it without his grassroots supporters, and we salute them for their hard work, for their loyalty, for their energy and for their enthusiastic support. But the real reason Gov. Huckabee won Iowa is best described by the words of a supporter who posted the following on hucksarmy.com:
"I wanted to let you guys know what was happening at the Mike Huckabee victory party between 6:30-7:00 pm last night. At that hour there was probably only 50-100 supporters in the ballroom, almost exclusively the people who had come from other states to help at campaign headquarters (because the locals were at their caucuses) plus another hundred members of the media. A small group of Huckabee supporters formed a circle, joined hands and began to pray. For 20 minutes the praying continued; it was a fervent beseeching of the Lord for our nation and for that election night. My two daughters were in that group and many others. You could feel the Spirit of God in their midst (it was one of those prayer times when it seems like one is really talking to the Almighty). Well, picture this: All these cameras and reporters with nothing to do (no returns yet)and this group of Christians fervently pouring out their hearts to God. You got it. After about 10 minutes, that small group of believers were surrounded 3 or 4 deep by photographers, video cameras and scribbling reporters trying to record this crying out to God. The media crush on that prayer circle was only exceeded all night by the media crush when Mike came into the room."
May the Lord receive all the glory for the victory last night.
"Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake." Psalm 115:1
Thursday, January 3, 2008
January 3rd is Here!
Tonight the voters of Iowa will caucus and we will find out if Gov. Huckabee's message and positive campaigning is really what Americans want. The polls look good, but it's the turnout and the votes that matter.
If you have family or friends in Iowa, CALL THEM TODAY and make sure they are planning to caucus for Gov. Huckabee.
A first-place win in Iowa for Gov. Huckabee would be huge. It would change the face of American politics -- proving that elections can be won because of message instead of money, and proving that it is possible to run a positive campaign. It will be interesting to see who comes in second, third and fourth in Iowa, and it will also be very interesting to see which Democrat wins.
Here is a supporter video that focuses on the Iowa Caucus:
If you have family or friends in Iowa, CALL THEM TODAY and make sure they are planning to caucus for Gov. Huckabee.
A first-place win in Iowa for Gov. Huckabee would be huge. It would change the face of American politics -- proving that elections can be won because of message instead of money, and proving that it is possible to run a positive campaign. It will be interesting to see who comes in second, third and fourth in Iowa, and it will also be very interesting to see which Democrat wins.
Here is a supporter video that focuses on the Iowa Caucus:
Don't forget to contact your Iowa friends and family. And most importantly, be praying for the outcome tonight. We can do everything we can, but it is the Lord Who controls every voter. The ultimate outcome is in His power! We can praise the Lord in advance for whatever happens tonight because He is infinite and omniscient and sovereign and He never makes a mistake!
Saturday, December 29, 2007
New Iowa Ads
Here are Gov. Huckabee's two latest ads that will be airing in Iowa this week.
"Start Now"
"The Founding Fathers"
"Start Now"
"The Founding Fathers"
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Huckabooks and Huckabuttons!!!!!!
Gov. Huckabee made it to our house this Christmas!!!
His books were highly prized Christmas presents!
Everyone was pleased to discover the Huckabutton pinned to their stocking!
It's December 27th!!!
Today is the day set aside by the unofficial Huckabee campaign to be "Freedom Lives" Day. (http://www.dec27th.com/)
If you have not contributed to Gov. Huckabee's campaign today, click here to be part of the special fundraising effort!!
The Iowa caucus is just one week away! If you have friends who live in Iowa, be sure they visit the Iowa Huckabee Headquarters to see how they can get involved!
If you have not contributed to Gov. Huckabee's campaign today, click here to be part of the special fundraising effort!!
The Iowa caucus is just one week away! If you have friends who live in Iowa, be sure they visit the Iowa Huckabee Headquarters to see how they can get involved!
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Merry Christmas!
