Yes, I realize these are primary elections we are involved in right now. I also realize that a candidate does not a presidential ticket make. But, I am already a partisan to conservatism and federalism, so I don’t heart Huckabee. This is not a media-driven choice for me. I have reviewed the records of all of the candidates - their money is where their votes are.

This is why I placed a Fred decal on my website - his record is clear and his statements correspond with his record. Don’t take my word for it - please. Go to FactCheck.org and see which of the candidates are manipulating their message and which are not.

Mike Huckabee is not a conservative - being an evangelical does not make him a conservative. Rather, he holds some conservative views relating to culture and social issues. What you will notice is a Buster Keaton like lean to the right - this trend starts about June 2007. This is around the same time the polling started on Huckabee.

So - let us look at Huckabee’s policy stances on the issues - you’ll see the trend I am talking about. I am discussing comparisons, not what I think is right or wrong. Huckabee has changed his stance on many issues once he started getting polling data. He is not a leader, he’s a poll follower.

First, some Federal Spending ideas from Mike Huckabee regarding the bloated Human Services Budget

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF, often pronounced “TAN-if”) is the July 1, 1997, successor to the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program, providing cash assistance to indigent American families with dependent children through the United States Department of Health and Human Services. It is the United States’ federal assistance program commonly known as “welfare”. Before 1996, eligibility was determined simply by entitlement. Now, states are given grants to run their own programs.

• More federal funding of IDEA for disabled education. (Mar 2000)
• Maintain TANF block grants. (Apr 2000)
• Maintain federal Social Services Block Grant funding. (Sep 2001)
• Maintain flexibility & funding levels for TANF block grants. (Sep 2001)
• More federal funding for Low-income energy assistance. (Sep 2001)
• Supports TANF grants to states. (Aug 2001)

that right, more federal funding for low income families.

Now on to the trend.

Crime and Prisons - multiple flip-flops here.

• More drug courts & rehab, instead of incarceration. (Sep 2007)
• People naturally selfish; only God or punishment prevent it. (Jun 2007)
• Defends death penalty biblically as well as politically. (Jun 2007)
• Supports drug courts for non-violent drug offendors. (Jan 2007)
• Supports death penalty, but only reluctantly. (Jan 2007)
• Drug education fails; drug punishment works. (Jun 2007)
• Build more prisons, and privatize their management. (Nov 2002)
• Stricter penalties for drug-related crimes. (Nov 2002)
• Supports flexible federal block grants for crime programs. (Sep 2001)
• Treatment for drug use instead of incarceration. (Jan 2001)
• Tougher juvenile crime penalties; but let states set them. (Aug 1999)

Energy

• Comprehensive plan for energy independence within ten years. (Jan 2008)
• Energy independence: let Saudis keep their oil & their sand. (Nov 2007)
• Ethanol & biofuels are part of future energy. (Oct 2007)
• Kyoto was a mistake, but “Earth in the Balance” is not. (Jan 2007) (EITB = Al Gore)
• Shouldn’t limit oil production while increasing consumption. (Jan 2007)
• Explore ways to harness nuclear power. (Jan 2007)
• Promote alternative fuel technology. (Nov 2002)
• Voluntary partnerships reduce greenhouse gases economically. (Aug 2000)
• Kyoto Treaty must include reductions by all countries. (Aug 2000)
• More funding to develop domestic energy supplies. (Sep 2001)

Foreign Policy - Flip Flop on Israel; wrong on Foreign Policy

• Change tone of Bush’s arrogant bunker mentality. (Jan 2008)
• Protect US sovereignty, but earn respect abroad. (Dec 2007)
• Israel should not give up West Bank or Golan Heights. (Nov 2007)
• Not yet ready for two-state solution for Israel & Palestine. (Nov 2007)
• It’s not OK in Pakistan; bin Laden is hiding there. (Oct 2007)
• Genocide in Darfur matched by infanticide of the unborn. (Sep 2007)
• We answer to our Constitution, not to international law. (Sep 2007)
• Don’t pressure Israel to give up land for promise of peace. (Sep 2007)
• Not the job of the US to export our form of government. (Aug 2007)
• Support Israel as strategic ally, but respect Palestine. (Jan 2007)

Government

• Allow DC residents to vote on getting Representatives. (Sep 2007)
• Attacking others’ integrity reflects people’s own immorality. (Jun 2007)
• Supports term limits for state legislators. (Nov 2002)
• Limit campaign contributions, but no public funding. (Nov 2002)
• Not more government, but more efficient government. (Jan 2001)
• Disclose political gifts, but don’t prohibit them. (Oct 2000)
• Negative campaigning works with some voters but not with God. (Oct 2000)
• Term limits counter election skewed laws toward incumbents. (Nov 1992)
• Change House terms to 4 years, to avoid constant campaigning. (Nov 1992)

