'In a radio interview today, Mike Huckabee claimed that President Obama "has a different worldview and I think it is, in part, molded out of a very different experience. Most of us grew up going to Boy Scout meetings and, you know, our communities were filled with Rotary Clubs, not madrassas. And I just do think that there is - again, I am not saying he's not a citizen, I've never said that, I've said the opposite. I've never said he's a Muslim." '
A reminder: the Arabic word "madrasa" means school. I know that Huckabee is referring to the religious madrasas that have been funded by US ally Saudi Arabia, and unfortunately the word "madrasa" has become synonymous with those Wahhabi-influenced schools. But it's interesting that Huckabee himself graduated from a religious school, a Christian "madrasa" in Arkansas: "He graduated magna cum laude from Ouachita Baptist University, completing his bachelor's degree in Religion in 2½ years before attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas."
3 comments :
I'm disappointed that Huckabee even went there. It's hard to believe he was out there debunking Obama's harshest critics just last week. He said on feb. 25th that those calling Obama a Muslim or doubting his citizenship were wrong for it. He said a lot of nice things about Obama. Maybe he caught some flak for that speech and was pressured to balance the slate. Still, if he plans to run for President, he needs to run on his own merits, and not denigrate his opponent. One reason I've liked Huckabee unil now, is because he seemed like a genuinely nice guy. But, nice guys don't play this kind of politics.
It seems like he's trying to appease the extreme right wing that believe Obama is not one of us.
He can't win the Republican nomination without getting conservatives onboard. Problem is, if he's taking below the belt jabs along the way, it will come back to haunt him in the primaries. The winner of the next election will need strong support from Independents. Independents tend to be moderate on most issues. Dirty politics are a big turnoff to most Independents.
He's better off using the Reagan playbook. Reagan never made personal attacks. He was an old man talking about a bright future. That appealed to not only conservatives, but a lot of independents, and even blue collar democrats. I miss that kind of politician.
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