Opinion
GOP voters might ‘heart’ Huckabee
Looking for a print version?
Simply use your browser’s ‘Print’ command and a printer-friendly document will be generated automatically.
Also by Mike Hahn:
- Recent polls reveal... absolutely nothing (December 4, 2007)
- 'Right to bear arms' stands up to scrutiny (November 27, 2007)
- Democrats play dangerous game (November 20, 2007)
- The pitfalls of holistic admissions (November 13, 2007)
Sharing tools:
E-mail this article:
I’m going to step out on a limb here and make a prediction
about the Republican presidential primary: The nominee is either going to be
Rudy Giuliani or Mike Huckabee.
Mr. Giuliani is still the front-runner despite a series of
debates that were supposed to show that he is pro-choice, pro-civil union,
pro-gun control and, therefore, a turn off to conservative voters. One
explanation is that GOP voters are more interested in an “electable” candidate
than an ideological conservative, but this is the exact mistake that
conservative pundits have been saying the party made in 2006. The Republicans
had abandoned their principles of conservatism and had paid the price for
looking at short-term electoral gains and lost in a landslide a year ago.
Given those warnings, it would seem highly unlikely that
conservatives would make the same mistake again. Perhaps after seven years of
President Bush and his failure as a fiscal conservative, the party is ready to
overlook some ideological differences and look to a record of fiscal
responsibility. Whatever you think of Mr. Giuliani, while he was mayor of New
York City, the budget was balanced, taxes were cut, welfare rolls were reduced
and city spending grew at a slower rate than the federal budget and most state
budgets. Even with six years of unified Republican control of the federal
government, Mr. Bush has not come close to limiting government spending, yet
Mr. Giuliani was able do due so with an overwhelmingly liberal city council to
deal with.
If he can hold off attacks from social conservatives and
prove that he has a résumé that
is deeper than his performance on Sept. 11, then Mr. Giuliani may well be the
Republican nominee in 2008.
That said, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee may be the
best man to upset Mr. Giuliani’s bid for the nomination. If the issue in the
primary becomes the person who is the “real” conservative in the race or who
has the best social conservative credentials in the race, then Mr. Huckabee is
the man who will be the nominee.
Yes, Mitt Romney has the most money, but in the rigors of
the campaign that are yet to come, the former Massachusetts governor’s — shall
we say — fluid positions on issues such as abortion and gay marriage, and even
immigration and health care, will become a greater liability than they are now.
As it stands, Mr. Romney is the only one running any type of TV and radio ads
in Iowa and New Hampshire, but as the caucuses and primaries move closer, his
less well-funded opponents will begin to tarnish his polished image.
If social conservatives are looking for an “anti-Rudy,” then
who better to turn to than an ordained Baptist minister and a former governor?
As governor of Arkansas for 10 years, Mr. Huckabee cut taxes
and fees more than 90 times and left the state with an $800 million surplus
that he recommended be returned to the people in the form of tax rebates. As a
presidential candidate, Mr. Huckabee has placed the issue of the sanctity of
life at the top of his list and has dedicated a great deal of his time to
focusing on the importance of faith and a rededication to the American Dream.
For the fiscal conservatives out there who are more
interested in how much money the government takes from you and spends, Mr.
Huckabee is advocating eliminating the entire Internal Revenue Service and
replacing all taxes — to include income, Social Security, capital gains,
estate, alternative minimum tax and all the rest — with a proposed “fair tax.”
It is a national consumption tax that would impact only those who purchase new
items and would essentially exempt necessities purchases such as groceries,
medical expenses and the like. Not only that, but the former governor is a
staunch opponent of government involvement in health care and has advocated consumer-driven
reforms to control the costs of health care.
I’m not endorsing Mr. Huckabee or Mr. Giuliani, but I really
do believe that these are the two men who will end up battling it out for the
nomination. Mr. Romney will not win for the reasons I mentioned. There is also
video of him saying that he will be a better advocate for a woman’s right to
choose and gay rights than Ted Kennedy was in the 1994 senate campaign — not
exactly popular conservative positions. Fred Thompson, while arguably a nice
guy and a fine actor, is just not ready for primetime politics. His debate
performances have been unimpressive and most importantly he was only a senator
for eight years. Ronald Reagan may have been an actor, too, but he was also a
two-term governor of California.
