The field of potential Republican candidates for president is, to be kind, a pitiful lot, but some of them are just plain dumb.
Let’s look at Mike Huckabee, who led all comers in a new Winthrop University poll of Southern voters with almost 22%.
Huckabee, whose appeal is primarily among white evangelical voters, is set to undertake a book tour of the South next week, where his recent stupid statements on Barack Obama’s childhood will, no doubt, serve him well.
A few days ago, on a right-wing whack job’s radio show, Huckabee got caught up in the whack job’s invective about Obama’s birth certificate and 
managed to move the conversation down from there. For those who haven’t read the exchange between Huck and Steve Malzberg, here it is in all its colossal idiocy:
MALZBERG: Don’t you think it’s fair also to ask him, I know your stance on this. How come we don’t have a health record, we don’t have a college record, we don’t have a birth cer – why Mr. Obama did you spend millions of dollars in courts all over this country to defend against having to present a birth certificate. It’s one thing to say, I’ve — you’ve seen it, goodbye. But why go to court and send lawyers to defend against having to show it? Don’t you think we deserve to know more about this man?
HUCKABEE: I would love to know more. What I know is troubling enough. And one thing that I do know is his having grown up in Kenya, his view of the Brits, for example, very different than the average American. When he gave the bust back to the Brits —
MALZBERG: Of Winston Churchill.
HUCKABEE: The bust of Winston Churchill, a great insult to the British. But then if you think about it, his perspective as growing up in Kenya with a Kenyan father and grandfather, their view of the Mau Mau Revolution in Kenya is very different than ours because he probably grew up hearing that the British were a bunch of imperialists who persecuted his grandfather.
Now, obviously Huckabee’s basic facts are all wrong: Obama didn’t grow up in Kenya. And he therefore didn’t grow up with his father and grandfather there. In fact, he didn’t grow up with them at all, anywhere. He only met his father one time, and he spent most of his childhood in Hawaii, as everyone outside the South and the Republican Party knows.
And Huckabee’s attempt to subsequently explain his idiocy is even worse than the original statements, because he had ample time to think about the explanation. A spokesman first said Huckabee simply “misspoke,” claiming Huckabee meant to say Obama grew up in Indonesia. Now, you can go back to that conversation and substitute Indonesia and you will find this:
But then if you think about it, his perspective as growing up in Indonesia with an Indonesian father and grandfather, their view of the Mau Mau Revolution in Indonesia is very different than ours because he probably grew up hearing that the British were a bunch of imperialists who persecuted his grandfather.
You can see how dumb it was to say he misspoke and meant Indonesia. That turns Obama’s father and grandfather into Indonesians and moves the Mau Mau Revolution out of Kenya, which is kind of strange since that’s where it happened and since the Mau Mau anti-colonialists were most definitely Kenyans, unless they all forged their birth certificates, which is just as likely as Obama forging his.
But then to make it worse, Huckabee published a statement on his blog, not only reaffirming that he meant to say Indonesia instead of Kenya, but claiming that he always knew there was no issue with Obama’s birth certificate and then blaming the New York Times for sensationalizing the story! He then compared Obama’s “57 states” gaffe to his Kenyan gaffe, as if they were somehow qualitatively the same.
Dumb, dumb, dumb. But that’s what you get when you play in the sandbox with idiot birthers.
Besides the obvious, my problem with all this, in terms of Huckabee’s qualifications to lead the country, is that even if he in fact believes there is no issue with Obama’s birthplace, why didn’t he tell Malzberg that? Why did he allow himself to get caught up in the spirit of that wacky moment? Why didn’t he have the guts to set him and his listeners straight? What kind of bleeping leader is that?
The truth is that Huckabee, like so many Republicans and so many Southerners, wants to keep alive the notion that Obama is “the other,” not one of “us,” not a real American.
It’s shameless, and it should disqualify Huckabee from doing anything outside his Fox “News” gig. Unfortunately, though, for so many Republicans, it makes him more attractive.
The Erstwhile Conservative: A Blog of Repentance 
SpinnyLiberal
/ March 2, 2011The truth is that Huckabee, like so many Republicans and so many Southerners, wants to keep alive the notion that Obama is “the other,” not one of “us,” not a real American.
Brilliant.
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Gene Garman
/ March 2, 2011In case someone has not viewed this:
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Duane Graham
/ March 3, 2011Thanks, Gene. This has to be the strangest and most disgusting issue ever surrounding an American president. And it just happens to be an African-American president. Go figure.
