Huckabee Presidential Candidate Forum: Is a Santorum Surprise in Iowa Possible?

The Republican Presidential Forum hosted by Mike Huckabee is precisely what the American people need and deserve as we approach the first Caucus in Iowa and the most important election in my lifetime. In fact, after viewing it, I suggest all other planned debates be cancelled. We should let the former Governor from Arkansas hold several more of these forums. The public would be much better served.

WASHINGTON,DC (Catholic Online) - During the last US Presidential campaign I was an outspoken fan of Mike Huckabee, the former Governor of Arkansas, in his valiant underdog effort to obtain the Republican nomination. I wrote several articles concerning his positions. I also had the privilege of interviewing him for Catholic Online. Now, years later, I am even more disappointed that he did not succeed in his quest. The man is the "real deal" as they say.  He did surprise many back then when he actually won the Iowa Caucus and turned the tables on the prognosticators. Fortunately, withdrawing from that Presidential campaign was not the end of Mike Huckabee's influence. He went on to take his place as one of the best commentators on policy and political issues, hosting his own prime time television show on Fox Network. I had the occasion to attend a meeting with him last year and was deeply impressed with his integrity, sincerity and courage on the issues which matter most in this critical hour. Given my respect for the man - and even though I weary of what pretend to be "Presidential debates" these days - on Saturday, December 3, 2011, I made the time to watch him host a forum for the Republican Presidential candidates. It was well worth the effort. The Republican Presidential Forum hosted by Mike Huckabee is precisely what the American people need and deserve as we approach the first Caucus in Iowa and the most important election in my lifetime. In fact, after viewing it, I suggest all other planned debates be cancelled. We should let the former Governor from Arkansas hold several more of these forums. The public would be much better served. The former Governor-turned-TV host invited three state Attorneys General - Ken Cuccinelli of Virginia, Pam Bondi of Florida and Scott Pruitt of Oklahoma- to ask questions of each of the Republican Presidential candidates. These three Attorneys General are best known for their willingness to challenge the constitutionality of the Obama administration's Federal Health Care law.  Mike Huckabee introduced the five candidates and the three members of the panel who would pose the questions to them. He then did what a good moderator should do - that is if they are there to serve the public and not feed their ego- he stepped out of the way and let the event unfold. Each of the panel presented intelligent questions, articulately, to the candidates who chose to accept the invitation - Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Michelle Bachmann, Ron Paul and Mitt Romney, in that order. Herman Cain had withdrawn from the campaign that morning. John Huntsman chose not to attend - a huge mistake.  The three attorneys general pressed the candidates for clear responses on crucial issues of the day. They did not back off when the candidates were unclear in their responses. However, they allowed the candidates to actually respond. In fact, each of the candidates was given an equal amount of time. What a refreshing idea! The questioners all did a great job asking important questions, eliciting responses which the American people need to hear about in order to make an informed decision. The forum was a refreshing break from past "debates" which have often devolved into an opportunity for media personalities to attempt to generate headlines for themselves. It was a real public service. I was most impressed with two of the candidates, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum. For those who read my opinion pieces, that should come as no surprise. However, by the time the forum was over, I began to wonder if the surprise win by Mike Huckabee in the Iowa Caucus in January of 2008, was about to be repeated. Back then, Huckabee was given no chance and was at the bottom of the pack, according to the pundits. I now ask, could there be a "Santorum Surprise" coming at the January 3d Iowa Caucus? Earlier in the week, Sarah Palin made some complimentary comments concerning former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, calling him a "consistent conservative." In addition, Iowa evangelical mega-church pastor Rev Cary Gordon endorsed him. The pastor is highly influential in the Iowa evangelical community.  Santorum also has strong support among his fellow Catholics.  Rick Santorum has worked harder "on the ground" in Iowa than any of the candidates and his "little engine that could" campaign I wrote about back in September   is really gaining steam on the ground in Iowa, whether the professional pundits recognize it or not. His responses to the questions in the Huckabee forum showed the mettle of the man. He was the last to give his short concluding comment.  He is morally coherent and refuses to separate the moral issues from all of the other issues because he knows they are foundational to America, which he rightly calls a moral enterprise: "Everyone says we need a truce on social issues, that we need to focus on jobs and the economy.  But what is at the heart of this country is that America is a moral enterprise and we are sick at the heart of our country - when we see millions of children being aborted and marriage not being defended.  A truce is not a truce, it is a surrender.  I will not surrender, I will fight and defend America." Santorum came across as more youthful than the other candidates during the forum on Saturday night. However, that added to the image which his well spoken responses brought to my mind. The image was of another young man, the youngest of the sons of Jesse, who was chosen to lead Israel. The young man was named David and the selection is recorded in the Old Testament. (1 Samuel 16).
 
One of my favorite of the stories concerning David was his defeat of Goliath, the Philistine giant who evoked such fear in Israel. David was unafraid. He gathered five smooth stones from the brook for his sling. However, it only took one stone  in the hands of this man of courage to slay Goliath. Goliath has become symbolic since that great showdown. The term is used frequently to refer to an unlikely match up. I use it deliberately. The Goliath of our day is what Blessed John Paul II rightly labeled the "Culture of death". This mindset views the human person as an object to be used rather than a gift to be received. It results in a full array of evils, including what the late Pope called "the cutting edge' of the culture of death, abortion on demand through all nine months of pregnancy. There is no candidate more clear, courageous, eager and ready to slay that modern day Goliath than Rick Santorum. His position on all of the issues is informed by his uncompromising view of the dignity of every human life from conception throughout all of life - up to and including a natural death. In addition his profound respect for marriage and the family and society founded upon it is equally clear and informs his small government philosophy. He properly views the family as the first government. Among his responses to the questions posed to him in this forum he made these comments- "I support a Personhood Amendment to our Constitution to ban abortion, and that certainly involves the states through ratification.  I have always been a supporter of uniform laws on values that undergird the family.  That's why I supported the Federal Marriage Amendment - you cannot have 50 different marriage laws.  And you cannot have 50 different abortion laws." "The President has an obligation to defend the laws of this country, and the Defense of Marriage Act passed overwhelmingly.  When a law is challenged it is the obligation of the President to defend it...  I would do everything to go around the courts if they struck down DOMA, and I've already done it.  Look at the Partial Birth Abortion Ban.  The Supreme Court called it unconstitutional, so we passed an almost identical bill, where the first two sections of the bill told the Court why they were wrong, and five years later the Court ruled that it was constitutional."  Is that a slingshot I see in his hand? Could there be a Santorum Surprise in Iowa?  

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