Huckabee and Obama: A Study in
Contrasts
By
STAR PARKER
Founder & PRESIDENT
COALITION ON URBAN RENEWAL & EDUCATION
In almost poetic
lockstep, Republican and Democratic caucus voters in Iowa rejected
the political establishment. In picking Mike Huckabee and Barack
Obama, they selected candidates who, at this time last year,
conventional wisdom would have deemed inconceivable. Beyond this
common denominator, and equally fascinating, is the fact that these
two candidates and two political stories are mirror images of each
other. Huckabee a traditional values conservative and Obama a
boilerplate liberal. And, of the leading candidates in Iowa,
Huckabee spending the least money and Obama the most.
To the extent that
these caucus outcomes point to the themes that will define this
upcoming election, and I believe they do, we can expect a national
referendum about what America is about today.
Regarding Obama, this
is, of course, a great and moving story. The historic significance
cannot be lost. Iowa Democrats, in a state whose population is
perhaps 2 percent black, decisively picked a black man to be their
candidate for president of the United States.
For anyone who
follows public opinion polls, it's not news that race is no longer a
factor of significance in American political choices. But to see
this translate into hard reality is something else and sends a very
important message to blacks and all Americans about what a great
country this is.
But in understanding
the Obama candidacy, we must go beyond recognizing that this is not
about race. It is about who Obama is, and this is the story that
will play out in this election.
Obama not only
obliterates the lines on race, but he also obliterates the lines on
everything else. The end of the racial line is a great achievement.
But the other points of demarcation we do need.
I am talking about
the lines that define right and wrong in the sense of our religious
traditions. The lines that define family and establish the standard
by which we measure its health and breakdown. The lines that we have
used in the past to instruct our children about how to manage and
direct their sexual impulses.
I am also talking
about the lines in our nation's Constitution that draw a boundary
where the federal government belongs and does not belong. And the
lines that define property and ownership that go beyond our
Constitution and reach to our ancient truths and traditions (Thou
Shalt Not Steal).
The lines from our
traditions that provide crucial direction for managing ourselves
(Thou Shalt Not Covet) and the crucial line that defines the very
beginning of life.
Unfortunately, these
are lines that liberals, and Sen. Obama is certainly one, no longer
see as relevant. If getting rid of these lines is what he and his
enthusiasts mean by change, we'll have a chance to see what our
nation at large thinks about this.
Everything Sen. Obama
is not, Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, is.
The story in Iowa was
the large and enthusiastic turnout of evangelical Christians and
their unequivocal support of him.
Huckabee's trouncing
of Mitt Romney, despite being outspent by a factor something like 15
to 1, is a great political story. It has turned doubters into
believers, and it's now appreciated that he is a real and viable
national candidate. The "Huckaboom" has been evident in that he has
soared in national polling along with his emergence in Iowa.
I found it
particularly rewarding that Huckabee even finished first among Iowa
Republicans who said that their No. 1 issue was terrorism.
Clearly, the man is
touching Americans. The plethora of televised national debates
played a critical role, making it possible to get to know him
without his having to have tens of millions on hand to spend on ads.
The road out of Iowa
is, of course, long, and many chapters remain after this first one.
There's a lot of talk
about an independent run – possibly Michael Bloomberg.
To the extent history
tells us anything, third-party candidates only serve to be spoilers.
I don't believe
Americans today are looking for political technicians. I think they
want to reach down, rediscover and re-embrace the principles that
have made this such a great nation.
I see a hint of
prevailing sentiment in a Gallup poll of last week asking voters how
important a consideration "family values" will be in their selection
of a candidate. Seventy-five percent replied either "extremely
important" or "very important."
Huckabee and Obama
are studies in contrasts that draw a line that will define this
election. Stay tuned.
---------------------------------
Star Parker is president of the
Coalition on Urban Renewal & Education and author of the new book
White Ghetto: How Middle Class America Reflects Inner City Decay.
Prior to her involvement in social
activism, Star Parker was a single welfare mother in Los Angeles,
California. After receiving Christ, Star returned to college,
received a BS degree in marketing and launched an urban Christian
magazine. The 1992 Los Angeles riots destroyed her business, yet
served as a springboard for her focus on faith and market-based
alternatives to empower the lives of the poor.
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