Comments on: Huckabee And Catholics http://larison.org/2008/01/12/huckabee-and-catholics/ n. the principle of good order "Observe the strange inversion of all order and sense! Dignity debased; how vilely is the function of a consul prostituted!" ~The Craftsman Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:46:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Roach http://larison.org/2008/01/12/huckabee-and-catholics/#comment-8515 Sun, 13 Jan 2008 17:02:09 +0000 http://larison.org/2008/01/12/huckabee-and-catholics/#comment-8515 As I get older, I realize more and more that my grandfater was right when he said don't trust politicians. I don't know if he'll disappoint. I expect we'll lose this time around, but if it's McCain or Huckabee, we'll lose for the wrong reasons and I fear the diagnosis post-election will be bad, i.e., we need to shut down the social conservatives if Huckabee loses and, if McCain loses, that we need to further embrace his brand of big government conservatism and that he was hamstrung by social conservatives. If Romney loses, they'll say he was a bit of a phony and it will be sui generis. I see some daylight with Bush on immigration with Romney; at least he's listening to the base here. I also think just by his nature he'll cut spending and get the fed's finances in order. Finally, I think he just comes across as a well-ordered guy who does not want to save us from the social conservatives, nor does he want to atone for our legacy of racism, like Bush did by "getting it right" with Hispanics. I wouldn't be surprised if he won, he'd disappoint me. But I'm sure that's true of everyone running. It's national, electoral politics, and I realize I'm getting further out of the mainstream. As I get older, I realize more and more that my grandfater was right when he said don’t trust politicians. I don’t know if he’ll disappoint. I expect we’ll lose this time around, but if it’s McCain or Huckabee, we’ll lose for the wrong reasons and I fear the diagnosis post-election will be bad, i.e., we need to shut down the social conservatives if Huckabee loses and, if McCain loses, that we need to further embrace his brand of big government conservatism and that he was hamstrung by social conservatives. If Romney loses, they’ll say he was a bit of a phony and it will be sui generis.

I see some daylight with Bush on immigration with Romney; at least he’s listening to the base here. I also think just by his nature he’ll cut spending and get the fed’s finances in order. Finally, I think he just comes across as a well-ordered guy who does not want to save us from the social conservatives, nor does he want to atone for our legacy of racism, like Bush did by “getting it right” with Hispanics.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he won, he’d disappoint me. But I’m sure that’s true of everyone running. It’s national, electoral politics, and I realize I’m getting further out of the mainstream.

]]> by: Daniel Larison http://larison.org/2008/01/12/huckabee-and-catholics/#comment-8502 Sat, 12 Jan 2008 21:55:53 +0000 http://larison.org/2008/01/12/huckabee-and-catholics/#comment-8502 Thanks, Chris, that helps make sense of this for me. I see what you're saying about Huckabee, and obviously I agree that he represents much of what is wrong with the current administration. Excluding Thompson, and even taking into account everything I've said about Huckabee, I'm still not sure that Romney is the best one available this time. On policy he differs with Bush essentially nowhere that I can see, while Huckabee has shown *some* independence on foreign policy, and I find Romney fundamentally untrustworthy. "Another Bush: More Competent, But Less Honest" is not a winning slogan in my view. I guess I can understand why some folks are backing Romney, but I am not persuaded that he is the least awful of the bunch. Thanks, Chris, that helps make sense of this for me. I see what you’re saying about Huckabee, and obviously I agree that he represents much of what is wrong with the current administration. Excluding Thompson, and even taking into account everything I’ve said about Huckabee, I’m still not sure that Romney is the best one available this time. On policy he differs with Bush essentially nowhere that I can see, while Huckabee has shown *some* independence on foreign policy, and I find Romney fundamentally untrustworthy. “Another Bush: More Competent, But Less Honest” is not a winning slogan in my view. I guess I can understand why some folks are backing Romney, but I am not persuaded that he is the least awful of the bunch.

]]> by: Roach http://larison.org/2008/01/12/huckabee-and-catholics/#comment-8499 Sat, 12 Jan 2008 20:25:12 +0000 http://larison.org/2008/01/12/huckabee-and-catholics/#comment-8499 Speaking as a Catholic supporter of Romney (and I live in Florida), Romney just strikes me as a decent man, religious, and also a religious minority. He also is at least saying the right things and I'll think he'll stick with the girl he brought to the dance. (Bush didn't even say the right things when he was running). As a religious man and also a religious minority, i think he'll respect traditional values but will avoid the nanny-state-ism that animates the busy-body "City on the Hill" Huckabee. Romney is basically the businessman's conservative and clearly does not have his heart in the social issues, but he also does not have it in him to get in the face of majority-conservative Republican convictions. Huckabee does; like Bush he loves to show his superiority to conservatism. Romney's the man in the Grey Flannel Suit with a big family, an apparnetly loving marriage, and a lot of raw brain power. Look we're not electing a saint but a President; he's about as good as it is this tmie around but for the lethargic Thompson. Speaking as a Catholic supporter of Romney (and I live in Florida), Romney just strikes me as a decent man, religious, and also a religious minority. He also is at least saying the right things and I’ll think he’ll stick with the girl he brought to the dance. (Bush didn’t even say the right things when he was running). As a religious man and also a religious minority, i think he’ll respect traditional values but will avoid the nanny-state-ism that animates the busy-body “City on the Hill” Huckabee. Romney is basically the businessman’s conservative and clearly does not have his heart in the social issues, but he also does not have it in him to get in the face of majority-conservative Republican convictions. Huckabee does; like Bush he loves to show his superiority to conservatism. Romney’s the man in the Grey Flannel Suit with a big family, an apparnetly loving marriage, and a lot of raw brain power. Look we’re not electing a saint but a President; he’s about as good as it is this tmie around but for the lethargic Thompson.

]]> by: James Newland http://larison.org/2008/01/12/huckabee-and-catholics/#comment-8496 Sat, 12 Jan 2008 16:13:17 +0000 http://larison.org/2008/01/12/huckabee-and-catholics/#comment-8496 I think it may be that he strikes Catholics as a yokel. His last name certainly doesn't help, as shallow and meaningless a determinant as that may be. Any Southern preacher with a nickname (Huck) that sounds like Goofy's moronic laugh is going to have problems with Catholics, I think. I hasten to add that I don't follow Presidential politics anymore except for this blog, so I may not be representative. I believe I've heard Huck's actual voice once, in a soundbite on the news. But that is my own (admittedly unfair) knee-jerk reaction to the guy, which I offer for whatever it's worth. I think it may be that he strikes Catholics as a yokel. His last name certainly doesn’t help, as shallow and meaningless a determinant as that may be. Any Southern preacher with a nickname (Huck) that sounds like Goofy’s moronic laugh is going to have problems with Catholics, I think.

I hasten to add that I don’t follow Presidential politics anymore except for this blog, so I may not be representative. I believe I’ve heard Huck’s actual voice once, in a soundbite on the news. But that is my own (admittedly unfair) knee-jerk reaction to the guy, which I offer for whatever it’s worth.

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