Mike Huckabee in Character Makes a Difference, by Mike Huckabee

On Principles & Values: Character IS the issue; we DO legislate morality

Bill Clinton once said, “Character isn’t the issue.” Yet our character defines the world we live in. Our government, welfare programs, schools, & everything else in our lives are shaped & directed according to our character. It’s commonly said that “you can’t legislate morality,” but, in fact, every law in the country is a reflection of our moral values.

Over the past 30 years, a decline in moral character has produced a decline in the character of our society. Everything hinges on the men & women we choose to establish public policy. And their character depends on you. There is something you can do: you can live a God-centered life of high moral character, and you can support candidates who share your Christian standards.

Character is the issue, and your character makes a difference every day--in the work you do, the people you vote for, the people you look to for leadership. Live your faith proudly & publicly and support & uplift fellow Christians as we work together to build God’s kingdom.

Source: Character Makes a Difference, by Mike Huckabee, p. 1-2 Jun 1, 2007

On Principles & Values: Took office amid felony investigation of Gov. Jim Guy Tucker

In May 1996, Gov. Jim Guy Tucker had been convicted on federal charges of fraud and conspiracy in the first Whitewater trial. After his conviction, Tucker promised that he would resign as governor on or before July 15 1996. That meant I would move into the governor’s office, becoming only the 3rd Republican governor since Reconstruction. At the time, I had a double-digit lead in the race for US Senate--I would have been the first Republican Senator in Arkansas history. I pulled out of the race to assume the governorship.

[At five minutes before my inauguration was scheduled, Tucker called to say he had decided NOT to resign, but to instead declare himself disabled, so I would only be Acting Governor pending his appeal.]

I told Tucker that I would make a speech in 2 hours; and if he resigned, I would not use the word “impeachment,” and we’d say he had reconsidered, and resigned as promised. [Tucker refused. I made the speech calling for his impeachment. Tucker resigned on July 15 1996].

Source: Character Makes a Difference, by Mike Huckabee, p. 4-21 Jun 1, 2007

On Principles & Values: Pastors & politicians have same skill set in common

There is not a chasm between careers in church & politics. I would say there is no better preparation for public office than the ministry. Pastors and politicians must master the same skills to succeed:

The ability to communicate a message effectively.
The ability to motivate volunteers.
A clear understanding of the media.
The ability to raise money.

You will never please everybody.
As an officeholder, you are responsible for spending public funds wisely. Whenever I spent money from the church budget, I needed to think I could look widows in the eyes & say, “I think we spent that money wisely.”
Both must have the ability to persuade people to adopt their point of view.
Families of ministers and elected officials are held to different standards.

The GOP is not “God’s party.” God does not join organizations. He asks us to join his. Political parties are vehicles to help us change public policy Source: Character Makes a Difference, by Mike Huckabee, p. 54-56 Jun 1, 2007

On Principles & Values: Ten Commandments are basis for appropriate behavior

As a teenager, I often would hear my pastor say, “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.” Corporate leaders, political leaders, church leaders, and families are at their best when they are motivated by principles.

What are some principles worth living by? Ask a roomful of people, and you will get a roomful of answers. There already exists a code of principles established thousands of years ago & adhered to by people from a variety of religious backgrounds. It has been accepted as a basis for appropriate behavior. Fortunately, no one has copyrighted the Ten Commandments.

Although some attempts have been made to prohibit these principles from being displayed, they have survived through the ages. They are the foundation of our laws and commonly accepted codes of human behavior.

The Ten Commandments are divided into two sections--the vertical laws dealing with man’s relationship with God and the horizontal laws dealing with man’s relationship with others.

Source: Character Makes a Difference, by Mike Huckabee, p. 74-75 Jun 1, 2007

On Principles & Values: A “grace Christian”: dislikes “law Christians” AND liberals

I grew up in a small Missionary Baptist church, and at the time the theology that dominated those churches was somewhat legalistic. I liked to ask “why can’t we?” or “why is it wrong?” I know it is tempting to say, “Because the Bible says it’s wrong.” But there are reasons why the Bible says it is wrong, & there are appropriate foundations for the prohibitions we find in God’s Word. Part of my rebellion was toward this Can’t-Do mentality. Tell me something positive. Don’t just give me restrictions.

