While on his Christmas Book Tour, Gov. Huckabee had the opportunity to give a speech at the Nixon Presidential Library and gave an interview while at the Reagan Presidential Library.
Gov. Huckabee discusses the current state of the union and the conservative principles that should be applied to get America back on course.
Discussion about 2012, North Korea, Huckabee's background, Obama's federal pay freeze, Extending unemployment benefits/welfare, Dilemma in California with GOP having 12% fewer voters than Dems, Wikileaks, Fitness/Diet during the Christmas season.
Here are two articles on Huckabee's trip to the Golden State of California:
Gov. Huckabee is scheduled to keynote the upcoming 28th annual Beit El Dinner on December 5th. He along with Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, will address some 1,500 expected attendees.
Huckabee has been a staunch ally of Israel for quite some time. He has visited Israel 12 times. Huckabee lead a tour there in 2010 and has plans for an upcoming tour in January 2011. Huckabee is one of the few Republicans who has actively come out against a two state solution. He has shown strong support for Israel's right to sovereignty over the disputed territories of Judea and Samaria, stating that America would not tolerate another country telling them where they could and could not build in New York. Huckabee added, “I think we can certainly advise as a friend to Israel,” he explained, “but we have no right to dictate and outright tell another country what it should or shouldn’t do.” Huckabee also stated, in regards to the threat of a nuclear Iran that he, “would support Israel doing whatever Israel needs to protect [itself].”
My HuckaFriend at LawlessVid's created this video of Huckabee and Israel:
In addressing this group at the Beit El Dinner, Huckabee hopes to gain not only their vote but also access to their pocket books. In the recent U.S. midterm elections the Republican Jewish Coalition spent millions on campaign ads to affect the outcome. They felt their efforts were constructive as 1/3 of the Jewish vote went to Republican candidates. While 2/3 of American Jews did not help turn the country Red, they are disheartened with Obama and could look to the Republican Party come November 2012. Israel is still important to the Jewish population in America and many were upset with how President Obama not only handled his relationship with Prime Minister Netanyahu but also with Obama’s policy on Israeli settlements. For many of the Orthodox Jews, the US relationship with Israel is a deciding issue. As this core group of voters looks to the 2012 horizon, Huckabee could gain their endorsements as well as their funding.
Another area Huckabee hopes to gain in addressing this group, is their confidence and trust in him as a key defender of Israel against the threat from Iran. The speech will give Huckabee the opportunity to address concerns by those Israeli panelists who in 2007 did not give him a high score on the Israeli survey called The Israel Factor. The Haertz newspaper panel (made up of analysts and academics) ranks the candidates according to how good or bad they will be for Israel and her interests. Using some analysis by the HaAretz’s US correspondent, the panel anonymously votes each month producing a score for each potential US presidential candidate. This At Beit El Dinner speech could be evaluated by the panel for it’s next set of evaluation rankings.
The Israel Factor panel began its 2012 analysis on November 14th with their rankings below:
While the panel did give out these initial scores, they did not give out intricate details behind the numbers.
We will have to see how Huckabee’s speech to the attendees at the At Beit El Dinner is received. The initial reaction from the dinner announcement article shows an enthusiastic group eager for Huckabee to jump into the 2012 race for the White House.
Below are recent articles regarding Israel. It will be interesting to note how many of these topics Huckabee touches upon in his speech:
Today Huckabee returned to his beloved Iowa to address the theme of Energizing the Church to Engage the Culture. Prior to his keynote speech to about 1500 attendees, he answered questions at a press conference.
Below are highlights from David Shedlock's live blog of the event. Caffeinated Thoughts recorded the press conference and posted it on youtube.
SPEECH/SERMON:
“I’m not here to announce any plans, or deny any plans” He congratulated the people of Iowa for ousting the judges who thought they could do anything they want. Those who govern are ultimately accountable to the governed. He thanked every mom, every dad, and every pastor who stood up.
