Politics: The cognitive dissonance of Mike Huckabee's supporters

[elfs]

I experienced a serious case of psychic disconnect this morning as I was reading my blog entries and listening to talk radio. First, I especially enjoyed this piece from John Cole of Balloon Juice in which he documents the ways many fiscal Republicans are clenching their hands in disbelief in the Huckasurge. Cole quotes Sullivan as saying:

Every complacent secular Republican who has scorned those of us worried about the fundie right is beginning to squirm in the face of Huckabee's surge.

It's a strong and sharp critique, and it's damnably true. Sullivan enjoys the schadenfreude of watching Rich Lowry and Charles Krauthammer writhing in terror at the notion of a Huckabee nomination.

The Reverend Mike Huckabee is so far to the right, such a pander to the Evangelical arm of the Republican party, that it's insane to claim otherwise. Huckabee is an Evangelical's evangelical, a man who has no interest in either foreign policy or fiscal responsibility, a man who would use the bully pulpit to sermonize this country. (It's especially sad that Lowry, while pointing out that Huckabee is a creationist, has to bow down and say, "Even if there are many people in America who agree with him, his position would play into the image of Republicans as the anti-science party," without adding the key point: Huckabee, and the people who agree with him, are delusional and stand in opposition to reality.)

So imagine my sudden cognitive dissonance this afternoon when I heard Michael Medved (a Discovery Institute scholar now, did you know that?) talking about how the Huckaboom is a great sign because it's proof that money doesn't control the elections. Huckabee's way down in the fund raising and yet seems to be doing very well in Iowa. It's proof that you can do well without being ultrawealthy. Which is all well and good.

But then Medved goes on to say, "The comparison to Howard Dean is unfair. Because Dean was to the far left of his party, and he raised a ton of money from lefties like himself. Huckabee hasn't raised that much money, and he's still doing well. And Huckabee isn't to the right of the Republican party, Mike Huckabee is mainstream!"

And my poor irony meter up and died right about there after giving a small whine of protest.

As near as I can figure out, Medved is either insane (not impossible; the man believes in Bigfoot and associates with HIV denialists) or he just admitted that the Republican party is in the complete thrall of social conservatism to the exclusion of fiscal conservatism (or even institutional conservatism) and has moved so far to the right that St. Reagan couldn't get the nomination today, a fringe party, no more worthy of the collective attention of decent Americans than the Green Party or the Taxpayers Party.

Comments

[solarbird]

Your first link is a href="" so collapses to self-reference. FYI.

[elfs.livejournal.com]

Fixed, thanks. Must fix that macro to disallow posting with that pattern in it... someday.

[solarbird]

What parties are left, btw? You throw out the Greens, and the GOP. I mean, sure, at least the Democrats aren't... yet... usually... creationists, but you know my opinion: we need new parties and/or a schism. Are you counting the Libertarians as a sane party? Because BWAH HA HA HA HA HA HA <cries>

BTW, the US Taxpayers Party has been the Constitution Party for the last few election cycles.

[elfs.livejournal.com]

BTW, the US Taxpayers Party has been the Constitution Party for the last few election cycles.

Hopefully, someday I'll be a well-informed voter who's as ignorant of the Theorepublicans as I am of Constitution Party, because they'll both be fringe groups unworthy of my attention.

Grief, I don't know at this point.

[solarbird]

It is my opinion that when the major parties have been unworthy of anything but contempt, it is time to move to the smaller parties - even the crazy ones - and work and hope for the best.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

Mike Huckabee is mainstream, at least where I am. He's even considered a bit too liberal for funding things like education and creating an insurance program for people who make too much for medicaid.

And the Religious Right has the hammerlock on the title of "Decent Americans."

I'd rather be an indecent American any day.

[tagryn]

I think after 8 years of Bush, people are looking for someone who's articulate and charismatic, hence the rise of Obama and Huckabee. Their positions aren't as important as their "likability."