Apparently Not An April Fool's Day Joke

[filkertom]

Presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee believes Americans should be ideologically indoctrinated "at gunpoint".

I sincerely believe something is just horribly broken in some of these people. What the hell has happened to America? I mean, not merely the country, but the notion of America? Yes, yes, I know, various and sundry. It was a rhetorical question. But... jayzus.

(h/t rmjwell)

Comments

[siliconshaman]

Dude...you know all those comments about it being 1934 and the beer-hall putz all over again...?

Yeah, well if he gets elected, it's time to get the f**k out of America, because it's game over. He's got the flag wrapped around him and he's waving the cross...but at heart we know what he is and what all those teabaggers really are.

[wednes]

Wow...even for a twerp like Huckabee, that's crazy.

If Americans had any sort of memory at all, Mike Huckabee wouldn't stand a chance as a prez candidate, if only because of all the mean, stupid things he's said about fat people. Calling fat people names is no way to win over Americans.

[twfarlan.livejournal.com]

Well, why not, Tom? Christians have a long history of converting by the sword. He's just yearning for the good old days... when non-believers didn't have to be tolerated with all that breathing and freedom of choice or speech.

[lizziecrowe.livejournal.com]

Because apparently, they never got past the adage of whomever has the guns makes the rules. And they talk about Liberals taking away rights. *sigh*

[umbran.livejournal.com]

Huckabee's a politician. You should never mistake what he says, for what he actually believes. It is part of the nature of democracy that politicians say things to gain support, whether they mean them or not.

Which does not mean that it isn't a vile thing to say - just that we cannot tell the difference between Huckabee's beliefs, and pandering to his audience.

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

But he seems like such a nice guy!!!! How could such a nice guy spew such insane ideas????

< /sarcasm>

Unfortunately there are way too many people who would agree with him. Gaaah.

[stormsdotter.livejournal.com]

I am appalled by this idiot's ideas.

However, I have to look on the bright side: this moron has shoved his foot so far down his throat he'll have a hard time holding his own in debates.

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

Your point doesn't invalidate Tom's, I don't think. The fact that Huckabee is willing to say such a thing, whether he believes it or not, should be enough to disqualify him for the office. There are lines you don't cross, and that's one of them.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Indeed. And, Umbran, I'm sorry, m'friend, but I've gotta say this: Saying things like "Well, he's a politician, he's gonna say things like that, you can't mistake what he says for what he believes" is a ridiculous statement.

Yes, he's playing to his base. Yes, he may not actually believe it. But his base may believe it. The fact that he said it makes it more acceptable as part of the public discourse.

When assholes say stupid, offensive, insane shit like this, the response is not to roll your eyes and say, "Yeah, well, politics." The response is to repeat it loudly and incredulously and then say, "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND!? DO YOU EVEN UNDERSTAND THE LAWS YOU WOULD BREAK OR UNDERMINE BY DOING SUCH A THING? DO YOU KNOW THE BEDROCK AMERICAN PRINCIPLES YOU SPIT ON BY SUPPORTING SUCH A THING? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?"

You do not let them get away with this shit. Heck, that's why Newt's Excellent Adventures In Marriage are coming back to haunt him.

[drzarron.livejournal.com]

So people may ask, "So, why the outrage?". Simply ask them to watch that clip and remove the word "christian" and replace it with "muslim" and see how they would react.

It's that someone who's seriously considering a run for President would first come anywhere near a radical theocratic group like that then come right out and say that citizens of this country should be forced to listen to anyone say anything "..at gunpoint". If he's joking, it's a very sad joke.

However, here is a really good April Fool's joke

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

Because in Wisconsin, we need to take our laughs where we can get them (besides the idea of palm trees here):

Fleeing reps can take advantage of hospitality, entertainment deals in Duluth (http://wpr.org/news/newsstories.cfm?Message=&search_FromStoryDate=04%2F01%2F11&search_tostorydate=04%2F01%2F11&search_text=&search_topic=#ReturnPage#) (scroll to bottom of the page)

*snerk*

[griffen.livejournal.com]

I suppose Mr. Huckabee hasn't heard the old bromide that one convinced against his will is of the same opinion still. This is appalling.

[alverant.livejournal.com]

So it's OK to say anything if it gets you elected, is that what you mean?

Sorry, not buying it. He says it with conviction. He definitely believes what he's saying. He may not impliment them if he had the chance, but he still believes them.

One thing's for sure, his base believes it and if they elect him president they may just impliment what he said on their own.

[shockwave77598.livejournal.com]

Soon as he and the rest of his Gestapo think they are ready, my M4 will be loaded, waiting, and hungry.

"The tree of freedom has to be periodically watered with the blood of tyrants." - Benjamin Franklin.

[sveethot.livejournal.com]

Tom, the sad thing is, yes, he's out of his fucking mind. And yes, he understands the laws he would break or undermine. He just doesn't give a fuck about anything but getting the "real" American vote.

I don't want to live in a theocracy (especially that being thrown out by these nutjobs) and if that makes me a commie socialistic atheist pinko, well, by gosh & by golly, call me a commie socialistic atheist pinko.

[nimitzbrood.livejournal.com]

Remember though that we said the same things about members of the Tee Partay in the past and they _still_ got elected to offices. *facepalm*

[umbran.livejournal.com]

I wasn't trying to invalidate anything. I merely wished to point out that what he says and what he personally believes may not be the same thing.

In it's way, if this were not personal belief, it becomes somewhat more vile, in my book. I can forgive someone heartfelt belief. Forgiving willful malice is somewhat more difficult.

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

How anyone intelligent can take people like him and Palin actually seriously is totally beyond me.

[griffen.livejournal.com]

When it's this kind of malice, I can't forgive it even if it is heartfelt belief. If Huckabee believes this, he belongs in a rubber room, not on a podium.

[liddle-oldman.livejournal.com]

After Krystalnacht, a Brownshirt was posted outside my grandfather's Stuttgart oral surgery office to turn potential patients away, saying, "You do know he's a Jew, don't you?"

You know -- politics.

[umbran.livejournal.com]

No, that is not what I mean.

On what planet, and in what language does, "That doesn't mean it isn't a vile thing to say," translate into, "it is okay to say things like that"?

Or is it Opposite Day, and nobody told me?

[admnaismith.livejournal.com]

Yes, and there are some Republican Senators who do not personally believe the entire Teahad agenda--Richard Lugar comes to mind--but that's how they vote on legislation, because it's what their voting base, or their leadership, or the Koch brothers, want them to do.

That's all that counts. I don't give a ripe turd what a politician personally believes/; I care about what they're going to do if elected, whether they believe it or not. Evidently, Nehemiah Scudder Hucklebee intends to send out a militia of armed indoctrination police, maybe with some regret in his heart as he does so. That's enough for me. He's no more fit for public office than the crackpots in the crowd he panders to. I don't want anyone in my government who is beholden to those kinds of crackpots for his office.

For that matter, President Obama may personally believe in single payer national health insurance. Doesn't mean a thing if he doesn't do something in furtherance of it.

[admnaismith.livejournal.com]

Yes, I remember saying the same thing about George W. Bush in 2000.

More than that

[stdharma.livejournal.com]

It's reprehensible and should be held up in a billboard on Times Square with the caption "This is what you will get when you vote for a Dominionist/Corporatist. You know, kinda like the current Governors of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Florida and (sadly) even my own home state of Tennessee. How's that working out for you?"

[stdharma.livejournal.com]

And somewhere there's a village in Arkansas that is deprived of its' idiot.