Of Principles and Politics –

We’ll see how long this takes me.   I want to detail some of my political perspective. I care very much about the leadership in our nation, and I believe it is very important that Christians be involved in the political process. I hope this will spark some interesting discussion and perhaps get people thinking. In the following analysis, I have tried to be unbiased and logical. For the past couple months I was torn between two candidates. I liked both of them, but was unsure who to vote for in the primary. I believe I am now ready to make my decision. (Though I am willing to have my mind changed.) Perhaps this will help someone else out there to make a decision. If you’d like to comment on these issues, feel free. I only ask that you read what I have written before you comment. The two candidates are:

Gov. Mike Huckabee – I won’t spend too much time telling you things you probably know already. Gov. Huckabee was a Baptist pastor for some time, and his perspective on Scripture seems to be pretty good. I like his unapologetic attitude about his Christianity, and his willingness to stand with the Bible even though it is unpopular. (Supporting creation on a national stage takes some guts.) But just because a person is a good Christian doesn’t mean he will be a good President. So we need to evaluate Gov. Huckabee based on his positions and principles, not just on his beliefs about Scripture. And he actually comes out pretty good in most areas.

Family Values – He is strong in this area, being staunchly pro-life and pro-marriage. He understands that marriage is the basis of our society and should not be redefined. This is probably his strongest area and most people are familiar with it, so I won’t spend much time here.

Immigration – Huck also takes some flack in this area, but his plans for securing the border sound pretty good. I have to believe he’s a man of his word and will secure the border and enforce the law if he becomes president. His past actions in Arkansas in this area have me a little concerned though.

Philosophy of Government – Gov. Huckabee sometimes seems to operate according to the principles of limited government. He wants to remove government “red tape”, which is a good thing. But he says things sometimes that concern me. For instance, I read on his website the following quote regarding economic stimulus: “Washington needs to do more to help American families as they struggle to stay in their homes and put food on the table.” That’s not right. Washington needs to do less. Too many government programs are the problem. I wonder if Gov. Huckabee understands this. He also recently changed his mind about smoking. He at one time supported a federal law banning smoking in public places. Now, I hate smoking, and I don’t like breathing it. But it’s not the federal governments job to make laws against it. That is a big government philosophy. Huckabee has changed his mind on this issue. [I’m quoting from this article – http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/huckabee-about-face-on-smoking-2008-01-16.html] He now says that because the public sentiment for federal legislation on this issue “doesn’t exist at this time” and because “the responsibility for regulating smoking initially lies with the states” he will leave it to them. This sounds like he’s leaving the door for federal intervention open if the public wants it bad enough or the states don’t address the problem well enough. Those are not good reasons for getting the feds involved in areas they have no constitutional right to be in. These statements make me think his philosophy of government is not what I want in a president.

Taxes – Gov. Huckabee supports the “Fair Tax” system. I still have questions about the “Fair Tax”, but it does sound intriguing and workable. He gets points for thinking outside the box on that one. (And for being willing to abolish the IRS!) Some have accused Gov. Huckabee of raising taxes in Arkansas. (Which he did, in large part to pay for improvements to the education system. More on that in a minute.) He responds with the fact that he also lowered taxes 94 times. Some have said that the overall net when he left office was an increase in taxes. I think this might be false, based on inaccurate evaluation of the numbers. But from his own website he says that the tax rates when he left were exactly the same as when he took office. Wait a minute! If he lowered taxes 94 times, but the tax rates were the same when he left office as when he started….how much did he raise taxes while in office? Which taxes did he cut? Was it one huge tax hike that took 94 chunks to reduce? I’m glad he got rid of certain taxes and things, but this gives me pause and makes me wonder about the truth. Gov. Huckabee says that the court ordered him to put more money in the public school system in Arkansas. So he raised taxes. (And spent the money very well, improving Arkansas schools.) Excuse me? Since when do courts have the authority to order the government to make laws? When did judges get the power to instruct the Governor how to govern? Something is not right there, and again….it gives me pause. He’s got some good ideas on this issue, but his past actions have me wondering. I’ve also had reports from someone who heard him justify tax increases the same way liberals do: based on “bleeding heart” emotion.

