Attacking the Kids To Weaken Huckabee on Family Values

As I have said before, I live in New York and am originally from Arkansas so I will occasionally touch on some political topics while both Huckabee and Clinton are running for president.

Let me make it clear, I do not support either Clinton or Huckabee for President, but I do think both are worth observing. I'm not one for profound insights on politics, this isn't a blog for that, but given how the media handles politics and manipulates public opinion, Mike Huckabee is about to turn into a case study regarding the power of the media to shape public opinion, and we should observe knowing ahead of time as we observe the events unfold.

I've been waiting for this story to pop up. Social Republicans who think they have found their champion in Huckabee need to get ready, because the media is going to turn up the heat.

As Mike Huckabee gains in the polls, the former Arkansas governor is finding that his record in office is getting more scrutiny. One issue likely to get attention is his handling of a sensitive family matter: allegations that one of his sons was involved in the hanging of a stray dog at a Boy Scout camp in 1998.

It is Newsweek, so the story goes into plenty of detail. Nothing makes the media, and arrogant pompous elites in general, happier than talking about the failures of Christians, particularly those who are boldly proud of their religious beliefs like Mike Huckabee. In the mind of an elitist, a flaw in a Christian is considered an example a hypocrite. John Bailey probably has enough stories to last through the election, so this should get interesting. I'll point out the obvious, all the "John Bailey" types from the Clinton Governor administration are either very rich, very discredited, or very dead.

The media tactic of burning a Christian at the proverbial stake is effective though, ironically it will ultimately prove to be particularly effective in turning off Christian Conservatives, who fall for the same bag of tricks every time expecting to believe all Christians are perfect, divorces never end messy, and abortion is the most important issue facing America. I have no idea why these attacks are so effective in turning off voters, but somehow the hypocrite label works very well against Christian conservative voters.

First the media will go after David Huckabee to lay the groundwork for questionable parenting skills for Mike, attacking his position as a family values candidate, attempting to undermine his moral message, and add some subtle implications of "special favors" and abuse of power by the Governor. It will be followed later with stories about Sarah Huckabee using nicknames like "Drunkabee" and imply more "special favors" and abuse of power by the Governor. In her case, the stories will mostly date back to high school because when she would be picked up for being underage and drinking, she would get a car ride home (or someone would go get her). Just in case you are wondering, yes when the media tells these stories, they all true.

Except the special favors part. I know that from personal experience and because I know people who were there. Yea, the Governor probably got a call and yes no one usually goes to jail in the underage drinking incidents that will be implied, but in Little Rock and surrounding areas that happens a lot..., it happened to me when I was growing up.

It isn't about being special, it is about being a youth, and the cops are worried about crime, not youth being youth. My parents picked me up at the police station at least 3 times when I was in High School, at least twice for alcohol. What made my friends and I special? Nothing, but my friends and I got the same treatment as the rich kids because like them, we stayed out of trouble and our only crime would be drinking alcohol on occasion. It wasn't about race or sex, it was about behavior. Drinking underage is illegal, but if you had a designated driver the LRPD would respect the kids of being responsible. If you weren't causing trouble, they might call your parents, but none of my friends ever got charged a crime for simply having drank alcohol. That doesn't make the LRPD bad, it demonstrates that in the 90s at least, they were tuned into the community.

Observe the irony, the media will bulldoze a few kids who have never had a chance to introduce themselves, will give them reputations that fit a political agenda, and do it for the purpose of attacking the family values of a political candidate. It will probably be effective as a political tactic, but as a father and someone who grew up in the same place and the same atmosphere, who knows many people who grew up the same way (minus the political attention aspect) I think what they will do to the Huckabee kids is disgusting.