At a talk at Liberty University, Mike Huckabee attributed his meteoric rise among Republican presidential candidates to, you guessed it, the Christian gods. This isn't too surprising really, given that Huckabee is a former minister. However, it puts those who subscribe to that theory in a fine logical pickle (not that that bothers them much), because it begs the question of what their opinion is going to be if Huckabee loses. Are they going to recant and claim what success he got wasn't attributable to the gods after all? Will they perversely claim that Huckabee doing well but losing was all part of God's plan?
I am always bemused by athletes who claim, after the fact of course, they looked into the eyes of their teammates at a critical juncture in a game they were losing and "saw we couldn't lose". Funny we never hear about the times that look doesn't come through. People who attribute events to the gods exhibit the same pattern. It was God's will that my daughter survived the hurricane. What about those that died? God wanted them dead? God wants Huckabee to win? Does that mean he wants Romney to lose? Is God saying "The Baptists are right and the Mormons are wrong"?
Unworthy as the concept of gods is, it is made to look even less worthy when portrayed in such a fashion. Mike Huckabee is having success in the Republican polls right now for all the reasons former Republican Pat Buchanen said someone would who was a real social conservative Evangelical. Huckabee is the answer to the Republican desires for a return to the roots that won them the last two elections. Huckabee is a smooth politician with a common man's charm and the backing of the religious right. One need not conjure up gods to explain that one.
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4 comments:
Can you provide a transcript from the link you provided that you attempt to prove your statement that "God did it" at Liberty University.
I had trouble making out the words spoken because of all the background noise. Only thing that I decipher was that Huckabee claimed the premises of Liberty University might have been "provided by God" not that his standings in his run was "provided by God".
I do not support the Huckabee candidacy. However I think we need to treat this most important subject (who we would elect as President) with at least small degree of honesty.
Nope, you got that one wrong. The Huckster is the flavor-du-jour to distract from Dr. Ron Paul. One other claimed the Huckster's surge was from voters discovering that Guliani was "a total douchebag." In that case, so is Romney and McCain, and the Huckster and Thompson are the turd sandwiches.
LD: I did not get the information from a linked video, I got it from a video on the Chris Matthews show. Huckabee was asked to explain his success by one of the students during the Q&A, and Huckabee went into a "there is only one explanation" pious response about "greater forces", the typical piety. If you doubt it, just wait, I'm sure it won't take long before he says something similar. Unlike some of the candidates, I take Huckabee's piety as sincere.
Anonymous, I seriously doubt anyone in the Republican party is concerned about Ron Paul. Paul might some noise early on when there are many candidates, but once the field thins, Paul will become as irrelevant as every other libertarian has become over the last 50 years.
I suppose his surge could be due to Guiliani's recent transgressions, but given the demographics it seems much more likely Huckabee is taking votes from Romney.
Thanks for the clarification.
I also agree with your assessment of the Ron Paul candidacy. I am doubtful any of the other candidates would even consider him to be vice-presidential material.
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