An Open Letter to NightTwister: Watch the Actual Video of Huck on CBS!
By Mr. Ed Posted in 2007 — Comments (50) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Dear NightTwister
You begin your letter to Gov. Huckabee by stating you did NOT actually see his interview with Bob Schieffer this morning on CBS. You have provided a quote from another RedState blogger who briefly summarized his own review of the interview.
Your post has sparked a feeding frenzy of HuckaBashers who are ranting about what they believe are Huck's desire to move the GOP further left.
Here's the link to the six minute video so you can actually see it for yourself. The specific question dealing with "changing the party" comes about 3:20 into the interview.
www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3643229n
If you watch this objectively, you will notice he does not say anything related to moving the party leftward. In fact he specifically notes that middle class Americans can benefit from his policies to reduce big government interference in their lives and small businesses.
Whether we like it or not, many poor and middle class Americans perceive the GOP to cater to the rich. We all know true conservatism is the best answer for moving the poor to the middle class and the middle class to the wealthy, but there are millions of moderates who do not believe this.
Huck has the uncanny ability to use rhetoric which attracts moderates and liberals while not sacrificing conservative principles. He is wanting to expand the tent without moving the tent.
Unfortunately, his rhetoric makes many conservatives uncomfortable. I can understand that.
I don't know if he can survive the primary process, but if he does, I have no doubt the Republican party and the conservative movement will be larger and better off for it.
Huck is talking about being supportive of *really* small business. Business so small it consists only of walking out to the mailbox to pick up the welfare check.
-exits
that is blocking the truth? Seriously. I can't believe that you watched the video and still think it was a rant against the Republican party as we know it. I'm not entirely comfortable defending a candidate that I don't support, but this is ridiculous. You should retract your earlier blog and apologize for your misleading statements.
It is monarchical and aristocratical government only that requires ignorance for its support.
- Thomas Paine, Rights of Man, 1792
And I'm sure they won't be the last. I stand by my earlier blog and will not apologize.
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...Unbelievable spin here!
Founder and contributor to The Minority Report and Editor for The Hinzsight Report
by the people on this site who hate Huckabee and will stoop so low as to mislead and mischaracterize his statements.
It is monarchical and aristocratical government only that requires ignorance for its support.
- Thomas Paine, Rights of Man, 1792
....but I'm beginning to hate your replays for the condescending and authoritative tone they take as if somehow yours is the the only correct view... It's not.
The video in question clearly shows that Huckabee sees a division in the party between haves and have-nots, a comparison that's commonly used by liberals, not only is that's ridiculous it's completely untrue.
You are now commissioned to explain just how the Republican Platform, ideas and principles exclude these so-called middle American Republicans and so-called main street Americans in the Party?
Btw - You have zero credibility here to be telling other posters to retract their posts, so stop it!
Founder and contributor to The Minority Report and Editor for The Hinzsight Report
He speaks of a perception that exists, and it certainly does, that the Republican party is the party of the haves. I think he speaks very eloquently about the fact that our party serves/can serve Wall Street and Main Street, that sane economc/domestic policy is beneficial to both groups. The democrats take a completely different approach. Listen especially to Edwards and you will hear that we need to destroy big business/corporate interests in order to save America and prop up the little guy. The messages are completely different.
You keep speaking of exclusion, but sir, you fabricate that notion out of thin air. I know it is easier to think and speak in either/or language, but saying that we should be more inclusive doesn't necessarily mean that we are actively excluding. It just doesn't.
Lastly, I retain my right to call for the retraction of a post when it so highly offends the truth. The whole basis for his post was, let's say, a gross mischaracterization.
It is monarchical and aristocratical government only that requires ignorance for its support.
- Thomas Paine, Rights of Man, 1792
Huck didn't say perceptions need to change. He said the Republican Party needs to change. He's saying the party isn't meeting their needs (working class). That's pure hogwash (family site, you know). Not only is it wrong, but the dems will eat it up and use it against us. And if Huck gets the nomination, don't think for a second that interview won't be in a Hillary commercial talking about how Republicans don't meet the needs of the working class. I'm guessing a few congressional candidates would be interested in using it as well.
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and I still think you are way off base. I understand that you are bringing a previous bias to this argument, but he absolutely did not say that the Republican party isn't meeting the needs of the working class. He said that the idea of helping big and small business is not mutually exclusive. He said that he isn't angry @ Wall Street, that in fact his policies will help them. I don't care if you want to parrot the Weekly Standard, but don't attribute ideas/quotes to the man in order to discredit him. It isn't honest.
