Faith and Politics--Mike Huckabee

“Mike Huckabee is out to show people that the American dream is still alive,” proclaims the opening of the Huckabee for President website. Now, I love a good “American Dream” story—as all of my friends will tell you (I love the stuff). However, Huckabee’s blatant beginning to his website caught me off guard. As a second tier Republican candidate, running behind both Giuliani and Romney it makes me wonder: Is third place the American Dream?”

Okay…I guess that isn’t really the point. The point is that Mike Huckabee really could be considered the American Dream to some. He has come from behind in the polls, even taking second in the Iowa Straw Polls, ahead of some who have spend millions more than he has.

In an article to appear this week in the New York Times Magazine, Huckabee is interviewed while taking a commercial flight from Boston to Chicago--something Obama or Giuliani probably wouldn't be caught dead doing. Although he appears a humble candidate, his recent emergence in the polls may get him into a private plane sooner than expected.

Huckabee is a former Arkansas Governor (sound familiar?) and is looking to change the way the government, education system and the nation’s infrastructure are running, including changing what he calls a “failing energy policy.”

Huckabee served as Arkansas’ Governor for eleven year (1996-2007) and capped off his term with the obligatory presidential-exploratory book tour for his 2007 book, From Hope to Higher Ground: 12 Steps to Restoring America’s Greatness. In his book, Huckabee explains that America can return to its former glory through clear and honest leadership.

Although he doesn’t have the spending power of Romney and Giuliani, Huckabee is winning votes for being a true conservative. A former minister, Huckabee will be able to appeal to conservative Christians in a way that neither of the aforementioned candidates could.

One of his most important issues is Faith and Politics claiming, “My faith is my life-it defines me. My faith doesn’t influence my decisions it drives them.” This will certainly go over well with religious voters however his ideas of public forums for faith may be a non-negotiable for secular voters. Huckabee believes that real faith breeds humility and allowing others to share their views as well. Huckabee says that he cannot separate his faith life from his personal or professional life and hopes that it will be a tool for him during his presidency.

Although I don’t usually identify with Republicans, I do appreciate this portion of Huckabee’s platform. As a religious person, I do think that faith has a place in politics as long as it encompasses all faiths. America is a religious nation. With around 80 percent of Americans believing in some sort of “higher power,” Huckabee may stand to earn some votes with his Faith and Politics platform.

Although he certainly doesn’t have the star power of Rudy Giuliani or Hillary Clinton, Huckabee may be able to sell himself to the American faithful on his religious values. As it was shown in the polls…its certainly isn’t hurting him.

Chris Dodd

Chris Dodd is making the most of the last days before the First in the Nation Iowa Caucuses begin. However, many people may not be paying that much attention. Many people (myself included) have a hard time distinguishing Mr. Dodd and his look-alike candidate Joe Biden. However, the two Democrats would like to get past being candidates who “cancel each other out.”

Dodd will be spending the next week canvassing the state of Iowa and reaching out to voters in this month before the caucus. With stops in Pella, Oskaloosa, Cedar Falls, Burlington, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Johnston and Iowa City, Dodd certainly may see more of Iowa than some life-long residents do. However, is his exposure to Iowa voters going to win him votes?

Especially for students, it is hard to see past the shiny candidates like Obama, Giuliani, Clinton and Romney; all with large amounts of money and funding to get their message to the young, media savvy demographic. However, Dodd a Senior Senator from Connecticut has spent years in government and heads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Although he may not be as glamorous or as newsworthy as some of his opponents, his stance on ending the war and creating a safer environment are things that students can relate to.

Dodd’s father was one of the lead prosecutors in the criminal trials at Nuremberg and helped to “set the standard for America’s moral authority.” His inspiration from his father, outlined in his book Letters from Nuremberg, he developed his own stance on foreign relations as well as human rights. Dodd also spend time in the Peace Corps during the late sixties that taught him about open engagement with all nations. Although he acknowledges that there are pressing issues with the war in Iraq there are also issues such as the world struggle with HIV/AIDS that needs as much attention.

