Huckabee Round-Up: September 22nd

Apologize for the lack of posting lately. Things have been crazy for us since the Values Voter Presidential Debate on Monday — the entirety of which is now available for viewing online at the AFA website.

We encourage all of you to watch the Values Voter Debate if you have not already. I believe you will see the same thing 64 percent of the carefully-chosen delegates did, that Mike Huckabee is the top choice for the principled conservative voter. And by the way, you can see me ask a question at the 109' 24" minute mark.

Without further ado, to the Huckabee round-up. First off, James Dobson has made it clear that he will not support Fred Thompson.

"Isn't Thompson the candidate who is opposed to a Constitutional amendment to protect marriage, believes there should be 50 different definitions of marriage in the U.S., favors McCain-Feingold, won't talk at all about what he believes, and can't speak his way out of a paper bag on the campaign trail?" Dobson wrote. "He has no passion, no zeal, and no apparent 'want to.' And yet he is apparently the Great Hope that burns in the breasts of many conservative Christians? Well, not for me, my brothers. Not for me!"

Read the rest of the article here...

Dobson has already said that he will not support Guiliani or McCain. Who is left? Romney and Huckabee. Here is our bet that it will be Huckabee.

In other news, Governor Huckabee has won yet another key conservative straw poll, this one in the crucial primary state of South Carolina:

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee won the Palmetto Family Council Straw Poll Thursday night - a sign that he may be gaining a foothold amongst the conservative right of the state's Republican Party.

Huckabee got 206 of the 539 votes cast. He edged U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, who got 179, but had a very vocal support group.

Former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., had 43 votes to finish third. He was followed by U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., with 29; U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif, with 25; former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney with 14; North Carolina businessman Daniel Gilbert had 12; U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

Read the rest of the article...

The SBC's Baptist Press just released an incredible two-part interview with Governor Huckabee on policy and faith. Some highlights:

BAPTIST PRESS: Illegal immigration is another hot button issue. In Christian circles, the discussion has been about striking a balance between obedience to the law and compassion for the sojourner in our land. What would be your focus?

HUCKABEE: Well, I think we first have to secure the borders, and we don't do that because we dislike immigrants. We do it because we love our freedom and want to protect and preserve it. The only way you can do that is if you know who's coming into your country ..., who might come in with a truck filled with a dirty bomb. You can't do that if you have open borders.

So, it's not a matter of disliking people who aren't like us, it's a matter of doing the one thing that government is supposed to do, and that is protect our security. We have to have actual secure borders. I tell people that Americans aren't angry at immigrants for wanting to come here. We would want to come here too if we were anywhere else.

But we're angry at our government for making it harder for me to get on an airplane in my own hometown than for an illegal to cross the international border. That's what people expect us to fix. I put it always this way ... I thank God every day that I'm in a country that people are trying to break into, not one they are trying to break out of.

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BAPTIST PRESS: For decades, numerous presidents have had the counsel of such men as Billy Graham to hold them accountable. If you should succeed in being elected to the office of president, who would you bring around you to continue to guide you and keep you focused spiritually?

HUCKABEE: Well, I do have several people who serve in the capacity and I most certainly would keep it as president, because you need that.

You live in a bubble anyway -- I did as a governor to some degree. It would be even more so as a president. You need people who can get inside that bubble anytime without having to go through somebody. They've got to have access to you. They've got to be able to know that they can call you up and you can call them and it's not filtered at all -- not only what's said, but when it's said. I think if you don't have that, you're in a very vulnerable and dangerous position.

Be sure to also take advantage of the Clips from the Campaign Trail that Baptist Press put together. If you scroll down you'll find extended transcriptions of some of Governor Huckabee's best performances, including his answers on taxes, evolution, morality, and education.

Governor Huckabee appeared before members of the NRA earlier this week and received rave reviews:

National Review: Basing my grades entirely on crowd reactions at today's NRA "Celebration of American Values," I'd grade McCain B+, Thompson A, Rudy B+, Huckabee A+. I will give Romney and Richardson C+s for their video presentations - they're well done for what they are, but no video can command an audience's attention the way a candidate in the flesh can.

Fred wowed 'em, the crowd loved McCain's rejoinder to the Code Pink protester, Mitt Romney's video went over well, and Rudy Giuliani earned their respect. But the guy who absolutely looked the most at home before the NRA today was probably Mike Huckabee.

Read the rest of the article here...

Straw Poll Alert!

Be sure to vote weekly in the PajamasMedia Straw Poll in the top, right-hand corner of the blog. They have recently limited the poll to the top-tier candidates: Guiliani, Thompson, McCain, Romney, and Huckabee.

Also, take the time to vote in the Family Research Council straw poll. It requires a one dollar donation, but it's more than worth it. This is an very important straw poll and Huckabee has a good chance to win.

That's all for now folks. God bless!