Audio: Mike Huckabee invokes Reagan on the Laura Ingraham Show
posted at 9:59 am on December 13, 2007 by Bryan
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Gov. Mike Huckabee appeared on the Laura Ingraham Show today, and Laura grilled him on the issues. She asked him about education (he’s won the NEA’s endorsement in New Hampshire), the “Jesus and the Devil are brothers” line (for which he has apologized), illegal immigration, and why the right’s pundits are not flocking to support him as his poll numbers have improved.
He’ll score some points for advocating Compean and Ramos’ pardon. He’ll lose some points nearly everywhere else, especially for dodging a direct question on matricula consular cards.
One answer of Huckabee’s bears immediate debunking. Gov. Huckabee explains his lack of support among the commentariat by his being an “outsider,” and goes farther, arguing that when Ronald Reagan ran for president in 1980 the commentariat was scared of him taking the presidency because he had no foreign policy experience. You’ll hear Huckabee use this line about a minute into this clip. But there’s a glaring problem with that analysis: Beginning in the 1940s and 50s, Reagan spent a great deal of time thinking, writing, speaking and strategizing about the Soviet threat. Communism was the foremost issue on Reagan’s mind for several decades. By the time he ran in 1980 (his second run for the presidency, having been defeated for the GOP nomination by President Ford in 1976), Reagan had delivered hundreds of speeches on the subject. He therefore had a very long and very deep paper trail on foreign policy. When Reagan won in 1980, he entered office with a well-developed strategy for defeating the USSR, and implemented that strategy in spite of enormous opposition from the Democrats and the media. Huckabee’s foreign policy experience thus far amounts to not knowing anything about Cuba and taking the left’s line on closing Guantanamo. For him to bring up Reagan as an example to help himself is nearly appalling. There is no comparison at all between Huckabee’s foreign policy acumen and Reagan’s as the Gipper ran for the presidency.
More: Peter Schweizer’s Reagan’s War: The Epic Story of His Forty-Year Struggle and Final Triumph Over Communism is a great resource on Ronald Reagan’s nearly lifelong battle to defeat Communism. I can think of one person who would benefit from reading it.
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So he’s giving a good pardon. After pardoning all those rapists and murderers, eventually he’s got to get a good one. Big whoop.
MadisonConservative on December 13, 2007 at 10:13 AM
I couldn’t get further than, “we need to build curriculum around the students and not around the schools.” Meaningless platitudes. This guy leaves my soul feeling greasy.
samuelrylander on December 13, 2007 at 10:21 AM
Huckabee seems to be a political paradox.
How can he be so left on Gitmo, etc. and so right on the 2nd Amendment?
J on December 13, 2007 at 10:28 AM
Huckabee gives me the creeps – and I cannot pin point why.
jake-the-goose on December 13, 2007 at 10:35 AM
These guys need to figure out that grabbing for Reagan’s mantle just doesn’t work. All it does id invite the instant thought in all conservatives’ minds: “You, sir, are no Ronald Reagan!” Yes, many of us wish for another Reagan. But trying to blatantly say you’re like Reagan only highlights how much you’re not like Reagan. Get a clue, candidates!
aero on December 13, 2007 at 10:37 AM
A shame there are only two conservatives participating in the Republican primaries. And neither Duncan Hunter nor Fred Thompson appear capable of winning.
MCPO Airdale on December 13, 2007 at 10:39 AM
He bared his jugular for Laura and for the first time I know of, she did not go for it.
Valiant on December 13, 2007 at 10:43 AM
What did he say that bared his jugular? I zoned out pretty quickly, to tell the truth, and I don’t particularly want to listen again.
aero on December 13, 2007 at 10:47 AM
Same here. I believe every word of the stories indicating the Dems glee with Huck. I think the Dems and the media are salivating at the chance to run againt him. He’s a flash-in-the-pan but if he should get the nod, he will be the GOP Dukakis.
edgehead on December 13, 2007 at 11:11 AM
Huckabee: I can’t part the Red Sea, but I can raise Reagan’s corpse when needed.
lorien1973 on December 13, 2007 at 11:17 AM
That was an awesome book. Highly recommended reading for anyone.
Also, Reagan In His Own Hand is another one I would recommend – letters written by RR himself, including many on foreign policy issues. The book makes it abundantly clear that he had given considerable thought in this area long before he ever ran for president.
thirteen28 on December 13, 2007 at 11:35 AM
I second that. Go with your gut. Huckles needs to go back to R-KANSAS.
saved on December 13, 2007 at 11:38 AM
Listening to the whole interview, she let him duck several questions. She never does that. The Mexican consulate question, e.g.
Valiant on December 13, 2007 at 11:44 AM
I wish someone would jump on his “no one could have known what that convicted rapist would do once released amoung our female population” line. And it seems the victims families, not the media, are the ones who brought the issue to light.
What was that about he’s going to read about the Compean and Ramos’ pardon(is that some sort of way out of pardoning them if, gulp, elected). Tanc mentioned yesterday pardoning them without any reading(re:your first hundred days as POTUS question).
christophercube on December 13, 2007 at 11:57 AM
Every time Huck is called-out on his past/current stupidity and/or associations, he always does the “well…you gotta do what cha gotta do” or “well…you have to work with people and meet them in the middle”, etc, etc…
This guy is a joke. That is exactly what the shamnesty morons were doing/saying to explain all that crapola also.
nottakingsides on December 13, 2007 at 2:32 PM
Laura Ingraham doesn’t like herring sandwiches.
- The Cat
MirCat on December 13, 2007 at 3:48 PM
Here’s a more universal version of Michelle’s NY Post headline. I have a feeling that we’re going to get a lot of use out of it.
ReubenJCogburn on December 13, 2007 at 4:56 PM
But Huckabee’s been thinkin’ about the real enemy.
Tzetzes on December 13, 2007 at 9:26 PM
Hey man, being an outsider on foreign policy matters may not be such a good thing.
But without vouchers, then you are forced to fund government schools.
Tzetzes on December 13, 2007 at 9:41 PM
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