Mike Huckabee

[ShotGunWillie]

Yeah, let's not focus on the folks in Afghanistan, and now western Pakistan, that attacked these United States on 9/11/2007 when we can keep our troops tied down in the middle of a civil war in Iraq.

When the mention of removing troops as soon as possible gets brought up I tune out for several reasons.

1. Have we lost faith in our armed forces to do the job
2. We announce to the world that we have been defeated
3. Men and women gave their lives for this war, a war that needed to be fought, Iraq was funding terrorism. The US is still actively pursuing that Afghan Man in the mountains. They haven't stopped that search.
4. The US is making some serious head-way in this surge.

Like I mentioned previously, I am all for Duncan Hunter

1. Pro-Life
2. Anti-Gay Marriage
3. Tough on Immigration
4. For bearing arms
5. Pro-Military

And this guy is from California!!!

 

[James_Newman]

When the mention of removing troops as soon as possible gets brought up I tune out for several reasons.

1. Have we lost faith in our armed forces to do the job
2. We announce to the world that we have been defeated
3. Men and women gave their lives for this war, a war that needed to be fought, Iraq was funding terrorism. The US is still actively pursuing that Afghan Man in the mountains. They haven't stopped that search.
4. The US is making some serious head-way in this surge.

1. Nation building is not the job of the armed forces. I am perfectly content with our military's ability to destroy things and kill people, which is their job.

2. The world has the internet, we aren't fooling anyone.

3. More men and women will continue to give their lives as long as we stay.

4. What is 'head-way', is it beating down the Iraqi people until they lose their will to fight? They certainly have little else to lose. We are creating more enemies every day that our troops are there. There will be no end to this conflict until either they are all dead, or we leave.

 

[KenH]

1. Have we lost faith in our armed forces to do the job
2. We announce to the world that we have been defeated
3. Men and women gave their lives for this war

Our military won this conflict long ago - Saddam Hussein was removed from power and the Iraqi people were handed a representative form of government on a silver platter. After winning we now need to withdraw. The rest of the work that needs to be done is political and only the Iraqis can do that, not our fine military men and women. And the Iraqi parliament has skipped town for the month of August. Shame on the Iraqi politicians!

 

[bobbyd]

I like Huckabee, but not enough to throw my support behind him as of yet.

 

[StefanM]

1. Have we lost faith in our armed forces to do the job
2. We announce to the world that we have been defeated
3. Men and women gave their lives for this war, a war that needed to be fought, Iraq was funding terrorism. The US is still actively pursuing that Afghan Man in the mountains. They haven't stopped that search.
4. The US is making some serious head-way in this surge.

1) No. I, for one, have lost faith in the Iraqi government to do what is necessary to secure their own country politically. Military might, even the best in the world, cannot do that. The best we can do is provide them with the opportunity. The Iraqis, however, spat upon the sacrifices of our soldiers and high-tailed it off to vacation.
2) We have not been defeated. Saddam is dead, and the Baath party is no longer in power. We need a political solution, something which military might can only facilitate, not cause.
3) I think the Iraq war was a miscalculation based on poor intelligence, but I agree that Saddam was no boy scout. We need to increase the number of our troops in Afghanistan, though.
4) I agree. I think that the surge is accomplishing what it is intended to do--provide security for the Iraqi government to arrive at a political solution. The Iraqi government, however, is completely incapable of doing that, it seems.

 

[ShotGunWillie]

From the outside looking in, I would have to make this assessment, the Iraqi people are going to take their time putting all of the political pieces together because they are going to want a strong US military presence in Iraq for as long as possible. Unless we force their hand to "get their act together" they will take their sweet time.

 

[KenH]

And the only way that we can force their hand is by beginning to withdraw our troops.

 

[pinoybaptist]

And the only way that we can force their hand is by beginning to withdraw our troops.

Ditto, that.

I learned to swim the hard way. After nearly drowning, the water scared me as a kid.
My biological mom took me right into the middle of the river, threw me into the water, and when she saw I floated, paddled away, with me following close behind her, scared but able to swim.

 

[saturneptune]

I like Huckabee, but not enough to throw my support behind him as of yet.

I have heard lots of posters from Arkansas say they do not like him. However, consdering the Democrats running, then looking at the top three leading Republicans, one gets the feeling he may not be so bad.

I would have to know more about his Iraq policy.

