Huckabee Calls Knee-Jerk GOP Attacks On Obama 'Deplorable' And 'Shameful'

During a relatively unnoticed speech in early November, former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee said he found it "deplorable" and "shameful" that his fellow Republicans were attacking the president for even the most trivial or well-intentioned matters.

Appearing before the Hudson Union Society to discuss his forthcoming book, "A Simple Christmas", Huckabee took umbrage with the criticism levied by some conservatives over Obama's visit to Dover Air Force base to see the coffins of returning soldiers.

When he [Barack Obama] was at Dover the other day, and went there to pay respect for soldiers, I heard a lot of people on the Right say "Aw, that's just a cheap photo-op." No, I think it was the Commander-in-Chief of our military paying respect to a dead soldier, and I'm grateful that he did that, and I was proud of him for doing that. And I think we all -- as Americans -- should give him credit for doing that.

He continued:

When he and Michele hosted the tricker-treaters on Halloween, quit finding something wrong with that. Say "Good, I'm glad that he and the First Lady are treating children to an experience at the White House." And I just find it deplorable that some people on my end of the aisle want to find everything wrong and nothing right about the man as a man.

The underlying point, Huckabee concluded, was that knee-jerk criticism to the president was counter-productive to civil debate. "I hated it when people did that to George Bush," he said. "They couldn't even laugh at the man's jokes they found something wrong with everything and if we do that to Barack Obama, then shame on us, shame on us. No wonder our country is so divided when that happens."

The remarks are fairly vintage Huckabee -- who, for all the firebrand conservative talking points he espouses, has maintained a image and reputation for Southern amiability. It also seems likely to spur even greater anger at his politics among the die-hard conservatives who regarded him with suspicion in 2008. As the conservative site GOP12 -- which first posted on the exchange -- pointed out, Huckabee's remarks came one day after Rush Limbaugh appeared on Fox News Sunday, during which he criticized Obama for his trip to Dover.

The video of the Huckabee exchange can be viewed here. It starts at roughly the 25 minute mark.

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Comments

[protagonia]

11:19 AM on 11/27/2009

All the "Sensible Trolls" are here today to defend their "Sensible" candidate.

Nice try, kids.

[Wilbur]

08:15 AM on 11/23/2009

Careful, Huck. What you said ain't gonna sit well with Chuck Norris!

Wilbur

[jimf1673]

07:39 AM on 11/23/2009

Absolutely, for sure, I am no fan of Mr. Huckabee. But he sure got it right on this one. What good does it do to constantly criticize someone else, or constantly say no? If you have an alternative to offer, some better way to do it - then say specifically what it is. Otherwise: SUSD. (That's a common saying where I live meaning "Shut up, sit down").

[jfff7773]

12:15 PM on 11/22/2009

Huckabee is, after all, an old school principled Conservative. Not at all a part of the purely political GOP establishment or the fanatical wingnuts controlling the Rightist agenda. Disagreeing w/ his beliefs gives me no pause to salute his integrity or well meaning. He's a "countrified" W.F.Buckley, a pure product of his environment and own internal sense of right and wrong. He's totally acceptable as a worthy, principled, opposition.

[Altruth]

09:35 AM on 11/22/2009

Huck, TOO LATE, the parade is over and you are in the empty streets whispering what bad things they said about our AWESOME President - Too Late! You have no credibility and we remember what you said in South Carolina about the FLAG - Sooooo NO White House for YOU!

[lebec]

03:15 PM on 11/23/2009

too late to be right?
too late to be helpful?
too late to be of value?
I think you need a nap and 15 minutes of looking at the stars on a clear night.
(and if you don't know what I mean, try it out).
peace

[Opus Loki]

09:16 AM on 11/22/2009

Some of you here are just what you say you hate; hypocites. Like the man, don't like the man. Agree with his political views or don't but give credit where it's due. He spoke out about civility, dignity. That is not a Christian, Republican, Democratic, Islamic, Jewish value; it's a humanitarian value. What he said was very dignified.

[260Parkway]

06:57 AM on 11/22/2009

Is this the same man of the cloth that made a joke about the president ducking bullets when a chair fell to the floor last year?

[Altruth]

09:42 AM on 11/22/2009

One in the Same!

[FantasticFourFan]

11:45 PM on 11/21/2009

If Obama appearing at Dover was a photo op, what was it when Bush stood on top of the wreckage of the Twin Towers? The complaint that gets me is the one about teleprompters. After Bush started a war based on lies and got thousands killed for no good reason you expect us to take THAT seriously as a criticsm?

Others have pointed out those "christians" wearing shirts calling for God to strike Obama down. I think we need to stay on this. They need to be held accountable for their hatred.

