Huckabee in GOP top tier

[Soldier4Christ]

Huckabee Tops McCain's Veep List


Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas and defeated contender for the GOP presidential nomination, is currently at the top of John McCain's short list for a running mate. At least that's the word from a top McCain fundraiser and longtime Republican moneyman who has spoken to McCain's inner circle. The fundraiser is less than thrilled with the idea of Huckabee as the vice presidential nominee, and many economic conservatives—turned off by the populist tone of Huckabee's campaign and his tax record as governor—are likely to share that marked lack of enthusiasm. But here is the logic of picking Huckabee:

1) He is a great campaigner and communicator who could both shore up support in the South among social conservatives (Huckabee is a former Baptist minister) and appeal to working-class voters in the critical "Big 10" states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio.

2) As any pollster knows, voters search for candidates who "care about people like me," and Huckabee would probably score a lot higher on that quality than millionaire investor Mitt Romney. Plus, given all the turmoil on Wall Street, 2008 would seem to be a bad year to pick a former investment banker for veep.

3) Economic conservatives and supply-siders may balk, but the threat of four years of Obamanomics and higher investment, income, and corporate taxes might be enough to keep them on board.

Let me add that a top Republican political strategist told me about a month ago that he also believed Huckabee to be the leading veep contender.

[HisDaughter]

IOWA GOP WANTS HUCKABEE VP -- In an informal poll, attendees at the Iowa Republican Party's state convention July 12 picked Mike Huckabee as their favorite to be McCain's vice presidential candidate, IowaPolitics.com reported. Several dozen attendees were polled. Mitt Romney came in "a distant second," the website said.

"He really is a captivating speaker. You listen to him and know he means what he is saying and is passionate in his conviction," attendee Sheila Bright was quoted as saying. "Plus, you look at how he energizes these young people and can't help but be sure that he would be an asset to McCain in getting the youth vote in November."

[HisDaughter]

Dobson says he ‘might’ endorse McCain

COLORADO SPRINGS — James Dobson, founder and chairman of Focus on the Family, said he is rethinking his previous views on the presidential election and that he "might" endorse Republican John McCain, who the pro-family leader has criticized in the past.

“I have considered the fact that elections always involve imperfect candidates ... you always have to choose between two flawed individuals,” Dobson said on his national radio broadcast July 21. But Dobson also said there are several significant issues where he and McCain agree.

"As of this moment, I have to take into account that Sen. John McCain has voted pro-life consistently," Dobson said. "... He says he favors marriage between a man and a woman. He opposes homosexual adoption. He favors smaller government and lower taxes and he seems to understand the Muslim threat, which matters a lot to me. Therefore, I have considered the fact that elections always involve imperfect candidates — there are no perfect human beings — and you always have to choose between two flawed individuals.... I never thought I would hear myself saying this, but it's where I am: While I am not endorsing Sen. John McCain, the possibility is there that I might."

McCain supports embryonic stem cell research and has opposed a federal marriage amendment, although he has have left wiggle room on both issues and implied or said he could change. But he has sought to reach out to pro-lifers during campaign speeches; during one recent stop in Missouri he told the crowd that they could count on his "active advocacy for the rights of the unborn." He also has stated his support for a proposed California marriage amendment, which Obama opposes.

In February, Dobson said he was opposed to Republicans voting to make McCain their presidential nominee and said with McCain and Obama or Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) as the nominees, he would not cast a ballot in November.

"There's no doubt — at least no doubt in my mind — about whose policies will result in more babies being killed or will do the greatest damage to the institution of marriage and the family," Dobson said. "I am convinced that Sen. McCain comes closer to what I believe."

Dobson said that Obama is an intelligent and charismatic candidate who, on the surface, is an attractive candidate. But Obama's beliefs on key issues, the two men said, should alarm conservative Christians.

Dobson said he thinks Obama is "more liberal and more extreme than most Democrats in the Senate." The "best example" of that, Dobson said, is the Born Alive Infants Protection Act, which passed the Senate 98-0. Obama, then an Illinois state legislator, opposed a version of it on the state level. The bill would have given legal rights to babies who survive abortions.

Obama "was chairman of the committee who dealt with" the bill and "spoke against the bill, arguing for the right to kill those babies," Dobson said. Obama has a position that "even his liberal colleagues don't represent. This man is really far, far left."

Dobson said the point of the program was "not to tell people how to vote" but instead "to ask people to think about the issues."