Here are my rough notes – I will be editing them a bit later on to "polish them up". Also, there may be a link to the actual audio a bit later on as well on the Huckabee site.
Impressions – well spoken, conducted himself in a low key manner, but pretty much addressed all the questions asked of him. I would have rather not had the two gentlemen, Dr. James Robinson and Michael Farris, join him so as to allow more time for blogger questions, but hey, not my call.
Hopefully, the ‘Grok will be invited to more and more of these.
Again, these are raw notes:
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Huckabee blogger conference Tues 6/26
Huckabee started the conference by thanked the number of folks on the line. "One of the most important information sources" for electing a president – bloggers will be seen as the most important points in the campain history
Intro’d Dr. James Robinson – ministry that serves poor all over the world
Michael Farris – Pres of Patrick Henry college (Christian) and HomeShool Legal Defense Fund.
Huckabee had his own kids in public school but was first to have a homeschooler on the Ark Board of Ed. Believes in parental choice for their kids education.
Dr. James Robinson comments
Talked about his TV show and the channels it is on. Importance of time tested principles that have kept people free and made us great nation. Our next leader must be of conviction and character, must understand what has made us great and be willing to protect those principles. He has to be able to deal with the media and get his message out to the people. He believes that Huckabee is that person. He captured most of the black vote and was voted as Governor 4 times as a Republican in a Democratic state.
Mike Ferris
Would have said pretty much the same things. Is the most able communicator he has met in his life – period (even in his long period of time in DC). Need a person who has principles, and believes that Huckabee is the most principled person running. Pointed out (in the post Nixon era) that when Republicans run as conservatives, they win; moderates running as moderates do not. He believes the front runners are moderates, not true conservatives. Huckabee is a Reagan-like conservative.
Questions
(announcer is garbling the blogger names and where they blog – hard to hear what she is saying)
Jeff – PoliticsInAlabama.com: lost him
Rath of Above the Hook.com – in 2000 McCain throttled Bush in NH and lost later. Huckabee, you are moving up 5-6 points – what do you atribute this to? THe debates – folks had the chance to listen to real ideas. He is not just a fiscal conservative but also a social one. Still trying to raise money – see web site.
Robert Bluey of RedState - in the last 2 weeks – immigration bill – anything that makes it better? Folks are not seeing the primary focus – border security. Folks see that aliens that are already here and now will be earning what they are already getting from us (it should be the other way around – earn entry and then receive the benefits). We are not addressing the physical border – they come in without the paperwork that we have to show just to get on a plane – there is nothing to show. He is not supporting the bill. For $2K the IRS will forgive you for your forgiven for the last two years for aliens in this bill – how come citizens cannot get this deal?
Jeff – PoliticsInAlabama: back – what should we be expecting from your campaign finance results – how will you stack up against the others. He says he will be happy, better than expected, but not the numbers that the front runners will have. He will be competing int he Iowa straw poll. Q2 will be better than Q1, and Q3 should be better than Q2. He is going for the folks and not for the MSM.
Followup – McCain et al are pulling out of the Iowa caucas – will that hurt them? He thinks that they were not going to do well, shows their unwillingness to play the game of organizing. Not sure of the result.
Skip of GraniteGrok – What do you think of the FairTax and what would you do as President to get it implemented and throwing away the IRS income tax?
We have to do something drastic ("an evangelical support of the FairTax" – small joke intended and taken as such). Present system taxes productivity – the very thing we need for our economy needs to grow (more you work, the better you do). It is so complicated now that the IRS doesn’t even understand the rules. It costs corporations about $500 billion/year just to comply – what would happen if all that money was freed up to better the buisness processes, how would that do in use of R&D? Would free up capital for our shores instead of going off-shore.
If we through the FairTax out into Congress, it will not pass – too many lobbyistswill fight against it. It has to be a grassroots effort – get them to talk to the Reps / Senators and threaten them.
Steve from Colorado for Huckabee – energy independance plan – total energy by end of your second term – what is the key of your plan and how do we hold you accountable? So far, we talk about it and nothing is been done. FairTax helps, as it does away with tax stratagies and can concentrate on energy strategies. We should drill for more and get things like wind power "freed up". Conservation has to be a part of it, have folks do simple things. Come up with an incentive program for companies like tax free et al (huh? FairTax here?) to get them acting. We can do this if we REALLY set it is a REAL policy
MichiganRedNeck (missed her name) - Education – People going to Food Banks get flour, sugar, et al, and the folks ask "what do I do with this"? Should we be better educating our folks in simple Home Ec?
Mike stumbled through his answer, saying that he really didn’t have the expertise to do so and passed it back to Huckabee. He went back to education of "caught not taught" and talked about the change in education in the character education courses (manners, ettiquiete, etc.). Results – less discipline problems as structure and order appeared (contrasted that with gangs offering a place "to be" and structure).
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