Also, Dodd touches on the energy crisis on his “issues” page; but lets face it, no viable candidate wouldn’t since Green issues seem to be a necessity in this election. Dodd proposes a Corporate Carbon Tax to keep companies accountable for their emissions as well as his projection to be independent from foreign oil by 2015. Although these are lofty goals they are something that will certainly appeal to the post Inconvenient Truth electorate.

Even though Dodd seems to be flying under the radar and may have little chance of winning the party’s nomination; his experience is nothing to look down upon. It makes me wonder why some of the most experienced, probably most qualified candidates for the presidency seem to be sitting at the bottom of the nomination? Lets just hope whomever wins give some of them a place in the Cabinet.

Joe Biden

Joe Biden, Democratic candidate for President is not considered a front-runner for the nomination. However, from what I have learned about the candidates he may have just as much viable experience as those top tier contenders. Biden, an Irish-Catholic from Scranton, Pennsylvania touts himself as a devout family man who uses public transportation to leave Washington every night to see his wife of 30 years.

In 1972 Biden lost his first wife and daughter in a car accident. After their deaths he acted as a single dad, raising his two sons. According to his biography, this has made him sympathetic to the plight of single parents and he has continued to fight for them ever since.

Although Biden is not considered a front-runner, his website is interesting if nothing else. His background is different from many of the other candidates and he promotes himself on a personal level rather than on a political level. He speaks about how he quotes poetry on the senate floor. He says that he started reading and reciting poetry while a child to help him overcome a debilitating stutter.

Biden also says that the most cruel crime is that of abused women. He says that his proudest piece of legislation is the Violence Against Women act which he helped pass to stop the abuse of women.


Besides his interesting background and noteworthy causes, Biden has an admirable stance on the global energy crisis. Biden believes that our dependence on foreign oil defeats the purpose of those who we are opposing in the middle east; that our dependence on them for oil encourages and supports many terrorist and fundamentalist organizations.

According to his energy plan, Biden says that past the war in Iraq, comprehensive energy and climate change policy should be the country’s first national security priority. He says that climate change poses a major threat to millions of people living in coastal cities that could be displaced. This is an interesting position because many candidates are vocal about the importance of environmental issues whereas Biden makes it a priority.

One issue that is becoming increasingly important to the student population is the energy crisis and how to improve our environment. I think that Biden’s emphasis on finding new ways to deal with the energy crisis makes him a candidate that more people (especially students) should pay more attention to.

Bill Richardson

Bill Richardson, two-time governor of New Mexico is running for the Democratic nomination for the 2008 election. He may be considered a second tier candidate behind Clinton, Obama, and Edwards—he just may not know it.

Running under the slogan “Real Experience. Real Accomplishments,” Richardson often touts his experience as a governor as well as congressman, Secretary of Energy and a US ambassador to the United Nations. My only question is if he truly has so much experience why have so few people heard of him?

Although he may be known in the Southwest as well as in diplomatic circles for his work in many government agencies it seems that few people in the general electorate have a clue who he is.

While writing this blog I usually know a bit about each candidate before I research him or her. In Richardson’s case I really had no clue who he was or what he had done. The only think that I have heard of Richardson is his commandeering nature during Democratic debates. He usually interrupts the commentators and remarks how he has freed people from Guantanamo Bay and negotiated ceasefire in Darfur. Although those are definitely important accomplishments his boisterous declaration of them during the debates comes off as boastful and almost pathetic.

One thing that Richardson speaks quite a bit about on his campaign website is his dedication to improving jobs and the economy.

During his time as the governor of New Mexico, he claims to have restored fiscal discipline to the government. He also created 80,000 jobs in New Mexico. This is an impressive statistic that could implicate how he would help to improve the employment field in future years.

With many students (myself included) graduating in May, there is a feeling of uncertainty when thinking about finding a job. If we had a president who could guarantee that there would be more jobs by the time that people graduate it would give those who work hard and pursue higher education and better jobs could have some reassurance that their hard work will pay off.

Richardson may not win the nomination, however I think that he is talking about issues that students care about. Of course Iraq and universal health care are important issues I think that candidates need to have strong stances on issues that are important to young Americans.