It is monarchical and aristocratical government only that requires ignorance for its support.
- Thomas Paine, Rights of Man, 1792
please explain then to me what Huck meant when he said the Republican Party needs to change.
And I'm not being dishonest. We're just in disagreement here over what he said. He said the Republican Party needs to change. I say he said we need to change to meet the needs of the working class. You disagree with that interpretation. Fine. Tell me then, what DO we need to change according to Huckabee?
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I think Huck is saying the Republican Party needs to "change" the way it is perceived by the poor and working class.
We (conservatives) have a great message for the poor and working class, but it often is not well communicated or distorted.
We can "change" the way we communicate our values -- or simply "change" the tone in which we communicate.
We can express empathy without sacrificing our conservative principles.
I admit, conservatives are often mischaracterized and unfairly stereotyped by others, including the MSM.
With Huckabee, we have a "messenger" who connects with the poor, the working class, and the MSM because he uses rhetoric appealing to them. However, for the most part (there are some areas in which he is more moderate), Huck is at the core conservative on social, fiscal and military issues.
He may not be the most conservative on some of these issues, but he is by no means liberal.
Mr. Ed
Straight from the Horse's Mouth
Huckabee is more about changing the rhetoric, than substantially changing the policies. To a well-informed conservative, supply-side economics makes sense. I can tell you with great certainty that it doesn't make sense to many others, and perhaps especially so to those at or near the bottom of the economic ladder.
Whether we like it or not, there is substantial chunk of the electorate that gets REALLY irritated when they hear that a hedge fund manager is making 500 million dollars/year and pays a lower tax rate than Joe Sixpack. I think Huckabee speaks to these people and I don't believe the Republican party is any worse for it.
It is monarchical and aristocratical government only that requires ignorance for its support.
- Thomas Paine, Rights of Man, 1792
As in:
"Huckabee is more about changing the rhetoric, than substantially changing the policies."
Envisioning when all that is Left is the Right.
for the definition of pandering. And to think I laughed at your pop-out comment.
It is monarchical and aristocratical government only that requires ignorance for its support.
- Thomas Paine, Rights of Man, 1792
Whether we like it or not, there is substantial chunk of the electorate that gets REALLY irritated when they hear that a hedge fund manager is making 500 million dollars/year and pays a lower tax rate than Joe Sixpack.
So, is Huck going to lead a crowd of evangelicals with pitchforks and torches into the New York Stock Exchange? Tar and feather the hedge fund managers, and carry them down Wall Street on rails?
Please. This is the best you can do? We need to elect a president who can win the hearts of those Americans most prone to form a mob?
Personally, I don't want the support of people who are so shallow as to expect the President of the United States to punish rogue capitalists. Such people are stupid.
"Who will stand/On either hand/And guard this bridge with me?" (Macaulay)
...your spin of this issue is complete nonsense!
By first divining what the man said then obfuscating and romanticizing his position shows you to be incapable of seeing the truth!
The gross mischaracterization is on your part!!!
Founder and contributor to The Minority Report and Editor for The Hinzsight Report
starts off by accusing the conservative press of being vehicles for his rivals talking points, then mentioned that Time magazine gave him very good ratings as governor. After that all I heard was blah blah blah blah blah...
Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone. --Mitt Romney
changing the Republican Party and oh by the way Huck my family is hardly part of the "chattering classes". Oh yeah buddy he is so going for the class warfare angle.
I know poor John Edwards is crying in his cereal right now because Huckabee has not only his gig but damn it he is doing in a Christian way.
I haven't seen this many class warfare candidates since the 70's and 80's. I thought that bogus bullcrap had been put to bed...guess not.
Freedom of Religion not Freedom from Religion
Geez, folks here think the party has always been the way it is today. Not so. The party either changes or it dies. I know many of you would prefer death. David Brooks says it best. The only kid of populism that works is the kind that is associated with social conservatism. The evangelials have been moving in that direction for a long time now. The party needs to also. The whole Federlist experiment failed. Get over it. We can not be a united states without a strong central government. It does not work. This argument is two hundred years old. It is not moving to the left to consider compassion for the poor. Yes, even through well crafted programs. That is not anti-republican. It might be anti-federalism. But the absurd notion that you can have 50 states that differ on the fundemental building blocks of our society like marriage and the right to life is well astounding. To say the least.
...what many of the Huckabee supporters want (when you can get the truth out of them)is a leftward-moved Republican party, which acts as a Democrat-lite and, consequentially, loses to the real Democrats in every election and on every issue.
