As a member of www.hucksarmy.com I have read the postings of several supporters stating different reasons for their support. Some of Huckabee’s support by both evangelicals and non-evangelicals is due to his consistent stand on moral values. Everyone knows where he will be standing because of where he has always stood. There are many other reasons for support other than religious issues.
- Proven leadership during national crisis: The history of how quickly Arkansas was prepared for the Hurricane Katrina refugees is absolutely amazing. There were plans in place to distribute the refugees across the state so single areas weren’t overwhelmed with the burdens with huge population growth overnight.
- Populist: “We the people” like having someone that is “a believer in the rights, wisdom, or virtues of the common people.” (m-w online definition) Huckabee says, “We the people” are the boss. He listens to us and cares about us. He believes an employee should be paid fair wages for their work.
- Pro-Gun rights: Huckabee has been consistently supporting the individual’s 2nd Amendment right to bear arms; not just for hunting but also for protection.
- Education: Huckabee believes it is the parents’ responsibility to make decisions on education of their children. It is the state’s and community’s obligation to provide good schools and educators. He understands both the pros and cons concerning vouchers and is willing to listen to both sides; which allows him to make an informed decision. Because of this; he understands why it is important for states and communities to make their own decisions concerning vouchers. Many teachers, concerned parents, and homeschoolers are impressed with the improvements in education under Gov. Huckabee’s leadership. Arkansas’ schools went from among the worst to among the best.
- National security and the war on terror: This is an important issue for many of us. Huckabee understands Jihad is a religious war. “…the radical Islamic fascists—not representative of the entire Muslim religion, but the radical Islamic fascists who have declared war on us do so not from a political perspective but from a theological perspective… When they declare that their sole purpose is the destruction of Israel, the United States and anything that resembles us, let us be clear. They are not interested in detente. They are not interested in some type of peaceful co-existence. They are not just interested; they are solely determined for one and only one thing, and that is not our decline. It is our ultimate and absolute annihilation and destruction.” http://www.conservative.org/pressroom/2007/speech_huckabee.asp
- Roads, bridges, etc: Truck drivers on a daily basis experience importance of improving infrastructure. Gov. Huckabee’s leadership improved the roads from among the worst to among the best.
- Health care: Gov. Huckabee believes that prevention is the best medicine and the best way to address the health crisis. He is recognized nationally as a leader in the importance of how eating and exercising affects our health. Major improvements were made in Arkansas following his leadership.
- Compassion: Huckabee believes in the golden rule to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. During the Katrina crisis, Huckabee knew people shouldn’t be “moved into mass shelters and stacked like human boxes on top of one another with little regard for their privacy or their personhood.” (“From Hope to Higher Ground” by Mike Huckabee page 12) Camps by various religious, public, and private organizations were re-opened. Some Huckabee supporters have given personal accounts of how many of the refugees were processed on the busses headed toward their proper destination so they wouldn’t have to wait in lines once they arrived.
- Belief in generosity of fellow Americans: People should be responsible for themselves when they are able. Government shouldn’t be responsible for charity thereby becoming a socialist and communist government. Huckabee believes Americans are among the most generous and compassionate people of the world. We are willing to step up when needed during times of emergency.
- Economy: For many of the economic experts the Fair Tax is their main reason for supporting Huckabee. Huckabee doesn’t believe productivity should be penalized. He wants American companies to be able to compete with an international market. He wants the tax burden distributed fairly with the pre-bate plan protecting lower and middle income families.
- Agriculture: “…Besides growing our food, our farmers are growing our energy and leading the way to energy independence… Part of the reason prices are low is that subsidies keep production at high levels, so keeping American farmers in business is not just good for them but for all of us… I also support a more flexible counter cyclical revenue program that makes payments based on low yields and/or low prices rather than the current program, which is based only on low prices. I support a fully-funded crop insurance program, so that Congress will not have to pass emergency assistance every time disaster strikes…” http://www.mikehuckabee.com/?FuseAction=Issues.View&Issue_id=23
- Border security: Huckabee has consistently said we must secure the borders before dealing with the problem the unsealed borders have caused.
- Immigration: Huckabee explains this better than I can. This is a short “clip” from his explanation. “In this age of terror, immigration is not only an economic issue, but also a national security issue. We must know who is coming into our country, where they are going, and why they are here. All those who are caught trying to enter illegally must be detained, processed, and deported. As Governor, I ordered my state troopers to work with the Department of Homeland Security to arrest illegals and enforce federal immigration law. I oppose and will never allow amnesty. I passionately rejected the amnesty bill that President Bush and Sen. McCain tried to ram through Congress this summer after secret meetings of an under-the-radar cabal of amnesty-loving senators.” http://www.mikehuckabee.com/?FuseAction=Issues.View&Issue_id=4
- Recreation: Parks were improved under Gov. Huckabee’s leadership which improved tourism. He believes all people should be able to enjoy nature and not just those who can afford private clubs, campgrounds, etc.
- Pro-life: With The technology available today; medical professionals and intelligent people realize a fetus is a very small human. More young people are pro-life because of the scientific knowledge.
- Pro-traditional marriage: Ron Paul says a dictionary defines marriage between a man and a woman. Some state legislatures and activist judges obviously aren’t intelligent enough to understand that. Therefore, it must be addressed with an amendment.
- Vertical politics: How can we expect the rest of the world to respect Americans if we are constantly pointing out other American’s faults? Huckabee says Americans need to quit tearing each other down and start lifting each other up.
- Judges: Huckabee says he will appoint judges that are strict constitutionalist. He has a history of appointing conservative judges.
- Fiscal responsibility: Arkansas made major improvements in many areas with their “Tax Freedom Day” being the same at the end of Gov. Huckabee’s term as it was at the beginning of his term.
- Religious freedom: Huckabee believes our Constitution guarantees our right to freely practice any religion we choose or none at all.
- Civil liberty: Mike Huckabee is a firm believer that all people are created equal and should not be discriminated against because of race or gender. He had a majority approval rating among all races and both genders of the voters in Arkansas when he left office.
I am sure there are more reasons than what I have listed for supporting Mike Huckabee. My personal reason for supporting Mike Huckabee is all of the above.