Mr. Giuliani has the lead in the national polls and that may pull him through with a virtually national primary in early February. Still, if Mr. Huckabee can pull off an upset in Iowa, he just might have the momentum to pull off one of the biggest upsets in the history of presidential politics.
Mike Hahn (mhahn@badgerherald.com)
is a senior majoring in history and political science.
7 Comments | Leave a comment
Leave a comment
Herald Blogs
The Beat Goes On
Muckrakers
President’s Visit Marked a Speech to One of the Last Groups Not Critical of Him
Extra Points
Top Classified Ads (view all)
HOUSES FOR Fall 2010. All houses are on W Dayton or N Bassett. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 bedrooms. All have parking. madisoncampusrentals.com
"If he can hold off attacks from social conservatives and prove that he has a résumé that is deeper than his performance on Sept. 11, then Mr. Giuliani may well be the Republican nominee in 2008."
This assumes that his résumé is deeper than 9/11, which it's not. Even so, his record on 9/11 is mixed, as many of the city's firefighters have come out strongly in opposition to Rudy and say his handling of 9/11 was a disaster. We'll see what kind of truth comes up in the general election.
"As a presidential candidate, Mr. Huckabee has placed the issue of the sanctity of life at the top of his list..."
Which lives are we talking about here? The lives of thousands of American soldiers and tens of thousands of Iraqis, or the lives of unborn babies and frozen embryos?
Abortions for some, little American flags for all!
Romney will win the nomination.
Clayton from College Station, Texas
I would just like to say you article is very good. Mike Huckabee is the most conservative in the race and with with no doubt be the next President of the United States.
Mike, do you ever write a column that is anything more than a Republican fluff piece? I mean seriously, you must have the biggest hardon for the Republican party because your work has a literary depth equivalent to the inflatable kiddie pool i had in my backyard as a child.
Mike Huckabee is an adroit public speaker; he communicates his message in life-like, cogent terms, with compelling examples like the story he told (at the Ames Straw Poll) of what his then-11-yo daughter entered into the "Comments" section of a Visitors Book after visiting the Yad Vashem holocaust museum: "Why didn't somebody do something?" Very effective.
Huckabee is all about calling his listeners to "do something," to awaken them to their own empowerment, and summon them to action in order that "Main Street," and not "Wall Street," will prevail in guarding the values and beliefs upon which the Republic was founded.
Huckabee puts his listeners at ease, and reassures them, articulating clear concepts in a natural, easy style (no doubt something well-cultivated as a pastor). He's not as "mechanically-scripted" as Romney, nor angry or demanding, like a Ron Paul, and his large brown eyes, peering through a humble demeanor, draw a striking contrast to a unconvincing, tired-looking Thompson. One can easily imagine sitting comfortably with Mike over a cup of coffee at the Main Street Cafe.
Most importantly, Huckabee convinces many that he is ONE with the FairTax grassroots movement ( http://snipr.com/fthuckabeeonirs ). While many - like Romney, and others, who are invested in the current income tax system - seek to demagog ( http://snipurl.com/taxpanelrebutted ) the well-researched FairTax plan, its acceptance in the professional / academic community ( http://snipurl.com/econsopenletter ) continues to grow. Renown economist Laurence Kotlikoff believes that failure to enact the FairTax - choosing instead to try to "flatten" what he deems to be a non-flattenable income tax system - will eventuate into an irrevocable economic meltdown ( http://snipurl.com/meltdowninprogress ) because of the hidden aspects of the current system that make political accountability impossible.
Romney's recent WEAK response to FairTax questioning on "This Week with Geo. Stephanopoulos ( http://snipurl.com/stephanopoulosdebate )" drew a sharp contrast between Huckabee and all other presidential front-runners who will not embrace it. Huckabee understands that what's wrong with the income tax can't be fixed with "a tap of the hammer, nor a twist of the screwdriver." That his opponents cling to the destructive Tax Code, the IRS, preserving political power of granting tax favors at continued cost to - and misery of - American families, invigorates his campaign's raison d'etre.
Of the FairTax, Huckabee asserts that it's...
