On a beautifully calm winter day near the Sea of Galilee, Governor Mike Huckabee shared with a group of Americans his concern for the future of Israel. With riots raging across the border in Egypt, the calm took on an ominous character. How could a land so at risk of war be so serene?
Israel, a small country surrounded by enemies, has defied critics and engendered intense loyalty amongst its friends almost since its independence day in 1948. We had the privilege of journeying with Governor Huckabee on his recent sojourn to Israel. Visiting sacred sites and hearing from leading Israeli voices gave us new insight into both the state of Israel and the character and personality of the former governor and Fox News TV host.
We found Huckabee is as fine a man to travel with as he is to watch on TV. The warmth of character and demeanor he displays on screen is no act. Spending seven days observing him under stressful and sometimes grueling foreign travel, we observed a man who is unflappable.
On the day of his Fox show he displayed almost superhuman energy. First he hiked around the top of Herod the Great’s 2,000 year old mountain fortress, Masada, speaking at the summit, and then he lunched on the shores of the Dead Sea before riding in a bus caravan to Tiberius. Following this long, busy day of travel and speaking, he prepared and delivered a nearly flawless remote broadcast of his hour long show live at 2:30 in the morning. Just as busy the next day, you would never know he had been awake since the middle of the night.
Huckabee’s interchanges with Israeli political leaders were warm and intensely informative and he is obviously admired and respected by the leaders we met. His knowledge of details about Israel and the history of Palestine are remarkable.
We have spent years of our lives observing politicians, seeing many attempt to treat those around them respect and equality, yet few reach the ideal. Mike Huckabee achieved this feat with such natural grace it was truly a sight to behold. He chatted with equal energy and concern with the bus drivers and tour guides as he did with top government officials.
With Mike Huckabee, what you see is what you get. There are no hidden agendas and none of the arrogance that usually accompanies political success.
Our trip to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem showed Gov. Huckabee’s earnest compassion and resolve never to see a similar mass murder occur. His emotional words after the visit made clear to those of us present why he believes Israel’s security must be protected. The threat to Jews is more than most Americans understand. Moslem political leaders don’t just want some real estate. Some seek to finish Hitler’s final solution.
As an advocate for a robust American policy in the Middle East with Israel as our anchor ally, Gov. Huckabee is an advocate who will protect this important friend of America. Yes, Israel needs America, but America needs Israel.
The broader question, still unanswered is will this man of knowledge, character, steady demeanor, and proven political success sacrifice his current role as TV host for the more important job of Commander and Chief?
Our trip answered for us the questions about qualifications and personality. The one question to which we lack an answer is, will he run? Our conclusion is that if he doesn’t, America is losing the best candidate Republicans have to challenge Barack Obama in 2012.
Please share this post with your friends and comment below. If you haven’t already, take a moment to sign up for our free newsletter above and friend us on Twitter and Facebook to get real time updates.
Follow @WestJournalism
About Floyd and Mary Beth Brown
Loading ...
Huck grew on me, thanks to his Fox News Channel show. He seems to be an honest and sincere person which is rare in politics. And he's funny as hell too!
I wrote to him telling him I was for him, and willing to work for his election, if he would answer but one question…Is he a member of CFR??? No Answer..Obaba and all his cabinet are members of CFR, and this is what you are getting and why you are getting it!!! Obaba is super obedient to CFR…others were not so, but still served their intent…One World Government and New World Order…Slaves & Masters!!
Is he running? Omigosh, I hope so! I have researched his record of accomplishments as 10&1/2yr governor of AR for myself & would encourage everyone to do the same. He came into office – a lone Republican in a sea of diehard Democrats – with the state running a large deficit & left them with a huge surplus. No wonder he was voted one of the top 5 governors in the country! He knows how to work with people to get things done without compromising core principles. He is exactly the kind of leader our country needs right now to help straighten out the economy & heal our country of the partisanship that so many political opportunists have fomented to their own advantage with no regard for the harm it has done.
I have heard some comments he is for Amnesty and illegal alien children to get education funding tell me it isn't so.
OMG! Huck and Newt and Rohmney and a bunch of the other wannabes need to give it a rest. They would be burned on the stake by the media and devoured by the commies and fascists in Congress. They don't have a chance of winning. Don't waste your vote.