 

[pinoybaptist]

..............
I would have to know more about his Iraq policy.

Here's part of his policy:

Setting a timetable for withdrawal is a mistake. This country has never declared war until "a week from Wednesday," we have always declared war until victory.
I am focused on winning. Withdrawal would have serious strategic consequences for us and horrific humanitarian consequences for the Iraqis.
I support a regional summit so that Iraq's neighbors become militarily and financially committed to stabilizing Iraq.

LINKIE LINKIE

 

[saturneptune]

If he truly means to fight a war to achieve victory, real victory (ie like WW2), and swiftly, then I am all for him.

However, if that means conducting the war not to achieve victory as is presently being waged, then I want nothing do to with it.

How long is it going to make us learn, if you are going to fight a war, fight to win? If you are not going to fight to win, get out, its that simple. Black and white. How many wars does it take to learn that?

 

[JoyC]

I'm from Arkansas. I voted for him for governor, but I became disappointed in him the last few years. He was somewhat like an absentee father.

It seems about all he did his last few years(I'm sure that wasn't really the case, but just the appearance) was run races, and chide the public about the need to lose weight. Oh, and hint at running for president.

I would describe his last years as governor as ineffective because he seemed more interested in things other than being governor. My 2 cents.

 

[christianyouth]

Why is everyone so upset that he wants people to loose weight?

 

[StefanM]

I'm from Arkansas. I voted for him for governor, but I became disappointed in him the last few years. He was somewhat like an absentee father.

It seems about all he did his last few years(I'm sure that wasn't really the case, but just the appearance) was run races, and chide the public about the need to lose weight. Oh, and hint at running for president.

I would describe his last years as governor as ineffective because he seemed more interested in things other than being governor. My 2 cents.

I don't blame him too much. He did some good things in his tenure. It's really hard to get ANYTHING done when you're a Republican governor in a state filled to the brim with yellow-dog Democrats.

Also, the GOP in Arkansas is very fringe-oriented. It has pretty much been the permanent "opposition" since reconstruction.

 

[StefanM]

I have heard lots of posters from Arkansas say they do not like him. However, consdering the Democrats running, then looking at the top three leading Republicans, one gets the feeling he may not be so bad.

I would have to know more about his Iraq policy.

He's not a libertarian. If you hear Ron Paul supporters denouncing Huckabee, there's a big reason why.

 

[Rufus_1611]

I have heard lots of posters from Arkansas say they do not like him. However, consdering the Democrats running, then looking at the top three leading Republicans, one gets the feeling he may not be so bad.

I would have to know more about his Iraq policy.

* Iraqi government disappointing, but we can't up & pull out. (Jun 2007)
* Insist that Iraq's neighbors assist military & financially. (Jun 2007)
* We needed 300,000 troops to win Iraq; must finish the job. (May 2007)
* Don't judge Iraq war while we're in the middle of the war. (May 2007)
* Iraq war has made us overlook domestic agenda. (Jan 2007)
* Opposing Bush's troop surge is a dangerous position. (Jan 2007)
* Make sure we finish the job in Iraq and finish it right. (Jan 2007)
* Strength is more effective deterrent to war than weakness. (Jan 2007)
* Deal with terrorism as a joint federal-state responsibility. (Feb 2001)
* Include states in anti-terrorism planning. (Sep 2001)

(Source: http://www.issues2002.org/Mike_Huckabee.htm)​

 

[KenH]

I have heard lots of posters from Arkansas say they do not like him. However, consdering the Democrats running, then looking at the top three leading Republicans, one gets the feeling he may not be so bad.

That's how we ended up with current incompetent resident in the Oval Office - he isn't so bad compared to Al Gore, he isn't so bad compared to John Kerry.

I'm not falling for that line anymore.

 

[KenH]

Why is everyone so upset that he wants people to lose weight?

Because he wants to use government meddling to bring it about like the program instituted in Arkansas schools that required students to have their body mass reading taken.

 

[saturneptune]

That's how we ended up with current incompetent resident in the Oval Office - he isn't so bad compared to Al Gore, he isn't so bad compared to John Kerry.

I'm not falling for that line anymore.

Yeah, we all appreciate Arkansas's contribution to the White House already. While we are talking about it, thanks a lot to Texas for LBJ and GWB. Smooth move.

 

[KenH]

It's rather interesting that none of the presidents after Ronald Reagan have had the widespread popularity that he enjoyed with the average American.