*We have a dad deficit. We could save $300 billion a year by having fathers take care of their own children. Huckabee has great respect for single mothers doing the best they can. But if we can’t fix the family we won’t be able to fix things in Washington. The most important unit of government is the family. There we learn values, structures and manners. We learn there to work hard rather than be lazy. We’re getting a nation full of spoiled brats thinking it is government’s job to bail us out, and clean up our messes.
*It takes a great deal more depth to understand the issues from eternal values that cannot be changed. Christians are not intellectually inferior. They are wrong who say we should not talk about”social” issues of life or think that a manipulation of the tax code by the elected class. If 2/3 of the women in poverty were married to the father of her children they would not be in poverty. We need mothers and fathers who raise their own kids. The government continues to spend us into great debt. Charlies Rangel got by 17 years without paying taxes, because he didn’t understand the tax code which he helped write. And a box of Kleenex was the only price he’ll pay.
*Sgt Salvatore Guinta io Iowa received the Congressional Medal of Honor for running into a wall of bullets to try and save the life of one of his comrades, Sgt Josh Brennan, who lost his life. When he received the award Guinta stated, “”I would give this back in a second to have my friends with me right now.”
*If we choose our own comforts on the backs of its weakest, terminating them at will we will face God’s judgements. There will be no strong economy without protecting each other.
*We ought not value some lives more than others, the 12-year old rather than the child 3 months in the womb. We cannot live in a culture where people are terminated because they are financial burden. These are not extraneous issues. Life is valuable because God created us. It is at the heart of our democracy. You will never see me apologize for my stand on life.
*There is no one person more valuable than another in this country: We are all created equal, endowed by our Creator with unalienable rights. We are not made better or worse by our bank account, our IQ, the name we inherited, our family tree.
PRESS CONFERENCE: Will Huckabee base his decision on if Sarah Palin runs? “No question, she will be a very, very strong presence and force, if she gets in,” Huckabee told reporters in Des Moines Sunday. “You know, she may run away with it. And that’s one of those things everyone needs to be prepared for.” “If I get in, I prefer she not and that she endorse me,” Huckabee then joked.
What is Huckabee's timetable for making a decision? “I’m not on a timetable. I’m not on somebody’s calendar to say this is the time when I have to decide,” Huckabee said during a press conference before the annual fall fundraiser for The Family Leader, a social conservative policy and political group that includes the Iowa Family Policy Center.
“Am I keeping the option open? Yes. Am I open to it? Considering it and giving, you know, thought? Of course,” he added. “I think I would be foolish not to in light of having been through it, understanding what it’s about.”
Huckabee was asked if he could beat Obama? “I always believed I could,”Huckabee said. “I wouldn’t have run the last time if I didn’t think I could and the good news for me is a majority of American voters seem to think that. In the last poll, I was the only one who polled above (Obama) outside the margin of error.”
Please check out Caffeinated Thoughts as they have several entries on Huckabee's visit to Iowa.
"I don't want us to ever forget that. Those are issues that do matter. They matter because they're somewhat the underpinning of what we are, as a people, a civilization," he said.
On Huckabee's Record in Arkansas:
"One of the things that was most frustrating to me during the last presidential race was this attack that, well, Huckabee, he's just a big government guy. No, I wasn't, but I governed in a state where we had to balance the budget and we had to comply with such things as our Constitution, that mandated an equitable and adequate education for every student. I inherited the road system that had to be rehabilitated," he said. "I also believe that as important as it is to keep taxes low, it's also important to pay for what you do. I don't believe in deficit spending," he said.