Everyone has a voice and everyone has a vote. Wake up they are just what this country needs at a time like now!
down with Obama regime!
I think Huckabee would be a GREAT President. He has his head "screwed on" bettter than any politician I've listened to in a very long time.
Mike Huckabee has won or come a close second in every poll that has been taken in the last 18 months. He has won the Republican, Conservative, Independent and Moderate votes in order to win the polls. He has also won in many states around the country. PPP pollster says he is the only Republican candidate who can get the social conservative vote and the Independent voters, and who has the best chance to beat Obama. He is likeable and he has excellent communication skills which is needed going against Obama.
Mike Huckabee is against amnesty and wants the fence to be built first to protect our borders.
Vote Huckabee 2012.
Huckabee on immigration: http://onpoint.wbur.org/2010/08/11/mike-huckabee-…
Huckabee may be a nice guy, however the fact that he would go along with giving citizenship to children born of parents in this country illegally, turns me off. I think we need someone with more guts then Mike has. The Republicans had better wake up & get someone who isn't too soft on various issues, or the Dems will eat them alive. Look at what is going on right now. The only people in congress doing what they said they would are the Tea Party members who just got in. The Democrats don't have a clue, & most of the Republican incumbants don't either. A bunch of liars & wimps.
I think that any child born in this country is already entitled to be a citizen?
I don't remember the exact amendment at the moment, I wasn't at the Constitution reading
at the opening of 112th, and I don't want to feed the professor's fantasy that not only is this
a birthers site, but a Constitution fetish site as well
Which made me wonder about that whole so called "DREAM" amnesty act. I knew that
there was more to it.
Ok, 14th, thanks for the link above, James.
He was Governor of Arkansas, and mighty good one at that! It takes guts for that job! Plus I wouldn't at all say he is soft, maybe softspoken. The man would be a breath of fresh air in whatever area he might choose.
"He was Governor of Arkansas, and mighty good one at that!"
Talking about Bill Clinton, I assume?
In your dreams,….. Clinton nightmare I might add! Read : "Bloodtrails" by Michael Sullivan. This all took place during the Clinton era! I think you got my message James.
Hey Jimmie Crack Corn you just proved how bumb you really are. Boy you sure are ugly do you own a mirror?
"you just proved how bumb"
Priceless. Especially coming in response to a seven-week-old comment.
I think Mike H. is a great Christian, but I hope he doesn't run for president. His conservative religious stance on everything would be a hinderance to the nomination. Plus, we need the strongest candidate to withstand the lies and monies that will be put in to keep Obama in the white house.
I do believe the conservative, moral life of a candidate is important but, like Palin and Bauchman,
they cannot be elected.
Huckabee is a professional politician and I would not trust him, with my pet RAT!!
I think Mike Huckabee and Newt Gingrich should be on the Republican ticket for 2012. To me they are the perfect candidates we need to run this country and get it back on track in the upcoming years. We need this team to bring back a new era in the likeness of Ronald Reagan. The Obama regime has got to be uprooted and disposed of before it goes any further. This has been 2 years of nightmares, fraud and without legitamacy. High 5 Mike!! High 5 Newt!!
Yeah, 'cuz all Reagan did was support stricter gun control, break the law while dealing with Iran (while seeing dozens of members of his administration indicted), raise taxes 11 times, submit a budget EVERY YEAR that was bigger than the one passed by Congress, while exploding the deficit and the size of government.
God knows we haven't had enough of any of that, right? But warm fuzzy memories are wonderful things.
Gingrich might be willing to go for such a ticket to try to further rehabilitate his reputation (though two white southerners with previous losing records would probably get smoked). But I doubt that Huckabee would zgree to be on a ticket with the crooked, philandering Newt, who dumped each of his first two wifes while she was ill to marry a woman with whom he was having an affair. I wonder: Could wife #2 really have been surprised when he did it to her, and will #3 be surprised when he does it to her?
James, who would you choose to be president?
Excuse me, James. Don't want to put you on the spot… so, perhaps I should have asked: Who would be some of your choices to be president? Do you see anyone coming forward from the wings? Maybe it's too soon to even try to make a choice.
As a liberal, the ticket that worries me most at this point would be a Romney-Huckabee slate. If unemployment drops, though, I don't know if Obama can lose.
