Huckabee on BBC

[WRJames]

Did anyone else see this interview last night on BBC World News? I had always dismissed Mike Huckabee as a right wing nut case, and I was thoroughly prepared to detest him. And Katty Kay tends to torment people she interviews -- you should see her badgering the Pakistani representative about the current mini-coup there. But to my astonishment he came across as very genuine, very kind. Some of the answers he gave on foreign policy were astonishing -- exactly what this country should be doing -- being a power for good in the world, not a military superpower. And Katty gave him a warm (for her) smile, shook his hand -- I don't think I've EVER seen that before.

Very unsettling -- anyone else have a reaction?

 

[jayce1066]

I didn't see that interview, but I met Huckabee back in the 1970's & have been vaguely aware of his career since then.
He's pretty much a WYSIWYG kinda guy. The state government in Arkansas was a total train wreck when he became governor. Things were running a lot better by the time he left office.

 

[thebullet]

I think no one denies that Huckabee is a nice guy.

I saw an interview with Bill Clinton recently, and Clinton called Huckabee a decent, honorable, and likable man. They disagree about political philosophy but get along just fine as human beings.

Who knows? Perhaps that's what America needs right now. Forget philosophy, just give us a decent and honest person.

 

[amicus]

Thanks for the thread, WR. I did not see the BBC interview but I have listened to Huckabee and the pundits for some time now and it appears he is beginning to become a factor in the Republican primary polls.

I have not heard enough of his political philosophy as yet to have a full picture, but as I look at the social liberalism of Guiliani and Romney and the apparent lackadaisical campaign of Fred Thompson, I had a thought that the two of them might make a good ticket.

dunno...

amicus...

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Oh! Great!

Another decent, honorable guy...like Jimmy Carter. Another born-again scold.

 

[amicus]

Ah, I gotta chuckle, JBJ. I suppose you make a point and I do not like 'faith based' morality any more than you I suspect.

All the candidates in both parties are required to pay at least public lip-service to religion and at least one can know what their morality is based on in respect to Huckabee and Thompson.

God forbid another woman chasing Kennedy, or "I never had sex with that woman!" pervert like Clinton.

So, I dunno how things are going to shake down but I sense the crucial importance of one more Justice on the Supreme Court that will adhere to Constitutional imperatives and not try to legislate from the bench and if Huckabee or Thompson can do that, more power to them.

amicus...

 

[thebullet]

It's true, James. Having a hypocritical Christian as President is bad enough. Having a real Christian is a disaster.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

AMICUS

I worked hard to get Jimmy Carter elected. I sold him to people in solid Republican precincts. And I refused to work for him in 1980. He was, and is, a major embarrassment.

We're gonna find out how squishy Dubya's picks are when they vote on the handgun case. Back in 1812 every white male in America was part of the 'militia.' You were expected to fight in large scale military actions, like wars. The 'ready' militia and federal regulars existed to handle military emergencies. And it makes sense if you think about it. Being 'militia' gave you immunity from prosecution if you killed the wrong Indian. The 'militia' was expected to furnish its own weapons, ammunition, food, etc. A posse is maybe a better analogy.

 

[Pure]

hey, 'nice guys' can be dangerous! you don't have to be Bakker, to be a threat...

 

[amicus]

Trying to get my head around your conversion from a Carter Democrat to whatever you call yourself now.

I say that because, while still in my teens, I understood the nature of politics and have held the same understanding my entire life and could never even conceive of advocating the policies of the American Democrat Party, as they are alien, revolting and disgusting to me.

And I don't think it depends on the 'squishy' appointments, rather on the liberal swing vote that now divides the court...which is why I emphasized the importance of at least one more conservative appointment and preferable two, which a win by the Republicans in 2008 would insure.

Amicus...

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

Ami, while I'm unencumbered by any particular knowledge, Huckabee might be the most electable candidate the GOP could nominate. He's an articulate outsider with views on social values that appeal to many in the party.

Besides, the last President from Hope Ark gave us eight years of peace and prosperity, right? So maybe Huckabee can do wth same but w/o any cigar tricks.

