The problem with Mike Huckabee (updated)

Rich Lowry points it out well today:
The problem is that Huckabee so far appeals only to evangelical Christians (and there's no indication right now this will change). He's tried to broaden his appeal by running as a quasi-populist. It hasn't worked. Quote: "In Iowa, Huckabee played the religion card against his Mormon rival, all the while pretending he was doing no such thing. Then, he became enamored of his line that people should vote for a candidate who looks like someone they work with rather than someone who lays them off — another shot at Romney. He concluded his TV ad in Michigan with the line, but it got him nothing. Ordinary looks don’t constitute an economic policy. Huckabee’s campaign has been run on, to invoke two of his favorite substances, duct tape and WD-40. When reporters asked who his foreign-policy advisers were, he cited former ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton as someone with whom he has “spoken or will continue to speak.” But he never had. His advisers then said he had e-mailed Bolton, which he had once without ever following up. It was vintage Huckabee — slippery and laughably unserious."

Huckabee lacks substance, and in any case conservatives should always reject his form of bald populism--just as they rejected it 4 decades ago when George Wallace came calling.

New Hampshire: the Republicans

Meanwhile, the Republican race has been upended as well, what with the surprise victory of Mike Huckabee in Iowa. Congratulations to him. He ran a better race there than did anyone else. I see however that this New York Times piece suggests that Mr. Huckabee plans to emphasize an "anti-tax" message in New Hampshire.

Beware. If my memory serves me right, as governor of Arkansas, Mr. Huckabee raised taxes numerous times. We conservatives still have to wonder how genuine his credentials as a man of the Right truly are.

More Huckaworries

This reproduces a quote from a book Mike Huckabee wrote a few years ago, titled From Hope to Higher Ground. The quote has to do with Huckabee's view of how government can promote health. Its implication are a bit frightening: "History shows that we can, in fact, help Americans to change, not by force-feeding them government restrictions or requirements but by first changing the attitudes and atmosphere in which we live. Eventually, having shifted public opinion, we can solidify the attitude and atmospheric changes with government actions that define the will of the majority."

News flash, Mr. Huckabee: government actions, even if you claim they're for good health, even if you claim they reflect the will of the majority and will merely "solidify" that will, will amount to "restrictions." (how silly to try to play word games with such.) And I don't care if you can get a majority to say, for example, that Twinkies are bad for you and harm our health, it's not the government's business to be levying Twinkie taxes and thus infringing on our freedom to eat---and yet that is increasingly exactly the kind of thinking that your philosophy would undergird.

The continuing Huckaboom

Meanwhile, besides Hillary's continued slippage, another political trend showing itself today is Mike Huckabee's continuing polling surge in the Republican race. Captain Ed rounds it up well here.

Perhaps the Huckabee surge is a case of evangelical conservatives in the Republican Party believing they've found their candidate.

If so, as the Captain also notes, I think these Republicans should think again. No question, Mr. Huckabee's an evangelical. But is he also a conservative? His past views on taxes, spending, and immigration raise questions.

Under the Huckascope

With Mike Huckabee's recent surge in support comes increased examination of everything he's ever written or said. So, today it comes out that back in 1992 he suggested that AIDS was getting too much federal funding, that AIDS patients be quarantined, and that he opposed homosexuality.

A big deal? It will be to some, especially in the news media. Thing is, I suspect most Republicans agree with him when it comes to gay issues and AIDS funding (funding for cancer, anyone?); and as for the quarantine, he said what he said in 1992. We know much more about AIDS now than we did then.

UPDATE: Here's Huckabee's response, and it echoed what I thought he'd say above.

One problem with Huckabee

His tax plan--see what he once said about it: "Not given to rhetorical understatement, Huckabee says, “When the FairTax becomes law, it will be like waving a magic wand releasing us from pain and unfairness.”

A true conservative doesn't believe any governmental legislation can do that. We don't (or at least, shouldn't) believe in "magic wands."
Read the whole article linked above.

Huck stuck on opponents of illegal immigration

Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee engages in some mischaracterization:
“I do not believe in amnesty, I don’t believe in sanctuary cities, I believe [illegal aliens] who commit crimes ought to be deported, and I believe we ought to go after the employers,” Huckabee said.

(Well, that's good. So?)

“But do I have a seething anger toward immigrants?” he went on. “No. I definitely have anger toward the incompetence of our government; I am just livid over it. But immigrants just love our country like we do.”

Well, the vast majority of those concerned about illegal immigration aren't fired by a "seething anger" either, Mr. Huckabee. And it's unfair of you to portray us that way. It's what we call a "straw man" argument. Knock it off.

Huckabee's momentum: up in smoke

Because he's managed to position himself to the left of Hillary Clinton on the question of a national smoking ban in public places.

What, so is secondhand smoke cool? No--but from a conservative, fundamental, principled point of view, Huckabee is wrong. Jim Geraghty of NRO's Campaign Spot explains why: "I don't have much of a problem with local governments mandating the creation of non-smoking sections. I know second-hand smoke is bad, that's why I avoid it. I think it ought to be up to businesses to decide whether it's permitted in their offices or other work environments. But it's not a federal issue, and a one-size-fits-all national law is statism run amok. Plus, there's something unseemly about the way smoking has become this convenient punching bag of a public health enemy in a society that otherwise is growing ever-more-tolerant on other substances."

Bingo. Huckabee has hurt himself significantly with conservative Republicans on this.

Huckabee is hustling

Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee has looked good in the Republican presidential debates, and desperately wants to finish in the top two or three in the upcoming Ames, Iowa straw poll...which could make him a "top tier" candidate. That probably explains today's shot across the bow of his competitor, Mitt Romney. Of course, Ronald Reagan used to urge that all Republicans adopt the 11th commandment--thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican. Does that still matter to Republicans? We may find out.

And I wonder if there's going to be enough room for Huckabee--Romney's money and Giuliani's star power and McCain's entrenched support will make that top tier tough to crack.