One
of our
Mike Huckabee is pro-life, pro-family and the
happily married father of three who is a former pastor. After
being governor of Arkansas for 10 years, he may be the best
qualified candidate to become U.S. president in 2008.
By Thomas J. Harrington
and Anthony Bonna
His name might not be familiar yet. You haven't seen him on Oprah or spotted his face on the cover of Time magazine, Yet when it comes to character,
experience and the qualities of a great leader, Mike Huckabee has them,
Don't be misled by the news coverage of the 2008 presidential campaign.
Based on the media's whim and the ever-changing mood of a drama-hungry
public, an artificial top tier of presidential candidates is being presented.
These "frontrunners" often have more style than substance and better marketability than morality. Catapulted to prominence, they steal the spotlight from
more worthy candidates, who suffer the silent death of media neglect.
This image-making affects even Christian voters, Rather than supporting
someone who represents our core values, we compromise, opting for a candidate simply because we are told that he or she can win.
Let's stop this trend. As Christian men we have a duty to help shape the
future of our country. In the articles that follow, New Man lays out the case for
Huckabee, a former governor of Arkansas who on January 29 entered the 2008
presidential race by officially launching an exploratory committee.
We aren't telling you how to vote. You should vote your conscience.
But because Huckabee isn't as well-known to many Americans as some
of the other candidates, we're taking this opportunity to introduce him to you.
New Man thinks he's the right man for the job.
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not only health care reform but also created various fam-
ind ly
orn and raised in the little town of Hope, Arkansas,
Mike Huckabee, 51, came from humble beginnings and
knows firsthand the struggles of providing for a family,
raising children and getting them through college. He's a
devout Christian and a dedicated father and husband. He
and his wife, Janet, have been married since 1974 and have
three children.
As governor of Arkansas from 1996-2007, Huckabee was
a unifier and succeeded at reaching out to those traditionally
under-represented. Running for the office in 1998, he
garnered more than 43 percent of the African-American
vote and more than 48 percent when he was re-elected in
2002 an impressive feat for a Republican candidate
-fr i endly tax reforms and worked to ensure proper educational opportunities for the next generation by increasing the
number of charter schools and establishing new approaches
to workforce education.
In 2005, Time magazine named Huckabee one of the five
best governors in the U.S. and recognized the personal touch
he brings to government, calling him a "second commandment Christian"—always doing to others as he would
have them do to him. Huckabee is past chairman of both the
National Governors' Association and the Southern Governors Association. Four of the past five presidents have been
former governors—three of them from the South
A fiscal conservative, working in a state where 86 percent
of elected officials are Democrats, Huckabee was able to
double the child-care tax credit, eliminate the marriage
penalty and do away with capital gains tax. Despite the fact
that 91 percent of government spending in Arkansas was
mandated by the state constitution or courts, he cut spending
and was able to balance the state budget five times. By the
time he left office
J U L Y / A U G U S T 2 0 0 7 „ N E W M A N w23
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Huckabee had created a state surplus of
$800 million and had saved Arkansas
taxpayers close to $400 million.
A Man of Faith
But Huckabee's political resume tells
only half the story of his professional
life. He was in the ministry for years,
serving as pastor of several Southern
Baptist churches in Arkansas and as the
youngest president ever of the Arkansas
Baptist State Convention, the state's largest denomination. Some might view his
ministerial experience as a drawback, but
New Man sees it as a tremendous
advantage—one that makes him
uniquely prepared for the job of leading
people with compassion and wisdom.
As a pastor he helped people face
their everyday problems and counseled
them through their darkest trials. He
gave hope to single mothers, the sick,
the elderly and those in prison. Such
personal experience with individuals as
well as families would serve him well in
the office of president, a position that
demands the ability to negotiate sensitive, interpersonal exchanges every day.
Huckabee takes his Christian faith
seriously and approaches its required
tasks with humility.
"My faith is my life," he says. "It
defines me. I see no separation between
my faith and professional life. Real faith
should make us humble and mindful,
not to the faults of others but of our own.
It should not make us more judgmental,
but rather less judgmental, as we see others living a life with the same frailty we
acknowledge within ourselves."
