It Could Have Been Huckabee

Timothy Kincaid

September 15th, 2008

So far this presidential campaign season has seen a markedly reduced emphasis on cultural issues. Unlike George Bush’s efforts to define his distinction from John Kerry by the extent to which he reviled gay couples and sought the restriction of their rights, Sen. John McCain has mostly avoided any reference to gay couples and has, at times, seemed almost apologetic for his views.

But it might not have been this way. Governor Huckabee was considered a credible candidate and could have been the Republican Party’s nominee. And Huckabee would have delighted in crafting his campaign around anti-gay activism – oh, pardon me, protection of marriage, family, and (I kid you not) the universe.

Huckabee was in Southern California this weekend to preach sermons about Proposition 8. The Ventura Star reports

The former Arkansas governor and Southern Baptist preacher spoke from the pulpit of Calvary Chapel Thousand Oaks in two services focused on Proposition 8, a state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. He told about 1,000 people that marriage was created and defined by God, just as the Mona Lisa was created by Leonardo da Vinci.

“God doesn’t want me to take my brush and paint over his masterpiece,” he said.

Huckabee may appreciate Da Vinci’s work today. But somehow I find it easy to imagine that he would be among those who supported the 1476 prosecution of the artist on sodomy charges.

After all,

Huckabee said he wasn’t there to tell people how to vote on Proposition 8. But he told people that laws related to both life and marriage will determine the future of the universe.

And anything can be justified when you’re protecting the future of the universe.

AJD

September 15th, 2008

“He told about 1,000 people that marriage was created and defined by God, just as the Mona Lisa was created by Leonardo da Vinci.”

Such a comical adventure in illogic. I actually considered registering as a Republican just to keep Huckabee from winning the primary.

I don’t think it’s hard to imagine at all that he would have supported the prosecution of Da Vinci. He does, after all, have a history of associating with Christian Reconstructionists.

Duncan

September 15th, 2008

Had Huckabee won he would had done worse than McGovern. He lost the primaries because he could not expand out of his electoral niche, and that is almost entirely Republican. He’d have been the Democrats’ dream.

tristram

September 15th, 2008

Talk about setting a low bar! McCain goes on one of the top-rated daytime talk shows and sounds ‘almost apologetic’ that he doesn’t think the lesbian host should be able to share in a wide range of rights, responsibilities and benefits of American citizenship because of her sexual preference. That’s like Michael Phelps sounding almost funny on SNL.

The only executive decision McCain has made thus far was his choice of a running mate. And all the gay-baiting rightwing talkshow hosts and Christianist leaders are ecstatic. They know they’re going to get their culture war without having to live with Huckabee’s economic heresies. And there’s a damn good chance they’re going to have one of their own in the Oval Office in the near future.

Michigan-Matt

September 16th, 2008

tristam, no offense, but Phelps is another studpuppy Michigan Wolverine so you might want to step cautiously in those piles you usually leave behind… ggggr (and a wink).

I’m glad that MikeHuck-a-Boom is headed for the political scrap heap. He was an extension of the values-driven, divisive politics of the ol’ GOP. Good riddance.

McCain is a fresh start for the GOP. Unlike Huck-a-Boom, McCain’s the nominee because of open primaries and the huge influence of non-GOPers and political independents and GOP moderates in the primaries. Groups that Hick-a-Boom could have never courted.

These quotes, tho’ not the worst I’ve seen from Mike Huck-a-Boom, demonstrate why a moderate-to-liberal, maverick GOPer like McCain was the best choice ever. If it had been Huck-a-Boom, we’d be talking about how many gayGOPers and moderateGOPers were heading over to BarryO’Biden (yikes)… instead, all the talk is about the hordes of angry Hillary gals stampeding to the McCain-Palin banner and victory.

Swampfox

September 16th, 2008

I am glad to say that I had the honor to vote against Huckabee when he ran for Republican nomination. I guess that we are all going to have to put up the poor man, he is relatively young.

Timothy Kincaid

September 16th, 2008

Michigan Matt,

Please do not use derogative nick-names here. thanks.

L. Junius Brutus

September 16th, 2008

No substantive difference between these two. McCain will pursue the exact same policies that Huckabee would, appoint the same type of judges (those who do not believe in constitutional rights). As a matter of fact, I wish he were the nominee, and that he would campaign for Proposition 8, that would only hurt it because of his unpopularity there, as well as hurt his own campaign, because he would focus on this issue when people are focused on things that actually affect their own lives.

Michigan-Matt

September 17th, 2008

It’s curious to me that the ending line of the BTB article ran a bell, but I just couldn’t place it.

“And anything can be justified when you’re protecting the future of the universe.”

And then it hit me while waiting to fill up the Hummer, that line is exactly why many farRight types found Al Gore’s personal mission to save the Earth from global warmists so repugnant and self-righteous.

Like Huckabee, Al Gore also thought more of himself than the voters did. Like Huckabee, Al Gore pressed his singular vision for a new world order upon all those who would listen –and even forcibly on those who would not.