Duane
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Jim Wheeler
/ March 2, 2011I see only one difference between Mr. Huckabee’s lies and those of the Westboro Baptist Church demonstrators. While both benefit from the First Amendment’s protection and both messages defy common sense, the demonstrators’ message is almost universally unwelcomewhereas there is a sizable part of the population that wantsto believe Huckabee’s. There is also a chance that, while I doubt that Mr. Huckabee is a fan of Dr. Goebbles’, the two of them have similarinstincts for public persuasion. The following is an excerpt from the Wikipedia article on Joseph Goebbles:
“Goebbels rose to power in 1933 along with Hitler and the Nazi Party and he was appointed Propaganda Minister One of his first acts was the burning of books rejected by the Nazis. He exerted totalitarian control over the media, arts and information in Germany. In that position, he perfected the Big Lietechnique of propaganda, which is based on the principle that a lie, if audacious enough and repeated enough times, will be believed by the masses.”
Here is the link for those too young to remember (a large majority of the readership I dare say):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Goebbels#Propaganda_Minister
Jim W.
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Duane Graham
/ March 3, 2011Jim,
I’m glad you brought up Goebbels. While I generally object to comparisons with Nazis, not all such comparisons are invalid or inappropriate. Huckabee’s lies, as distinguished from Huckabee himself, are Goebbels-ish in the sense that just the mere persistence of such nonsense chips away at the good sense of those who think, “Why doesn’t this stuff go away? There must be something to it.” That idea, that there must be something to it, is the desired result.
And the Westboro comparison is right on. In a better world, the birther nonsense would meet the same kind of universal condemnation as what the nuts at Westboro are doing. But despite the pride that a sizeable number of Americans took with the election of an African-American president, there are still substantial numbers of Americans who just can’t accept it.
And, sadly, there are at least a couple of potential Republican presidential candidates among them.
Duane
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Jane Reaction
/ March 10, 2011Jim: Joseph Goebbels would be impressed with our DHS operation, the fastest-growing Ministry in the government, both in new and expensive employees and hidden black ops cash.
What would have creamed Herr Goebbels jeans would be the regime’s overwhelming control of the methods of molding public opinion, the complete control of the media, and the gaming techniques of the most advanced miitary-corporate partnerships imaginable.
And let me say here, that when I was assigned to the Field Artillery School in 1976, I was constantly amazed at what just the things our branch was creating. For example things like GPS, which was mostly, in it’s infancy, developed for spotting and plotting artillery targets.
It is beyond my imagination, now, to suppose the types and kinds of hardware and software and systems that must now be availabe to modern warfare.
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Huckabee Schmuckabee
/ March 2, 2011While Huckabee certainly has his facts on Obama’s geographical childhood wrong read his writings and observe his actions. They are more of the type one would expect from a person seeing England and the U.S. as colonial opressors than someone who grew up within the lower 48 being taught of the America/England liberator philosophy.
One of the first things Obama did after taking office was to return the bust of Churchill given to Bush by Blair after 9/11. To Blair and Bush Churchill a symbol of steadfastness and leadership in the time of adversity. To someone who had family persecuted under Churchill’s country quite a diferent symbol indeed.
Obama is most certainly an American by geography but his world view is anything but traditional as taught in the lower 48 during the 60’s and 70’s. Whether that view is right or wrong is certainly open for debate but it cannot be denied Obama has a world view different from any seen in President’s previoius.
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Duane Graham
/ March 3, 2011Huck Smuck,
While there is a good possibility you may be Geoff Caldwell in Internet drag, for the benefit of others, I will respond to your comment anyway.
1) The British were colonial oppressors. Some people want to forget that and some don’t. Perhaps you forgot that we had to kick them out of here a while back.
2) The idea that Obama returned the Churchill bust because Churchill imprisoned his grandfather makes a nice story, but it is mere speculation. There is no evidence for it. And what if he did? So what? Churchill, in case you forgot, was an oppressor in Kenya, wasn’t he? And, in case you forgot, he was not an American, which leads me to the next item:
3) Obama replaced the bust with one of Lincoln, his hero. It’s amazing that Americans would object to that, but we live in interesting times, especially since we have an African-American president, which generates all kinds of dark speculation like yours.
4 There seems to be a suggestion in your comment that Hawaiians are not real Americans. Are Texans real Americans? How about those from Alabama? I find right-wingers from Alabama and Georgia to be much more estranged from American values than any “foreigner” from Hawaii.