But you're right–it's very early, especially with the attention span of the American voter. About a year before the 1992 election George H.W. Bush had an approval rating of over 90 percent, scaring away most would-be opponents. But not Bill Clinton or Ross Perot, so we ended up with Clinton.
I suspect you wouldn't like my choices, since I'm a liberal (though with a perhaps-odd libertarian streak regarding several issues). No one I'd most favor would have a chance of getting elected. I wish we had four parties rather than two.
Since we don't, I voted for Obama in the general election–though I'd favored Hillary over him and Bill Richardson over both of them. Since no credible candidate from the left of Obama will run in 2012, I'll probably vote for him again.
Once upon a time I liked John McCain as a person, and think I once even voted for him. I interviewed him early in my journalism career and early in his political career, and have followed his career more closely than most–but he sold out in an ill-fated bid for the White House. He now gets (and deserves) less respect from people on both sides of politics than he had a decade ago.
Every time I took a political test, my politics agreed with those of Dennis Kucinich more than any of the other major candidates, but I can't get past the fact that he seems a bit goofy. Maybe that makes two of us, but then I wouldn't be electable, either.
Thanks, James. I am an Independent with conservative leanings. I try to be open minded enough to consider what each candidate stands for before I vote. You've given me something to think about. John McCain was a big disappointment to me in the last campaign. I would never even consider voting for him.
"I try to be open minded enough to consider what each candidate stands for before I vote."
I think that's the best any of us can do. Thanks.
Hay Hay ACLU Teacher James Bond McPhew You Must Teach History In Your Christian School, How Do You Explain That Your An Atheist Of The George Soros Type?? However With All Your Education You Left Out The Iron Lady Sarah Palin, The Classy Lady Can Rattle The Libs Cage Also At The Drop Of Her Hat, And Buckwheat Obama Better Bring His Long Form Birth Certificate. Yippee, Pres Obama Has Turned Everything To Shit He Touches And As He Travels Around The World Again Preaching His Muslim Power Trip Spending Like A Drunk Bankrupt President, Yikeess, It Will Take Someone Like Sarah To Turn This Mess Around. God Bless America
"You Must Teach History"
Yes I do, actually.
"How Do You Explain That Your An Atheist"
I'm not. How do you explain your repeated inability to spell "hey" and "you're," or to write a complete coherent sentence?
"You Left Out The Iron Lady Sarah Palin"
So did 97 percent of the conservative voters at CPAC.
Further evidence that it's way too early to know much: the CPAC straw poll, which Ron Paul won for the second consecutive year (and yet he won't have a prayer of winning the nomination), followed by Mitt Romney (who might have the best shot at putting a Republican in the White House–despite Chris Christie supporter Ann Coulter's claims to the contrary–but as a Massachusetts Mormon probably can't win the GOP nomination).
Huckabee finished tied for 10th, with 2 percent of the vote–which you'd never know from the coverage by his employer, Fox News, which apparently mentioned everyone who got at least 1 percent of the vote EXCEPT Huckabee. Odd, huh?
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/polls/143703-…
One of the 1-percenters was Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, who has been running harder than most and who ought to drop the idea now. Another Fox News employee, Sarah Palin, finished eighth with 3 percent, down from 7 percent (and 3rd place) a year ago.
Hay Hay ACLU Atheist Teacher In A Christian School, Yikeess, Is Now Preaching To Tea Party Patriots Such A Thoughtful Man, Yikeess, Your Skunk Patrol With George Soros Will Lie At The Drop Of A Hat When It Comes To Tea Party Patriots, However Since We Got Mugged In The Last Election With The Illegal Alien Obama, Thanks But No Thanks You Teachers-Azz James. Thumbs Down Again.
To be honest I like Mike Huckabee. I truly think he is an honest man and not a politician that in any way hurt our great country. I really don't know his track record as Governor. The Republican Party has come up with some good choices to run for Pesident of the US. Gov. Huckabee, Sahara Palin, Michele Bachmann, Newt Ginrich, and some others. I personally feel they have our great nation at heart. I would probably vote for a Tea Party canidate. Obama I even hate to mention his name with these good names I have mentioned but he has seperated this country into a welfare country . He has done nothing but put our country into unprecedent debt. I remember when he ran for office same failed policys was his line of malarky. Unemployment at record numbers, anti business and socialist. GOD HELP AMERICAN AND FOR ALL YOU HEITHANS GO I HOPE WHEN JUDGEMENT DAY COMES AND YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN MAKES YOU SHAKE IN YOUR BOOTS. HE WHO BELIEVES IN ME SHALL LIVE IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. I DID NOT EVOLVE FROM ANIMALS OR DIRT.
