I like Mike

I like Mike Huckabee. I can’t help myself. I want to not like him, I want to characterize him as bad for America and dismiss him as a nut job but I can’t. Among the reasons I SHOULD consider Huckabee vile:

- Evolution: Let’s put the obvious one out there right away. The man is of the ‘intelligent design’ set and believes that all of God’s creatures appeared on the 6th day. BAM. This does not bode well for the woefully neglected financial needs of the NIH or the NSF, two institutions that I prioritize. Scientific and artistic progress has what has advanced what’s best in strong nations throughout the ages and sustained weakened nation states in troubled times. Denying the scientific foundation for humanity is not only a threat but a drastic step backwards into the theocratic universe that jailed Galileo and deemed women witches in Salem. If progress of men to something better, stronger and more capable of survival among our fellow capitalists is not an American ideal, I don’t know what is. Evolution is in our blood, literally and figuratively.

BUT, I still like Mike because he talks about Poverty in a real way and can level even the staunchest conservative on issues regarding the poor and education with both anecdotes and facts.

- Choice: He is anti-choice of any kind. Ask the man paper or plastic and he may say that plastic is the only ethical choice. He wants to add an amendment banning choice to the constitution. The constitution has been amended on only 27 occasions over our history and he feels that choice warrants incidence #28. Choice is the cornerstone of women’s rights, the key to unlocking the gate of stem cell possibilities and lies at the very center of American liberty.

BUT, I still like Mike because he is quick witted and acutely aware that the real crisis in American education lies not in the classrooms but on the streets and in the homes where at risk youth play and dwell.

- First Amendment: “Faith doesn’t influence my decisions, it drives them.” But Mike, what about the separation of church and state? We are fighting states and not so states that are theocratic, why would we want to become one?

BUT, I still like Mike because he frames this viewpoint as being a good steward to the earth, becoming energy independent and serving all Americans not only those that feed the GOP’s coffers.

I like Mike for many reasons. But I would never, ever vote for him.

Obama and I, on the other hand, agree on most everything. The issues that he values most, I value most. He makes me want to get up and celebrate democracy and sing “I am proud to be an American.” In fact, I will most likely vote for him when the primary track finally hits PA, despite the ‘inevitability’ of the candidate that leads following Super Tuesday. I realize I may believe that Obama stands a chance because my liberal, educated-self hopes it to be so.

YET, I would argue that most Americans like Obama. They like him because of his ability for brilliant orations. They enjoy his ‘real guy’ manner with press, voters and other politicians alike. They like his call for change and believe he really means it. But a lot of the change he calls for is considered vile to those opposite of my political leanings. So they like him, but they would never, ever vote for him.

So I can’t help but wonder, a la Carrie Bradshaw, am I the democratic equivalent of a bible-belter enamored with the new guy from Hope?