5) Just exactly what is a “traditional” world view? Did Jimmy Carter, for instance, have one? Does he still have it? I doubt if Carter and Obama’s worldviews are all that different, in terms of international relations, but I don’t recall Carter being considered as an “outsider,” not one of “us.” But then he was a white Southerner, which automatically makes him an American, doesn’t it?
6) Finally, you admit Huckabee has his facts wrong? Why doesn’t he admit it? Instead of falling back on the outrageous claim that he misspoke, why doesn’t he just admit he got it all wrong? He is, after all, a preacher. He should understand something about repentance.
Duane
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juan don
/ March 3, 2011Duane,
The Churchill bust was loaned to President Bush by the British government after 9-11. After he won reelection, the loan was extended to the end of his second term. President Obama replaced Churchill’s bust with one of Lincoln. Churchill’s head is now resting comfortably in the British ambassador’s residence.
http://mediamatters.org/blog/201103020011
Huckabee fits right in with Fox “News” programming.
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Duane Graham
/ March 3, 2011Juan,
I like this line from the article, which sums it all up:
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Huckabee Schmuckabee
/ March 3, 2011Mediamatters is less objective than even the Fox news you love to hate Don. Check the British stories of the time and you will find it was anything but a cordial “loan return” by Obama. There was demand for it’s immediate return, Obama took it upon himself to get it out of the White House as fast as he could.
As for Duane, has nothing to do with Hawaiians being real Americans has to do with who Obama’s mother, father and his family influences were. He did not grow up in the lower 48 traditional America of the 60’s and 70’s and the British in Kenya most certainly seems to have played a part as well. As said in the previous comment didn’t mean it was right or wrong, just that this President has a world view not ever before seen in the White House.
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juan don
/ March 3, 2011Geoff (aka Huckabee Schumkabee, Sue, Tell the Truth, Terrence H, etc.),
I don’t hate Fox “News.” It’s called projection when words like hate are used to describe the mindset of another. I’m convinced that Fox is a phony cable news operation. I leave hate to haters and others who pose as political satirists.
I know you’ve been very busy of late, but would it be too much trouble to provide external information that supports your opinions? The AP reports that the bust of Churchill is sitting in the White House. I missed the update and thought it had been returned to the British ambassador’s residence. But the “where’s Churchill’s bust?” silliness is standard fare for a minority whose animus toward President Obama boarders on the pathological.
Speaking of minorities: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_03/028254.php
By the way, I prefer Sue over your other disguises. It would be even better if you changed it to A Boy Named Sue. As a professional satirist, I’m sure you understand how vital irony is to the literary genre.
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Duane Graham
/ March 3, 2011Juan,
From now on, it’s A Boy Named Sue. Perfect.
Duane
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hlgaskins
/ March 3, 2011“The field of potential Republican candidates for president is, to be kind, a pitiful lot, but some of them are just plain dumb.”
I think it would be more apt to say that the Republican candidates although not especially intelligent count on their constituents to be dumb.
“In case someone has not viewed this:”
I haven’t viewed it. Nice work!
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Tresco
/ March 7, 2011“this President has a world view not ever before seen in the White House”
Hmm. An American President who alledgedly has critical view of British Colonialism.
Shocking and inexplicable. /s *sighs*
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Duane Graham
/ March 7, 2011Tresco,
George Washington would find it difficult to get elected these days for his past anti-colonial views. At least Washington wasn’t born in Kenya or didn’t grow up in Indonesia and go to school in terrorist-training madrasas. Then we’d have to take his mug off all the money.
Duane
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Tresco
/ March 7, 2011Hello Duane.
Indeed.
I meant to say something else. In your article (which I thought was spot on), you asked
“Why did he allow himself to get caught up in the spirit of that wacky moment? Why didn’t he have the guts to set him and his listeners straight?”
One thing that hardly anyone has picked up on is that Steve Malzberg (the interviewer) isn’t just any old Conservative host.
He’s an out and out birther, talks about the ‘issue’ incessantly on his show, and has continuously invited numerous birfoon ‘luminaries’ to be guests.
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Duane Graham
/ March 8, 2011Tresco,
Nice point about Malzberg. I hope you read George Will’s slam of Huckabee and Gingrich, whom he labeled as,
Will’s column, although an oblique critique of Obama’s “academic mentality,” nevertheless correctly relegated these presidential pretenders to the fringe, where they belong.
Duane
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