Huckabee also believes faith should
have a prominent place in the life of the
nation. Like the Founding Fathers and
statesmen before him, he has a personal
faith that shapes his political outlook
"I believe that our nation was birthed
in a spirit of faith—not a prescriptive
one dictating how or what to believe,"
he says, "but a faith that acknowledges
that there is indeed a Providence that
pervades our world."
Though he is not shy about his Christian beliefs or how he should live them,
Huckabee is mindful of a president's
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Even though Mike Huckabee is a strong evangelical Christian, he says that
running for president, not for pastor.
he's
duty to equally respect and protect the
rights of all citizens. As he puts it, he'll
be running for president, not pastor.
He wants to lead a nation that respects
all religions, yet he believes as well that
the country must not forsake its
Judeo-Christian heritage.
his Catholicism did not mean obedience
to the pope when it came to matters of
state, Huckabee is convincing voters that
his Christian principles will help, not
hinder, his ability to govern.
Some see his Christian beliefs as an
obstacle to his leading with impartiality.
However, in much the same way that
John Kennedy, a Roman Catholic, successfully convinced voters in 1960 that
Huckabee entered the Arkansas governor's mansion amid much confusion.
Five minutes before he was sworn in, his
predecessor, Jim Guy Tucker, rescinded
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A Man of Reason
The Case for
uck
abee for President
We know Mike Huckabee espouses our values.
Here's why we believe he can win.
Mike Huckabee has a strong vision for
America. Because of his unique
communication skills and his views on
the issues, he has the ability to cast a
unifying vision for America that will not
become mired in the wars surrounding
party, ideology and class. He does this
while integrating a Christian worldview
of genuine care and concern for fellow citizens. Huckabee has the ability
to change the face of the Republican
Party for the next decade and bring our
increasingly diverse country into unity.
Huckabee is not only the best
social conservative in the primary but
he has the best chance of beating the
Democrats in the general. Giuliani and
McCain would be very strong general
election candidates but lack the principled commitment to our core values.
Democratic strategists and left-wing
activists are most concerned about
Huckabee for this very reason. They fear
that he has the best chance of beating
Hillary Clinton in the general election.
In 1998, elected to his first term
as governor of Arkansas, Huckabee
received 48 percent of the
Communication Skills
Huckabee is the finest communica- African-American vote, according to
tor in the race from either party. Much a CNN exit poll. In 2002, he received
has been written about his gifts in 43 percent of the African American
this area. As an orator, he is persuasive, vote, despite the fact that former
articulate and Reagan-like. His ability to President Clinton campaigned in
inspire vision is critically important and Arkansas five times for Huckabee's
opponent.
shouldn't be underestimated.
If he can garner a fraction of this
His two appearances on Comedy
Central were brilliant and showed how percentage on a national scale, he could
quick and sharp he is in one of the most erode the Democratic base and unify
black and white social communities.
dangerous media seats in America.
Huckabee appeals to minorities
As one commentator said of him:
"He offers the politics of optimism because of his balanced view of social
that people thirst for, but never without issues. He has a compelling vision for
honesty. A former Baptist minister, he's health care, education, environment,
remarkable at not being 'preachy.' He the arts and racial issues. He also has the
truly is a 'compassionate conservative' ability to propose free market solutions
to traditionally liberal social issues.
and couples humor with charisma."
Anyone can buy, hire or acquire ideas
and public policy aptitude. But negotiation abilities, communication skills, and
collegiality are God-given talents that
cannot be acquired or transferred easily.
Huckabee, however, has them.
Appeal to Voters
Huckabee has a unique ability to
appeal to voters in both the primary
and the general election. Among
social conservatives there seems to
be a preoccupation with the primary
election but a lack of proper analysis
of whether the candidate can get out
of the general election.
His creativity, common sense and
personal experiences in health, poverty
and education are not typically Republican and would resonate with moderates and even liberal voters.
His own personal triumphs could
also help his chances. He lost 100
pounds and turned his health around.
