Huckabee: "I'm Still Convinced America Wants To Like Us"
WASHINGTON -- Former AR Gov. Mike Huckabee, the 2008 runner-up for the Republican presidential nomination, told the party faithful today at the start of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference that the GOP's future success depends on finding a unity of purpose between its two key factions.
"The fortunes of social conservatives and fiscal conservatives are interwoven," Huckabee said to a full balllroom of activists gathered at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. "Let's not have a divorce. Let's have a reconciliation."
In a speech peppered with his vintage folksiness and storytelling, Huckabee, the first former candidate to speak to attendees of the three-day conference, strongly criticized President Bush, who he said lost touch with the party's small government values. He said voters want to see Republicans return to their free market roots, and he debuted a phrase that sounded like a campaign slogan. The GOP, he said, should be exercising "competent conservatism."
Huckabee said Bush's support for the $700B Troubled Asset Relief Plan, or TARP, was all the proof needed that the party had strayed from its roots.
"The party of Ronald Reagan suddenly became the party of Chicken Little," he said. " ... They pulled the tarp over our eyes."
The party also lost the 2008 election, Huckabee argued, because lawmakers had grown too cozy with business executives at a time when corporate corruption scandals dominated the news. He raised Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain's big spending ways to make his point.
"We didn't lose because we wanted to keep unborn babies from ending up in a wastebasket," he said. "We lost because we were tied to too many people who wanted to spend $1,400 on a waste basket."
Pres. Obama and the Democratic Congress, he said, are growing the size of government at the nation's peril. He joked that the 1,100-page economic stimulus bill signed by the president should be renamed after a movie now in the theaters: Confessions of a Shopaholic.
He added that Tyson Foods, headquartered in Huckabee's homestate, had lost its claim to being the world's largest producer of pork.
"We all find ourselves in a very unfamiliar and a very unwelcome place," said Huckabee, who has a show on the FOX News Channel. "The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics may be dead, but the Union of American Socialist Republics is being born."
Huckabee was warmly welcomed and received several rounds of vigorous applause as he tossed out punchline after punchline. He made no mention of a future career in politics, though none was needed. His presence at the event, a fixture for conservatives, confirmed potential interest.
With much success, however, he did razz the cable network MSNBC for Chris Matthews' on-air slip up this week in which he was heard uttering "Oh God" at the start of LA Gov. Bobby Jindal's televised speech to the nation. CPAC, after all, is a crowd that loves to slam the "liberal" media. He called MSNBC "the Oh God channel."
"The one that finally found religion," he said to enthusiastic laughter.
On a more serious note, he suggested that now is a time for trust in God, not government. He said that the market will return the system to equilibrium. Members of the GOP, he said, should stand by their commitment to limited government and strong families.
"I'm still convinced America wants to like us," Huckabee said. "They want to vote for us. It's when we lose our competence that the American people lose their confidence."
(JENNIFER SKALKA)
America does want to like them. I DO want to like them! But right now, I like very few in our government! However, reading things like this does give one reason to hope, and hearing about republicans who actually are the old-fashioned republican who work for the people is very encouraging! Great article!
I'm just sorry that Huckabee wasn't chosen as the party's candidate instead of McCain! I think If he had been, our party might have pulled together and we wouldn't be ignored by the Democrates right now. I DO want to like the party again and with people like Huckabee in there, I think we'll soon be able to again!!
Jeff.
Mike Huckabee is a natural leader, social giant who understands the people. I don't know if he could of pulled off the wrongly anti-Bush liberal biased media Presidential election but sure would of been a lot closer than the great war hero John McCain, but no charisma what so ever to match the now President Obama. I hope more people see the true leadership and competence of Former Governor Mike Huckabee. Watch his show on Fox News and you will see.
Of course Huckabee is right. Maybe 2012 will be his year. After all Reagan had to loose the 1976 primary before he won in 1980. I guess the true conservative ideas take time to get into American's minds. If Mike keeps at it he should be this country's next great president. I see a replay of the 1980 election in 2012.
As a mother of two teenage daughters and I work in healthcare, I hope Mike does run as presidentin 2012. Lots of people still believe in GOP and even voted for John Mccain to try and keep what is happening now out. People that voted for Obama really did not listen to the message so now they will reap what they sowed .....Hopefully we can all withstand this until 2012.
Nothing on the Fair Tax, if Huckabee wants to help the Conservatives and himself he better get to selling the Fair Tax as this is the one thing that can save our Country's economy and the Republican party should they adopt it into their platform. The Fair Tax is what brought Huckabee to a higher status in the last election, and then we barely heard about it. We are going to need someone championing the Fair Tax in the near future, Huckabee could be that guy and the next Ronald Reagan as I can think of nothing more conservative or Reaganesque than the Fair Tax. Let's get on it Mike!!
Boy, was I ever wrong about Huckabee. He should have been our nominee last year - most likely it would have turned out differently. Once again, he has impressed me with his incitefulness and political sensibilities. Next to Newt Gingrich, he's one of the few people who gets it in the GOP.
I'm not sure I "want to like" the Republican Party anymore. I am a social conservative who is tired of voting for candidates becausee of their promises and because of the Republican platform only to have that platform completely ignored in the day to day business of government. I think the Republican Party has completely lost their moorings and I don't have hope that, as a party, they will find them again. Maybe Huckabee can rally our nation around the principles that are the reason I voted for him but I think he'd better distance himself from the GOP because they are distancing themselves from those principles.
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This is an excellent article in a site with intelligent members. I am pleased to see no foolish "ganging up" on the subject by overwhelming numbers of ignorant, liberal internet users who spew pre-conceived rhetoric (which is usually irrelevant). I shall visit here again!
Also, Mike Huckabee would have been the best candidate in the 2008 election and, so far, seems to be the best choice for 2012 (sorry Jindal and Palin, but Huck supports the FairTax more than you guys, and the FairTax is the future of American economic policy).