Mike Huckabee Sees the Hand of God. Again.
As has been widely reported, on Friday the thrice-married, nouveau Catholic Newt Gingrich declared, "We are living in a period where we are surrounded by paganism." But in less noticed remarks during the same "Rediscovering God in America" lectures, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee announced "a miracle from God's hand" was behind the approval of California's Proposition 8. Of course, for Huckabee, who repeatedly cited divine intervention to explain his surprising early success during the 2008 GOP presidential primaries, such visions are now routine.
Joining Gingrich and Iran-Contra villain turned Fox News regular Oliver North at Rock Church in Hampton Roads, Virginia, the former Baptist Minister and 2012 White House hopeful testified to God's role in furthering both the American Revolution and Huckabee's own reactionary social policies. As the Virginia Pilot recounted:
"The notion that we are just one of many among equals is nonsense," Huckabee said. The United States is a "blessed" nation, he said, calling American revolutionaries' defeat of the British empire "a miracle from God's hand."
The same kind of miracle, he said, led California voters to approve Proposition 8, which overturned a state law legalizing same-sex marriages.
Voters "did it because some things are right and some things are wrong and they had to make a stand."
And God, in the Governor's telling, stands with Mike Huckabee.
Back in December 2007, Huckabee attributed his dramatic surge in Iowa, a state he later won, to His divine intervention:
"There's only one explanation for it, and it's not a human one. It's the same power that helped a little boy with two fish and five loaves feed a crowd of 5,000 people and that's the only way that our campaign could be doing what it's doing.
And I'm not being facetious nor am I trying to be trite. There literally are thousands of people across who are praying that a little will become much and it has, and it defies all explanation. It has confounded the pundits, and I'm enjoying every minute of their trying to figure it out. And until they look at it from a just experience beyond human, they'll never figure it out. And that's probably just as well. That's honestly why it's happening."
Huckabee similarly gave the Lord props for his strong debate performances during the GOP primaries. Asked by BeliefNet if there were any moments during the campaign when he felt God's presence, Huckabee replied:
"Oh, absolutely. Especially some times in the debates when I get asked some question and I'm thinking, 'Oh my'...I felt like the Lord truly gave me wisdom and responses that were truly needed at that time."
As it turns out, Huckabee's communication with the Almighty goes both ways. Mike Huckabee doesn't merely follow Him on Twitter; he sends God direct messages as well/
Addressing a 2004 gathering of Republican governors, Huckabee playfully took a cell phone call from God, promising Him GOP support of His platform while assuming His backing for the Republican Party and President George W. Bush:
"We're behind [Bush], yes, sir, we sure are. Yes, sir, we know you don't take sides in the election. But, if you did, we kind of think you'd hang in there with us, Lord, we really do."
And as he revealed over a decade ago, the Governor doesn't just speak to God, he speaks for Him. At the CNN/YouTube debate in November 2007, Huckabee adroitly deflected a question on Jesus' position on the death penalty, announcing to applause from the GOP faithful that "Jesus was too smart to ever run for public office." But ten years earlier in 1997, Huckabee claimed unique insight into Christ's likely support for capital punishment:
"Interestingly enough, if there was ever an occasion for someone to have argued against the death penalty, I think Jesus could have done so on the cross and said, 'This is an unjust punishment and I deserve clemency.'"
And so it goes. But Mike Huckabee isn't content to appropriate God to insult millions of his fellow citizens or abuse U.S. history. As he showed by urging Americans to be "soldiers for Christ" in "God's army" and create a faith-based Constitution, Mike Huckabee is looking to the future as the right hand of the Lord.
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People like that make me wish I were Zeus so I could chuck a few lightning bolts his way.
Posted by Barry Schwartz on June 7, 2009 11:15 AMWhy do you folks pay any attention to Huckabee, Gingrich and their ilk, they all are one nut short of being fruitcakes.
Posted by Steve Pattie on June 7, 2009 8:27 PMIn a town without a name, in a heavy downpour..thought he passed his own shadow, by the backstage door..like a trip through the past, to that day in the rain..and that one guitar made his whole life change
Now he needs to keep rockin', he just can't stop..gotta keep on rockin, that boy has got to stay on top - Foreigner
Posted by RockE on June 8, 2009 2:02 PM