Deal Hudson on "Mike Huckabee's Anti-Catholic Problem"
Deal Hudson writes at InsideCatholic.com:
Gov. Mike Huckabee will be a major player in the run for the GOP presidential nomination regardless of whether he finishes first or second in the Iowa Caucus. As in Iowa, Evangelical voters will undergird his efforts in Michigan (Jan 18), South Carolina (Jan 26), and Florida (Jan 29).See also "When Does Anti-Catholicism Become Substantive?".
Huckabee, however, will need Catholic voters to win in states like Michigan and Florida, not to mention the many Catholic-heavy states on February 5 and 9. Prospects for Huckabee attracting Catholic voters are not good, and they are getting worse.
That's because Mike Huckabee is developing an anti-Catholic problem.
When the former Southern Baptist minister spoke at Cornerstone Church in San Antonio on December 23, he evidently did not know that the pastor, Rev. John Hagee, has a long record of statements about the Catholic Church that the Catholic League has labeled as anti-Catholic.
***
... it's not the first time Huckabee has been associated with anti-Catholic rhetoric. Back in June, in the build-up to the Ames Straw Poll, a Huckabee supporter, Rev. Tim Rude, sent out a blast e-mail containing the following:Huckabee is an Evangelical. He has not learned how to speak to Evangelicals; i.e. Bush 41 & 43. He is one of us. I know Senator Brownback converted to Roman Catholicism in 2002.In the days that followed, the Brownback campaign asked Huckabee to join them in condemning Rude's email.
Frankly, as a recovering Catholic myself, that is all I need to know about his discernment when compared to the Governor's. I don't know if this fact is widely known among Evangelicals who are supporting Brownback. (Emphasis added)
He never did.
It should have been apparent then, as it is now, that Huckabee does not understand the reality of lingering anti-Catholic attitudes among some Evangelicals and other religious groups. If he did, he would never have accepted the invitation to speak at Hagee’s church.
[More]
Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
National Catholic Register Asks: "Will Brownbackers Back Huckabee?"
"Pro-Life" Candidate Huckabee Clueless on Mexico City Policy
Huckabee Campaign Criticizes Pope for Long Vacation, Extended Stay in Summer Residence
Huckabee Campaign: "How Dare Sam Brownback Take Time Off from Campaigning for His 25th Anniversary?"
Deal Hudson Rips Evangelical Pastor (a Former Catholic) for Disparaging Sen. Brownback's Catholicism
Labels: Anti-Catholicism, Elections
posted by Pro Ecclesia 9:45 AM
5 comments
5 Comments:
I don't know any Catholics in Iowa that support Mike Huckabee. His supporters are very anti-Catholic, I've seen it first-hand. Its horrible. Most Catholics here are supporting McCain, and some towards Fred Thompson.
Whether anyone wants to admit it, Baptists and Evangelicals have really hurt the Republican Party. The GOP was making some head way with traditional conservatives strapping on the Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater when the neo-cons made up primarily of the “religious right” hijacked the party, thinking that they alone could wield the mighty ring…a bit like Boromer in the Lord of Rings. But as we have seen with our present and past Evangelical/Baptist presidents, lawmakers, and bureaucrats, the power of the ring proved too much for them to handle. (That’s why limited government is what the founders intended Pastors Hagee, Roberson, Huckabee, Bush, Clinton, and Dobson!)
Truth be it told, this is one Roman Catholic very tired of evangelical America and would like to see a return to, at the very least, Protestant America.
Huckabee addressed this issue directly in Catholic Online.
I covered it in my blog - View from the Choir (there's a link there).
There's lots of Catholics who are backing him.
Lee;
Walking down the street with the Bishop of Arkansas while marching for pro-life is one thing, but not condemning Hagee’s anti-Catholic bashing is another. You are quick to denounce Ron Paul on your blog site for being critical of Lincoln and Reagan, but you give Huckabee a pass, and yet his Evangelical/Baptist pastor cohorts still call us the “Whore of Babylon” and the Vatican “Satan’s Synagogue.” Maybe you need to go back to drawing board friend.
Evangelicals bashing Catholics is a kin to their bashing of Jews prior to 1980s when it was more fashionable. The Huckster needs to come clean. Maybe in all of the attacks on Romney, maybe one thing is becoming quite clear; a large amount of bigotry resides in the Evangelical/Baptist house.
Governor Huckabee Speaks with Catholic Online
Huckabee and Catholics
Should Catholics Like Mike?
Governor Huckabee Addresses Anti-Catholicism and Abortion
Mike Huckabee Renounces John Hagee's Anti-Catholic Rhetoric
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