December 21, 2007
I Heart Huckabee’s Ad
With Christmas quickly approaching (and 800 gifts to wrap), I decided not to think about politics over the holidays. With just two weeks until the Iowa Caucuses, I was planning to ignore the campaign madness until January 3rd.
But then I opened a Christmas card from a friend and laughed heartily when I saw the “Huckabee for President” flier fall out of the envelope. On top of that, my mother called excitedly to talk about “the brilliant ad” Mike Huckabee is running in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. It appears that Huckabee Fever is in the air.
I loved the “What Really Matters” ad. The bookshelf in the background resembles a cross, but the Huckabee campaign denies any intentional use.
“Isn’t it neat, how only one upright post and one perfectly-proportioned crossbar of the bookshelf are lit up, shining brighter than anything else in the room? Maybe I don’t live a holy enough life, but bookshelves have never glowed like that in my presence.”
“Although the ad suggests that the primary candidates should cease their bitter attacks during the holiday season, its directed appeal to Christians has been seen as divisive and inappropriately sectarian by some critics, including the Catholic League of America, as the Associated Press reported yesterday. Huckabee dismissed the criticism as reflecting an unreasonable insistence on political correctness, a charge not often levied at Catholic League President William Donahue.”
Okay. So maybe it was a clever “accident”, but it has sparked a lot of debate between the Liberal Left and Religious Right. Huckabee has said, “That is a bookshelf, but if people are seeing the cross in it, so be it.”
At a Texas fund raiser, Huckabee stated, “If we are so politically correct in this country that a person can’t say ‘enough of the nonsense with the political-attack ads, could we pause for a few days and say Merry Christmas to each other’ then we’re really, really in trouble as a country.”
Huckabee’s presidential rivals have also attacked his campaign, regarding the ad which has left a significant impact on Iowa voters.
When asked about the ad, Ron Paul said on Fox and Friends:
“It reminds me of what Sinclair Lewis once said. He says, ‘when fascism comes to this country, it will be wrapped in the flag, carrying a cross.’ Now I don’t know whether that’s a fair assessment or not, but you wonder about using a cross, like he is the only Christian or implying that subtly. So, I don’t think I would ever use anything like that.”
My favorite response to Ron Paul’s accusation can be found at the blog Massachusetts for Huckabee:
“Ron Paul put out a Christmas ad a few weeks ago and I was wondering what hidden messages there could be in. To my surprise I found a possible hidden message. Look carefully at the book case behind Ron Paul and ask yourself these questions: What is Ron Paul really trying to say to his supporters by strategically placing himself right in the middle of that book case? Is the book case really a representation of the number 11 or is symbolizing the walls that Ron Paul wants to use to separate The United States from the rest of the world? In The second picture, what do the 3 crosses floating on the left hand side of Ron Paul mean. Could it be that Paul leans to the left on the issue of religion or could it mean something darker?”
Huckabee responded to his attackers while on the campaign trail, saying, “Everything but the kitchen sink is being thrown at me. If the only thing some of these candidates have to run on is what’s wrong with somebody else, they must not have much of a platform to talk about.”
Jim Jordan doesn’t think the ad is a big deal. He writes:
“Theocracy alert! OMG, Governor Huckabee is using the three corners of a bookcase to send the secret cross message. Question: Have we become stupid? Without the cross the baby’s birth is meaningless. I may not agree with Huckabee on immigration or on his poor understanding of Mormonism, but this commercial is not controversial.”
Huckabee made an appearance on the Today Show yesterday, and defended his ad.
Huckabee: The Wall Street-to-Washington axis, this corridor of power, is absolutely, frantically against me. But out there in America, the reason we’re number one in the polls is because I’m the guy that doesn’t have some offshore mailbox bank account in the Caymans hiding my money. I’m the guy that worked my way up through it. And there are a whole lot of people in America that believe that the president ought to be a servant of the people and ought not to be elected to the ruling class….
Viera: So why do you think they’re opposed to you, Governor?
Huckabee: Because they don’t control me.
Mike Huckabee is a Southern Governor with a long track record of success and a demonstrated ability to unify and work effectively across party lines. He also happens to be an Authentic Christian Conservative — a former Baptist minister, in fact. He is also a highly skilled communicator. He is, in short, the perfect candidate.
Yes. He does appear to be the perfect candidate — almost too good to be true. I’m impressed with Huckabee’s ad because he had the courage to say, “Merry Christmas” and because he stands by his message with conviction. Only time will tell if Huckabee can win the nomination and truly lead this flailing country. In the meantime, Merry Christmas — from my family to yours.
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December 21st, 2007 at 8:16 AM, Fat Chick Says:
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year hun!
~ FC
December 21st, 2007 at 2:45 PM, Liz Says:
I hadn’t seen the ad and was very surprised to hear that there was even a debate on a simple holiday greeting, like this?
Puhleeze.
Does anyone have a problem with Victoria’s Secret and tired of seeing Heidi Klum’s well-toned…um…everything prancing around – or, is it just me?
Either way – I heart Huckabee’s ad, too.
Happy Holidays, sweetie!
December 21st, 2007 at 3:05 PM, Dana Says:
Oh, girl…I could so use a date with Heidi Klum’s trainer….for realio — I’ve got abs hiding in this pleasant plumpness called my midsection. Hehehehe.
Happy Holidays to you and yours as well! -hugs and lubs from afar-