On Obamacare:
Huckabee said the biggest mistake of the health care law signed by President Obama is the "mystical magic" it claimed would be able to add 32 million people into the system while cutting half a trillion dollars to pay for it, "obliterating the payments to the providers and somehow coming up with a system that's supposed to work better and make everybody happy. That's crazy...I would repeal it if you could. I don't think its realistic that you can repeal it as long as Obama is president cause he could veto it. You could surgically go after provisions"
On Nation Building:
"I think it's how we're going to view our role in the world -- whether we are going to be the world's policeman and patrol every street and every country, or whether we're going to focus on securing our own borders and protecting Americans both here and abroad from attack."
On Clemmons Case:
"I was making it based on the case of a 16-year-old black male who was given 108 years, which was far more of a sentence for a robbery than most people would get for murder. There was a whole string of things that went wrong in the case of Maurice Clemmons. He went back to prison after his parole and he should've stayed there. But later, both Washington state and my successor messed up the paperwork, and he wasn't held," he said.
On Republican Nomination Process:
"It's a whole lot more about the money than it is the message. And so, because it's more process-focused than policy-focused, we end up not necessarily giving attention to the people with the best ideas, but giving attention to the people with the machinery and the money -- even if their message doesn't even sell."
For those looking to get their HuckaFix, Huckabee's upcoming schedule offers a little bit to whet everyone's appetite.
This Sunday, November 21, Gov. Huckabee will be the keynote speaker at the Celebrate the Family 2010 event set up by the Iowa Family Policy Center Action. Huckabee was invited to speak about the political issues of the day and how they shape the culture of our country. The theme is Energizing the Church to Engage the Culture.
Then next Sunday, November 28 Huckabee will present his book to children at the Richard Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, California. Gov. Huckabee will share his heartwarming story meant to teach children about patience as a virtue. I wonder if the kids will show up in their pajamas and slippers as the event is scheduled for 8 pm.
Followed by the Following Sunday, December 5 where Huckabee will co-keynote at the annual dinner of the American Friends of the Beit El Yeshiva Center and Arutz Sheva in Manhattan. Huckabee will be joined in speaking by Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations. For reservations and more information, contact Baruch Gordon: baruch@IsraelNationalNews.com
Of course you can always wait in line to see him on his upcoming book tour through Arizona, California, Florida and New Jersey. Where Huckabee will sign both A Simple Christmas and his new children's Christmas book Can't Wait Till Christmas! Check out the great illustrations by Jed Henry. He will be at the Villages in Florida on Wednesday December 8 from 4-5 pm.
Gov. Huckabee sat in on the Alan Colmes radio show and discussed the 2012 race. Huckabee once again is honest in his assessment of whether or not he will run in 2012.
* The one nice thing whether I should decide to run or not is that more people at least would know me by what I actually believe or say as opposed to what my opponent has defined me to be and that is kinda encouraging. If I would have had that opportunity four years ago, things might have turned out differently.
* I see this process for me being much later than earlier.
* I need to see what the field is... I honestly might evaluate and see a person who has a better chance at being elected than me... There are a number of very qualified, capable people who could carry the banner for the Republicans.
* I love the retail end of politics. I hate the glad handing for money. I love talking to people who aren't necessarily the ones who can write the big checks.
* My own decision will be based on something within myself. Similiar to when I ran marathons in the past. My Race, My Pace
On July 4, 2006, Gov. Huckabee ran in the Little Rock Marathon. His number was 2008. By coincidence, the guy running behind him wore a T-shirt that said Grass Roots.
Huckabee and Cavuto discuss CNN's 2012 poll and its implications on a Huckabee 2012 run. In the CNN poll, Huckabee beats Obama 52 to 44.
Huckabee says "One should never base decision on externals and distractions."
In this clip, Huckabee talks about what he has learned in running 4 marathons. "If you start looking around at what other peope are doing, how they are pacing and what kind of race they are running, you will never finish. My Race, My Pace, Keep Focusing on what you are doing."
In other words, I am not going to focus on Romney's money war chest or Palin's huge crowds. I am going to focus on the finish line. And if I see an opening, I will be ready to sprint ahead, give it my all, and win the race.
