No Jesus Freaks Need Apply
Wednesday December 19, 2007
Categories: Republicans
I say it here. And Erick from Red State, who doesn't like Huckabee and thinks he would be bad for the GOP, says it here, in his defense of Huckabee against conservative elites. Excerpt: The New York-Washington Corridor of Conservative...
Filed Under: Huckabee
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Rod Dreher is an editorial columnist for the Dallas Morning News, and author of "Crunchy Cons" (Crown Forum), a nonfiction book about conservatives, most of them religious, whose faith and political convictions sometimes put them at odds with mainstream conservatives. The views expressed in this blog are his own.
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Senator, I've known Jesus Freaks, and James Dobson is no Jesus Freak. Anyone who thinks Dobson or Huckabee or any of those guys is a Jesus Freak just does not know.
It really is going to be interesting to see how the Huckabee factor plays out.
Huckabee was getting into this with Meredith Viera (sp?) today, I believe, talking about how certain elites have appreciated evangelical support at the ballot box but are freaking out now that one of them is actually in the running.
You are delusional if you believe that Huckabee has an appeal for conservative Democrats who actually vote for Democrats, as opposed to "Reagan Democrats" who are just embarrassed Republicans who don't want to take responsibility for the mess they've created.
Huckabee is no Jim Wallis. Heck, he's not even Rick Warren. He's James Dobson and Pat Robertson with a better sense of humor and a dash of economic populism. But as he's shown with immigration, he can be just another meanspirited social conservative pandering to the far right who forgets his faith the moment it's convenient.
Very well-written article Rod.
Wasn't a Jesus Freak the early 70's Godspell type? Rainbow suspenders and 'Fro. Better than alot of other things they could've done in the 70's.
Nothing wrong with Godspell as far as I can tell - except for that very eerie scene on top of the World Trade Center where the cast sings "I guess its All for the Best." Time for the Evangelists to stand up for one of there own.
But seek some balance . . .McCain/Huckabee. I think that's the perfect ticket.
I am an evangelical Christian, and I don't like Huckabee based upon his record, his anti-free market and nanny-state rhetoric, his idiotic embrace of the "fair" tax, and his foreign policy that has equal whiffs of Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama, mixed in with a little Pat Buchanan.
Do I need to say more, because the above list is certainly not exhaustive?
The main thing I hold against Huckabee is that he has announced through a megaphone that he is an evangelical Christian, as well as a (not currently working) pastor. As such, he is to be held to a very high standard of conduct; he must be 100% above reproach in everything he says. At this he has failed miserably. He has been caught time and again in half-truths, outright lies, and exaggerations. He has been confronted with obvious mistakes or contradictions in his past record and statements, and has been unwilling to humbly admit his missteps.
This stuff about "the establishment" not liking Huckabee because he is a Christian is laughable and reeks of delusional paranoia. Ever hear of a fellow named George W. Bush, who just happens to famously be a born-again Christian? The establishment has been standing pretty firmly behind him, no?
In fact, I would suggest the exact opposite of what you describe is happening. Many Huckabee supporters are supporting him SOLELY because he is an evangelical. Look at the numbers form one of the Iowa polls released today. Romney is easily rated the highest as the best leader and having the greatest list of accomplishments, and is also rated as the most likely to be able to win in November, yet Huckabee has a small lead. Huckabee is rated as most trustworthy.
Personally I trust the guy with greater prior accomplishments who has proven to be a good leader and might actually be the President because he has a chance to win over the guy who has talked about a national smoking ban and has come dangerously close to saying he would regulate CEO pay if necessary.
"... whiffs of Jimmy Carter..."
it could be that our next pres is a Jimmy Huckabee...
or a George W. Huckabee...
ouch...
4 more years...
it may not be pleasant...
or...
perhaps Abe Huckabee surprises us all...
who knows...
Merry Christmyth and Happy New Year to all...
Hate to tell you, Rod, but you're WAY behind Kuo on this stuff. You even used some of the EXACT talking points in your article that he has on the J-Walking blog here on Bnet.
Although Kuo seems to have an irrational fear of Mormons, from what I can tell. At least you've made it clear your differences with Romney are political, not personal.
"This stuff about "the establishment" not liking Huckabee because he is a Christian is laughable and reeks of delusional paranoia. Ever hear of a fellow named George W. Bush, who just happens to famously be a born-again Christian? The establishment has been standing pretty firmly behind him, no?"
Posted by: Bill Glover | December 19, 2007 10:00 PM
Yes. But Bill, the establishment stood behind George W. Bush because he was OF the establishment... one of its annointed sons, in fact. Get somebody like Huckabee up there, someone who smacks of "white trash" (see previous blog), and it's a whole new ball game. The Republican establishment will embrace Born Agains only if they happen to also be blue bloods.
Bill,
The establishment embraced George W. Bush b/c he was like many of them who pays lip service to evangelical Christians but isn't really one of them. They just want evangelical votes so they tell them what they want to hear and act like one of them, but in reality they disdain and even ridicule evangelicals.
