Abortion and Reproductive Rights - Supports Federal Ban:
Huckabee not only supports overturning Roe v. Wade, but also supports a federal abortion ban.
Death Penalty - Retentionist:
Huckabee authorized 17 executions during his 11 years as Arkansas governor, but describes it as "unquestionably the worst part of my job as governor" and says that he "hated every minute of it."
Other Criminal Justice Issues - Tends to Support Rehabilitation:
Despite his support for the death penalty, Huckabee is arguably the most progressive Republican on most criminal justice issues. At a September 2007 event, for example, he said:
We really don't have so much a crime problem in this country. We have a drug and alcohol problem. We've got to quit locking up all the people that we're mad at and lock up the people that we're really afraid of, the people who are sexual predators and violent offenders. But the nonsense of three strikes and you're out has created a system that is overrun with people, and the cost is choking us.
The First Amendment - Position Not Entirely Clear:
Despite his history as a Southern Baptist minister and former president of the Arkansas Baptist Conference, Huckabee's history on church-state issues has not been particularly distressing. His record on other First Amendment issues tends to be something of a mystery, though he has repeatedly expressed concern that some federal campaign finance reform proposals would violate the First Amendment.
Immigrants' Rights - Moderate, Best Republican Candidate:
Huckabee's position on immigrants' rights can be described as the strongest of any Republican candidate. As governor he opposed a proof-of-citizenship voting law, discouraged government raids, and supported an in-state tuition rate for undocumented residents. Although his bold positions on these issues are refreshing, pro-immigration voters should be aware of the fact that he also supports increased border security (and even received the endorsement of Minutemen founder Jim Gilchrist).
Lesbian and Gay Rights - Supports Federal Marriage Amendment:
Huckabee is one of the worst candidates on lesbian and gay rights issues. He supports a federal amendment banning same-sex marriage, opposes civil unions, supports "don't ask, don't tell," and opposes both the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the addition of sexual orientation and gender identity to federal hate crime laws. About the kindest thing that can be said about Huckabee on this issue is that his rhetoric tends to be less hateful than most who share his perspective.
Race and Equal Opportunity - Strong Candidate:
Huckabee established a statewide racial reconciliation initiative in Arkansas in 1997, and has repeatedly criticized racial disparities in the criminal justice system. It would be accurate to describe him as one of the best Republicans running on civil rights issues, though the 2008 Republican field is relatively weak on race and civil rights.
The Second Amendment - Gun Rights Supporter:
Huckabee holds an A rating from the National Rifle Association (NRA), and tends to strongly protect the right to bear arms.
War on Terror - Extremely Strong Candidate:
With the exception of Ron Paul, Huckabee is the best Republican candidate on post-9/11 civil liberties issues--condemning torture and ethnic profiling, and calling for the closure of Guantanamo Bay.
My Take:
Mike Huckabee confuses me. I would never vote for him, but he is the only candidate I've seen consistently support the positions of mainstream evangelical conservatism as I know it--combining socially conservative positions on abortion and gay rights with strikingly progressive positions on immigrants' rights and the criminal justice system. In my profile of Mitt Romney, I wrote that "there are candidates less libertarian than Mitt Romney, but none more cynical." There is no cynicism and very little flip-flopping to be found with Mike Huckabee; his positions sound less like the pandering of a demagogue than the beliefs we would expect a sincere Southern Baptist leader to have. This doesn't mean that he should be President of the United States--if he gets the nomination, a Democratic endorsement will be a no-brainer--but there is something appealing about the fact that he's a Religious Right candidate who actually belongs to the Religious Right, and not a hatemongering demagogue selling us the usual political snake oil. Huckabee is mainstream politics' best advocate for social conservatism since Ronald Reagan. His opponents, in both parties, underestimate him at their own risk.