Little Big Man- Dennis Kucinich

U.S. Representative from Ohio, Dennis Kucinich is taking one more run for the White House. In this his second election (first was 2004) he is running for the Democratic ticket and despite his small stature, he has big plans.

Kucinich, who grew up poor in Cleveland, Ohio claims that he and his family moved quite a bit when he was a child, even living out of a few cars and scrounging to make ends-meet. Although he may not be a front-runner, he certainly has come a long way.

With a campaign slogan "Strength Through Peace" Kucinich is hoping to capitalize on a portion of the population's anti-Iraq sentiments by emphasizing his history of standing out against George W. Bush and the war. Kucinich has called for Bush's impeachment as well as spoken out on Meet the Press stating that the war in Iraq is based on oil. According to his website, "[Dennis] has ignored political dangers to do the right thing. After all...it is his life story."

As former mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, Kucinich fell into political scrutiny after refusing to sell the city's municipal electrical company in order to save "millions of dollars" for Cleveland citizens. However, years later the city honored him for his foresight for what would have cost the citizens in the long run.

Kucinich's main campaign issues include; Strength through Peace, his promise to end the Iraq war, A Healthy Nation, making health care affordable for all Americans, Survival of Middle Class, Securing Constitutional Democracy, A Sustainable Future (promoting energy efficiency,) putting an End to Poverty, and Saving Capitalism.

Although he does not have the spending power of front-runners Obama and Clinton, Kucinich came in second among democrats in a California straw poll just behind John Edwards. He has also made an appearance on fellow candidate Stephen Colbert's show, accepting his challenge to empty his pockets on national television.

Although it would be nice to think that an underdog candidate could win in the Presidential election, it seems that Kucinich may need to start planning ahead for his next run in 2012.

Hillary Clinton-can anyone beat her?

It has been made quite clear that for the first time, the candidate to beat is a woman. Former First Lady and Senator, Hillary Clinton has her sights on the White House and it seems that very few can bring her down.

Gaining popularity in straw polls and with an ever growing lead against other Democratic Front-runners Barack Obama and John Edwards , Hillary is following in the footsteps of her popular and very beloved husband, former President Bill Clinton.

On her campaign website, Clinton discusses her major issues; strengthening the middle class, providing affordable and accessible health care, ending the war in Iraq, promoting energy independence and fighting global warming, fulfilling our promises to veterans, supporting parents and caring for children, restoring America's standing in the world, a champion for women, comprehensive government reform, and strengthening our democracy.

Many of her issues are general and far reaching, pitching perhaps not to the far-left liberals but to to the undecided voter. However, will she be able to reach those voters as a female presidential candidate? Although she is the first, she does have quite a bit of experience in Washington politics as the First Lady and also as a Junior Senator from New York.

However, a lot of the things that may turn democratic voters off about her is her no-holds-barred powerful stance. She comes off as authoritarian in many ways, which may have spawned the apple-spoof campaign video against her.

However, with her popularity and her lead in the polls, it seems that Senator Clinton may be a tough contender.

Some may question her experience and her ability to hold her own among what seems to be an "all boys club" of international leaders. However, Clinton, who calls herself "a champion for women" does not seem concerned about her standing as a strong woman, saying on the popular show The View last week that she thought that even in countries where they do not respect women's rights that she has always been welcomed and respected. It also surprises me that more women's groups haven't latched on to the fact that this "champion for women" has stayed with her husband after half a dozen allegations of cheating or sexual harassment on his part.

I have to admit that there is something about Hillary that rubs me the wrong way. Maybe its her authoritarian attitude, her love of pantsuits or her seemingly gruff demeanor. I'm not sure. However, the point keeps coming up that she has more experience than candidates like Obama who really has only four less years in the Senate and is almost 15 years younger than her. Although I'm sure that you receive a big education from being a first lady, I don't think that should be her ticket to the presidency.

