No one suspected it. Few could believe it. But with little money and a volunteer staff, Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee managed to surpass both Mitt Romney and John McCain to garner a win in five southern primaries. It really seemed to come as a surprise to everyone—except Mike Huckabee.
Most expected Huckabee to drop out of the race long before Super Tuesday, but Huckabee would not be deterred. In spite of Romney’s presence in the race, Huckabee maintained that it was a two-man race. He was often quoted as saying, “This is a two-man race…and we’re in it!” There may have been doubt before, but Huckabee’s words now ring loud and clear. Super Tuesday was surely a Super-Duper day for Huckabee—but the question is, what does it really mean?
Southern conservatives in Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, West Virginia and Missouri sent a clear message to the rest of us that Mike Huckabee is a force to be reckoned with. Now whether we reckon he’ll obtain the Republican presidential nomination is another matter all together.
What we do know is that the more folks see and hear from Mike Huckabee, the more they like Huckabee. Like his Democratic counterpart, Barack Obama, Huckabee is seen as a fresh face that represents change in the Republican party—and not as the “establishment” candidate.
Huckabee also prides himself as being the only candidate who is unwavering on core conservative values as protecting the sanctity of life and the defense of marriage.
I think the appeal of Mike Huckabee lies in the fact that he comes across as a genuine, likeable, caring guy. He seems to really understand what the average American family is going through, and he cares enough to want to do something about it. In the words coined by George W. Bush, Mike Huckabee really is a “compassionate conservative.” And he should be. After all, Huckabee is a former pastor, and every good pastor cares deeply about people. So would it really be so bad to have as President someone who views the office as chief servant or a good shepherd?
To his defense, as Governor of Arkansas, Huckabee has carried as much as 48% of the African American vote in the state of Arkansas. For a Republican, this speaks volumes. Perhaps Republicans don’t want it. Or perhaps they’re just not quite ready, but Mike Huckabee just might be the new face of the Republican party. Of course he’s conservative on the issues of abortion and same-sex marriage, but he’s also compassionate when it comes to the environment and poverty, and holds economic and tax positions that favor more middle-class Americans.
Perhaps the Republican party needs to take another look at its conservative core. It just may be that the core is evolving, and they care about more issues than Republican party leaders and the media gives them credit for. These genuinely compassionate conservatives just have not had a voice—until now.
Unfortunately, their voice may not take them all the way to the white house in the 2008 election, but they have made known their will known loud and clear. And if a Republican is elected as president, this individual had better play close attention to this new groundswell within the Republican party.
The new “Huckabee conservatives” won’t be ignored, and Huckabee is making sure—for their sake and his—that they are heard.
Copyright ©2008 by Anita S. Lane
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