SPIN-OFF:(comment 3) HUCKABEE HUB-BUB

From Penny Thoughts The Queen Mum wrote:

"Ok I'll bite- how can both the NEA and HSLDA be for Huckabee?..that's my question for the day;)"
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Wow, thanks for an easy one mum. lol

Obviously all I can give here is my opinion from my knowledge and experience. So, here is some insight into my opinion on this subject.

 

It amazes me that people will shout from the mountain tops that we need a leader who will listen to all sides of the issues but when we find someone who does just that thing...we drag him through the mud!

It says a lot that both the NEA and HSLDA back Huckabee. I view this as a wonderful sign that Huckabee is a man who will Listen, ask questions, inquire, become educated on the issue and vote his conscience, rather than vote his pocketbook. Both groups deserve to be respected and heard; After all, we are all working toward the same goal. Not only does it show that he's open to all sides it shows that there are intelligent people leading both the NEA and the HSLDA who recognise an open politician when they see one!

I've been watching these debates with interest. There is A LOT to be found in the way of voting records and situational voting as it pertains to Huckabee...way more than I care to re-check and it has been carefully and thoughtfully written here. I read it and well, so what? Neither side got their way on the issue...whahh whahh boo hoo... Let's all grow up, suck it up and learn to compromise, shall we?


After one gets over the fact that the vote wasn't whole-heartedly in favor of allowing homeschoolers to take the child out of school at a moments notice, one must think to themselves..."Is this really a horrible vote?" The parents have to give 10 school days notice and then they'll be able to homeschool. There was a compromise on both sides of that issue and the result was a 10 school day waiting period.

There was a compromise. Is that a bad thing?

My father was in politics at a minute level. He was a city councilman in a small town in Kentucky. He served quite a few terms. In that time our family learned a lot about how elected officials are expected to vote FOR everybody and AGAINST nobody. That, sadly enough, cannot be done. The best that we can all hope for is that our candidate will listen. If they listen we can HOPE that they will do what is right IN THE SITUATION they are placed in at that time.

For every vote cast by a politician there are usually many meetings with people and organized groups that help the politician become aware of the issues and the worries by both sides. The politician must weigh his conscience carefully and vote for what is best for the people who elected him. However, sometimes there is no middle ground when voting. In that instance, he must vote for the lesser of two evils. Or he decides not to vote at all, thus wasting a valuable voice on the issues. Some would rather save-face than compromise for both sides. That is not my idea of good leadership.

The more I watch Huckabee, and listen to his words, I find that he's not particularly "on the" NEA's side or "on the" side of homeschoolers. The words that hail in my mind, from Huckabee, are these...

"We are all responsible to educate our replacements."
 

He is "on the side" of education...no matter who does the educating!

It is important to note that he's for education. He's for helping teachers in the workforce and for allowing homeschoolers to continue homeschooling. (please click those links and listen) Those are not bad things. They are good things. So that begs the question, why did he vote the way he did in Arkansas? 


There are points in ones political career where two sides must meet, voice their problems and successes. From that meeting a political official only has so much time before he must find, in his heart, the best vote to match his own comfort level for that particular situation. That sometimes calls for compromise between two sides of an issue. The problem is that in a normal situation, when two sides compromise, they usually shake hands and go on with life. In politics, compromise happens with the vote of one man or woman. There is no shaking of hands and nobody gets to win. The politician is then made to be the bad guy by both sides.

That is the only time when compromise is a bad thing because both sides expect their leader to "pick them" over the other.

In Huckabee's case it is becoming apparent to me that he wants to allow all adults to educate their young. He advocates for teachers and for homeschooling parents. He is truly for both sides but because he is a believer in both sides he's been made out, by some, to be a traitor to both.

I've said before than I would love to see Ron Paul make it to the presidency, however, Huckabee has the guts to vote for compromise, when Ron Paul may just decide not to vote at all if he doesn't get his way on the issue. I have to ask myself; Is that what I want?


Huckabee is a man of thought, insight and compromise. I do not think that is a bad thing. He's a politician willing to pull two sides together in order to highlight those things they have in common for the common goal of educating our children. For some, that is worry-some, for they don't know which way that compromise will fall. I, on the other hand, would rather have a man in office who will truly listen to all groups involved in an issue, rather than someone who has their mind made up before they even have a meeting.

At the end of the day there is THIS. (scroll down to watch)

I'll vote for Huckabee if he's on the ticket.
That's my blog. I'd love to see other opinions.