Stephen Colbert enters the race

Mock-conservative pundit and host of The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert announced Wednesday that he will enter the Presidential race in South Carolina as a "favorite son" candidate. Although nearly no one believes that his candidacy is real, it is generating some serious buzz.

Colbert, who is famous for his O'Reilly-esque rantings on liberal politicians as well as his popular series "Better Know a District" coyly announced that he was thinking about-thinking about running on John Stewart's The Daily Show.

He rode into the popular Comedy Central late night show on a wagon driven by a sparkly Uncle Sam. He then opened a cold beer and propped his feet up on a bale of hay to prove that hey was a regular Joe. However, Colbert declined to announce on the Daily Show, saying that he wanted to do it on a "more prestigious show." Half an hour later, he announced his candidacy among a red, white, and blue balloon drop.

Colbert, who hasn't actually lives in South Carolina for years, has decided to run as both a Democrat and a Republican, which means he could "lose twice" he said to the Associated Press.

Colbert also has an interesting new take on campaign finance. He said on Wednesday that he could use a sponsor as he slowly lifted up a bag of Doritos. He proceeded to take a few bites claiming that he just loves the popular snack food.

The popular television host, famous for bashing the President at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in 2006, who is obviously mocking the coyness of candidates when announcing their bids for the White House may be a surprising dark horse in the Palmetto State. Although it is yet to be seen whether or not Colbert will actually win any delegates in South Carolina--he may have some second tier candidates shaking in their boots.

Can Giuliani gain votes WITHOUT talking about 9/11?

Republican Presidential Candidate Rudy Giuliani has a reputation for strong leadership. Throughout the days that followed September 11th, 2001 Giuliani, then Mayor of New York, was a strong and stable leader not only to the city, but the nation as a whole. However, during the presidential race he has gotten a reputation as leaning too heavily on the support he has garnered from 9/11.

Taking a look at his website, there is no absence of 9/11 references, however he has a clear platform of his "12 Commitments to the American People" which include many cleverly worded issues like "Keep America on offense in the Terrorists war on us" instead of the cliche "War on Terrorism." Some of his other key issues are "Keeping Washington Accountable," "End Illegal immigration, secure America's borders and identify all non citizens." Although most of these issues are pretty standard primary-election issues, Giuliani is attempting to establish himself as a competent Republican.


In the past, the GOP was known as the party of competence, while Democrats were known as the party of compassion. Sad to say that the GOP lost quite a bit of credibility in the competence department with the 8 year embarassment of President Bush Jr. However, Giuliani has experience in a high-pressure demographic whereas candidates like Romney may fall short. During his time as Mayor of New York, Giuliani was re-elected by 57%...nearly a landslide by today's standards in a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans 5 to 1.

What this may say about Giuliani is his universal appeal. Giuliani is a conservative; saying on his website that if he had the chance to nominate Justices to the US Supreme Court, he would hope to nominate those like Alito, Roberts and Scalia who are arguably the most conservative Justices on the bench. Also, Giuliani's stance on the war in Iraq is that "an artificial time table would be a terrible mistake," which to many people sounds like there is no exit strategy at all, is much more pro-Iraq than any Democratic candidate out there. This may win him support with military-minded Democrats who are not in favor of pulling out troops. Although those kind of statements show that Giuliani is Republican through-and-through, his reputation as a strong leader during the dark times that followed September 11th, may gain him support of those swing or centrist voters.

Although I do consider myself a Democrat, I must admit that Giuliani is the only Republican candidate that I can picture myself voting for or being satisfied with being elected. He has an image of a strong leader and a competent national figure who could lead (albeit more conservatively) the country in the crucial years ahead.

John Edwards- can he beat the seemingly unstoppable Clinton and Obama?

John Edwards has been a familiar face on the political scene since his run for vice-president in the 2004 election. Also, he has been in the headlines for his wife's inoperable cancer, a problem that will no doubt endear him to thousands of cancer survivors but also has many people asking why he would want to make such a grueling run such a grueling position with the possibility that his wife is in her last years. However, Edwards has emerged as a contender to Clinton and Obama for the Democratic nomination but not without begging the question...can someone who lost the election as Vice-President win the Presidency?

