The Soft on Crime Meme
By Erick Posted in 2008 — Comments (20) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
I have come to one conclusion about Mike Huckabee. It is that you can throw the kitchen sink at him and it will not stick. There is no coherent narrative against him.
But, if you read Phillip Klein today you'll see the narrative starting to shape up: Mike Huckabee is soft on crime.
Over the course of his 10 and a half years as governor, Huckabee granted a staggering 1,033 clemencies, according to the Associated Press. That was more than double the combined 507 that were granted during the 17 and a half years of his three predecessors: Bill Clinton, Frank White, and Jim Guy Tucker.In many cases, Huckabee's actions set loose savage criminals convicted of grisly murders over the passionate objections of prosecutors and victims' families.
"I felt like Huckabee had more compassion for the murderers than he ever did for the victims," Elaine Colclasure, co-leader of the Central Arkansas chapter of Parents of Murdered Children, a group that works on behalf of victims' families, told TAS. "He was kind of like a defense attorney. He couldn't see the pain and suffering that the victims were going through."
Among the violent criminals Huckabee granted clemency to were Denver Witham, who was "convicted of beating a man to death with a lead pipe at a bar," according to the AP; Robert A. Arnold Jr., who was convicted of killing his father in law; Willy Way Jr., who pled guilty to shooting a grocery store owner as his wife looked on; and James Maxwell, who murdered a reverend. According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, when the reverend's daughter met with Huckabee to plead that Maxwell be denied clemency, Huckabee "'affectionately referred' to her father's killer as 'Jim.'"
In the New York Times profile that is getting so much attention because of the Mormon comment, some of us noted that Huckabee said he wanted to fund "arts education."
Whatever happened to defunding the NEA?!
Regardless, the fiscal liberal meme is not selling to social conservatives. What would sell, particularly as we head to South Carolina, is the soft on crime meme. And Mike Huckabee is going to have to explain each and every one of these as the press starts paying attention.
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The Soft on Crime Meme 20 Comments (0 topical, 20 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
Erick is absolutely right. Bubba Jr. is a "compassionate conservative", pretty much all of his defenders would agree with that and he's gone out of his way to promote how compassionate he is.
Just wait until the parade of victims family members starts and you get a constant drone about how BJ's actions opened up the old wounds from the loss of their loved ones [stopping to wipe keyboard dry] and how BJ cares more for rapists and murderers and drug dealers than for their victims. Oh, and don't think for one second that every one of those violent felons released by BJ isn't the subject of Lexus/Nexus search right now looking for any reoffenders. Remember, recividism for career criminals and drug offenders is over 70%. It won't take much time to find a standout offense or two. Or 20. Or 200.
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CongressCritter™: Never have so few felt like they were owed so much by so many for so little.
When you vote by religious preference instead of your head, this is what is happening. I find it interesting that the Huckabee supporters call them Pro-life, but will more than likely cause either Rudy or Hillary to be elected. It will take another generation before we can get a President who will appoint the right kind of judges.
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American First, Conservative Second, Republican Third
If it comes down to Huckabee vs. Giuliani, 'a soft on crime' meme really torpedoes Huckabee.
(I'd probably still vote for Huckabee under that circumstance, reluctantly, but then I'm a crazy pro-lifer).
I am amazed at Huckabee's Teflon--reminds me of Bill Clinton. I'm surprised that Huckabee's poll numbers aren't falling faster. The bloggers here at RedState are obviously informed. But are most voters informed? Many of the negative articles about Huckabee that we see here are not cited on the MSM websites nor (to my surprise) on RealClearPolitics.com.
The Teflon may simply be a lack of being informed.
Iowa doesn't count when it comes to "informed", the caucus is nothing more than a popularity contest amongst cliques and to a lesser extent, a test of the candidate's organization.
NH will be the first test of informed and I can pretty well guarantee that NHites are more concerned about Christmas than the primary at this point.
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CongressCritter™: Never have so few felt like they were owed so much by so many for so little.
With the primaries so front-loaded, Huck could slip through before voters have time to catch up with where we're already at. And, the team-Huck spin that this is just "elites" attacking Huck because he's a Christian could be enough cover to keep people from taking these stories seriously until it's too late.
First of all, remember that Iowa is less effected by media hits than the primary states because it's a caucus. Second, remember that the drive by media loves a story will blood and tears. I can forsee leads on every newscast leading up to the vote. This really has the potential to kill Bubba Jr. politically and forever, which I consider to be the best possible result.
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CongressCritter™: Never have so few felt like they were owed so much by so many for so little.
pardon and or commutate when President? I mean look at the filth he has allowed to walk out of prison now.
I would vote Rudy who cracked the whip on criminals before I would vote for a liberal bleeding heart like Huckabee.
Good God we will all have to arm ourselves to the teeth just to protect ourselves from the animals he will let out across America.
Freedom of Religion not Freedom from Religion
how to properly sound like they've accepted Jesus into their hearts. Nothing moves Huck more than a jailhouse conversion. It'll practically be a revival... right until they're on the streets again.
You can bet the MSM will make sure it all sticks come the general election.
I think, like the Dems, the MSM wants Huckabee to get the nomination, because they know that any Dem nominee will shred him to little tiny pieces in the general. So the media's laying off of him also.
The Unofficial RedState FAQ
“You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say. ” - Martin Luther
Does anyone here think that the MSM wants Huck to lose? I don't. So who will actually hear the charges against him? If the rest of the candidates don't run issue ads about Huckabee, the odds increase that he gets a pass in the primaries.
You got to admire Clinton. He at least got money for his pardons. And I don't think anyone he pardoned killed or raped anyone after he pardoned them.
"11th Commandment" or no, I guarantee I'd sit the election out if the Huckster is nominated. I wouldn't vote for him as dogcatcher- he'd let loose the first rabid dog that licked his hand.
Weak on defense, weak on fiscal policy, weak on illegal immigration, weak on crime- and he'd get slaughtered in the general election anyways. If the RNC had any guts and brains, they'd run this guy out of the party.
Maybe....maybe all of those people who have swung over to Mike just dont share your ideas of what a "good republican should be". Perhaps listening to them might not be such a bad idea. He will probably be running against Obama who is having his own set of problems with the "base"
the ONLY thing Bubba Jr will be running for is dog catcher in Hope.
And good riddance.
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CongressCritter™: Never have so few felt like they were owed so much by so many for so little.
Sadly, it seems that no matter what is presented about Huck, his defenders will spin anything.