I think he’s going to have trouble going after the amnesty for illegal aliens vote because McCain already has that sown up.
BTW, I think he could have taken Thompson position on illegal immigration which I think is pretty compassionate without aiding those who break our laws. You open immigration wider, make it easier to come here legally and you crack down on business that hire illegal immigrants.

For many years I have studied a spiritual tool called “The Enneagram”. It is a spectrum of attitudes and behaviors that belong together. There are nine different centers from which we view the world and all of us exist primarily in one or two of them. Type one is a perfectionist whose shadow side is rage; Type two is the caring one whose shadow side is an inability to love. Type Three – well that’s where our politicians live – if I produce a product for you – you will love me – it doesn’t matter how I produce it – I can lie and cheat and if I can produce for you -well – you get the picture. At the very unhealthy end of such type three’s is somebody like OJ Simpson – at the extraordinary end is someone like Paul Newman. Almost all presidents are threes because they can lie to themselves and be the product – the brand name. Three’s are the top guy in the class, the prettiest girl, the brand name boy or girl next door. Threes – until they can own up to their untruth – are shallow, incapable of depth, able to believe their own lies. Converted threes are perhaps the most capable of changing our culture. When a three can become aware (and repent of )of a compulsion to win without regard for method, to lie in order to get the prize – well – three’s become people that lead the world out of darkness. Huckabee is just an ordinary, run-of the mill – three. President Clinton is a three, Reagan was a three, both Bushes are threes – the one currently in place well into the unhealthy three. Mitt Romney was a cartoon figure of a three. However, it is important to know that all of these people are capable of a kind of conversion to truth. When that happens – they can be greatness personified. The image they have of themselves is shattered and they have to become truthful – first to themselves and then to others. They are visionary. Examples might include Al Gore – who tried to be a brand name – failed and then had to go to a truthful and visionary place. Huckabee is capable of leaving the good ol boy, born again, brand name and becoming one who speaks of the things we must know. But, there are no signs of conversion in him. We are a country of “threes” – people who buy the brand name on anything – conservative, liberal, born again, CEO, – and mistake it for righteousness. We reward the lies that threes tell us and themselves. So – until we begin to repent of such things we can expect candidates like Huckabee or Clinton. They are all we deserve. If we call them to a truthful place (in other words call ourselves to be truthful) – we deserve the greatness that is in each one of them. Huckabee is just a three – he smiles and says whatever an audience wants to hear. These guys are a dime a dozen. Now, lest we forget – WE – as individuals and as a group have a type and our collective shadow in this country is an inability to face the truth. Might I just drop the words – global warming, gun control, and Iraq war for starters. Jesus called us to a painful sort of truth – we prefer the non painful version. Huckabee is a fine example of us.

Unfortunately, the only way for Huckabee to get traction is to play to conservative Republicans upset with John McCain, so he is going to run away from his previously moderate roots.

Kat,
You’re so right on the money. (Is that what lobbyists and corporate paymasters say to Republicans & Democrats they pimp out in our government?)
David,
“…He talked about the importance of those who were pro-life being “whole-life”. Bush talked about being a compassionate conservative, Gov. Huckabee was a compassionate conservative.
He can and should reclaim that mantle and speak to the great moral and social issues of our time – the unfathomable poverty around the world that is a breeding ground for everything from disease to terror. He should tackle the reality of the enormous income gap between rich and poor Americas. He should confront the reality of failing schools from coast to coast saying that standardized tests are not the measure of a student’s capacity or a teacher’s compassion. Millions of evangelical Christians are exhausted by the old order of self-appointed religious right leaders. Huckabee has a chance to become a new kind of leader. He should seize this chance to be who he really is – a politically moderate compassionate conservative.”
I like who you are David. I’d appoint you as head of the RNC, or DNC to which I belong.
I kinda think to get as far as Huckabee has in the current game, he had to sell his soul. In all seriousness, God only knows.
I liked his ‘Fair Tax’ idea. I’m with him and Ron Paul. Let’s shut the IRS down. That’s an idea that he could try to get traction with.

Standardized tests in schools are essential, (such as the British A and O level exams.) They provide an opportunity for those who might otherwise not get into a university to get in. There are examples of impoverished students in places in Africa who have walked days to get to where they can write the A exam, and being exceptional some have gotten scholarships to Oxford and Cambridge. The thing is, if you can show you meet the standard, or preferably exceed it, it matters not a tinkers damn about your social status, your skin colour, your culture or religion. The A exam offers a path that is blind to everything but the student’s academic ability. And so I am very much in favour of standardized testing, and if Huckabee is in favour of it, then on at least that one issue I will be well disposed towards him. The lack of standardized tests at the secondary school level is why it is necessary to write SAT exams. Would it not be better to introduce these tests at various points in a secondary student’s education, to enable them to see where their strengths and weaknesses are? To my mind such exams would have been extremely useful in showing where I was successful and where work was required.

Zero-Equals Infinity,
Standardized tests are not used to help impoverished students get into Yale, Stanford, or Harvard here.
They are used to grade schools.
As a former teacher, I can tell you that one assessment per content area a year (like we have in my state) is not enough to really help determine and pinpoint kids abilities or areas of needed improvement.
In fact, in my state the test results don’t usually come till the following year, and the kids usually regress a bit in the summer.
The test in my state isn’t very scientific. It basically serves as a talking point for politicians who wanna bash schools to get points with conservatives who think we’re teaching secular humanism to elementary kids.
The picture of education in the US isn’t pretty. There’s a teacher shortage. So, when a school is shut down because of poor performance, the teaching staff, for better or worse, is able to get employment at another school with staffing needs (pretty much guaranteed).
There also isn’t enough time in the day to meet all the needs of lower-income students who likely go home to just siblings, or worse yet TV sets.
I left teaching because I hated the politics of it. Honestly, I think the NEA is useless. The only reason I was union was for liability issues.
I miss my kids dearly, but I think our adult society, some education administrators included, take advantage of teachers. We talk a great education talk in the States. We just don’t wanna ever walk the walk.

