dacbcd2a1a474318f59d…

And I loathe demagogues and populists.

Dhornertx on January 5, 2008 at 1:29 AM

Yeah, that’s really reliable polling data.

From the Grassfire poll:

Grassfire.org conducted the survey December 1-9, 2007 of all active Grassfire.org team members. Over 67,000 participated and the survey has a margin of error of less than 1% at a 99% confidence level for the Grassfire.org audience.

From Grassfire’s website.

What issues does Grassfire.org support?

Grassfire.org’s leadership team holds a strong and unwavering commitment to conservative, pro-family and pro-faith values. These values guide our decision-making process.

Are most Huckabee supporters incapable of objectively parsing through data, and data sources?

/rhetorical question

A Poll Of Conservatives by Grassfire.org Gives Huckabee Wide Lead Over All Challengers: Huckabee Leads All Other Candidates By 2-To-1 Margin Among Conservatives

If you plan on voting Republican and your party’s primary or caucus were held today, for whom would you vote? (select one)
Mike Huckabee 34%
Fred Thompson 16%
Mitt Romney 15%
Rudy Giuliani 8%
John McCain 4%

Over 67,000 responded to Grassfire.org’s poll (margin of error is less than 1%) and Huckabee won by over a 2-1 margin as the choice of grassroots conservatives. The #1 issue? Border Security. The #2 issue? Reducing the tax burden.

The poll also found that grassroots conservatives find Hucakbee among the most trustworthy on the issue of stopping illegal immigration.

“Grassroots conservatives at this point in time trust Mike Huckabee with their most important issue — securing our borders,” says Grassfire.org President Steve Elliott.

Don’t count this out, dismiss it at your own peril!

“All these factors indicate Huckabee’s surge may have staying power and his upside potential is high,” says Elliott.

TBinSTL on January 4, 2008 at 7:12 PM

Heavy on the “ish”.

The Republican Party is falling apart today – and we are in a place to take advantage of it.

Iowa caucus voters rejected the mainstream Republican frontrunners, and gave right-wing extremist Mike Huckabee a surprise victory in Iowa last night. He made a last minute surge – without money, and without staff – and has suddenly become a contender in the upcoming primaries.

Mike Huckabee had a big night, but the clear winner in last night’s Republican caucus was President George W. Bush. All of the Republican leaders promised four more years of the Bush Administration’s failed policies, from continuing the President’s war in Iraq, to pursuing his efforts to privatize Social Security, to extending his budget-busting handouts for special interest friends.

Regardless of your personal candidate loyalties, there’s one thing for certain: we can’t let Mike Huckabee or any of the Republican candidates take over where George W. Bush leaves off.

We must win the White House and that hard work begins today. Will you help?

Entelechy on January 4, 2008 at 5:12 PM

I was kidding! Are you? This is how misunderstandings begin!

It is true that for some reason I often don’t see my mistakes until just after the comments post, but that is not from any physical disability.

Entelechy on January 4, 2008 at 4:13 PM

Despite utilizing the preview button I suffer from a mysterious malady which can render me temporarily blind, and as a result I often see my errors immediately after my comments post. Sometimes I ignore them in the hopes that no one will notice, but sometimes I am too overcome with embarrassment to let them slide.

Woops, delete “however” in front of “but”. Or delete “but” and replace with “however”.

Buy Danish on January 4, 2008 at 3:18 PM

You and I worry too much about corrections. I think they, like apologies, are also overrated :) S/b like e-mail writing where hardly anyone cares, so long as the message gets across. On a personal note, I do care about correct writing, though – it’s just that my emotions are faster than my patience to hit the preview button – too eager to participate, often. Plus, this way many of my buddies have had much fun :)

MB4, I appreciated the Goldwater quote. First I thought you were saying those things…since you quoted, I assume that we’re copacetic on them, for more reasons than one, each enough for an entire thread. The substance overrides it all here, though. I am a conservative in the Goldwater sense, just like Zell Miller is a liberal. If only so many could internalize this. All other is destructive to both parties and I’m hopeful, if they don’t wake up, that a viable 3rd one will emerge. It is waiting for a leader. The participants are there, in droves, sick of both extremes.

When I became citizen, this is the main reason why I didn’t become a Republican. Why I didn’t register with the left s/b blatantly obvious by now.

He is also totally corrupt, as proven by his “wedding gift registry” even though he was already married and his trying to steal 80K worth of furniture while the Goobernator of Arkansauce.

He also has bad teeth.