Mike Huckabee Is A Real American Born And Raised In The USA, However My Choice Would Be VP To The Iron Lady Sarah Palin. Yippee, God Bless America And Sarah Palin POTUS.
What The Real American Patriots Need Is Someone That Has Been On The Battlfield With The Mafia George Soros Type And Can Come Out A Tougher Person!! There Is Only One Person That Can Stand Up To The Manchurian Pres Obamas Machine And Come Out A Winner, Yippee, Plus Anyone Can Do A Better Job Than Barry Soetoro Because He Is Now 0-30 Not A Very Good Record For The Big Leagues, He Is Way Out Of His League As Whiner In Chief Of The Cub Scouts Of America In Full Blown Bankruptcy And Still Traveling Around In Air Force One With A Chinese Credit Card Overdrawn, The One Lady That Scares The Shit Out Of Obama/Soros, Pres Sarah Palin And Like I Said At This Point We Need Postive-ly Palin, Now Read Palins Book Going Rogue And Compare To Obamas Book From Audacity Of Hope!! Which He Wrote "I WILL STAND WITH THE MUSLIMS SHOULD THE POLITICAL WINDS SHIFT IN AN UGLY DIRECTION' Barack Obama.
MAYBE HAY HAY HAY DIDN'T READ OBAMAS TWO BOOKS..
"There Is Only One Person That Can Stand Up To The Manchurian Pres Obamas Machine And Come Out A Winner"
If that were true, I guess you could write off 2012, since even CPAC conservatives don't think as highly of your preferred candidate as they did a year ago.
"He Is Now 0-30"
Now including random meaningless numbers to go with your random meaningless words? Sorry, they don't strengthen your argument, nor does your fake quote of Obama. Really, if you're too lazy to read the book for yourself, maybe you should do a 15-second web search of the quote to avoid looking more ridiculous.
Hay Hay The ACLU Phoney Teachers-Azz James Bond Has Spoken Again With His Forked Tongue Worships Obama/Soros And Will Blog All Day How Great He Is, Yikeess, If Lying Makes Obama Great Then He Is The Greatest Because He Lies Every Time He Makes A Speech, Yikeess, Oh Yes As A Community Organizer With His Telepromter He Saved The Mighty ACORN, Yippee, If You Ever Played Sports 0-30 Means Obama Has Sruck-Out Every Time At Bat, Yikeess, And Reading Obamas Two Books Dreams Of My Father And From Audacity Of Hope, Quote I Will Stand With The Muslims Should The Political Winds Shift In An Ugly Direction, Quote Teacher-Azz James Bond Maybe Your Reading The Karan!! God Bless America An d Sarah Palin POTUS. Thumbs-Down ACLU.
James said." CPAC conservatives don't think as highly of your preferred candidate as they did a year ago."
CPAC picks Ron Paul every year now and it that was just a pay to play convention. The people that show up buy people a ticket and Ron Paul bought the most tickets. CPAC is a very small portion of the right kinda like Code pink is a very small part of the left. I would rather have a CPAC than a bunch of Code Pink on my side any day. If you notice the Straw poll at the end, all people that didn't play got single digits. It is to early to even read or count a poll for the right. The only poll that counts will be the unemployment numbers in 2012 and if we keep getting 1 and half trillion dollars of more spending and blaming it on the top 2% of the taxpayers that do pay almost 40% of the taxes already. These are Barry's budgets and they are going to decay this country. Fact.
Headline 2-14-2011—-White House Expects Deficit to Spike to $1.65 Trillion. If this keeps up the right could run Lady Gaga and beat Barry. At least she has a nest egg. LOL Grammy joke. Do search if you don't get it.
Sorry, Lady Gaga is a liberal.
" It is to early to even read or count a poll for the right."
Agreed–as I said above. But Palin's numbers are consistently going the wrong direction.
"The only poll that counts will be the unemployment numbers in 2012."
