News report: On Tuesday, McCain's delegates at the West Virginia convention swung over to support Huckabee at the last minute in a successful maneuver designed to deprive Romney of a victory.
This convention tactic is as old as conventions. Abraham Lincoln's supporters employed it in Illinois in 1856. We can read about it in Doris Kearns Goodwin's excellent "Team of Rivals." She shows how Abraham Lincoln's political allies did exactly the same thing in Illinois in 1856. They knew Lincoln could not get the Senate nomination, so they threw their support to Orville Browning to block a rival. Lincoln got the support of that Senator Browning in his 1858 race against Steven Douglas.
We need to remember that politics ain't beanbag.
Comments (3)
No question, the surge of Mike Huckabee on Super Tuesday was the story of the night.
And now... we conservatives are faced with a decision.
The talk of Pat Robertson endorsing Rudy Guiliani now means nothing.
Neither does anyone care about the wide evangelical support that Mitt Romney won over.
We now have, on the left, Senator John McCain whom Dr. James Dobson says "is not a conservative, and in fact, has gone out of his way to stick his thumb in the eyes of those who are. He has sounded at times more like a member of the other party."
On the right: Governor Mike Huckabee, with 10 years of experience governing, a staunch pro-life record, and a proven force for defending marriage and religious liberties.
Gov. Huckabee is the very embodiment of the Values Voters Pledge that Dr. Dobson has urged Christians to sign. He even served as the keynote speaker at a national gathering of Family Policy Councils (at Focus on the Family) in March 2007.
No more silence! Conservatives need to back Mike Huckabee for the good of our nation. Or do we have Hillary and/or Obama fans out there?
The lack of enthusiasm for Huckabee is baffling and, frankly, a betrayal of a man who has faithfully served his country--with conservative principles guiding his every step.
Can conservatives and Christian alike unite around what we're FOR, rather than what we're AGAINST? If so, our traditional values just might be represented in the White House come '08.
If we just want to play political games and preserve a supposedly "perfect record" (huh?), then forget it. Let the 4 years of disaster begin, as some commentators have put it.
Vote Huckabee! And support his campaign!
-joshMshep
www.myspace.com/joshmshep
www.mikehuckabee.com
February 7, 2008 8:59 PM | Comment Permalink
Huckabee is failing, and there is nothing baffling about it. He has great appeal to the social conservative voting block - the ones the FRC likes to call 'values voters.' But in obtaining this vote, he had alienated everyone else - made himself look like (and I believe he is) a religious fanatic. He has emphesised abortion and gay marriage as issues to greatly he has hardly been able to speak about anything else, and his constant appeal to the born-again evangelical christian has left everyone of lesser or differing faith feeling that he doesn't represent them.
February 9, 2008 10:04 AM | Comment Permalink
There are many supporters for Huckabee that do not fit in the "Values Voter" camp. Many of them appreciate his record in Arkansas of being fiscally responsible with money. Others really appreciate the idea of becoming independent in reference to our energy. This would help the US not to support our enemy (Radical Islam)by buying gas, the profits of which go directly to helping terrorists bomb Americans. There are some who are just scared with the ideas (or lack thereof) being presented by the other candidates. Some who have chosen to support Huckabee when their own candidate dropped out or took too liberal views to continue supporting them.
And then there are the "Value Voters", which would include our candidate, who have created a website and campaign that is incredible. In spite of the attacks, deliberate attempts to make Mike Huckabee look like an extremists, this group welcomes anyone who loves Huckabee's ideas and is fighting alongside each other to bring a truly refreshing candidate to the GOP Convention.
I hope those who are still struggling with the decision of who to support, or whether or not to take the time to study them all carefully, will stop by www.mikehuckabee.com to find out what Mike is really about, instead of taking the media's word for it.
God bless!
February 14, 2008 5:06 PM | Comment Permalink