My struggle with legalism greatly affected my walk with the Lord. Today I am definitely a “grace Christian” & not a “law Christian.” One of the few things I detest more than liberalism is legalism. I think both are cancers to the Christian faith-- liberalism because it doesn’t believe in anything, & legalism because it restricts us only to things we can live up to. Liberalism makes God seem so commonplace that He becomes meaningless, while legalism makes God so small that He becomes insignificant.

Source: Character Makes a Difference, by Mike Huckabee, p. 83-84 Jun 1, 2007

On Families & Children: Teach kids immovable standards of right & wrong

It is not just a matter of saying characters counts and leaving it at that. Character does count. Integrity does county. But if integrity and character are divorced from God, they don’t make sense. If you try to set your own moral thermostat, chances are that a lot of people will be uncomfortable. Integrity, left to define itself, becomes evil because everyone ends up choosing his own standards.

We tell our kids, “It does not matter what you believe as long as you are sincere,” and “Do your best.” We want to say, “You have a disorder or disability,” or any of the scores of euphemisms people use. Yet all we are doing is struggling to cover up immoral, improper, illegal, or boorish behavior.

We refuse to direct our children and then run around moaning, “What is wrong with our kids today? Look at the violence! Look at the decadence! Look at the drug addiction and alcohol addiction and lack of respect.!” Why are we moaning? We trained them to be this way.

Source: Character Makes a Difference, by Mike Huckabee, p. 98-101 Jun 1, 2007

On Government Reform: Attacking others’ integrity reflects people’s own immorality

I agree with the writer who said that “character is the person you are when no one is looking.” It’s the person you are when the cameras are off, the witnesses gone, and there’s no one to keep score.

I think we are all performers to some extent. But the real person is the one who is nearly the same behind closed doors as the public eye. We might say, “I’d never steal with someone watching me.” But would we steal if no one was watching?

It seems that the desire to see public officials fail the integrity test is at an all-time high. The reason is that by showing the flaws in other people, the public affirms that its own inadequacies are not so abnormal. As the character of America begins to plummet, we want to justify our own lack of morality by somehow showing that everyone is just as bad.

Our generation has learned to hold to the standard of each other instead of the standard of God. That is the travesty: God is no longer the standard; we are.

Source: Character Makes a Difference, by Mike Huckabee, p.103-105 Jun 1, 2007

On Education: Ending school prayer was one step in society’s moral decay

How did we move in one generation from a society with a shared, confident sense of right to a society of relativism and moral decay? The first step to answering that question is to admit there isn’t just one answer. I’ve heard that it all started when we took prayer out of schools. That’s a simplistic answer. It wasn’t just prayer in schools; it wasn’t just TV; it wasn’t just Watergate; it wasn’t just welfare.

If any force is going to overcome a free, prosperous country like America, it won’t happen all at once. Amreica has a solid foundation of liberty, personal dignity, and opportunity.

The only way to destroy something with that kind of foundation is to chip away at it, one value at a time. Take away its heart and essence. Bring doubt to what used to be confidence, denial to what used to be faith, death to what was life. I think that is what has happened.

Source: Character Makes a Difference, by Mike Huckabee, p.107-109 Jun 1, 2007

On Abortion: Consensus impossible: pro-choice world fundamentally differs

Dr. Joycelyn Elders told Christians they needed to “get over their love affair with the fetus”--a phrase that was often repeated after she became Clinton’s surgeon general. The comment particularly offended Christian believers. Clinton asked me how much of a problem it was causing. I told him it was a serious problem. She had deeply offended many people. It was a slap in the face to those who held pro-life convictions. “I wish you would explain to her how people in the evangelical world feel. Would you be willing to talk to her,“ asked Clinton.

