There really is no other word to describe the defeat of Mitt Romney in Iowa except dishonorable. When you take a look at WHY people voted Huckabee, it came down to the fact that Huckabee was "Christian" and Romney was allegedly not (never mind that the church is called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).
Huckabee did not win Iowa on the strength of his stands on various issues (because his foreign policy and fiscal stances are closer to the Dems than to the GOP), nor his track record on social issues (because, if that were the case, one would realize that Romney not only left very little daylight between his positions and Huckabee's, but he arguably faced a major crisis in that matter). He certainly couldn't boast of accomplishments comparable to Romney's before entering political office (saving the 2002 Olympics and turning around several companies, not to mention helping to launch companies like Staples).
His victory was arguably due to his playing of the religion card against Mitt Romney. Article 6 Blog has documented a lot of this. What is most damning are the comments left on his official site's blog by his supporters. It is very telling that he could not have exercised some very basic moderation of his blog. In fact, he certainly seemed to be willing to turn a blind eye to the Mormon-baiting, as long as he won Iowa.
Equally sickening is the fact that conservatives of a certain stripe rewarded Huckabee for this. In 1994, Newt Gingrich expressed outrage when Romney was attacked by the Kennedy family over his religious beliefs. Today, there is the sound of silence from the right as this dishonorable conduct is turned on a Republican. Then again, after the Harriet Miers nomination and the right's embrace of Ramos and Compean, I find myself not so surprised.
Mike Huckabee's dishonorable tactics make it impossible for me to vote for him. Indeed, if it is a choice between Huckabee and Obama, I'll vote for Obama - because here's just no difference between the two on the big issue that matters, and because I can no longer in good conscience empower a political movement that rewards dishonorable conduct. Obama would be a mess, but at least he is honorable. something I cannot say about Huckabee.
Furthermore, Fred Thompson is also unacceptable to me unless he is willing to fire Cyndi Mosteller, who has engaged in similar Mormon-baiting against Romney. If Fred Thompson is honorable, he'll stand on his positions, and NOT resort to Mormon-baiting. Otherwise, I'll find better things to do than cast my vote for him.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
Harold, I'm with you on this, and I'm not Mormon. I'm appalled that high ranking Republicans & high profile conservative commentators haven't emphatically renounced Huckabee & his goons (that creepy Ed Rollins) for all of the Mormon baiting, and if this is where the party intends to go I want no part of it.
Huckabee is just as much of a lefty as Obama, except he happens to claim his "Jesus juice" as his inspiration for higher taxes & bigger government rather than the DNC. And at least with Obama, we don't get the religious hatred Huck's been peddling - hatred which is just as often pointed in my direction (RCath)as it is against LDSers by this crowd, btw.
But I'm not giving up yet. I'm fighting this with everything I have until next November. For me, it's not just about politics now, it's about justice. If despite everyone's efforts he is still on the republican ticket next fall, I'll leave then, but not a moment sooner.
As as there's still hope the Republican party can kick this fraud to the curb, I'm going to raise hell against him everywhere I can - but now it's as much because it's the right thing to do as it is about the future of the Republican Party.
I think it should tell everyone something when the MSM loves Huckabee and hates Romney. Liberals are salivating over the thought of Huck being the Republican nominee and are scared to death that the nominee would be someone as capable as Mitt Romney.
Harold;
You and I have been round and round this like we have the cat 'thing'. I have two problems with Romney, and we've discussed these before, over and over again.
1. He's a plastic two cent version of John Kerry. I was quite taken with him until Aug of 2006 and I heard him completely garble the Dec of Ind and the Const and Bill of Rights. He went the the bottom of my list right there.
2. I have a very serious problem with some of his tactics in SC with his operatives there. I think there's a yin-yang thing going on here - he may have played the victim a little in Iowa, but is quite possibly the sinner in SC. I think you reap what you sew.
After he went in with Tancredo - that did it for me.
I may end up writing more about this on The Pink Flamingo this evening.
SJR
The Pink Flamingo
People have every right to vote for whoever they want to. I do not for one minute believe that everyone who voted for Huckabee hates Mormons.
That is just an excuse to explain away his poor performance. It is not up to sore losers to decide that Huckabee is a fraud. He won the election, now stop acting like children. I mean for heavens sake, Romney was in Iowa for a year, he spent millions of dollars there, he had every opportunity to get his message out. There is nothing dishonorable about that. In fact I think his change on immigration is what troubled me the most, speaking of dishonorable.
Iowa was just one election, in a long line of them. People should remember that and keep in mind that in order to win the election in 08, we need to keep as many people as we can in the coalition. Let the folks in Iowa vote the way they want to and try to do better in the future.
If McCain beats Romney in New Hampshire are you going to accuse him of Mormon baiting too?
terrye,
I think you need to look at Article6Blog and re-evaluate the evidence that is out there.
Fact: Comments on Huckabee's campaign blog repeatedly referred to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a "cult" and were allowed to stand (see the link in the previous post).
Fact: Huckabee's former reserach director said in an unpublished interview with Article6Blog that he believed evangelicals would vote against Romney because of his religion and instead cite "flip-flopping" or other reasons.
Fact: Huckabee openly ran with his religion on his sleeve, and "innocently" asked a question often asked by Mormon-baiters.
Fact: In south Carolina, during the month of December, anti-Mormon sermons were on the increase - I have to wonder if that was the case in Iowa.
Look at the evidence, and then decide how Huckabee won Iowa: Was it a win in a straight discussion of the issues, or was it because he used the politics of religious identity.
I think that this storm blasting the northwest has made hell freeze over. Did you really just acknowledge, in print, the posibility of Harold C. Hutchison voting DEMOCRATIC?
The HCH of ten years ago would have rather died.
As always, I am intrigued by your political evolution and insight.
Post a Comment