I will not need to say "I will leave the party if it becomes what you wish", because my side will win. Long live freedom! Teach history in our schools!
_________________________________________________________
Molon Labe!
Actully if you disagree in principle it is perfectly fine for you to leave. You should. To think everything stays the same, including political parties is absurd.
it is the left wing so called "social conservative" populists that will be leaving.
__________________________________________________________
Molon Labe!
And I don't even like them. But the Socialist SoCon's were a big part of what let us win in 04 doc.
______________________________
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
many evangelical social "conservatives" HAVE changed. There was a thing called fusion that allowed libertarian cons, fiscal cons, and social cons to come together for the benefit of all. That thing was the idea of small government, more freedom, and a strong national defense.
Many/some evangelicals vote only for religious reasons. There was a time when they all pretty much agreed that their religious ideas were treated best when the government stayed out of them. Now, there is a significant group that thinks the goverment is a tool to spread morality as they see it, and to foster a more Christian world. This is a major change. The question now is whether this group of upstarts can take control of the party. The leaders of the party are against them, but it really does come down to votes in the end.
________________________________________________________
Molon Labe!
I am sorry where have you seen it in the last 60 or so years to make that determination? I want the role of government to be for the military and the roads and bridges and infastructure and the "really" poor.
I don't want goverment paying SS# to those who do not need it and I don't want them paying for health insurance for those who can afford it. I don't want the government telling a southern conservative state they must supply abortions. I don't want the government telling states how they must teach their children. I think Federalism gives all of those issue's back to the states where we the people will decide state to state if we are happy and if not we vote the bums out.
We already know that with gerrymandering we will never be able to throw out all the bums in Congress but if those issue's are in our backyard we get to.
Freedom of Religion not Freedom from Religion
Those who love Huckabee will find this is just icing on the cake, saying how he wants to be more inclusive, bring more people under the Republican big tent, reaching out to those who may feel that the Republicans haven't been looking out for their interest and trying to reassure them that they they have a seat on the train as well.
Those who despise Huckabee will latch on to his words about changing the Republican party as a repudiation of the current party, latch on to his polarities (Main Street versus Wall Street, rich versus poor, making government on the side of small business) and interpret them as advocating class warfare and criticizing the Republican party for not being on the side of Main Street, etc.
From my perspective of a supporter of a second tier candidate (DH), his remarks were mostly political babble, mouthing platitudes that will make people feel good about him, but leaving upspoken the devils in the details, as to how he plans to be more inclusive, leaving it up to people to look to his previous record to fill in the details. And that assessment, as we see here, leads to diametrically opposite conclusions.
But as far as a smoking gun, this interview isn't - just more politics as usual.
[It is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be.]
From my perspective of a supporter of a second tier candidate (DH), his remarks were mostly political babble, mouthing platitudes that will make people feel good about him, but leaving upspoken the devils in the details, as to how he plans to be more inclusive, leaving it up to people to look to his previous record to fill in the details
of Huckabee...then I feel validated that this isn't someone I'd like to see as my President and the defacto leader of the free world. US Presidents can't leave the devil in the details---unless, they don't want us to know what the details are. (Emphasis added).
"Who will stand/On either hand/And guard this bridge with me?" (Macaulay)
After reading the "truth"twister's original post I took the time to watch the video, and became shocked at the twist put on Huck's statements. Then I remembered the 2 Romney attack ads and realized this person is just someone wanting to politically damage another candidate.
I agree with your analysis whole heartedly,
"If you watch this objectively, you will notice he does not say anything related to moving the party leftward. In fact he specifically notes that middle class Americans can benefit from his policies to reduce big government interference in their lives and small businesses."
What a hit-job! Shame on you nighttwister!
Anyone can say they are for the middle class. John Edwards said it just 2 days ago…..that don’t make it soooo. The proof is in the plan and action. Fair tax is not for the middle class. The only people fair tax help is big business. The middle class pull is just a temptation tactic for those who do not care to calculate the numbers. Twister is dead on. Huckster is talking about changing the party but it is not changing it to be MORE helpful to middle class. It would be changing it BY taking us in a direction that takes a far left turn. GET IT THIS WAY> I CAN PUT MY RIGHT BLINKER ON AND EVERYONE WILL THINK I AM TURNING RIGHT BUT WHEN THE WHEELS ARE TURNING LEFT THE BLINKER DON’T MEAN CRAP!!!!!
First off, no I didn't watch the interview. I will not be commenting on that aspect. I do feel the need to point out something though, that is based on the comments regarding the interview?
