Mike Huckabee's foreign policy rhetoric -- "the kind you'd expect from DailyKos bloggers"
The editors of the National Review examine Mike Huckabee's views about foreign policy and find, as I did, that his views contain a Carteresque naivety. The editors explain:
[Huckabee] wants to anthropomorphize international relations and bring a Christian commitment to the Golden Rule to our affairs with other nations. As he told the Des Moines Register the other day, “You treat others the way you’d like to be treated. That’s to me the fundamental issue that has to be re-established in our dealings with other countries.”This is deeply naïve. Countries aren’t people, and the world is more dangerous than a Sunday church social. Threats, deception, and — as a last resort — violence must play a role in international relations. Differences cannot always be worked out through sweet persuasion. A U.S. president who doesn’t realize this will repeat the experience of President Jimmy Carter at his most ineffectual.
The editors take particular issue with Huckabee’s views on dealing with Iran (which feature “the kind of rhetoric you’d expect from DailyKos bloggers) and his “twisted priorities when it comes to maintaining warm relations with the rest of the world” (he wants to shut down Gitmo to placate international critics of it, but rejects free trade, an important way to develop close ties with other countries). They conclude that “conservatives should have worries about the depth and soundness of Mike Huckabee’s foreign-policy views.”
This conservative certainly has those worries.
JOHN adds: I had lunch today with a group of prominent Twin Cities conservatives. One member of the group noted that he has always intended to enthusiastically support whoever emerges from the Republican nomination process. But should Huckabee win the nomination, he said he would have to re-think his position because Huckabee simply is not a conservative.
Thankfully, I think that eventuality is very remote.
PAUL adds: Huckabee may be getting poor reviews from the traditional conservative sources like the National Review, but Frank Rich, former New York Times drama critic turned left-wing columnist, is gushing over him. The column is question is kind of long, so I'll give you the executive summary -- please nominate this man.
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