Like Huckabee, Al Gore was a keen manipulator of the media and tapped into a marginal, fringe segment of the political elites in order to gain traction for his strident agenda.

Like Huckabee, Al Gore played to the honest sentiments of the public while acting in a manner completely different from the message he was preaching –you know, the GulfStream jets with just him on board, the massive energy consuming mansion in Nashville, the limo awaiting and running the a/c and engine while he lectured others inside the hall about “sacrafices for the betterment of Earth” and, who could forget, the scam of buying carbon offset credits like Papal Indulgences for the energy-consumptive challenged?

That’s why that line triggered a deja vu moment.

Only now it’s Mike Huckabee that can “… justif(y anything) when you’re protecting the future of the universe.”

Who’d have thought: Al Gore and Mike Huckabee sharing a dually appropriate moment in time?

Leave A Comment

All comments reflect the opinions of commenters only. They are not necessarily those of anyone associated with Box Turtle Bulletin. Comments are subject to our Comments Policy.

(Required)
(Required, never shared)

PLEASE NOTE: All comments are subject to our Comments Policy.

 

Latest Posts

The Things You Learn from the Internet

"The Intel On This Wasn't 100 Percent"

From Fake News To Real Bullets: This Is The New Normal

NC Gov McCrory Throws In The Towel

Colorado Store Manager Verbally Attacks "Faggot That Voted For Hillary" In Front of 4-Year-Old Son

Associated Press Updates "Alt-Right" Usage Guide

A Challenge for Blue Bubble Democrats

Baptist Churches in Dallas, Austin Expelled Over LGBT-Affirming Stance

Featured Reports

What Are Little Boys Made Of?

In this original BTB Investigation, we unveil the tragic story of Kirk Murphy, a four-year-old boy who was treated for “cross-gender disturbance” in 1970 by a young grad student by the name of George Rekers. This story is a stark reminder that there are severe and damaging consequences when therapists try to ensure that boys will be boys.

Slouching Towards Kampala: Uganda’s Deadly Embrace of Hate

When we first reported on three American anti-gay activists traveling to Kampala for a three-day conference, we had no idea that it would be the first report of a long string of events leading to a proposal to institute the death penalty for LGBT people. But that is exactly what happened. In this report, we review our collection of more than 500 posts to tell the story of one nation’s embrace of hatred toward gay people. This report will be updated continuously as events continue to unfold. Check here for the latest updates.

Paul Cameron’s World

In 2005, the Southern Poverty Law Center wrote that “[Paul] Cameron’s ‘science’ echoes Nazi Germany.” What the SPLC didn”t know was Cameron doesn’t just “echo” Nazi Germany. He quoted extensively from one of the Final Solution’s architects. This puts his fascination with quarantines, mandatory tattoos, and extermination being a “plausible idea” in a whole new and deeply disturbing light.

From the Inside: Focus on the Family’s “Love Won Out”

On February 10, I attended an all-day “Love Won Out” ex-gay conference in Phoenix, put on by Focus on the Family and Exodus International. In this series of reports, I talk about what I learned there: the people who go to these conferences, the things that they hear, and what this all means for them, their families and for the rest of us.

Prologue: Why I Went To “Love Won Out”
Part 1: What’s Love Got To Do With It?
Part 2: Parents Struggle With “No Exceptions”
Part 3: A Whole New Dialect
Part 4: It Depends On How The Meaning of the Word "Change" Changes
Part 5: A Candid Explanation For "Change"

The Heterosexual Agenda: Exposing The Myths

At last, the truth can now be told.

Using the same research methods employed by most anti-gay political pressure groups, we examine the statistics and the case studies that dispel many of the myths about heterosexuality. Download your copy today!

And don‘t miss our companion report, How To Write An Anti-Gay Tract In Fifteen Easy Steps.

Testing The Premise: Are Gays A Threat To Our Children?

Anti-gay activists often charge that gay men and women pose a threat to children. In this report, we explore the supposed connection between homosexuality and child sexual abuse, the conclusions reached by the most knowledgeable professionals in the field, and how anti-gay activists continue to ignore their findings. This has tremendous consequences, not just for gay men and women, but more importantly for the safety of all our children.

Straight From The Source: What the “Dutch Study” Really Says About Gay Couples

Anti-gay activists often cite the “Dutch Study” to claim that gay unions last only about 1½ years and that the these men have an average of eight additional partners per year outside of their steady relationship. In this report, we will take you step by step into the study to see whether the claims are true.

The FRC’s Briefs Are Showing

Tony Perkins’ Family Research Council submitted an Amicus Brief to the Maryland Court of Appeals as that court prepared to consider the issue of gay marriage. We examine just one small section of that brief to reveal the junk science and fraudulent claims of the Family “Research” Council.

Daniel Fetty Doesn’t Count

Daniel FettyThe FBI’s annual Hate Crime Statistics aren’t as complete as they ought to be, and their report for 2004 was no exception. In fact, their most recent report has quite a few glaring holes. Holes big enough for Daniel Fetty to fall through.