- SIMPLE, easy to understand
- EFFICIENT, inexpensive to comply with and doesn't cause less-than-optimal business decisions for tax minimization purposes
- FAIR, FLAT, and FAMILY FRIENDLY, loophole-free, and everyone pays their share
- LOW TAX RATE is achieved by broad base with no exclusions
- PREDICTABLE, doesn't change, so financial planning is possible
- UNINTRUSIVE, doesn't intrude into our personal affairs or limit our liberty
- VISIBLE, not hidden from the public in tax-inflated prices or otherwise
- PRODUCTIVE, rewards - rather than penalizes - work and productivity
A detailed benefits analysis of the plan (from The FairTax Book) explains Huckabee's ardent advocacy:
For INDIVIDUALS:
- No more tax on income - make as much as you wish
- You receive your full paycheck - no more deductions
- You pay the tax when you buy "at retail" - not "used"
- No more double taxation (e.g. like on current Capital Gains)
- Reduction of "pre-FairTaxed" retail prices by 20%-30%
- Adding back 29.9% FairTax maintains current price levels
- FairTax would constitute 23% portion of new prices
- Every household receives a monthly check, or "pre-bate"
- "Prebate" is "advance tax payback" for monthly consumption to poverty level
- FairTax's "prebate" ensures progressivity, poverty protection
- Finally, citizens are knowledgeable of what their tax IS
- Elimination of "parasitic" Income Tax industry
- NO MORE IRS. NO MORE FILING OF TAX RETURNS by individuals
- Those possessing illicit forms of income will ALSO pay the FairTax
- Households have more disposable income to purchase goods
- Savings is bolstered with reduction of interest rates
For BUSINESSES:
- Corporate income and payroll taxes revoked under FairTax
- Business compensated for collecting tax at "cash register"
- No more tax-related lawyers, lobbyists on company payrolls
- No more embedded (hidden) income/payroll taxes in prices
- Reduced costs. Competition - not tax policy - drives prices
- Off-shore "tax haven" headquarters can now return to U.S
- No more "favors" from politicians at expense of taxpayers
- Resources go to R&D and study of competition - not taxes
- Marketplace distortions eliminated for fair competition
- US exports increase their share of foreign markets
For THE COUNTRY:
- 7% - 13% economic growth projected in the first year of the FairTax
- Jobs return to the U.S.
- Foreign corporations "set up shop" in the U.S.
- Tax system trends are corrected to "enlarge the pie"
- Larger economic "pie," means thinner tax rate "slices"
- Initial 23% portion of price is pressured downward as "pie" increases
- No more "closed door" tax deals by politicians and business
- FairTax sets new global standard. Other countries will follow
While passionately supporting FairTax, Huckabee understands that, if elected President, Congress will have to present the bill for his signature. His call to action goes beyond his candidacy, Main Street will have to demand ( http://snipr.com/scrapthecode ) that their legislators deliver the bill.
(Permission granted to republish, in whole or in part. -Ian)
Huckabee is the only Republican I would vote for.
I like what I see and hear from Mike Huckabee, but I am skeptical of the "Fair Tax" proposal... It makes alot of "assumptions"... not the least of which is assuming merchants, manufacturers, major corporations and independent businesses, offer 20% to 30% price reductions for their goods and services out of the goodness of their hearts... Don't you suppose they might just pass the increased profit margin along to their investors in the way of increased earnings?? Or to their own bank accounts... You know what they say about the word "ASSUME".... My wife and I are retired and rely on Capital Gains and Dividends income we have earned over a lifetime of investing and sacrifice.. Unitl we qualify for Social Security in a couple of years, we live on $24,000 per year and pay little or no income tax (as it is now)... We consume goods and services and even had to buy a new car this year.. "Prebate" or not, how in the world would paying $2700 ADDITIONAL TAX EXPENSE FOR THAT CAR BENEFIT US? WHEN WE PAY LITTLE OR NO FED INCOME TAX AS IS?? The trouble with politicians is they paint rosey pictures with broad strokes and assume far too much... but offer little DETAIL... FOR ONCE I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT IT MEANS FOR ME AND MY WIFE BEFORE I CAST MY VOTE...