MB4 on January 4, 2008 at 3:43 PM

As political corruption goes, these aren’t even the worst examples. I have issues with him that are way bigger, and will not vote for him.

On the teeth part, while you made me smile, it’s as bad as the “corn” thing on a thread on the right side. This will not affect my decision :)

theocratic formulation of christianity qua conservativism
jummy on January 4, 2008 at 3:01 PM

Somehow I don’t see this happening in our radical postmodern society no matter who is elected, but that’s just me. I for one am very grateful for separation of church and state since if we were still tied to the COE we would be honoring Islam, celebrating U2charist and all the vicars would be butt bumping ugly.

Griz on January 4, 2008 at 3:50 PM

Sorry, I realize that I forgot to start that with “I agree” with most everything you said. What you have added is a good and fair analysis.

I’m still waiting for a values voter to give me a plan!

MB4 on January 4, 2008 at 3:34 PM

I’m with Barry until the very last sentence, which is based on a false interpretation of the Bill of Rights. Or maybe a false interpretation of “Church and State”, which is not the same thing as “religion and State”.

There should be a separation between church and state because that implies that we could have a state religion (”church”)/theocracy.

Separating religion and state is quite different and is protected in these words:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

I realize this has been addressed ad nauseum by scholars and pundits, but I wanted to make my position clear on the issue, particularly to the values voters who may assume that I hold a different position.

Buy Danish on January 4, 2008 at 3:41 PM

BD, I didn’t want Mitt to do anything other than what he did. In the most liberal American state Mitt passed a healthcare plan that in order to become law had to pass the court’s muster which demanded the co-pay be there. So Mitt compromised. I say good man. He got chit done for his state. Now the Huxter will spread lying propaganda in order to get the moron’s votes and anther wave of corruption goes unnoticed in American politics. The Huxster is a corrupt crooked POS. Period. And I repeat… I am not a Mitt supporter… I’m just sick of the lies and the media who repeat those lies in order to sell their controversy.

Mitt’s problem with the values voter, then, is that while he’s very much one of them on his life history and his executive experience is formidable, he has a public record that just kills him with values voters at an instinctive level. It’s not bigotry at work. It’s a legitimate issue that speaks to what candidates have done with political power.

IOW, when push came to shove Mitt governed like a moderate, pro-choice Republican. But trust him now when he says that he has had an epiphany. No thanks.

I’m guilty of stating that I won’t vote for Mr. Huckabee either. It has nothing to do with his religion – it’s striclty based on his policies, and that he’d be inclined to govern based on religion instead of Constitution/secularism. Also, he’s a socialist.

Entelechy on January 4, 2008 at 3:07 PM

He is also totally corrupt, as proven by his “wedding gift registry” even though he was already married and his trying to steal 80K worth of furniture while the Goobernator of Arkansauce.

He also has bad teeth.

Griz on January 4, 2008 at 3:31 PM

I have asked this of a number of people today with no satisfactory response:

What specifically did you want Mitt Romney to do?

Surely one of you these value voters can give me a realistic strategy that he could have followed. Pie in the sky, wishin’ and a hopin’ doesn’t count.

I’d like to see a specific plan which followed the law and could have been approved by the Massachusetts legislature, which didn’t require tossing his health insurance plan out the window in a fit of pique.

I’m all ears.

Wouldn’t that make Goldwater Libertarian-leaning?

BKennedy on January 4, 2008 at 2:36 PM

Well, I’ve spent quite a number of years carrying the flag of the ‘Old Conservatism.’ And I can say with conviction that the religious issues of these groups have little or nothing to do with conservative or liberal politics. The uncompromising position of these groups is a divisive element that could tear apart the very spirit of our representative system, if they gain sufficient strength.

Being a conservative in America traditionally has meant that one holds a deep, abiding respect for the Constitution. We conservatives believe sincerely in the integrity of the Constitution. We treasure the freedoms that document protects. By maintaining the separation of church and state, the United States has avoided the intolerance which has so divided the rest of the world with religious wars.
- Barry Goldwater

This what I’m talking about if anyone cares. Complete and total bu11chit.

Mitt made a compromise to get a bill thru. Signed it and moved on. Plain and simple. Exactly the kind of thing that occurs and must occur everyday in Washington. The next president will not be immune to these practices. No president or governor ever are. It’s the only way to get “anything” done. Ever.

I’m not even a Mitt supporter and I was able to find the facts behind this story. Someone please tell the goddam truth for once.