“I’m a conservative, but I’m not mad at everybody over it. And I think that one of the things I’ve had to realize is that…for example, I’m pro-life, but I think life begins at conception, but I don’t think it ends at birth. We have to be concerned about a child’s education, and health care, safe neighborhoods, clean water, the access to a college education. That is pro-life, to care about a child’s entire life and it’s consistent with what I think we need to be talking about.”
–Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR), on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
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cjdoyle
The nation would be in much better shape if more pro-lifers held that viewpoint.
celticdragonfly
That’s about exactly what I had planned to say, yes.
Rob Wynne
I definately agree. Furthermore, if one is inclined (as I have been in the past) to jump on stupid things that people from varying ideologies say, its only fair to highlight sensible things they say and praise them for it.
Basically, what impresses me is that the above is a position that can be debated and discussed among intelligent people who don’t necessarily agree with one another on all its points. It’s not an ideological dead-end, and that’s the kind of thinking that we need to encourage on all sides of the spectrum.
stoutfellow
Hmm. What’s Huckabee’s religious background, do you know? That sounds very close to (what I remember of) the “seamless web” doctrine put forth by the late Cardinal Bernardin of Chicago.
Rob Wynne
He’s a Southern Baptist, and in fact was a Baptist minister earlier in his career (at least according to Wikipedia; ask your doctor if grains of salt are right for you.)
catsittingstill
Hmm. I would be more impressed Huckabee’s his “pro-life” stance if he mentioned the woman hosting the fetus, and the risk to *her* life.
Rob Wynne
Not disagreeing with that. Though, it was in an interview and offered as an example of what he found wrong with ideological thought, rather than a considered policy statement.
As I said in comments above, I know very little about Gov. Huckabee, but he impressed me enough in the interview I saw to make me wnat to keep an eye out for him and learn more about him.
dan_ad_nauseam
I would rather see a pro-lifer who is willing to support, as Art Buchwald once put it, right to life functions, than one who thinks mother and child reunion is a Paul Simon song.
That said, I favor the “safe, legal, and rare” concept, so long as the rare is accomplished by realistic means.
redaxe
That’s a reasonable and considered pro-life stance, and one that leaves room for detente with people on the other side of the fence (provided, of course, they’re not absolute and rabid ideologically, themselves). I’ll definitely be watching for his name, from this point forward. Thanks for the pointer.
Rob Wynne
That’s a reasonable and considered pro-life stance, and one that leaves room for detente with people on the other side of the fence
Which is precisely what impressed me. I’ll definately be interested to see if he can live up to first impressions.
jenx
Great googly moogly -- it’s a Republican, FROM ARKANSAS, that can engage in reasoned, thoughtful conversation. *boggle*
Rob Wynne
“It’s pro-life, Jen, but not as we know it.” --Dr. McCoy