We wanted to take the time to wish all of you a very
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
On this day, set aside by many as a time for giving and receiving gifts, let us not forget the greatest gift that was ever given.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is GIVEN: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
For God so loved the world, that he GAVE his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
Christ came to die that we might live.
This is the only reason for the season!
This is the only reason for the season!
Merry Christmas from all of us!
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Quotes from a sermon Governor Huckabee gave earlier today
“Sometimes in the middle of Christmas, Jesus is the one person who’s tough to find. You notice that? I can find Santa at every mall, you can find discounts in every store but if you mention the name of Jesus, as I found out recently, it upsets the whole world. Forgive me but I thought that was the point of the whole day.”
“One hundred years from now when all your worries are over, if your faith is in that child in Bethlehem born that day, and you’ve taken yourself off the throne and you’ve decided you’d rather be a shepherd than a Herod, then the good news for you is, when the game is over no matter what It looks like now, you win in the end. That is the message of Christmas so I say to you, Merry Christmas! Jesus is Lord!”
Governor Huckabee Talks About Christmas Ad
The Huckabee Christmas ad has gotten a lot of attention and criticism from the media. Listen to Governor Huckabee talk to a group of supporters about the ad.
Friday, December 21, 2007
First Supporter Video
Here is our first attempt at making a supporter video for Gov. Huckabee.
The YouTube link for this video is: http://youtube.com/watch?v=VZ26evdYDv0
Dick Morris: "Huckabee Is A Fiscal Conservative"
From an article by Dick Morris:
As Mike Huckabee rises in the polls, an inevitable process of vetting him for conservative credentials is under way in which people who know nothing of Arkansas or of the circumstances of his governorship weigh in knowingly about his record. As his political consultant in the early ’90s and one who has been following Arkansas politics for 30 years, let me clue you in: Mike Huckabee is a fiscal conservative.
A recent column by Bob Novak excoriated Huckabee for a “47 percent increase in state tax burden.” But during Huckabee’s years in office, total state tax burden — all 50 states combined — rose by twice as much: 98 percent, increasing from $743 billion in 1993 to $1.47 trillion in 2005. In Arkansas, the income tax when he took office was 1 percent for the poorest taxpayers and 7 percent for the richest, exactly where it stood when he left the statehouse 11 years later. But, in the interim, he doubled the standard deduction and the child care credit, repealed capital gains taxes for home sales, lowered the capital gains rate, expanded the homestead exemption and set up tax-free savings accounts for medical care and college tuition.
Most impressively, when he had to pass an income tax surcharge amid the drop in revenues after Sept. 11, 2001, he repealed it three years later when he didn’t need it any longer. He raised the sales tax one cent in 11 years and did that only after the courts ordered him to do so. (He also got voter approval for a one-eighth-of-one-cent hike for parks and recreation.) He wants to repeal the income tax, abolish the IRS and institute a “fair tax” based on consumption, and opposes any tax increase for Social Security.
And he can win in Iowa.
When voters who have decided not to back Rudy Giuliani because of his social positions consider the contest between Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee, they will have no difficulty choosing between a real social conservative and an ersatz one. Romney, who began as a pro-lifer and switched in order to win in Massachusetts, and then flipped back again, cannot compete with a lifelong pro-lifer, Huckabee.
But Huckabee’s strength is not just his orthodoxy on gay marriage, abortion, gun control and the usual litany. It is his opening of the religious right to a host of new issues. He speaks firmly for the right to life, but then notes that our responsibility for children does not end with childbirth. His answer to the rise of medical costs is novel and exciting. “Eighty percent of all medical spending,” he says, “is for chronic diseases.” So he urges an all-out attack on teen smoking and overeating and a push for exercise not as the policies of a big-government liberal but as the requisites of a fiscal conservative anxious to save tax money.
From www.dickmorris.com
Huckabee Webcast on New Year's Day
On January 1, 2008, Mike Huckabee and Chuck Norris will host a live webcast from the Des Moines Huckabee For President Meetup at 7:30 p.m. Central Time. Watch it live on www.mikehuckabee.com!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
