With a dizzying 17 clowns now in the race car for the Republican presidential nomination—and with the first debate only three days away—it seems like a good time to take an in-depth look at the top-ten candidates and their current stands on the issues. This is a just-the-facts review of Mike Huckabee.
One of the longest-serving governors of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee is a hard-core conservative who seeks to appeal to anti-establishment, pro-working class Christian Republicans. An ordained Baptist minister, his fans and followers think of him as the quintessential Christian statesman. He has long been viewed as a mainstay of the evangelical wing of the Republican party. This is Huckabee’s second run for the Republican nomination; his first was in 2008.
Huckabee is one of the most vocal proponents of conservative views on gay unions and abortion. He led Arkansas to become one of the first states to ban same-sex marriage and partial-birth abortion. At one point in 2001, he described himself as being pro-life but respectful of choice as mandated law. Just last week, however, Huckabee said he is open to the idea of using federal troops and the FBI to stop women from having abortions.
Huckabee is considered a big-government Republican by some in his party and by Libertarians. His record as governor of Arkansas consisted of such massive increases in state spending that the Libertarian Cato Institute gave his record in office an ‘F.’ He cut taxes 94 times while in office and raised them 21 times. But he also ended his term with an $844 million surplus. If elected president, he promises to not increase taxes and to control federal spending.
Hawkish on defense, Huckabee has said Islamic terrorism is the country's most pressing issue. He staunchly supports Israel and recently likened President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran to marching the Israelis “to the door of the oven.” He also said the deal’s purpose is “not to make the world safer, but to make sure that a lot of people with a lot of money get their money back.”
Huckabee is a strong proponent of gun rights. He favors laws that expand concealed-carry rights and believes in protecting citizens who use deadly force when threatened.
One way Huckabee has tried to set himself apart from the field is by being the sole Republican to court union voters in the AFL-CIO. That appears to be driven primarily by his desire to get votes from pro-life, Republican union members. And while he speaks of “Americans working really, really hard these days for a whole lot less money than they made a few years ago," Huckabee opposes raising the minimum wage.
Claims to fame
• Signed into law one of the first bans on partial-birth abortion
• Signed into law one of the first bans on same-sex marriage
• Talk-show host, author, bass guitarist, and weight-loss guru
Strongly opposes—
• A woman’s right to choose
• Same-sex unions
• Making voter registration easier
Opposes—
• Legal requirements for hiring women and minorities
• Expansion of Obamacare
• A reduction in EPA restrictions
• Higher taxes on the wealthy
• A pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants
• Expansion of free trade
• Green energy as a priority
• Common Core standards
• A higher minimum wage
Strongly favors—
• Keeping God in the public sphere
• Foreign entanglements (fighting ISIS is okay if others join too)
• Supporting American exceptionalism
Favors—
• Absolute right to gun ownership
• Expansion of concealed carry laws
• Expansion of the military
• Stricter punishments to reduce crime
• Eliminating income tax and IRS (national sales tax instead)
• Privatizing Social Security
• A market-led recovery versus a stimulus
Believes—
• Marijuana is a gateway drug, but medical use is okay.
Memorable quote
Comparing Obama to Hitler (July 2015): “This president’s foreign policy is the most feckless in American history. It is so naive that he would trust the Iranians. By doing so, he will take the Israelis and march them to the door of the oven. This is the most idiotic thing, this Iran deal.”
What to watch for
Mike Huckabee has said he “really, really hopes someone—anyone—will attack him by name” at this Thursday’s debate, because a verbal callout means more speaking time for the target. Chief among Huckabee’s vulnerabilities are his record as a big-government, tax-and-spend governor and his courtship of union voters. Watch for his response if he’s targeted on these points.
A few liberals in the media (e.g., Chris Cillizza) have likened Huckabee’s stands and rhetoric on the economy, free trade, and the middle class to Bernie Sanders’. Huckabee’s challengers also see the parallel and may very well bring it up in the debate. That could be just the kind of comparison that will hurt the former governor, not only in the debate but also in the way voters view him going forward.
Other candidates in my "Just the Facts" series
Scott Walker, Ted Cruz, Ben Carson
Sources
The Hill, On the Issues.org, PBS, Cato Institute, Mother Jones, New York Times, CBS News, The Guardian, The Federalist