Rumple Foreskin

 

[amicus]

[QUOTE=Rumple Foreskin]Ami, while I'm unencumbered by any particular knowledge, Huckabee might be the most electable candidate the GOP could nominate. He's an articulate outsider with views on social values that appeal to many in the party.

Besides, the last President from Hope Ark gave us eight years of peace and prosperity, right? So maybe Huckabee can do wth same but w/o any cigar tricks.

Rumple Foreskin [/QUOTE]

~~~

Chuckles...a little sense of humor there, eh, Rumple? I like that.

Not everyone defines the Clinton years as you do and I am certain you know that and I will not counter your assertion of peace and prosperity, but I will compare it to the lull between the inauguration of FDR and the onset of WW2.

Fred Thompson has an attractive and versatile young wife, Huckabee does not; as I suggested a Thompson/Huckabee ticket might work as I know most Americans will not accept the social liberalism of either Guiliani or Romney.

Amicus...

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

AMICUS

I was the best liberal there ever was, 40 years ago. What changed my thinking was I discovered that Liberals are mother-fuckers and dont give a shit about people. They use people's problems to make a buck and increase their prestige. Liberals are problem pimps.

Conservatives, I discovered, are quite willing to give you opportunities to get in the game, to see what you can do. They dont automatically assume youre a "poor soul" who needs free admission to sit in the cheap seats to watch the game. Conservatives believe that playing in the game is a lot better for everyone, than being a passive spectator is. Liberals promise chump change, conservatives offer opportunities to score.

 

[WRJames]

Thanks for the thread, WR. I did not see the BBC interview but I have listened to Huckabee and the pundits for some time now and it appears he is beginning to become a factor in the Republican primary polls.

I have not heard enough of his political philosophy as yet to have a full picture, but as I look at the social liberalism of Guiliani and Romney and the apparent lackadaisical campaign of Fred Thompson, I had a thought that the two of them might make a good ticket.

dunno...

amicus...

The little bit I have heard scares me -- that's why I was ready to detest him. This is the problem that I as a Christian liberal have with the fundies -- they believe in a lot of things we think are very important. Unfortunately, they also believe in a lot of things we think are just crazed, like the literal truth of the Bible.

A Rudy vs Hillary choice makes me shudder -- when he was a Federal prosecuter Rudy went out of his way to destroy one of the families in our church -- for no apparent reason than his own political ambition. And the Clintons have spun such a web of deceit that it is impossible to know if anything they say has a shred of credibility.

Of course, the way that Romney has pandered to the conservatives doesn't say much for the depth of his convictions either.

Well, Ford and Carter were both honest, good people who were bumbling as President. Reagan remains an enigma for me, even now. We know enough to realize that Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon were all, to put it politely, morally flawed.

 

[thebullet]

you must realize by now, James, that to be president requires a world class ego.

To take the abuse that all people, you and I included, heap onto these men and women is more than the average person is willing to deal with.

For most big time politicos, this abuse just slides off of their backs.

But the negative attention given to politicians by the press, by the public, and by their adversaries is more than enough to drive most talented and good-intentioned people to stay out of politics. It just isn't worth it to them.

We are responsible for this mess. We shouldn't be surprised if the people who we must choose to be our leaders are far less than acceptable.

We only get what we deserve.

I'm willing to have a codicil that excludes born-again Christians. They might not have massive egos. They may be 'called' to this work. And that scares me even more than the average sleaze bags that go into politics.

 

[amicus]

Welcome back to the forum Bullet, been a while, I hope your absence was by choice and not illness, I still remember your series of DBF stories, the whiz kids that I enjoyed so much.

I think you might be interested in being reminded that American Presidential politics has always been down and dirty and scandal ridden. I don't buy into the theory that good men, true statesmen, shy away from the arena because of the election environment which has been with us forever.

It is just part of the turf going all the way back to Adams and Monroe and was, perhaps, at that time, unique in the world because the common man, not the blue blood or the aristocracy, actually played a part in the political process.

amicus...