Posts on Politcs

Last week, we were noting with amazement how Sarah Palin went from complete unknown to de facto leader of the right-wing movement in a matter of weeks:

Eagle Forum President Phyllis Schlafly, conservative cause prompter Richard Viguerie and Free Congress Foundation President Paul M. Weyrich - all considered movement founders - each gave The Times the same two-word answer to the question about the emerging leader of the right: "Sarah Palin."

"None of the above names - Romney, Gingrich, Huckabee, DeLay - will be the conservative movement's leader in the coming years," Mr. Viguerie said. "Governor Palin's VP nomination is huge. It changes conservative, Republican and American politics for the next 20 years."

Of course, this raises an interesting prospect for what happens to Mike Huckabee in 2012 if John McCain loses this year:  

The former Arkansas governor emerged as one of Palin’s most vocal defenders when he spoke shortly before she took the stage at the Republican National Convention earlier this month.

But depending on how this election shapes up, they could end up political rivals for a future presidential bid with narratives that overlap and appeal to the same constituency.

“I think in a lot of ways, they’re pretty similar figures,” said Jay Barth, a political scientist at Hendrix College in Conway. “Their kind of personal style has some similarities to it. I think she really does cut into his turf significantly.”

Palin’s pick as John McCain’s running mate energized evangelicals, especially those who had been worried that he would choose a running mate who would support abortion rights. She’s also sided with the majority evangelical view in opposing gay marriage and expressing a desire to see creationism discussed alongside evolution in schools.

Those positions cut into Huckabee’s base of support among evangelicals, who were attracted to the Southern Baptist minister for his conservative stance on social issues. And, with a quick wit, Huckabee was able to make up for the lack of name recognition with an ability to grab the limelight.

But Palin—who’s selling herself as a “hockey mom” who hunts moose—is now dominating that limelight. If McCain loses in November, she could become the next in line for the GOP.

Back when he was running for the nomination, Huckabee saw Mitt Romney as the biggest threat to his efforts to secure his position as the Right’s favorite candidate and was absolutely merciless in attacking him, and while he might be willing to take a back seat to Palin at the moment in order to help John McCain’s campaign, he probably won’t be so deferential down the line if he finds himself in a face-to-face showdown with Palin for the Right’s support.

Back in June, when the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission issued a demand that John McCain pick a "True Christian" to serve as his running mate, they had two simple criteria for determining just what consistuted a "true Christian"- they had to be anti-gay and anti-choice:

Quite simply, the candidate will demonstrate actions and hold the beliefs personified by all of us who proclaim the name of Jesus Christ as Savior: the need to be re-born in Christ and the affirmation of historic Christianity, having a demonstrable and proven record of support for traditional Christian morality.

A life of dedicated Christian service to the public is demonstrated by the following:

Support for traditional marriage.

As a Christian, the candidate for Vice President must affirm that marriage is an institution created by God and defined as a union between one man and one woman. Americans have ALWAYS demonstrated a compelling interest to ensure children are afforded the best possible environment in which to grow and thrive. Any candidate must do no less and must be opposed to any policies or legislation that seeks to confuse or dilute the traditional institution of marriage.

Support for the Right to Life, proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, without exception.

As a Christian, the candidate for Vice President must echo the founding fathers' proclamation of the "inalienable right to.life." Any acceptable candidate will have a history of promoting policies acknowledging that God provides "all" people are created in the image of God and therefore possess inherent dignity and worth. This individual must be opposed to the killing of all innocent persons at every stage of life, especially the most vulnerable; unborn children, the sick, the disabled and the elderly.

And so it comes as no suprise that the CADC is now hailing John McCain for meeting their conditions with his decision to name Sarah Palin as his running mate:

Today John McCain picked Sarah Palin to be his Vice Presidential running mate. Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska, is a Christian and is well known for her pro-life stand and her fiscal conservatism.

"John McCain is to be commended on his choice of Sarah Palin, a true Christian for Vice President," said Dr. Gary Cass, Chairman and CEO of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission. "Palin, an evangelical who is pro-life and pro-marriage, meets all the criterion that CADC set forth for a VP pick.