I Don't Heart Huckabees

Mike Huckabee came to the Lone Star State on Sunday to troll for support in two churches, if you can believe that, and actually picked up a major vote of confidence from Pastor Jack Graham of the Prestonwood Baptist Church -- one of the largest in the country. I think that qualifies as a megachurch (or McChurch). With 28,000 members, if it were a town in Huckabee's home state of Arkansas, it would be among the top 15 in population. (And as txrad commented sarcastically to me, I'm sure they run a soup kitchen.)

Keep a close eye on this politician/musician/comedian. He's a shrewd one.

From the Dallas Morning News:

Pastor Jack Graham told the congregation of Prestonwood Baptist Church before Mr. Huckabee's sermon that Christian values have a crucial role in the political process. Although Dr. Graham said his church doesn't endorse candidates, his praise for Mr. Huckabee was unambiguous.

"It's very important that we vote our values, that we select folks and nominate folks who stand by principle and who live and proclaim and legislate according to the values we cherish," he said to enthusiastic applause.

Dr. Graham said the sermon from Mr. Huckabee, who is an ordained Southern Baptist minister, was a message of "God's word from God's man."

The "legislate according to the values we cherish" portion of that comment is the obvious code phrase meaning pretty much everything that Jesus preached against, or would have preached against had he lived in our current times.

"The more people hear Mike Huckabee, the more they like him," Dr. Graham said. "Everywhere he goes, in small groups as well as big groups, people are saying: 'This is a man who is saying what I think. This is man who is representing what I believe.'"

Carolyn Asher of Fort Worth drove to Plano Sunday morning to hear Mr. Huckabee. She said that his sermon solidified her support for him, and she compared him to President Bush.

"He upholds the values I believe in," Ms. Asher said. "He believes in Jesus, and he's not afraid to say so."

Oh dear God... excuse me, I think I need to pray. Did these people learn nothing from the past 6 1/2 years?

That is not a rhetorical question.

Mr. Huckabee gave up his work as a pastor to enter politics and become one of Arkansas' longest-serving governors.

He famously lost 110 pounds in the past few years and started running marathons. And as a little-known governor of a small Southern state, he started a presidential campaign that was given little chance to make a national splash.

Well, maybe he should have kept that extra weight on.

But seriously, for a governor so consumed with health, I find it very ironic that he served so long in Arkansas, and the state is still ranked 48th in health, according to a report released by the United Health Foundation.

From The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:

The annual report said Arkansas’ strengths included a low prevalence of binge drinking and a moderate rate of high school graduation. Weaknesses included a high percentage of children in poverty, a high premature death rate, a high rate of cancer deaths, and low immunization coverage.

I guess he doesn't chalk that up as one of his proud accomplishments.


Crossposted at Big Brass Blog