The Social Front
Huckabee has a strong commitment to
Christians' core social issues. He
supported the marriage amendment in
Arkansas and led the covenant marriage
movement in the state. During a large
rally he repeated his wedding vows with
hi if
d h
He also worked hard to pass abortion restrictions and regulations in
Arkansas and has said he would sign
an abortion ban similar to South Dakota's. Other then perhaps U.S. Sen. Sam
Brownback of Kansas, there is no other
candidate in the race who would be a
stronger advocate for our core issues in
the White House.
As governor, Huckabee's chief
domestic policy advisor was Chris
Pyle, a strong conservative Christian.
Many of his other appointments were
likewise solid. He appointed the first
home school mother ever to the state
school board.
The same goes for his history of
appointing conservative judges during
his decade-long service as governor. His
political appointments speak volumes
about his commitment to Christian
principles.
Christian Commitment
Huckabee is the most committed
Christian in the race. He was a Southern
Baptist minister and has formal theological training. In Huckabee we have
an unprecedented opportunity to have
an advocate for our cause and our values
in the White House.
He has strong moral character and
integrity. He has no skeletons in the
closet or baggage in the back room. He
has always been married to one woman,
and his three children were educated in
public schools.
When it comes to faith, he is truly
one of our own. N M
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his resignation on a technicality. Calmly
reassuring an anxious Arkansas, Huckabee took charge, stating that he would
fulfill the responsibilities of governor
and enforce the state constitution.
Tucker later reinstated his resignation.
That night, during an unrehearsed
speech, Huckabee cited a portion of
Isaiah 1:18—"Come, let us reason
together"—to describe his political
philosophy.
"That is how good government is
supposed to work," he went on to say.
"And I am going to make sure that
every one of us who are willing will
come and reason together."
The U.S. government needs leaders
who believe in "reasoning together."
Huckabee's common-sense, cooperative
approach would be a breath of fresh air
in Washington, where partisan bickering is souring the political process and
slowing much needed change.
His proven ability to cast a compelling vision, as he did while governor,
that transcends party, ideology and
class might enable America to unite and
begin to heal, an especially important
goal at this point in our history. Opti- Mike Huckabee is persuasive, articulate and Reagan-like as an orator. His
mistic leadership could help restore ability to cast positive vision and inspire is critically important.
people's faith in America's future.
addressed his own personal challenges transforming the upcoming presidential
Huckabee also possesses the essen- and inspired others to do the same. primary season. We must be faithful to
tial qualities for being the type of com- While governor, he knew he had a God, to the principles that guide us as
mander-in-chief America will no doubt weight problem and when doctors told Christians, and to our fellow citizens
need in the next president. His Chris- him his life was in danger from it, he for whom we are, as Jesus said, "salt and
tian worldview provides the moral went to work and lost more than 100 light" in this world.
clarity to address the great crises the pounds. Since then he has inspired
The Republican and Democratic
thousands of others through his pubcountry faces.
parties alike are crying for a "knight
lic advocacy for preventive health care
The threats to America are real. We and by writing a book about living a in shining armor" candidate, waiting
are fighting a difficult battle in Iraq while healthful lifestyle, Quit Digging Your to see if such a contender will arise.
The American people are asking
engaging in a historic struggle against Grave With a Knife and Fork.
who the next leader of the free world
Islamic radicals around the globe. At
should
be.
home, incidents such as the Virginia
His willingness to face down a perTech Massacre as well as reports of drug sonal crisis reveals a leader who tackOur answer is clear. Why not Mike
and alcohol abuse among young people les adversity with determination and Huckabee? N M
serve as reminders of the great need to resolve. It has been the consistent patgive hope to the next generation.
tern of Huckabee's life. He has proved Thomas J. Harrington is the political
To effectively address these signifi- that he can transform the hopeless into director of United Christians of Florida.
cant challenges, America needs a leader the hopeful, whether as a governor or a Anthony Bonna is the deputy campaign
with courage and conviction, someone pastor. That's a quality America needs manager of Gayle Harrell for Congress.
brave enough to confront our enemies in a leader at this juncture.
and admirable enough for our children
The current political landscape in
For more about Mike Huckabee,
to emulate.
America is changing. Christian convisit his official Web site at
Huc kabee has also effect ive ly
servatives can be a deciding factor in
explorehuckabee.com.
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