Rett Hatcher & Company

A few great articles…..

By J.C. Watts, former Republican U.S. House Representative from Oklahoma,

“…All the while, we had the former governor of Arkansas, a Baptist preacher with all of the evangelical street cred one could ask for in a candidate. A pro-life, pro-traditional marriage, proven vote getter who drew support from a wide range of demographics and ideology.

But even then, the [evangelical] “leaders” couldn’t get behind Mike Huckabee.

Now that Mac is back and has sewn up the GOP nomination, many of those same evangelical leaders are expressing their extreme discontentment with the will of the voters.

Where were they when Huckabee really needed them?

Indeed, Mike Huckabee spoke to so many issues that I’ve been trying to get the GOP establishment to speak to as a black, a social conservative and an opportunity conservative.

With Huckabee gone, those issues may be addressed due to politics, not from conviction. These issues were in Huckabee’s DNA. Issues of life, strong families, compassion, outreach and opportunity for all.

Mike Huckabee got a substantial percentage of the black vote for governor in Arkansas. It’s a natural outgrowth of his heart to reach out and deal with poverty.

The faith warriors that made up 25-30 percent of Huckabee’s support are true believers. Their politics were driven by their faith. Their faith was not driven by their politics. Nor were they driven by polls or news cycles or political consultants.

Huckabee’s exit leaves the Latino and black faith communities in a real quagmire because they don’t feel like McCain and the GOP are in sync with them. While they agree with the GOP on most issues, they don’t feel embraced by the party. They disagree with the Democrats, but the Dems reach out to them. Many white evangelicals are disgusted because the establishment and consultant class of the GOP are not connecting with them. This class of voters is abandoning that form of politics, but not their core beliefs.”

By Ken Blackwell, Chairman of the Coalition for a Conservative Majority, a Fellow at the American Civil Rights Union, and the Buckeye Institute,

“Some people are talking up the idea of Mr. Huckabee being Mr. McCain’s running mate. Should that not happen, the RNC chairmanship would be a perfect post for the young, energetic and charismatic governor from Arkansas.

About 30% of the GOP base is evangelical. Part of Mr. McCain’s crossover appeal is that he is not one, nor does he pretend to be. But having one as GOP chairman would energize them all the way to November, which is what Senator McCain needs.

Mr. Huckabee has proven himself a GOP asset. He was elected multiple times as governor in a Democrat-dominated state. Most Arkansas voters are Democrat, both U.S. senators are Democrats, his predecessor and successor were Democrats, and he had a Democrat legislature.

Yet despite that, he kept getting reelected. He even received 40% of the African-American vote, which is an extraordinary for a Republican.

Mr. Huckabee understands how to appeal to Reagan Democrats. As seen during the campaign, he knows how to connect with working families and lower-income voters, people with a small-town, common-sense attitude towards family and country, who usually feel that the GOP does not speak to their concerns.

The Republican Party is often portrayed by its opponents as extremeists and the party of “fat cats” and country club members. Having Mr. Huckabee as chairman, focused for on party-building and outreach for four years would be strategically prudent.

… A key concern here is that Mr. McCain will need someone who can rally, mobilize and secure both social conservatives and working families. Mr. McCain’s priorities and strengths address the big issues of national security, cutting spending, entitlement reform, and other matters that will win swing voters. That is where the senator needs to be spending his time, and it’s where he’s strongest. A Chairman Huckabee would be able to build the party where Mr. McCain needs the party built, freeing up the nominee to reach the voters he has proven his ability to win.

There will be talk about someone who can raise money. The money-raising apparatus is there. It will work fine, and a strong finance chair at the RNC can guarantee that. The bigger concern from a party standpoint is that the people in the party who have had issues with Mr. McCain are going to need to be reassured and enthused. For that, Mr. McCain needs an established social conservative who has charisma, name recognition, an ability to give a good speech that wows conservatives, while not making any mistakes that turns off moderates.

Governor Huckabee fits that description perfectly. He could be a real asset as RNC chairman.”

By David R. Stokes,

“….So…Thank you, Mr. Huckabee, for conducting a positive and people-centered campaign.Thank you, Mr. Huckabee, for doing this on a shoestring budget and with a comparatively small staff.

Thank you, Mr. Huckabee, for reminding us that it is possible to be conservative without being spitting mad all the time.

Thank you, Mr. Huckabee, for talking about the unborn and the pro-life issue.

Thank you, Mr. Huckabee, for having the guts to suggest that the IRS should be abolished (do we sense an audit in Mike’s future?).

Thank you, Mr. Huckabee, for keeping your word – you stayed in as long as you promised, and you left decisively without dragging it out for media attention and personal purposes.

Just as Mr. Reagan came back to fight another day with his effective message of hope and conservative ideas, I believe Mike Huckabee’s presence on the American political stage is not over. It’s just beginning. His approach is the best hope for conservatives and Republicans in the future.

As this political year continues to unfold, and with any hint of drama on the part of the GOP not likely for months, I certainly hope wise Republicans will find a way to make room for Mr. Huckabee at the party table. He needs to be a featured speaker at the convention in September. This is a very important thing – you may remember that it was a speech at the 2004 Democratic convention that provided a relatively unknown politician named Barack Obama the spring board to what he is up to these days.

And Mike Huckabee needs to play a part in crafting the party platform. Though some regard such a process and document as irrelevant, Ronald Reagan reminded us, in those 1976 off the cuff remarks in Kansas City that:

“There are cynics who say that a party platform is something that no one bothers to read and it doesn’t amount to much. Whether it is different this time than it has ever been before, I believe the Republican Party has a platform that is a banner of bold, unmistakable colors, with no pastel shades.”

Finally, the former Governor of Arkansas who ran such an effective campaign with little infrastructure, should be seriously considered for the Vice Presidential slot on the GOP ticket. If he did so well with so little, imagine how well he’d do with the money and machinery of the party behind him?

Frankly, if the number two place on a major party ticket is basically about balance, I would suggest that the balance Mr. McCain needs is to have someone who is a proven and effective communicator on the campaign trail. Mike Huckabee fits the bill perfectly.

Oh, and there is one more thing Reagan said that night thirty-two years ago, he quoted “a great general” (read: Douglas MacArthur) with the line: “There is no substitute for victory.” And if the Republicans are to win in November, Mike Huckabee needs to be on the field and in the game.”