Although it can be argued that the biggest obstacle Edwards faced on his way to the White House in 2004 was the presidential nominee, John Kerry, it may still be said that Edwards has obstacles of a different nature. Not only is he running against the first serious female and African American contenders for the democratic nomination, he is also up against both of their powerhouse fundraising machines. With Senator Clinton reporting her quarter fund raising at over 27 Million and Senator Obama's campaign raising 20 Million in the past quarter, the Edwards campaign is lagging far behind, raising an estimated 7 Million in the third quarter.

The announcements of third quarter campaign fund raising comes hand in hand with Edwards announcement that he will receive federal matching funds for his campaign. That means that the government will match every donation that he receives up to $250 per donation up to a certain amount where he will need to stop spending. Although in past elections, nearly every candidate took the federal match, no other Democratic forerunners are. For the candidates that don't chose to take Federal Funds, they will have no limit as to what they can raise or spend but Edwards will have a spending cap. This could ultimately leave him defenseless when different advertising campaigns come out and he has no money left to spend to defend himself.

Running third in the Iowa polls, Edwards still has a chance to bounce back. In a forum called "A Presidential Dialogue with John Edwards" hosted at the University of New Hampshire in Durham by MTV, MySpace and the Washington Post, Edwards received great reviews from the people in the audience as well as those responding online. This groundbreaking, multi-media forum allowed for Edwards to field questions from the audience in New Hampshire as well as those on Washingtonpost.com and MySpace simultaneously. He was also able to see pie-charts of how viewers perceived his answers (like, dislike, etc.)

During this debate he made many interesting points which, as a college student, really spoke to issues I am concerned about. He talked about a national plan to pay for college for everyone. What I really admired about him was his ability to explain to the audience how he was planning to put his plans into action, not just trumpeting them.

He also spoke about increasing funding to problems at home and the need to stop funneling money into the war in Iraq. Although many of the answers I had heard from other candidates before, I felt as though Edwards was trying to reach out to the young demographic and find a way to get across his ideas without talking down to the students or preaching. His personable candor was really nice to see and I look forward to hearing more about him in the coming months.

Mitt Romney-can the GOP front-runner overcome Mormons' bad rap?

Mitt Romney, Governor of Massachusetts, has become a surprising front runner for the Republican nomination for President. His surprising showing in early polls has him beating former Mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani who was thought to be a strong candidate because of the Nation's view of him as a leader after the tragedy of 9/11. However, Romney has gained support in recent weeks despite skepticism of his Mormon faith. As a member of the Mormon church, sometimes called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Romney is facing a lot of the same criticism that John F Kennedy faced as the first Catholic President. However, with stories in the news about Romney's great-great-whatever grandfather having more than one wife, the polygamy jokes seem never-ending and people are questioning whether a member of an extremely-conservative religious sect can lead a country so diverse in religious preference.

Romney's website paints the picture of any other Republican Candidate, talking up patriotism and commenting on the recent trip to the US and UN by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. However, past the slightly-corny front page of Romney supporters holding up giant, red, foam "Mitts" similar the the foam fingers at baseball games, is the underlying sense of hypocrisy when it comes to tolerance, especially relating to Iran.

On his page, a news article declares that Romney condems Iran and its leaders for intolerance, but Romney has been a great opponent of Ahmadinejad visiting the US. Although I can't say that I am an Iran supporter, I thought the point of his visit to the US and United Nations was to show our tolerance for non-violent conversations involving the Iranian leader. However, Romney has expressed his "outrage" against Ahmadinejad's visit saying that he shouldn't be allowed to vising the United Nations or Ground Zero.

An article written on the Slate.com called, "Mitt Romney's Clumsy Mormon Shtick" http://www.slate.com/id/2140539/ says "Mormonism is [Romney's] biggest political hurdle." Going on to call him "absurdly wholesome." You would think that his belief in conventional Mormon values would make him a solid bet to get the Mormon vote. However, a few Mormon-run websites have emerged with anti-Romney sentiments.

