HUCKABEE, THE DIVIDER

Mike Huckabee's scorched-earth politics threatens to blow apart the entire winning Republican coalition. This is not 1700's England, where you ascend to power based on your religious beliefs; yet Huckabee seems to want it to be.

While it is easy to see why lefties like Bill Maher want him on their show to expolit, it becomes more and more difficult to understand how ANY self-respecting Republican could vote for this shyster. Mark Levin had this to say about the Huckster today:

Mike Huckabee: "Many of us who have been Republicans out of conviction . . . the social conservatives," he told reporters, "were welcomed in the party as long as we sort of kept our place, but Lord help us if we ever stood forward and said we would actually like to lead the party." More here.

Huckabee continues to use his faith as a weapon against those who question not his faith, but his political populism — much of which he shares with secular progressives. And he is clearly hoping to stir up resentment among Evangelical Christians against the other elements of the conservative movement and Republican Party as a way of encouraging them to vote in the caucuses and primaries. This is a tactic right out of Saul Alinsky's playbook. Of course he wants us to believe the Reagan coalition is dead because he cannot win with it intact. But he cannot win either the nomination or presidency with the narrow focus of his appeal. This is why I find Mike Huckabee's tactics and candidacy so deplorable.

UPDATE--DON'T MISS THIS LINK: A lot more big names in the Republican Party--especially Reaganites--are lining up against Huckabee. And with good reason.