[Niners fan]

I don't mean this to be an overtly political thread. I not really interested in the opinions of those outside of Arkansas so that I why I am posting it here. I hope that it won't get moved to the election thread...

I keep hearing conservative commentators say that Huckabee is not really a conservative. But hearing him talk in debates and on shows he sure sounds a lot like one to me.

What do conservatives in Arkansas think of him? Do they view him as truly conservative or pretty moderate?

[techno-nana]

I know someone who worked in Huckabee's office when he was Governor. He most definitely is a compassionate conservative. That compassion is usually what irritates the commentators. He is a very honorable person.

[GetmeoutofAR]

hes as conservative as conservative gets! Hes a Baptist minister afterall..lol

[undertheironsea]

Usually Baptist minister and moderate don't go in the same sentence.

[bchris02]

Hes conservative on God, gays, and guns. He has made that the center of his platform. He is unelectable because he has no appeal to anybody who is not a fundamentalist Christian.

[junkman18]

Originally Posted by bchris02

Hes conservative on God, gays, and guns. He has made that the center of his platform. He is unelectable because he has no appeal to anybody who is not a fundamentalist Christian.

I hope he will close the borders, And clean America of illegals.

[LivingInLittleRock]

I am not a fundamentalist Christian and I still like Huckabee. I appreciate his view on taxes, immigration, and the situation overseas. His religious beliefs do not effect me, so I am not going to let them get in my way of voting. If I agreed with some of Mitt Romney's policies, and decided to vote for him, I would not let the fact that he is mormon get in my way of voting. I don't think that Bill Clinton was a bad president because he supposedly cheated on his wife. He might be immoral, but once again, it doesn't effect me, so I do not let it get in the way of my political views. (Not that I voted for Bill).

Niners Fan - I agree with you. It seems that the media wants us to believe Huckabee is more liberal than the other conservative candidates, but listening to him speak, he sounds like a more moderate conservative. I definately think his views on issues are more right wing than left wing, but I'm sure he is still open-minded....as any presidential candidate should be.

[northbound74]

I'd say he's conservative enough. He seems a little more moderate than some, but not very much so.
In a state almost completely dominated by Democrats, any Republican would have to "play along" to a certain extent to get anything done. It's hard enough to get Arkansas Democrats to do anything, even when they're in full control. Growing up during the Clinton era, I remember Arkansas being dead last and worst in pretty much every category that a state would want to be first and best in. I know a lot of that is cultural, and goes back decades, but Clinton did nothing to improve it.
I saw a lot of improvements to the state of Arkansas under Huckabee. Obviously, the roads were much, MUCH better. Arkansas actually led most the nation in terms of internet technology... a rare moment indeed.
I'll admit I voted for him every chance that I had... if only because I thought he had a good shot at making that annoying brand of Arkansas Democrat actually do something with all those taxes they like to raise.

[Tim Rankin]

Originally Posted by bchris02

He is unelectable because he has no appeal to anybody who is not a fundamentalist Christian.

Interestingly, I'm starting to see that he does have appeal to many who are not fundamentalist Christian.

I think him being painted a "liberal" by other candidates is just political "business as usual."

My gut tells me he may well be a true "compassionate" conservative, vs. others who have made the same claim.

[Derf]

He wasn't progressive as governor, he shouldn't be experimenting with the Country.