Mormons against Romney.org is a blogging website against the GOP candidate using a bible verse as some-what of a mission statement saying, "Wherefore, honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently; and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold; otherwise whatsoever is less than these cometh of evil." The website claims that Romney is unqualified for the position and is not a good representation of American Mormonism.

Romney has made many attempts to appeal to Iowa voters in this important time before the caucuses, even tailgating in Ames for the Iowa vs. Iowa State game and appearing at the Clay County Fair in early September. During these visits, Romney has talked about strong economy, strong values and the importance of family. These discussions all seem aimed at the small-town farmer and families. However, it makes me wonder whether a Mormon candidate has a chance in a state very populated with Proestant Christian values, some of which do not aknowledge Mormonism as Christianity. As the caucuses draw closer, Romney and other Republican candidates will have to make more attempts to relate to the hard working people of Iowa like many of the Democratic candidates have been able to do. But with months until the caucuses start, it is still anyone's game.

Barack Obama-Hopeful voice or Hollow promises?

Barack Obama, a Junior Senator from the State of Illinois has emerged at somewhat of a "designer" candidate in the 2008 elections. Widely endorsed by celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey and Halle Barry, it is hard to look past his commercial appeal and famous friends. However, behind the campaign that has raised over $58 Million dollars (still 6 months out from the Democratic National Convention) is a man with little political experience, and many aspirations. Promising to end the war in Iraq, and strengthen America overseas many seasoned politicians think that Obama doesn't really know what hes in for. With little experience in the International arena, his plans to "Strengthen America Overseas," may seem like he is biting off more than he can chew. However, many people in the Democratic party are throwing their support behind Obama citing is vision and integrity to be qualities that will lead him to success not only on the campaign trail, but in the White House as well.

Obama is also getting alot of attention for bringing faith back into Democratic politics. Although widely satarized on shows like The Colbert Report and The Daily Show, the lack of a strong religious voice within the Democrats has been noticeable. However, Obama has spoken openly about his Christian beliefs as well as the "uncertainty of faith" in a speech in June 2006. But will his religious convictions and displays of his own family values be enough to sway the more conservative vote?

Also, Obama speaks about improving schools and ending poverty in the US. Although this may seem cynical, I find it hard to believe that a Columbia and Harvard Law educated lawyer, teaching law at a premiere US law school (University of Chicago) ever finds himself strapped for cash or living pay check to pay check. On the other hand, no candidate that has the means to run for President has ever felt those kinds of pressures.

Even with the skepticism, I think that Barack Obama offers hope for the American public, more so than I saw in the 2004 elections with Kerry and Edwards. His optimism and hope for the future of the country is something that I think will resonate with young voters and may harken back to days of JFK and Bobby Kennedy. As the months move on we will see if Obama can gain more momentum agains Hillary Clinton, but he still may carry a large vote among Democrats.

*10.3.08- I have added a picture I took (on my cell phone...don't mind the quality) at the Obama speech in Coralville on October 2, 2007. He was speaking that day marking the 5 year anniversary of his opposition to the Iraq war.

Fred Thompson joins the race

As a regular watcher of Law and Order, I was excited to see the one and only Fred Thompson enter the race for President as a Republican candidate. In a throwback to Arnold Schwarzenegger's joining the Gubenatorial race in 2000, Thompson announced his candidacy from the comfort of Jay Leno's couch on the Tonight Show. Although his much anticipated entry to the race was shocking to almost no one, many people still are unaware of what he stands for as a candidate.

On his newly minted website Fred08.com, the former Congressman shares his views on the long reaching arm of the Government in a short clip titled, "Federalism," Thompson discusses the importance of not giving too much power to the Federal Government, which seems like a bit of a shoddy argument for someone running to be the leader of our government.

Like many other Republican candidates, Thompson emphasizes family values and is against gay marriage. Hopefully we can learn more about Fred Thompson as he builds his campaign in the coming months.

IC Indecision

This is my first attempt at blogging so please be patient! Through this blog I hope to take a closer look at many of the prominent candidates for the Presidency in 2008 and I hope to find the candidate that I will ultimately support.