I said I would be happy to. Clinton set up a meeting. After talking, I recognized she was absolutely sincere in her beliefs. I realized that the reason her positions on these issues so conflicted with mine was that our worldviews were fundamentally at odds. Reaching a consensus was impossible. She had her own idea of what a ”dash“ of salt was--in this case, a ”dash“ of human life--and recognized no standard that could show her she was wrong.

Source: Character Makes a Difference, by Mike Huckabee, p.110-111 Jun 1, 2007

On Crime: People naturally selfish; only God or punishment prevent it

[Liberals] argued that man is basically good; therefore, if he does bad things, he does not realize they are bad, or else he has not been trained to do good.

Our problems do not result from economics or deficiencies in education. They result from the selfish decision to ignore God’s standards of integrity. Standards based on anything else are relative, and relative standards are meaningless.

A person with a biblical world view says humans are by nature selfish. We are basically self-centered & look out for ourselves first. Only two things will change this: either our nature will be changed by a supernatural experience with God through Christ, or we will fear the consequences of not doing the right thing.

Those who believe God created humans have a different worldview from those who believe humans created God. Politics are totally directed by worldview. That is why when people say, “We ought to separate politics from religion,” I say to separate the two is absolutely impossible.

Source: Character Makes a Difference, by Mike Huckabee, p.111-113 Jun 1, 2007

On Civil Rights: Gay tolerance reflects lack of fixed societal standards

Public debate today is filled with arguments that, not long ago, would have been dismissed as ridiculous and insupportable. Consider homosexuality, for instance. There have been homosexuals in every human culture. But until recently, who would have dared to suggest that the practice should be accepted on equal footing with heterosexuality, to be thought of as a personal decision and nothing more?

Everything you do and believe is directed by your answer to the ultimate question: Is there a God? It all comes down to that single issue. If there is a God, then everything moves one way. If there isn’t, it moves another.

By refusing to define character using fixed standards, we lose our reference point., we lose our ability to navigate, and, therefore, we drift. Who is right and who is wrong? Who knows?

Source: Character Makes a Difference, by Mike Huckabee, p.113-116 Jun 1, 2007

On Crime: Defends death penalty biblically as well as politically

The night of an execution is the loneliest night of a governor’s life though I had always favored the death penalty. The warden [in my first capital case as Governor called me and] said, “Governor, the prisoner is now prepared. Is there any reason we should not proceed?” What came out of my mouth in the next few moments would mean either the life or death of a man. I alone had the power to stop the proceedings.

I authorized other executions after that one, but it never became easier. If it had, there would have been something wrong with me or the process. To this day I am confident that I did the right thing--“right” defined against moral absolutes in the midst of an imperfect world.

In an ideal world, this man would have never committed the horrible murders for which he was tried and found guilty and sentenced to die. The process was tedious and thorough. Nevertheless, the moment a governor gives the order to proceed, he is answering to God for his action and not to the taxpayer.

Source: Character Makes a Difference, by Mike Huckabee, p.120-121 Jun 1, 2007

On Technology: TV is like fire; pols must use it even though it can burn

TV is like fire. Fire can be good or it can be bad. It can burn you, but it also can warm you & cook your food. Several points are helpful in dealing with the media.

One is not to be afraid. Whether you like it or not, the media provide the vehicle through which whatever you do or say is delivered to people. I had to accept the reality that Arkansans’ perceptions of me and what I was doing came through the media.

Second, you must diversify your contacts with various types of media. Neither have one reporters or paper be your only contact. Do not become dependent on one medium. All are important. Now there are new technologies like the Internet.

If the medium for moving public policy is TV, then understand that TV is the field of play & learn to run on it. It does not mean you have to give up your intellect; it means you have to be able to demonstrate that intellect in the medium the public has chosen. If you cannot do that, you probably are not going to be successful in politics today.

