Ron Paul vs. Mike Huckabee
Conservative voters are understandably disappointed with media-anointed Republican front-runners Giuliani, Romney, Thompson, and McCain. With Sam Brownback dropping out and Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter failing to gain any traction, Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee are the main contenders for a substantial shift in support from this large bloc of traditional Republican primary voters. How do they stack up?
Taxes and Spending
Huckabee is now backing the "Fair Tax", a 30 percent national sales tax to replace the income tax. During his 8 years as governor of Arkansas, state spending increased by 65%. In a recent national radio interview, he declined to identify any major spending cuts he would enact as president.
Ron Paul is campaigning to eliminate the income tax and replace it with nothing, and has identified substantial federal budget cuts. During his ten terms in Congress, he has never voted for a tax increase, and was named "The Taxpayers' Best Friend Ever" by the National Taxpayers Union.
Immigration and Other Issues
Ron Paul has consistently voted against amnesty for illegal immigrants, and would reduce the welfare-state inducements that encourage illegal immigration. Mike Huckabee fought against bills in Arkansas that would have denied state benefits to illegal immigrants, and has campaigned as a "compassionate conservative" in the mold of President Bush.
Both Huckabee and Paul are reliably pro-life and pro-Second Amendment. Ron Paul would fight for a literal interpretation of the Tenth Amendment, pushing most social issues to the states and out of the federal courts. Some social conservatives back Huckabee for supporting Constitutional amendments to advance their causes, but such amendments have little hope of gaining the 2/3 support in Congress needed for passage.
War and Presidential Powers
Huckabee would continue the unpopular US military occupation of Iraq, arguing that the troops must remain in harm's way to preserve our honor. During the CNBC debate in Michigan, Huckabee showed an alarming disregard for the Constitutional separation of powers, arguing that he could launch a preemptive attack on Iran, with or without Congressional approval.
Ron Paul agrees with the great majority of American voters that US forces should be brought home safely from Iraq. He has repeatedly reminded his fellow candidates, his fellow Congressmen, and the American people that declaring war is the responsibility of the Congress, and that giving the President unchecked authority is dangerous and unconstitutional.
Organization and Fundraising
Despite a surge in media coverage during the third quarter, Huckabee continued to experience difficulty in raising funds, bringing in just over $1 million. His limited cash on hand to start the quarter ($651,000) is a major impediment to mounting a serious run for the nomination.
Ron Paul raised $5.2 million during the third quarter and started the fourth quarter with $5.4 million on hand. In the three weeks since then, he has already raised $1.5 million more in online donations. In addition, Ron Paul is receiving substantial support on the ground from a nationwide network of over 50,000 volunteers in more than 1,000 Meetup groups.
Conclusion
Conservatives looking for a viable option to the so-called front-runners should support Ron Paul over Mike Huckabee. His record on taxes and spending is much more conservative than Huckabee's. Both candidates are reliable conservatives on other issues, except on immigration where Huckabee has been less consistent than Paul. Huckabee's support for continuing the war and his disregard for Constitutional limits on presidential power would severely limit his electability, while Paul has shown strong appeal to independents and moderate Democrats without compromising his conservative principles. In fundraising and campaign organization, it's not even close -- only Ron Paul has the funds and volunteer resources needed to mount a credible challenge.
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Taxes and Spending
Huckabee is now backing the "Fair Tax", a 30 percent national sales tax to replace the income tax. During his 8 years as governor of Arkansas, state spending increased by 65%. In a recent national radio interview, he declined to identify any major spending cuts he would enact as president.
Ron Paul is campaigning to eliminate the income tax and replace it with nothing, and has identified substantial federal budget cuts. During his ten terms in Congress, he has never voted for a tax increase, and was named "The Taxpayers' Best Friend Ever" by the National Taxpayers Union.
Immigration and Other Issues
Ron Paul has consistently voted against amnesty for illegal immigrants, and would reduce the welfare-state inducements that encourage illegal immigration. Mike Huckabee fought against bills in Arkansas that would have denied state benefits to illegal immigrants, and has campaigned as a "compassionate conservative" in the mold of President Bush.
Both Huckabee and Paul are reliably pro-life and pro-Second Amendment. Ron Paul would fight for a literal interpretation of the Tenth Amendment, pushing most social issues to the states and out of the federal courts. Some social conservatives back Huckabee for supporting Constitutional amendments to advance their causes, but such amendments have little hope of gaining the 2/3 support in Congress needed for passage.
War and Presidential Powers
Huckabee would continue the unpopular US military occupation of Iraq, arguing that the troops must remain in harm's way to preserve our honor. During the CNBC debate in Michigan, Huckabee showed an alarming disregard for the Constitutional separation of powers, arguing that he could launch a preemptive attack on Iran, with or without Congressional approval.
Ron Paul agrees with the great majority of American voters that US forces should be brought home safely from Iraq. He has repeatedly reminded his fellow candidates, his fellow Congressmen, and the American people that declaring war is the responsibility of the Congress, and that giving the President unchecked authority is dangerous and unconstitutional.
Organization and Fundraising
Despite a surge in media coverage during the third quarter, Huckabee continued to experience difficulty in raising funds, bringing in just over $1 million. His limited cash on hand to start the quarter ($651,000) is a major impediment to mounting a serious run for the nomination.
Ron Paul raised $5.2 million during the third quarter and started the fourth quarter with $5.4 million on hand. In the three weeks since then, he has already raised $1.5 million more in online donations. In addition, Ron Paul is receiving substantial support on the ground from a nationwide network of over 50,000 volunteers in more than 1,000 Meetup groups.
Conclusion
Conservatives looking for a viable option to the so-called front-runners should support Ron Paul over Mike Huckabee. His record on taxes and spending is much more conservative than Huckabee's. Both candidates are reliable conservatives on other issues, except on immigration where Huckabee has been less consistent than Paul. Huckabee's support for continuing the war and his disregard for Constitutional limits on presidential power would severely limit his electability, while Paul has shown strong appeal to independents and moderate Democrats without compromising his conservative principles. In fundraising and campaign organization, it's not even close -- only Ron Paul has the funds and volunteer resources needed to mount a credible challenge.