Probably also true, as I've noted elsewhere. If unemployment drops enough, Obama probably can't lose (despite birthers' fondest fantasies about bringing him down). If it stays high and the the GOP figures out a credible candidate, Obama probably can't win.
As for the deficit, few care as much as they should, as Ronald Reagan recognized when he said, "I am not worried about the deficit. It is big enough to take care of itself. "
Hay Hay ACLU Teachers-Azz James Bond McPhewww Has Spoken Again With That Liberal Forked Ton gue, Yikeess, The Lie Detector Johnny Carson Sounds Just Like "Stinky Frosthimer Obama" U-Tube, Yikeess Now All The Manchurian President Needs Is His Long Form Birth Certificate And Pass The Lie Detector Test, Yikeess, No Way Teach James Bond. God Bless America And Sarah Palin POTUS.
I think there is a place for Mike Huckabee, however it is not as President. Granylady has his strengths pretty well nailed down and I believe he could better Serve Government as a Congressman or Senator maybe even a Diplomat. I wish him well in what ever he chooses but Iwould not vote for him as POTUS.
I truly hope Mike Huckabee will run for president. If you do you will have support in Chino Ca.
I think he would be a great VP choice for whom ever will run against Barry. That is if he is not the one that is picked by the right. If McCain would of picked him instead of Sarah he might of had a better chance. Not that I don't like Sarah, but the left ran her though the ringer and I don't think she was ready for it or John didn't let her be the pit bull all Vice Presidential candidates are expected to be. The right needs a solid candidate that the left steam media can't pick apart. Cause we know the media will not ask anyone from the left any personnel questions or berate them as they do the right. I still can't believe that Barry's life history was not covered or questioned by the left. He got a pass in 2008 except on Fox News. I hope the chickens do come home to rooster this year and they land on the left this time.
Where's Alan West?
I love Mike Huckabee but I really think the GOP should run Allen West against Obama. West is an amazing man and it would put paid to the race card, which definitely will be played to the hilt in the next election.
Perhaps the best argument for West is that he's so new to politics that he doesn't have much of a record for opponents to use against him. But that–and the fact that he was endorsed by Sarah Palin–may hurt him as much as it helps him.
And I might be wrong, but I don't think Republicans would elect a black nominee nationally, or that moderates would switch from one black guy to another, or that West could come across as presidential for the length of a campaign–he's too likely to go off half-cocked, saying things that might appeal to Tea Partiers but which would turn off the moderate middle that's necessary for victory.
Remember, both Bush and Obama won in part because they said they'd be uniters and not dividers. Whether either told the truth is a separate issue, but West wouldn't even attempt the fiction and so even in the unlikely event he won the nomination he'd likely get smoked in the general election.
Hay Hay ACLU Teacher Atheist Running For His Life And George Soros/Barry Soetoro By 2012 Both Will Be Hung-Out To Dry, Yikeess, 30 At Bats And 30 Strike-Outs They Are No Longer President Type Material, Yikeess, Sorry Teacher-Azz James Bond Thumbs Down Again. God Bless America And Sarah Palin POTUS
"Perhaps the best argument for West is that he's so new to politics"
Umm, maybe you're right James.
I guess he didn't spend enough time as a community organizer and spent too much
time serving our country.
My point was that we as an electorate apparently don't WANT politicians with records that let them be portrayed as flip-floppers (as everyone who has been in Congress for any time at all has).
That's why Obama was the first Senator to be elected since Kennedy–and in his case he had the benefit of running against two other Senators (McCain and Hillary) with more distinguished records.
In fact, except in the case of incumbents, given a chance voters have gone with the less-experienced "outsider" in almost every election since WWII. That's done wonders for us, hasn't it?
Hay Hay Teachers-Azz ACLU Tree Hugger You Have Trouble In The Cl.ass Room Teach, Yikeess, Stop Trying With The Smartest Tea Party Patriots, We Have Pres Obamacare Right Where We Want Him, Yippee, Rope-A-Dope And Spin Worked Last Time So Thumbs Down James Bond, I Will Let You In On A Honest Pair Don Trump/Palin . God Bless America And Lt Col Terry Lalin A Real Hero That Needs Our Help.
"We Have Pres Obamacare Right Where We Want Him"
That's good, considering you'll have him there for almost six more years.