Margaret, I hear what you are saying, and to a great extent you are correct that the GOP establishment doesn't like Huckabee because he isn't one of them. But Bill has a good point here: there are many rank-and-file (versus "elite") Republicans who don't support Huckabee based on issues and policy. I wouldn't support Huckabee if I had a vote, but not because of his evangelical Christianity. It's because of his affinity for statism, his poor record vis-a-vis illegal immigration, and as Rod and others have pointed out, his general unpreparedness.
Still, I thoroughly enjoy seeing a Christian candidate poke the eye of the secularists. Give 'em, uh, heck, Huck.
This all sounds rather familiar. Having been chided by Rod for raising the words "nativist" or "racist," isn't all this handwringing just a variation on that theme. Accusing "elitists" of dismissing Huckabee based solely on the theory that they don't like his religion and class, aren't we just playing the "Christian" card the same way you gripe when people accuse you of being nativist or homophobic or racist?
Two props of virtue for a Christian prince,
To stay him from the fall of vanity:
And, see, a book of prayer in his hand,
True ornaments to know a holy man.
Famous Plantagenet, most gracious prince,
Lend favourable ears to our request;
And pardon us the interruption
Of thy devotion and right Christian zeal.
In my experience:
Jesus Freak is to Christianity AS
New Ager is to Paganism.
It's fringe. It's fluffy. It smacks of insincerity combined with ignorance.
[Reminder: in my experience...]
There are no Jesus Freaks running for national office. If there were, we'd be hearing/seeing much more about them.
>>
Still, I thoroughly enjoy seeing a Christian candidate poke the eye of the secularists. Give 'em, uh, heck, Huck.
Posted by: Jeff Sullivan | December 20, 2007 9:18 AM
>>>
>>>
Accusing "elitists" of dismissing Huckabee based solely on the theory that they don't like his religion and class, aren't we just playing the "Christian" card the same way you gripe when people accuse you of being nativist or homophobic or racist?
Posted by: Daniel | December 20, 2007 9:28 AM
>>>
I said in an earlier post that it is going to be interesting to see how the Huckabee campaign plays out and it just did get more so.
Take a look at Ann Coulter's most recent column entitled "THERE'S A HUCKABEE BORN EVERY MINUTE" I'm not going to include a link because recent posts where I have included links have been held up by the 'must be approved' program.
Here is Coulter's money quote:
"As far as I can tell, it's mostly secular liberals swooning over Huckabee. Liberals adore Huckabee because he fits their image of what an evangelical should be: stupid and easily led."
Please note that this seems to be in direct opposition to the link I posted (but seems to be held up by the 'must be approved' program) which seemed to indicate that Ms. Beverly LaHaye of the uber-Social Conservative Group "Concerned Women for America" supports Huckabee.
Coulter is first and foremost a propagandist, but in this case, a propagandist for whom?
Also note the use of Rovian ju-jitsu, in this case taking Huckabee's strenght - his appeal to Evangelical Primary Voters - and turning it against him by suggesting that he is the one the Evill Liberals want to see win.
Keep a close eye on Coulter's column over the next few weeks. She wrote scathing columns against Bush's nominee to the Supreme Court, Hariet Meyers. I expect similar columns against Huckabee.
Despite Coulter's use of God-Talk in her writing, she is firmly in the camp of the economic conservatives.
Franklin, There are no Jesus Freaks running for national office. If there were, we'd be hearing/seeing much more about them.
Great line.
Absolutely true.
So, please defend him on the issues instead of simply whining that "GOP elites" are picking on him because he's a Christian.
The GOP elites aren't picking on him because he's a Christian, they are picking on him because he isn't one of the known quantities that they can be sure of.
Huckabee is doing well because everybody else in the race is so awful. God bless him.
Elites are attacking Huck's religion because they can't attack his policies. True, his policies are insane, and they all know it, but they sure as well don't want Republican rank-and-file to start analyzing policy proposals rationally. That would be disaster for the party.
Good grief, you're defending a candidate who has a history of nothing but liberal nanny state, big government, tax raising, bleeding heart liberal action.
And you're still not bothering to defend his record based on his record.
Will you ever actually mention the specifics of the problems with Huckabee, or even bother with an honest or realistic defense? Or are you just going to pretend that everyone who is concerned that Huckabee is a liberal is really a closet elitist bigot? Because that's what I'm hearing.
I guess I'm just an anti-religious bigot, and Washington insider-elitist because I'm not in favor of electing a liberal democrat in the Republican Primary.
When you feel like actually defending Huckabee's record, or at least being honest about his record; then we can have a discussion. When you're just name-calling? Nevermind.
Does anybody mind of I fiddle while the GOP burns?
Just as I was posting that last snarky comment, something came to me:
A few posts ago, Rod was talking about the Tribulation. He mentioned a red heifer. Huckabee was wearing a red sweater in his Christmas ad.
Could Huckabee be the GOP's anti-Christ?
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