Mike Huckabee is certainly a threat to the GOP but not in the way he suggests in this article. Here’s what I’m referring to:

“Apparently my candidacy comes as somewhat of a threat to a lot of the Republicans in the Republican establishment, some of the folks who have run the party in the Washington circles,” he said. “They’ve maybe not understood that the heart and soul of the Republican Party is only as strong as the heart and soul of the rest of America.”

Let’s examine that statement. It’s apparent that he thinks that he’s on the side of the angels and that everyone who isn’t supporting him is on the wrong side. Let’s ask what his evidence is of that. Can he answer that? I’m betting he can’t. Let’s not stop there, though.

Let’s look at what the heavyweights of the Republican Party have stood for over the years. Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan had a strong libertarian streak in them because they believed in personal freedom above everything else. (BTW, when GWB showed that trait, he had the highest approval ratings of his presidency.)

Another thing Goldwater, Reagan and William F. Buckley stood for was limited government and free markets. They believed that the smaller the government, the more freedom individuals had. That’s because taxes and spending were kept under control.

Now let’s compare the underpinnings of the Reagan/Goldwater/WFB conservative movement with Gov. Huckabee’s agenda. During the last debate, Gov. Huckabee tried justifying his liberal spending record, essentially saying that he got results from his increased spending and increased taxes. That isn’t something that a conservative would tout.

Next, let’s look at Gov. Huckabee’s getting the NEA’s endorsement:

The New Hampshire affiliate of the National Education Association has endorsed Mike Huckabee as their GOP candidate in the upcoming New Hampshire primary. The main reasons for the endorsement are non-Conservative indeed.

The union’s President Rhonda Wesolowski called a news conference to praise Mr. Huckabee for opposing school vouchers and Huckabee’s record in supporting higher taxes to improve public education.

Huckabee’s opposition to private school choice and his support for a federally mandated and funded arts and music curriculum also please the NEA.

Why Mike Huckabee wants to run in the GOP primaries as anti-federalist education spendaholic is beyond me. That’s a surefire sign that Gov. Huckabee doesn’t believe in strict constructionist judges or the principles of federalism. Does anyone in their right mind think that President Reagan would’ve signed a bill calling for federally funded, and mandated, arts and music curriculum? Let’s get serious.

Reagan would’ve vetoed that bill 10 seconds after it landed on his desk. then he would’ve delivered a speech that would’ve ridiculed Congress for passing that bill.

By comparison, Mike Huckabee says that he’d be proud of signing that bill.

The point I’m making is that Mike Huckabee is considered a threat, though not to the GOP. Instead, he’s a threat to the underpinnings of conservative thought. Another point I’m making is that his positions are only marginally different from a moderate Democrat.

Fred’s right in saying that this is a fight for the heart and soul of the Republican Party. If Huckabee and his cadre of liberals were able to win the nomination, it wouldn’t be the end of conservatism. What it would do is set the conservative movement back a few years. Then we’d regroup, then start a new chapter in the conservative movement.

Here’s another speech Gov. Huckabee gave:

“We need to have a president who understands what struggling to make a living really means,” he said at a morning rally in the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel’s Ford Ballroom, packed with about 600 people.

“I understand the workers in this state. I can see the fear in their eyes. They know that any day could be the day when they are told their jobs are headed to Mexico or the Middle East, and when that happens they’ll wonder how they’re going to put food on the table.”

What Michigan needs is a governor that won’t keep raising their taxes. What Michigan needs is someone with a tax-cutting record to seize control of the reins of leadership. What they don’t need is another populist raising their taxes. What they don’t need is another populist telling them that ‘I feel your pain.’ I don’t care if a politician feels their pain as long as they put in place solid economic policies that cures the economy’s ills.

This part utterly exposes Huckabee’s disregard for federalism:

“This country owes Michigan for its freedom,” Huckabee said. “Michigan helped save America, and, now, America needs to help save Michigan.”

After reading that, it’s undeniable that he’s opposed to federalism. The thing that’s killing Michigan’s economy aren’t federal policies. What’s killing Michigan’s economy are Jennifer Granholm’s policies. While the US economy was adding jobs, Michigan was losing jobs. That tells me that it’s a Michigan problem, not a national problem.

Huckabee said the state would get a boost from training programs for displaced workers and fair-trade policies protecting both consumers and employers.

Protectionism sells in Michigan but it’s awful policy. It should be left in the dustbins of history.

“India’s talking about a $2,500 car,” he said. “Do we even know if that would meet our emissions standards? Does it have lead paint?”

That last sentence could’ve come from an Amy Klobuchar speech. Sen. Klobuchar is as liberal as it gets. Does Gov. Huckabee still think he’s taken seriously as a conservative? It’s time he got laughed out of serious contention.

Technorati: Populism, Mike Huckabee, Liberalism, NEA Endorsement, School Vouchers, Tax Increases, Ronald Reagan, Barry Goldwater, Federalism, Election 2008

Cross-posted at California Conservative