Terrorism

• Support moderate modern evil over Al-Qaeda’s medieval evil. (Jan 2008)
• Fight terrorism by increasing spending on armed forces & CIA. (Jan 2008)
• Opposes waterboarding; close Guantanamo as a bad symbol. (Dec 2007)
• Guantanamo prisoners are treated very well. (Jun 2007)
• Better to make mistakes at Guantanamo to protect Americans. (Jun 2007)
• Strength is more effective deterrent to war than weakness. (Jan 2007)

Immigration

• FactCheck: Yes, supported scholarships for AR illegal aliens. (Dec 2007)
• Pathway to citizenship must start at back of line, out of US. (Dec 2007)
• Send illegals home so all in US can hold their heads high. (Dec 2007)
• FactCheck: AR college bill accepted illegals after 3 years. (Nov 2007)
• Focus on demand: penalize employers of illegal immigrants. (Sep 2007)
• People are angry at government for failing to track illegals. (Sep 2007)
• Problems with McCain-Kennedy: credibility; secrecy; spending. (Jun 2007)
• Allow in professionals as legal immigrants, but seal border. (Jun 2007)
• Change rule barring immigrants from running for president. (May 2007)
• Path to citizenship if illegals admit guilt & pay fine. (Jan 2007)
• Import farm workers from Mexico. (Sep 2001)

Taxes

• FactCheck: FairTax would not eliminate IRS; just change role. (Nov 2007)
• FairTax is 23%; Bush’s study missed prebate & other aspects. (Nov 2007)
• FairTax eliminates all taxes on productivity & saving. (Sep 2007)
• Gut this incredibly complex and arcane tax code. (Aug 2007)
• Attacked as tax-and-spend by several anti-tax groups. (Aug 2007)
• Tax system penalizes productivity; needs complete overhaul. (Aug 2007)
• FairTax puts Going-Out-of-Business sign on IRS. (May 2007)
• FactCheck: FairTax requires 34% sales tax +$600B entitlement. (May 2007)
• Flatter, fairer, finite, family friendly overhaul: Fair Tax. (May 2007)
• Wouldn’t propose new taxes, but won’t pledge against taxes. (Jan 2007)
• Supports national flat tax to keep up with globalization. (Jan 2007)
• Remove the poorest taxpayers from the tax rolls. (Jan 2001)
• No tax increase under any circumstances. (Nov 1992)
• No national sales tax or VAT. (Feb 2000)

Technology and Government

• Apply broadcast indecency rules to cable networks. (Sep 2007)
• Spend on our infrastructure instead of other countries’. (Aug 2007)
• More bible; less blogs; more music; less network TV. (Jan 2007)
• Supports Internet sales tax. (Nov 2002)
• Arkansas becoming a leader in e-government. (Jan 2001)
• Level playing field for Main Street vs. Internet sales tax. (Aug 2001)

War

Iraq War: we invaded an imaginary country based on poor info. (Jan 2008)
Know your enemy: jihadists would destroy civilization. (Jan 2008)
Supports Powell Doctrine of overwhelming force. (Jan 2008)
Re-establish diplomatic ties to Iran, so we can move forward. (Jan 2008)
Attack Iran’s nukes even if Congress says no. (Oct 2007)
Many don’t comprehend the threat: they want our obliteration. (Sep 2007)
We bought Iraq because we broke it; responsibility to honor. (Sep 2007)
Iraqi government disappointing, but we can’t up & pull out. (Jun 2007)
We needed 300,000 troops to win Iraq; must finish the job. (May 2007)
Don’t judge Iraq war while we’re in the middle of the war. (May 2007)
Iraq war has made us overlook domestic agenda. (Jan 2007)
Opposing Bush’s troop surge is a dangerous position. (Jan 2007)
Deal with terrorism as a joint federal-state responsibility. (Feb 2001)

Crazy stuff

• Unions more prominent to fight high CEO salaries. (Oct 2007)
• Impeach judges for barring legislature prayers to Jesus. (Sep 2007)
• Attack Iran’s nukes even if Congress says no. (Oct 2007)
• Outlaw candidates speaking negatively about other candidates without approval (Jan 2008)
• Federal funds & state involvement in fatherhood initiatives. (Aug 2001)

On several issues, Mike Huckabee contradicts himself about the time he started polling in the presidential campaign. The earlier in time you go, the less “conservative” Mike looks.

No Pundit Intended