Go in Peace

I like Mike Huckabee. He’s a nice man; intelligent; personable; likeable; kind and articulate. He’d be a great next door neighbor or friend.

But as a politician in the changing atmosphere of today’s American politics he displays one major flaw – religious extremism. He wants to impose his religion on us. Americans, however, in ever greater numbers nowadays are finally beginning to move away from the influence of religion in politics, which means that Huckabee and all the other fervent Bible thumpers in the GOP are left behind.

They are no longer good for the Republican Party. The GOP has been losing presidential elections because of them. By the time a good candidate gets wrung through the primary process, making promises to and running the gauntlet of ultra-right-wing religious extremists, he’s no longer viable in a general presidential election. He’ll get beaten by less than mediocre Democrats like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Let’s face it. They have lost the argument on condemning homosexuality. And for the most part they’ve lost the argument on stifling women’s reproductive rights; teaching religion in the public schools; eliminating pornography from the Internet; and establishing God’s commandments as the law of the land.

What politician in his or her right mind today, for example, would advocate segregation of the races like George Wallace did in the 1960’s, and expect to win an election? Wallace had a considerable following back then but the racists in America lost that argument.

It is no longer fashionable in the U.S.A. to run a political campaign on racist politics. It was a losing strategy then just like religious extremism and discrimination against gays is a losing strategy today.

Mike Huckabee is not happy with that fact. He’s threatening to leave the GOP if they abandon religious extremism – especially ardent opposition to gay marriage -- as a core part of the platform.

“If the Republicans want to lose guys like me — and a whole bunch of still God-fearing Bible-believing people — go ahead and just abdicate on this issue, and why you’re at it, go ahead and say abortion doesn’t matter, either… Because at that point, you lose me,” Huckabee declared on the American Family Association radio show. “I’m gone. I’ll become an independent. I’ll start finding people that have guts to stand. I’m tired of this.”

“I am utterly exasperated with Republicans and the so-called leadership of the Republicans who have abdicated on this issue when, if they continue this direction they guarantee they’re gonna lose every election in the future,” he continued. “Guarantee it.” 

“And I don’t understand why they want to lose… Because a lot of Republicans, particularly in the establishment and those who live on either the left coast or those who live up in the bubbles of New York and Washington, are convinced that if we don’t capitulate on the same sex marriage issue and if we don’t raise the white flag of surrender, and just accept it as inevitable, we’ll be losers... I tell you, it’s the absolute opposite of that.” Huckabee wrongly concluded.

It’s too bad that Mike Huckabee is so blinded by his religion that he simply can’t see the writing on the political wall.  Gay marriage is here to stay. Equal treatment for homosexuals is here to stay. Reproductive rights for women are here to stay whether he likes it or not. 

The argument is over. The religious extremists have lost. It’s well past the right time to focus the GOP on issues that actually resonate with the American people – like liberty -- and stop trying to impose religion on us.

After all, who are the conservative religious folks going to vote for in presidential elections if the GOP finally stops harping on and on in their losing battle against gays and abortion? Will they vote for the Democrats and socialism? Of course they won’t – never in a million years. The reasonable ones will certainly still vote for Republicans because Republicans, (putting their religion aside) still have better ideas, ideas that will benefit all Americans, than Democrats.

Moreover, I’m certain that the Republican Party could easily attract many more conservative Democrats, Libertarians and Independents if only they would for once stop moralizing about the Lord and start presenting sound practical ideas which will bring the nation out of the morass of socialism, fiscal irresponsibility and debt.

Republicans should call Huckabee’s bluff about leaving the party to become an independent, or better yet, a third party. He can call it the Theocrat party. Then he can maintain his stand against gays and women. And then he’ll find himself and the rest of his Bible thumping followers even more marginalized then they are now. How many votes does he think the Theocrats would get in today’s political atmosphere?

So go ahead, Mike Huckabee; and take the likes of Rick Santorum, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Sara Palin, Allan Keyes, and Ted Cruz right along with you. The Republican Party would love to keep you but doesn’t need you. Sadly, you and your followers have become an anchor.

Go in peace.