"smirking hick like Mike Huckabee"

Well, it sure is good to know that instead of concerning ourselves with what the candidates for office hold in the way of policies, or what their qualifications are, we can just judge them by whatever personal bigotries we hold in our hearts. You know...kind of like eating fast food instead of fixing a home cooked meal. Fast food saves us all time and it feels good. Eating a burger from the drive-up allows us to have more time to do important things...like waiting in traffic jams. Plus, that grease burger makes us feel good. Never mind that it's corroding our arteries.

Thinking of candidates as examples of our personal prejudices saves us all time from tiring analysis of what they will do with the responsibility of public office. Like fast food, it save us time, and it feels good. It also corrodes us.

Thinking of Mr. Huckabee as a "hick" sets us free from the irksome pastime of ferreting out what he will do about...oh say... peak oil, or poverty. Freed from that tedium, we can now have more time to research important items of knowledge, such as football scores and what Paris Hilton is up to.

And why stop at just religion. Why, let's judge on race and sex as well. Now we don't need to sift through tons of material about what Barak Obama will do about health care...those who are bigots now may feel guilt free and vote against him because he is (after all) just another simpering field hand who is only capable of picking cotton and chasing white woman.
Those of you who are misogynists can proudly assume Hillery Clinton is just another hysterical woman who"ll blow her top and launch a first strike on Russia during a bad hair day.

That's just two examples.

Ah yes, we Americans really know how to save time. Makes you proud to be an American.

"And why stop at just religion. Why, let's judge on race and sex as well."

Which is exactly what 90% of the voting population will do anyway. Let's not kid ourselves here. Most voters aren't making informed decisions.

It all makes you wonder how much longer our republic can last if the populace can't even be bothered to educate themselves and become responsible citizens. Our kind of democracy is predicated on informed decision making and that's going down the tubes.

But if I was a member of the elite "ruling class" I wouldn't have it any other way.

Hitchens has often made clear his revulsion for candidates holding up their religious affiliations as electable critera. Huckabee probably leads the pack in that crime.

Huckabee has shown gleeful ignorance of important national issues. His ignorance of US Intelligence and international policy was recently demonstrated when he was caught with his pants around his ankles over the latest intelligence estimate on Iran.

"smirking hick" is a fair description of him. Certainly appropriate in the rough and tumble of pre-nomination posturing and criticism.

I am very comfortable with my knee jerk rejection of Huckabee on religious grounds. The last time we let a bible thumper in hasn't turned out too well. Do you believe for a minute that he is not playing the religion card in the hopes that a hell of lot more knees are going to jerk in theopposite direction of mine. Please.

If you've ever read much Chris Hitchens you know he specializes in blistering language. Sometimes it's hard to love his approach, and I am not a fan of calling someone a "hick" during a time of important political discussion. HOWEVER, Hitchens point remains.

Whenever i hear Mitt refuse to apologize for his faith...I wonder just what a candidate would have to believe in order to apologize for his faith. Does everybody get a free pass on the wacky beliefs that they hold as elemental truths? If I believe that my car is the infalliable work of God is that belief above discussion or reproach?

That's ridiculous. The candidates had no ability to choose their race or gender, but they did choose whatever religious group they claim membership in.

Gov. Huckabee seems like a nice, humorous, charming fellow, but there's NO WAY I'd ever vote for anyone that believes the Bible is the literal, infallible truth. And I don't want him foisting his mythology on me. I already worked that out for myself years ago.

Nemo, with respect, but your post is a pile of sententious crap. There's no "high road" to be had here. Huckabee made his own candidacy a "fast food" ad. He's the one pumping out the crypto- and not-so-crypto-Christian messages and overtones. He's the one who asks us to judge him on his faith. He's the one who would like to be elected -- as far as I can tell -- BECAUSE he's a Christian of a sect that's slightly more mainstream than his opponents'.

So, save the tired analogies. If Huckabee wanted to make this a campaign about substance, he would talk about substance. If he wants it to be about his faith, well then, he (and you) need to quit whining when he is then judged on exactly that basis.