Obama and Huckabee: Shiny Similarities, Sharp Differences

Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mike Huckabee are two sides of the same shiny coin, in many respects. But not all.

And while their numerous similarities are vastly appealing to millions of the same voters, their differences are sharp and significant.

Similarities Between Obama and Huckabee

• Both are the only 2008 candidates in their parties preaching uniting the country, not just uniting their side of the partisan divide.

• Both are avowed Christians who rely on their faith values to help inform their public judgments. Yet both have successful track records of separating constitutional responsibilities as elected officials from their private religious beliefs.

• Both are deemed by the public to be honest, decent and truth-telling, without the political slickness of a Mitt Romney or the political trickiness of a Hillary Clinton.

• Both are loathe to pick fights with their opponents, and openly disdain the bare-knuckles tactics and pugilistic personas of a Rudy Giuliani or the legendary Clinton political machine.

• Both are devoted family men with uncomplicated, content marriages and supportive children.

• Both are likeable, friendly and down-to-earth. One can imagine chatting with either candidate over a steaming bowl of soul-warming soup and generic soda crackers.

• Both Obama and Huckabee have the natural demeanor of a Protestant pastor, although of different leadership types... Obama the sober type who most enjoys delivering the sermon, Huckabee the gregarious type who most enjoys greeting parishioners after Sunday services.

For these reasons of familiarity and comfort, tens of millions of Christian voters, both Democrats and Republicans, are particularly enamored of Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee.

Also for these reasons, Barack Obama is often accused of being too moderate or a closet Republican. And Mike Huckabee is accused of being a "pro-life liberal" and a closet Democrat.

Sharp Differences Between Obama and Huckabee
But most of the similarities between Obama and Huckabee are in style and superficials... and like still waters, their differences run deeply.

First, Gov. Huckabee, an ordained Baptist minister, cleverly (and often crassly) exploits religion at every campaign turn, from TV ads and speeches to his responses to voter questions. In contrast, Sen. Obama cites and talks about religion in the appropriate venues and at apropos moments, but refrains from exploiting faith for political gain.

Another radical difference: like the Bush administration, Republican Huckabee approaches a host of issues based first on emotions, not reason and rationality.

From flag-waving patriotic appeals and heart-rending biblical references during the 2007 debates and his uninformed AIDs stances (isolate sufferers) in the 1990's to Intelligent Design and his citing of the Holy Spirit to explain his rising popularity in the polls, Mike Huckabee seems to shy away from rational analysis based on statistics, history and science even more than religious evangelical George Bush. (For more, see Mike Huckabee on Civil Liberties.)

In contrast, Barack Obama, a bona fide intellectual and University of Chicago law professor, methodically grounds his policies and plans in nuanced, thoughtful analysis of facts and issues, and like all principled leaders, integrates his moral values with his public policy proposals.

Huckabee Ignorant on Foreign Affairs
Another frighteningly profound difference : the gaping gulf between the two candidates' grasps of international issues. In recent weeks, Gov. Huckabee revealed his unawareness that Pakistan President Musharraf had instituted martial law. And his initial take on the assassination of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto reflected a startlingly ignorant and U.S.-centric understanding of political realities in Pakistan. Per Perrspectives:

"Huckabee called Bhutto's death a tragedy, but he suggested she had been a threat to Islamic fundamentalists. 'An educated, sophisticated, strong, capable woman leader -- that does pose a threat to those who don't believe that women should be given that platform and that level of equality,' Huckabee said."

Mr. Huckabee immediately followed up that December 28, 2007 comment in Iowa by weaving the woes of Pakistani citizenry into the racist immigration fears of some conservative voters by intoning:

"We ought to have an immediate, very clear monitoring of our borders and particularly to make sure if there's any unusual activity of Pakistanis coming into the country."

Later that day, CNN reported:

"A senior aide to Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee admitted Friday that the former Arkansas governor had 'no foreign policy credentials' after his comments reacting to the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto raised questions."

In contrast, Sen. Obama has consistently shown solid, informed judgment and common sense on international matters. For example, in October 2002, Mr. Obama spoke out against the Iraq War by prophetically orating:

"I don't oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war. What I am opposed to is the cynical attempt... in this administration to shove their own ideological agendas down our throats, irrespective of the costs in lives lost and in hardships borne...

"That's what I'm opposed to. A dumb war. A rash war. A war based not on reason but on passion, not on principle but on politics."

See the full text at Barack Obama's Stirring 2002 Speech Against the Iraq War.

For other examples of Sen. Obama's reasoned views on foreign relations, I recommend the following:

• Barack Obama's Visionary Peace Plan for Iraq
• Sen. Barack Obama on Israel, Iran and Iraq
• Sen. Barack Obama's Courageous Speech on Immigration Reform

Other Differences Between Obama and Huckabee
Of course, many other policy differences exist between Democrat Obama and Republican Huckabee.

For one, Gov. Huckabee is remarkably silent about the Iraq War on the campaign stump. However, his website states:

"Iraq is a battle in our generational, ideological war on terror... Setting a timetable for withdrawal is a mistake."

Gov. Huckabee's website is brimming with cheery bromides, but few concrete plans, about health care, energy independence and fixing the No Child Left Behind Act. And no mention whatsoever is made of Social Security, Medicare, civil liberties, ethics, and the impact of the Bush economy on middle-class Americans.

Sen. Obama's website, as well as that of John Edwards and Hillary Clinton, includes specifics for each of these vital areas.

Incorrect to View Obama and Huckabee as Similar in Substance
My point is this: based on superficial factors, it would be easy for Christian voters to view Mike Huckabee and Barack Obama as extremely similar candidates.

The truth is that Mr. Huckabee and Mr. Obama present very different approaches and agendas as 2008 presidential candidates. Mr. Huckabee's agenda is similar in many ways to that of the Bush administration, and in some respects, could actually represent a step back into even more ideological, irrational thinking.

Yes, Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee are two sides of the same Christian coin. But remember... the two sides of any coin boast completely different designs and verbiage.

(Photo of Gov. Huckabee taken on Oct 20, 2007 at the Values Voter Summit, an evangelical Christian conference: Stephanie Kuykendal/Getty Images. Photo of Sen. Obama taken on Jan 15, 2007 at a Martin L. King Jr. celebration at St. Mark Cathedral in Harvey, Illinois.)

Related Reading
Barack Obama's Inspiring 2004 Democratic Convention Speech
Barack Obama on Faith, Politics and Democracy
CNN, Dec 28, 2007: Foreign policy gaffes plague Huckabee
Mike Huckabee on Civil Liberties (Civil Liberties)