The very scary Mike Huckabee

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On Notice/Dead to Me - Mike Huckabee
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Huckabee didn't misspeak. He knew he was lying. But when only 28% of Republicans are smart enough to accept that Barack Obama was born in Hawaii - and that Hawaii is actually an American state - he knows what kind of "misstatements" will do him the most good.

Well, Huckabee grew up in Arkansas - and far longer than just four years as a young child, too - so he clearly doesn't have the same worldview as you and I. Apparently, in Arkansas, lying is OK if it helps to advance your religious beliefs or political ambition. And if you're lying about a black man, so much the better!

Hmm,... I wonder what Huckabee thinks our view of the Mau Mau Revolution should be. Yeah, as Colbert points out, our view is probably "What is the Mau Mau Revolution"? But if you do know about it, how does your view differ significantly from Kenya's? Or even from Great Britain's, these days?

After all, what about all these Tea Partiers celebrating our own revolt from the English crown? Is Huckabee implying that was wrong, too? Or is it different for white people?

Yes, the Mau Mau Revolution was viciously brutal, with truly disgusting behavior on both sides. For the most part, America's Revolution was probably spared such excesses. But why does Huckabee think we Americans would - or should - automatically take Britain's side in a war for independence? (Obviously, Huckabee is telling the GOP base what they want to hear, that we white people need to stick together.)

Re. Natalie Portman, I doubt if she needs my defense. And although I could point out that she's engaged to be married, I really don't understand how any of that is Huckabee's business. Like most of these religious nuts, he needs to worry about running his own life, not everyone else's.

You know, Huckabee scares me more than most Republicans - and they all scare me. He's just as loony as the rest of them, but he's also personable. He can sound reasonable when he wants to. Obviously, he wanted to sound reasonable when he was a guest of Stephen Colbert. But it's equally obvious that he can be just as batshit crazy as it takes to appeal to the GOP base.

As president, all of these Republican candidates would be equally bad, I suspect. That's because they'd have to keep the GOP base happy, no matter what. (And any Republican would have to abandon sane positions, if he actually had any, just to get nominated in the first place.) But Huckabee would probably find it easier than most to pretend reasonableness.

He seems to be very good at pretending. Well, I suppose, as a preacher as well as a politician, he's had a lot of experience telling people what they want to hear.