Honestly, I don’t get it. Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas, is mounting a strong challenge for the GOP nomination primarily by appealing to the social conservative wing of the party and religious groups. He uses rhetoric like this on the campaign trail:
“Over the past 30 years, a decline in moral character has produced a decline in the character of our society. Everything hinges on the men & women we choose to establish public policy. And their character depends on you. There is something you can do: you can live a God-centered life of high moral character, and you can support candidates who share your Christian standards.”
OK, that’s fine, but here’s what I don’t get. Why is Huckabee preaching the gospel of moral decline and cultural disintegration while also playing up endorsements from martial arts expert and actor Chuck Norris, professional wrestler Ric Flair, and rock-and-roll star Ted Nugent? Don’t get me wrong, I spent more time than I care to mention watching Chuck Norris movies and Ric Flair wrestling matches with my Dad growing up, and I used to own all of the Motor City Madman’s (that’s one of Nugent’s many colorful nicknames for you non-fans) albums in the late 1970s.
But I’m just wondering, has Mike Huckabee listened to “Wang Dang Sweet Poontang” by Ted Nugent? Does he know what that song is referring to? And I wonder what governor Huckabee’s favorite Nugent album is. Is it “Penetrator“? Or is it “If You Can’t Lick ‘Em…Lick ‘Em“? Or perhaps it’s “Love Grenade“? And has the governor listened to tunes on those albums like “The Harder They Come, The Harder I Get”?
And I’m also wondering if Gov. Huckabee has watched some of those old Chuck Norris karate movies like “Forced Vengence,” “A Force of One,” or “Silent Rage”? I loved those movies as a kid, but those are the sort of flix that the FCC and many members of Congress would like to see banned from television for their “excessively violent” nature. Is the governor OK with those movies?
Finally, does Huckabee realize that Ric Flair’s claim to fame in the professional wrestling world was that he was the ultimate “cut man”? That is, Flair was willing to be one of those guys who, in just about every match, would voluntarily cut his head open with a razor blade after being thrown out of the ring. (He hid on floor and cut his head with a blade that would be hidden under the stage). My God, Flair bled like nobody else, and the blood would ultimately make his shocking white hair turn pink, ratty, and disgusting. And the fans went wild! We all loved to see the pompous “Nature Boy” bleed.
Look, I’m not saying that Mike Huckabee shouldn’t proudly accept the endorsements of celebrities who are loved by millions. But don’t go preaching about moral decay and the decline of Western civilization while at the same time you are garnering endorsements from three guys who made a living dishing out violent or raunchy entertainment to the masses. It’s the ultimate in hypocrisy.
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