Education – Gov. Huckabee has the endorsement of the N.E.A. (National Education Association) because he does not support school vouchers. Anytime a liberal organization like the N.E.A. endorses a candidate I’m considering, it throws up red flags. It’s like the NRA endorsing Harry Reid or Hillary Clinton. His website says he supports “public school choice.” What does that mean? I can choose which public school to send my kids to? Hey thanks! That’s like choosing between cow dung and horse puke! School vouchers give power back into the hands of parents, where the responsibility lies in the first place. It’s a good idea and Gov. Huckabee should support it.

Peer Pressure – There is another element that is harder to prove with facts. I have questions about whether or not Gov. Huckabee, as president, will be able to stand alone for what he believes is right, or will he want to make everyone feel better, and like him. I may be wrong about this certainly, and I have by no means even convinced myself this is true. I just wonder if he has the strength of resolve to look at his advisers and say “This is the right thing, I don’t care if it’s unpopular.” My father has worked in Washington D.C. now for 8 years, and I know from conversations I’ve had with him that D.C. can put a lot of pressure on a person, especially those in office, to compromise and go with the “D.C. flow.” Can Gov. Huckabee stand up to that pressure? I simply don’t know.

These are some of my problems with Gov. Huckabee. Overall, he really is a pretty decent candidate, based on what he says on his website. I would vote for him if there were not better choices. But his problems in the areas of taxes, education, and government philosophy have pretty much decided against him for me. I believe there is a better candidate. (I have friends that support Gov. Huckabee, and that is fine. They are entitled to that opinion and I hope they will not hold this analysis against me. They are not being unreasonable in supporting him. I am willing to be convinced otherwise about Huckabee, but I don’t see that happening at this point.) Most of this information I gathered from the Huckabee website. (www.mikehuckabee.com)

Sen. Fred Thompson – This man is the candidate I plan to vote for, at this time, in our Georgia primary. I have investigated his policies and principles, and he is very much what I want in a president. He’s not as vocal about his Christianity, but he does claim to be a believer. But again, that is not the only thing to consider in a candidate. He believes in the principles of limited government and a strong national defense. He believes that life begins at conception and would institute what policies he could to protect the unborn, including appointing judges that would uphold every persons right to life. He also does not support embryonic stem cell research. He believes that marriage is between a man and a woman and would support efforts to prohibit judges from ruling on that issue any longer, effectively ending the problem with liberals redefining marriage in the courts.

Sen. Thompson has wise economic policies and a solid tax strategy which includes tax cuts and also abolishing the IRS as we know it today. He is strong on national defense and has experience in that area, having been a member of the Senate intelligence committee. He also supports the school voucher idea, and wants to get education decisions back in the hands of the parents rather than the government. He understands federalism and states rights, and believes that the Constitution is right when it says that the powers not expressly granted to the Federal government by the Constitution are left up to each individual state.

I can also see in him, based on his actions and attitude, that he is willing to stand in the face of the establishment and do the right thing, regardless of what the polls say, and even despite what his advisers think. (That is something I always admired about Ronald Regan.) I am confident that he will govern based on principle. And I know what his principles are, and they are ones that I share.

I believe Senator Thompson is the best choice of all the candidates, and I would be very grateful if the Lord allowed him to be our next president. (I think he would blow Hillary and/or Obama out of the water!) Thompson isn’t doing so great in the polls right now, but things can change. I hope that those of you reading this will consider supporting him as the Republican who best understands the principles of conservatism. While I believe the greatest hope for our nation is in a mighty movement of God among his people, having wise and strong leaders is important at both good times and bad. (Perhaps the heart solutions to Americas problems is a topic for another post.) Fred Thompson is the man America needs right now. Go to www.fred08.com for more info.

This article is now way too long. If you’ve gotten this far, then why don’t you reward yourself by making a comment. You deserve it.   But seriously, if you have any thoughts for or against either of these candidates, please feel free. You might change someones mind.