Numerous times the Huckabee supporters have stated that Huck's great strenght is his ability to communicate. That's the "magic bean" that will pull off the impossible and get the fair tax inacted.
I think I need the Huck supporters to explain to me, if Huck is the great communicator you claim him to be, then why do we have all these different interpretations of this one interview.
NightTwister "heard" one thing that several non-Huckabee supporters also "heard". The Huckabee supporters answer back that he "heard" it wrong and then go into explanations of what they "heard".
I think a great communicator would have left no doubt as to what it was he was communicating. That's just me though...
and/or hear anything that will confirm their worst fears about him.
As an example, when Fred said that he was mad that their were no breaks during the Iowa debate, I might suggest that it is a confirmation of his, ummm, lack of energy, while you would probably suggest something else entirely. See?
It is monarchical and aristocratical government only that requires ignorance for its support.
- Thomas Paine, Rights of Man, 1792
Nope, I'm missing your point.
Supporters and detractors hearing it differently makes me believe Huck isn't the great communicator his supporters steadfastly claim. See?
...you guys have been saying, over and over, "This is what he really meant..." It's been one spin after another. And this is yet another example of the need for the Huckapologists to spin what he's saying and try to represent it as something that doesn't spit in the face of conservatism.
The Unofficial RedState FAQ
“You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say. ” - Martin Luther
I am not a Huckabee supporter, not that it really matters in regards to this particular topic. I felt it was important to speak up on the side of truth. The whole conversation began with what I felt was a mischaracterization of Huckabee in the interview, and it went from there. I don't think we do ourselves any service by attacking/exaggerating without merit.
You have to admit that rightly or wrongly, his supporters have taken a tremendous amount of abuse on this site. Further damaging Huckabee would certainly benefit my chosen candidate, but I refuse to participate in an ambush.
It is monarchical and aristocratical government only that requires ignorance for its support.
- Thomas Paine, Rights of Man, 1792
I have MAJOR problems with Huck, but I do think that some of the fears of him are overblown, but he has himself to blame.
He needs to get specific on policies and he needs to quit attacking Wall Street. It is not a zero-sum game with mainstreet.
Mike Gamecock DeVine @ The Charlotte Observer
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
www.fred08.com
It's not like he wants to steal YOUR furniture.
Envisioning when all that is Left is the Right.
Mike Gamecock DeVine @ The Charlotte Observer
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
www.fred08.com
Here's the transcript from the video. Even if you watched it, please read it again. Please tell me what in this response, other than the prevocative "I am out to change the Republican Party," which can be viewed as liberal.
"I am a Republican. And I am out to change the Republican Party. It needs changing. It needs to be inclusive of all those people across America for whom this party should stand.
And it's not just the people on Wall Street. It's the people on Main Street. And there are a lot of people in America that come up and shake my hand. They get out of cabs. They come from behind the skycap counter and they tell me that they appreciate the fact that I understand what it's like to struggle.
The Republicans are not just a group of people who sit at the top. They're people who sit around their kitchen table and worry about how they're going to pay their rent.
I think sometimes there's this perception that Republicans all belong to the same club. Well, the one club they belong to is loving this country and loving its future and wanting to do the best for their children. I think I represent those folks.
I'm not angry at all the folks at Wall Street. In fact, I think my policies would do more for them, but it wouldn't just be for them. It would also be for those guys that don't necessarily have a stock portfolio. It would be also for the people who don't have a lobbyist in Washington.
When we do the kind of policies that I'd like to see happen in terms of taxes and regulation, a guy could sit down at his kitchen table, sketch out the idea for a small business, and know that the government isn't his biggest opposition, that he actually might be able to live the American dream. And that's what Republicans ought to be about, helping not just big business but small business as well."
This sounds like it could be coming from any number of conservative Republicans.
Mr. Ed
Straight from the Horse's Mouth
proposing lower taxes and less regulation.
I am a patient man.
Mike Gamecock DeVine @ The Charlotte Observer
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
www.fred08.com
sufficiently vague that it offers no glimpse of what he will actually DO to make that utopia happen...and some of it ("It needs to be inclusive of all those people across America for whom this party should stand") could just as easily have come from any Democratic candidate...hate to beat a dead horse, but "populist" is a pejorative term, and no one typifies it more than Huckabee...
"Life IS pain, Highness...anyone who says different is selling something..."
Watching the video is worse. He DID say the Republicans need to be for the working class, as though we weren't already.
He says Republicans aren't supportive of small business? What rock did you just crawl out from under?
Speaking of crawl...that's what my skin does every time I listen to this snake-oil salesman.
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