GOP Group Relationships

I still think identifying social conservatives as Bush republicans after his disappointing fiscal record is fallacious.

We appreciated his willingness to adress the issues, but not the method he used. see my comment on jon's story about the Huckabee republican mindset 

I find it very revealing that people assume that Huckabee would pursue social big government policy at the federal level, when in his own administration, he did more streamlining of what was already there, than introduction of completely new. 

I think people assume that because he was a pastor he would go crazy on healthcare, education, poverty etc in a handout rather than hand up way. But look at his state.. He introcuded a system for private companies to give people incentives on their own dime to stay healthy..he didn't try to mandate free healthcare for all.

He consolodated a scattered ineffective educational burocracy and moved it out of the failing to the productive.

Everyone is complaining about Bad government in Washington.. here was a candidate with a proven track record of GOOD government..that worked.. was more limited when he left it than when he found it.. and that had a surplus to boot.

I never understood the hostility toward his approach. I have yet to find another governor who was able to balance the social and fiscal responisibilities of governing so well.

I think the definition of a Huckabee republican as a Bush republican is incorrect. As a Huckabee supporter, I found Bush's rampant spending for ineffective product, social or otherwise, very disturbing. One of the very things that draws me and 20,000 other grassroots supporters to Huckabee's cause is his proven ability to be as fiscally limited as he possibly can, while still achieving the desired result. We are not as virulently opposed to very limited taxation if we can see the ultimate benifit for the entire community down the road...but expansion on a massive scale is out of the question, and Huckabee has never expanded government exponentially. Raises here were offset by cuts there..the overall effect was one primarily of balance, or minimal increase for maximum benift.

There is no 'may or may not be interested in limited government' in the Huckabee republican camp..Nor would his administration if he ever had one be a 'Christian Democracy' that's just an FYI for those who may not know the inner workings of our thought processes.

Editors, I really wish you guys had a representative of the social conservative, Huckabee republican world view working closely with you. I don't think you really understand where we are coming from, and definitions like the one you made of Huckabee are more likely to piss us off than get us on board here. I would love to hope we have a place in shaping the discussion of what will go on here at the Next Right.

Bush in general hasn't been a bad president on issues of life, though in much of my panorama, I'd prefer he hadn't blown his political capital elsewhere.  His two successful SCOTUS picks have proven -- so far -- to be real winners, but don't forget his other pick, Harriet Miers.  History will, of course, eventually be the judge.

I find myself identifying with each of the circles above except Nixon and Paul.  That's a bit strange, since I worked on the 1972 ReElect the President program, but what did a 15-year-old know?  I think I once voted Libertarian, too, but youth does pass by oh so quickly.

I really like your diagram, GR.  I'm going to promote this momentarily. 
 Two quick things:

1. You were exactly right.  I had gone out to eat wth my wife. 

2. Huckabee's guiding principle is summed up in this quote: "Two things govern my political philosophy. One is the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto to you." And the other is Scripture from Matthew chapter 25, verse 40: "Inasmuch as you have done to the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me." I feel like that gives you real good ditches to drive between."

That's pretty straightforward Rawlsian liberalism.  Outside of the social stuff, it's very hard to see how Huckabee has much philosophical similarity to traditional conservatives. 

"Never sacrifice your principles for anybody's politics."

That's a meaningless cliche.  Any poltician could spout it.

Supports comprehensive tax reform (Fair tax),

It's quite interesting that Huckabee decided to latch onto a tax reform plan that is fundamentally unworkable and has pretty much zero chance in passing.

Supports Human Life Amendment, (pro-life from conception to natural death)

(shrug)  I never said he wasn't a social conservative.  Again, though, this has about as much chance of passing as I have of becoming President.   Zip.

Supports Comprehensive Immigration Reform, (Secure America Plan)

A road to DC, er, Damascus realization that he had better copy and paste the CIS immigration proposal is pretty meaningless in my book.

Supports Rebuilding Military to Reagan era levels.

Ah, limited government..  I'm not sure I saw anything in the items you mentioned that would remotely limit government. 

Gosh you can dump ice water on a girl's head...

The philosophy wasn't meant to be a 'conservative statement' just something that resonates with Huckabee republicans... with a washington full of flip flop conservatives, having someone who stands on something is valued to us.

The fair tax can happen if enough of the people communicate its viability to congress, we made big steps with raising its profile this cycle. Any body who really gets how the tax works realizes how much of a boost our economy would get from it. And its a working model in other countries, so its not an imaginary platform.

A 'conversion experience' is credible when it happens to someone who has proven to be a man of his word. Huckabee has delivered on EVERY campaign promise made at the state level, we assume he'd deliver at the federal level as well. Imagine what would happen if he REALLY delivered on that security plan..wow

Did Reagan finance his military with the capital earned from his tax reforms? Maybe the economic boost from the fair tax would provide similar resources?

I wasn't trying to prove that Huckabee Republicans belong to your GOP group...just what defines our GOP group. We are a little less about ideological purity and more about good government productivity I think..

I'm guessing you aren't a Huck fan

The fair tax can happen if enough of the people communicate its viability to congress

That's just it.  It's not viable.  Tax evasion and avoidance dramatically increases above about 12%.  At 30% tax rates - not including State sales taxes - evasion and avoidance would be enormous.  And that's just (allegedly) to make it revenue neutral at current levels.  You'd have to raise levels to make up for the additional spending government would have to do to pay sales tax on its purchases.   And while I think a shift towards a consumption tax would help the economy in some ways, I think the pie-in-the-sky assumptions about the fair tax driving down prices is grounded in a lot of wishful thinking.  Prices are determined by supply and demand, not by cost factors.

its a working model in other countries, so its not an imaginary platform.

Where?   Countries trying consumption taxes pretty invariably are forced to use a VAT, rather than an NST.  

Great chart, GR!

Kevin Boyd: I would let the "Status Quo Republicans" intersect with the Bush Republicans in the upper left with no further intersections.

Good point - Definitely agree!

Lynn: Where do the Republicans who can't abide John McCain fall? There is a large group of Republicans who will support McCain only to be sure Obama doesn't win. They dislike McCain intensely but are too terrified of Obama to sit out.

Sounds like Status Quo Republicans to me, based on the chart.  “Winning is everything.”

And on the Huckabee discussion, why not classify him as a Progressive Republican?