Amen David!

Well, that would be swell. A pro-immigration, anti-poverty stance would become his claim to a religious mandate. His choices now are to lose honorably or lose dishonorably and he’s told us which of those he prefers.
There’s this, though: He sure isn’t Pat Robertson at this point.

Brian, you are certainly more qualified than I am to speak about the state of public schools in your state and country. And it certainly seems that proper funding of schools, (without regard to the local tax base), needs to be a priority. In today’s world, it is a very shortsighted approach to not have effective schools.
Even so, a scientifically valid set of standardized tests has value if properly administered and used. There are of course economic aspects that still enter the equation. That said: A forward thinking society will find the funds and the will to educate its citizens, (even if it means not starting unnecessary wars that cost hundreds of billions of dollars.) Failure in this vital strategic area will have consequences, and whomever becomes your country’s president will need to make the public aware of its importance.

Zero-Equals-Infinity,
Wherever you’re from God bless. Since Bush tricked our country into war it’s been like the ‘Twighlight Zone’ here.
It seems like conservatives will use 911 to scare the bejeezus out of people. Yet Katrina, the hurricane, proved that the conservative executive branch couldn’t even watch a weather report or CNN in the days following. How the heck there gonna find bin Laden with there heads in their behinds is anybody’s guess.
This election season feels a bit more coherent than the last.
Pray for our country… Please!

David,
One of the biggest mistakes modern evangelicals make is to misconstrue and mince what God commands of individuals, churches, and civil magistrates. The civil magistrate is responsible personally for welfare in almsgiving and tithing, but is not too steal from his constituents in order to give welfare. Further the state as an institution is for the protection of rights and the punishment of crime (Romans 13).
Education is another such example of this. As you know, Republicans have long talked about abolishing the Department of Education and putting education back into the individual states’ hands. Now we have abandoned that. There is bipartisan talk of giving amnesty to the millions of ILLEGAL aliens or at least rewarding them for their crime.
I am overwhelmed by the constant misunderstanding of the modern evangelical on biblical politics. Perhaps it comes from a rejection of the Old Testament, perhaps it is the Erastianism that is sweeping through the churches, or perhaps it is just an ignorance of the facts. We are told as Christians that the Bible should be our guide in all things. Why not politics? Keep in mind that God speeks to kings too. America reeks of injustice, socialism, murder, thievery, and greed, not to mention our pornographic culture. The fix is not Republican or Democratic. The fix is Christ and His word. We cannot reject His word to every institution by injecting political welfare in this Robin Hood government and expect change for the better.

Damon,
The Democrats besides the pure atheists, are the only political party trying to outlaw Christian voices. Or at best, The Left is ghettoizing the Church. The democrat party reeks of socailism, murder for convenience (abortion), thievery (taxation) and greed and pronograhpy existing in their heroes the Hollywood Elites and the majority of their constituency.
The GOP seems to be tying to convey, that honest people should be in charge of their own lives, familes and money. I’m thinking that is very compatible with Apostolic truth.

Hi David,
I hope your treatment is still going well..your book was eye opening and I am sure was not an easy decision to write in the first place.. I have noticed your skepticism sometimes when writing about Sen. Obama.. I wanted to point you to a speech that Sen. Obama gave regarding Faith and Politics.. I myself am an evangelical and find myself agreeing w/ the overall scope of this speech. I would love the hear your thoughts on this..
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid353515028?bctid=416343938

David,
Let’s suppose that Huckabee does what you suggest: repudiate his Version 2.0 positions on immigration (hardline) and the Confederate flag (urging it be hoisted above the SC capitol dome) … and revert back to his Version 1.0 “conservative compassionate” roots.
Would he not then be open to charges of flip-flopping? Who then could take Huckabee at his word or trust him again on these or other issues?
Romney took a lot of hits for moving — in the past six years — toward the conservative positions on life and marriage. Why wouldn’t Huckabee deserve hits for a similar flexibility?

The Republicans speaks of socialism,but it’s socialism when America’s jobs are out source to other counttries. The social security and penision system is threathen to fund an ungodly war,that will make corporation rich by rebuilding Iraq. Why are Christian dupe by the Rep. party? Morality come in many ways,ungody mortage loans ,corporate welfare,white collar crimes galore,immoral politician praying on children,etc. The great Commission is the church calling. Laws could not stop man from sinning before grace through Christ came,so why would passing law againt sin make a different. Get out of you church pew,and share the good new of jesus Christ. Politicians are not your Lord and savior…..I hope. God is not a flip-floper.

Socialism is when America”s jobs are outsource to give social service to other countries. The threathen of Americans lousing their homes, their social security and pension checks to fund an ungodly war that will make corporation richer. Christian need to stop serving Caesar,and trust in God through Christ. Pasing laws to stop people from sinning did not work before grace and truth through Christ,so,why can it work now. Why are Christian a puppet for the Pub. party. This party has just as many ungodly people as any party. Don’t trust in Caesar,trust in Christ.