Huckabee will Wreck the GOP

During my work on my post on Internet censorship I had occasion to ring a woman who is one of those people who lives her Christian faith and is probably defined by it. I wanted to find out her views on the subject, as she runs a program called ‘Drug Proof your Kids’ which I attended when my child was approaching high school.

The whole thing is based on sensible hands on parenting, and talking to kids with factual information before they meet drugs head on. As such I wanted to find out her views on censorship, and found out she is against it as it tends to lull parents into a false sense of security.

One of the things she said though was that there were Christians, and other Christians, and that the other Christians used it to gain advantage and were not to be trusted.

At no stage of my contact with her over the years has she pushed her religion at me, and didn’t bring it into her program, concentrating instead on responsibility, family values, good citizenship, and doing the right thing. These are things that the majority of the secular community identify with, and which are contained in the Christian faith, however throwing the bible at us would have switched most of us off.

Mike Huckabee has not learned this, and while he must seem like a gift from God to the evangelical community many decent upright Republicans will be offended by what they tend to see as a ‘holier than thou’ attitude. If this happens many will either not vote at all, or will look for an alternative to support.

This is where it gets dangerous for the party. This time the Libertarian Party looks like having a viable candidate, acceptable to the American people if the party has any sense (the jury is still out on that). This is particularly relevant for the Republican Party, as the candidate is Wayne Allyn Root, who could already appeal to socially tolerant Republicans, having good Republican credentials himself.

This is not a moonbat, in your face, ratbag druggie like they normally stand, this is a good solid successful family man, who is articulate, popular, and a great communicator. Many who choose him will stay, then you face the prospect of a more mainstream, more acceptable Libertarian Party, long term. As a libertarian myself I should welcome this, however the US electoral system is not designed for third parties.

It would mean the wilderness long term for the GOP.

There is also currently the spectre of a third party candidate standing with some speculation centering on Bloomberg at present: -

On the eve of the Iowa caucuses, Mr. Bloomberg delivered his critique in language that was both sharp and coy, and likely to draw more attention as he prepares to head to Oklahoma for a conference that is widely viewed as a possible launching pad for a third-party presidential bid.

I call on the religious right to settle for a good solid man with reasonable Christian credentials, who can unite the party and I refer in particular to Fred Thompson, he may not be everything you ask for, but is a damn good compromise. The alternative is a Democrat.