[Scarborian]

02:11 AM on 11/22/2009

They are not Christians. Claiming to be Napoleon doesn't make you Napoleon and claiming to be a Christian doesn't make you a Christian.

[Jacob77030]

04:26 AM on 11/22/2009

I haven't seen these t-shirts but it doesn't surprise me. When they need something struck down it's God. When they need something saves and loved it's Jesus.

[UncleJimbo]

07:29 PM on 11/21/2009

Huckabee is the kind of Ned Flanders Chr!stian I'd like to have as a neighbour but I would not let him and his repressive religious views anywhere near an elected Political Office because he doesn't know the difference between the B!ble and the Constitution!

[LynndaMaree]

09:18 PM on 11/21/2009

Added On May 16, 2008
At the annual NRA meeting, Mike Huckabee joked that a loud noise was Sen. Barack Obama ducking from a gun.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/05/16/sot.huckabee.jokes.obama.cnn

[lynettema]

03:36 PM on 11/21/2009

We need more Republicans with enough courage to stand u to the hatred coming out of their party. Next week Huckabee will probably have to say something nasty to satisfy the blood lust of the base of his party. Sad.

[InYourWorld]

03:51 PM on 11/21/2009

While Huckabee has his beliefs he always acts respectful towards others even if he doesnt agree with them. We need more politicians that act like mature adults and not schoolyard bullies.

[Altruth]

09:46 AM on 11/22/2009

WRONG!

Poster "260Parkway" just reminded us that Huck was the one who stated:

"Is this the same man of the cloth that made a joke about the president ducking bullets when a chair fell to the floor last year??

Also, remember what he said about the Flag in South Carolina last year during the election process?

Huck is NOT a Keeper - No White House for him!

[mari2JJ]

10:30 PM on 11/21/2009

Yes, finally a Republican who is willing to take responsibility for the fallen Republican name. Most people in my party stood by silently as George Bush mucked our country with war, debt and insanity. I do not know if Mr Huckabee is in agreement with me on this issue, but his statement is one of the first from a Republican who assumes any responsibility for any problems our party has. For 8 years our party let Bush run wild without holding him to any standard of achievement or sensible behavior. And, on the George Bush watch, 9-11 did happen. Sadly, Bin Laden was an old family friend of the Bush family but in the end. OBL felt he could get away with the hideous bombing in spite of his footsie playing with the Bush family. I always said, who would want to be the next president after the MESS George Bush ended up handing the next President. One wonders if the whole thing can ever be salvaged after he ran things in the ground so much.

[Scarborian]

02:16 AM on 11/22/2009

Huckabee is a frustrating politician. Half the time he makes really good sense and I find myself liking him but the other half of the time he is away with the fairies. That still makes him one of the most of plausible members of the GOP.

[wendy82551]

02:20 PM on 11/21/2009

It seems to me we can't have it both ways. We can't decry the crappy personal politics of the far right and demand that they stand up against the lousy tactics and then trash them when they do that.

I don't have a thing in common with Huckabee politically, but I applaud his statement. It's about time someone of his stature said it. If we can't beat him on the merits of the argument, there's no point in playing the game.

[xxpossum]

02:12 PM on 11/21/2009

I seem to recall the Huckster saying the country had to be purged of abomination, that we dont need the Bill of Rights just the book of leviticus. Sounds like sedition and theocracy to me

[crease]

01:36 PM on 11/21/2009

It`s really a shame that the Huckleberry won`t get folks on the right to come together and get over the hate and misuse of the Bible to attack the POTUS and his family.This is not America !!!!!!!!

[crease]

01:33 PM on 11/21/2009

Funny coming from a fear mongering hater who happens to be a minister,once aHYPOCRITTER always a HYPOCRITTER.Is he he trying to revise history again because as I recall he said something about a "BULLET" at Obama,some body correct me if I am wrong.

[aces33]

12:50 PM on 11/21/2009

IF IT WAS SINCERE THEN GREAT BUT IF NOT THATS SHAMEFUL AND DEPLORABLE CONSIDERING HE CALLS HIMSELF A CHRISTIAN! IT AMAZES ME THE PEOPLE WHO CALLS THEMSELVES CHRISTIANS ARE THE ONES WHO ARE SPEWING THE MOST HATE, AND PREJUDICE I'VE EVER SEEN!!! THEY ARE GIVING THE LORD AND SAVIOR A VERY BAD NAME.REMEBER CHRISTIANS YOU WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR YOUR BEHAVIORS AND THE WAY YOU'VE REPRESENTED CHRIST! HE SAID MANY SHALL SAY TO HIM LORD LORD I BELIEVED IN YOU AND I DID ALL THESES THINGS AND I WAS A CHRISTIAN. AND HE WILL SAY "GET AWAY FROM ME YOU WORKER OF INIQUITY I NEVER KNEW YOU".