Election 2008 - Candidate Spotlight

Mike Huckabee

Mike Huckabee, governor of Arkansas, is ranked number two in polls for the Republicans. Huckabee graduated from Ouchita Baptist University at the age of 19 and attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, for four years.

In addition to being a Baptist minister for 12 years, Huckabee started two television stations with 24-hour programming, produced documentaries and hosted his own program. He also served as president of the Arkansas Baptist Convention.

Although vying for a spot on the Republican ticket, Huckabee is being compared to former President Bill Clinton. They are both from the town of Hope, Arkansas; they both became interested in politics while at Boys State and both lost their first races for office (Clinton for Congress in 1974, Huckabee for Senator in 1992). Both Clinton and Huckabee have been governor of Arkansas as well as chairman of the National Governors Association. Additionally, they both have strong politically willed wives.

During the course of his career as governor, Huckabee offered parents the choice of Medicaid or ARKidsFirst, his own program to provide medical insurance for young adults. More than 50,000 children who did not have insurance got it under ARKidsFirst. Huckabee now says that as president, he hopes to take this program to other states.

Huckabee enacted Arkansas' first-ever tax cut upon taking office. He also passed a property taxpayers' bill of rights. Huckabee did, however, support a half-cent sales tax increase. He explained that he was court-ordered to do so because a Little Rock judge had ruled Arkansas' funding for public education was inequitable. According to his Web site Mike Huckabee.com, he believes that life begins at conception and believes that a constitutional amendment should be passed regarding this. Huckabee has pushed pro-life legislation in the past such as a fetal protection act, parental notification law and a law requiring a waiting period before an abortion is performed.

Arkansas is one of three states with a law defining marriage as a covenant between a man and woman. Huckabee believes there should be more strenuous work on marriages that emphasizes reconciliation and counseling. He has said that no-fault divorce "was one of the worst laws ever imagined."

Being an avid hunter, Huckabee is against gun contol. "I'm pro-Second Amendment without equivocation," Huckabee said, "and I will argue for it with my last drop of blood."

Although having no national experience, Huckabee feels that he could handle the position of commander-in-chief due to his experience for the Arkansas National Guard.

Huckabee supports the War in Iraq as well as the troop surge.

Not only is he a strong supporter of the war but of increased intelligence resources as well. The governor feels that "The greatest weapon against terrorism is intelligence."

In regards to the environment Huckabee considers himself a "conservationist" and feels that the earth should be passed on better than we found it.

On the issue of immigration, Huckabee feels that the "Golden Rule" of immigration should be to protect our borders. He is against government benefits for illegal immigrants but doesn't believe that the children of illegals should be denied public education. He also feels that if people are here illegally, steps should be taken to make their existence in this country legal.