Source: Character Makes a Difference, by Mike Huckabee, p.140-142 Jun 1, 2007

On Health Care: ARKids: Prevention less expensive than sick children

Meetings in Arkansas brought forth a simple but revolutionary idea that gave children preventive care. The ARKids First program was born. I introduced it to the legislature in January, 1997. It passed without a negative vote.

As I prepared to sign the bill, I found myself reaching for a crayon and probably made history by being the first to sign a bill with a crayon. The crayon became one of the symbols of the plan.

The ARKids First program has been successful in insuring more than 60,000 children. Many actually welcomed the small co-payment that was required since it gave them a sense of responsibility and a feeling of not being on welfare.

I am convinced it is less expensive to prevent a problem than it is to try and fix it once it has grown into something much larger. The value of ARKids First will be easier to see as children grow up not having missed school because of chronic illness. Is it costly? It is not as costly as having large numbers of sick children.

Source: Character Makes a Difference, by Mike Huckabee, p.162-163 Jun 1, 2007

On Education: SmartStart: early character-based education

Another initiative we promoted in Arkansas was the Smart Start program, which puts a major emphasis on high standards and accountability while focusing on reading, math, and character-based education in the early grades. With Arkansas ranked near the bottom in educational achievement, creating and implementing a statewide initiative that refocuses public education is an important task.

The real value of Smart Start will not be most evident in the short-term. It will take more than a single school year to see what happens when children grow up in a public education system where there are no excuses for failure, where the standards are raised instead of lowered, and where individual students and schools are held accountable.

Source: Character Makes a Difference, by Mike Huckabee, p.163-164 Jun 1, 2007

On Principles & Values: One worldview will prevail: God-centered or human-centered

For America and for the world, one worldview will prevail. Ours will either be a worldview with humans at the center or with God at the center. Standards of right and wrong are either what we establish as human beings (standards which can be changed to suit us), or they are what God has set in motion since the creation of the world and cannot be moved.

This clash is going to occur between those who think man is basically good (if he has enough education and economic parity, he will do good things and avoid crime, poverty, and disease) and those who say man is basically self-centered (he’ll do whatever he can get away with unless his nature is changed by God, or he is shamed by the consequences of doing wrong). The winning worldview will dominate public policy, the laws we make, and every other detail of our existence.

Source: Character Makes a Difference, by Mike Huckabee, p.171-172 Jun 1, 2007

On Drugs: Drug education fails; drug punishment works

A clash of worldviews is going to occur between those who think man is basically good and those who say man is basically self-centered.

How can we change a drug-addicted culture? Do we say, “If these people weren’t poor, or if they only knew what drugs did, then they wouldn’t be doing this”? If so, you’d prepare a bunch of informational videos and explain the danger. And in fact, that is just what much of government has been doing. And has it worked? No. Will it ever work? No. Why not? Because taking drugs appeals to the self-centered, pleasure-seeking people we are by nature.

If we’re convinced of that selfish nature, we take a different tack: “If you use drugs, we’re going to put you in jail and confiscate your car.” We must come to see that our core problem is not a lack of education but a lack of righteousness. We don’t need more information as much as we need new hearts.

Source: Character Makes a Difference, by Mike Huckabee, p.172-173 Jun 1, 2007

On Government Reform: Govern by “Regnat Populus,” AR’s motto “The People Rule”

You are entitled to ask, “What kind of governor will you be?” I plan to be guided by certain principles that will form the basis of policies enabling every Arkansas citizen to claim our state truly as the “Land of Opportunity.”

Those of us elected or employed to serve the citizen need to remember who the boss is
Government should not penalize productivity and subsidize irresponsibility
Let us establish policies for the family
I believe that a good leader never asks of others what one is unwilling to do himself
Government should welcome the participation of citizens from the private sector
I believe the best government is the most local government
In education, we cannot ignore the need for building character
Government should facilitate rather than complicate life for those who create jobs by running a business.
Our tax policies should be fair to those who work hard for paychecks.

We must always keep in mind our state motto: Regnat Populus (“The People Rule”). Source: Character Makes a Difference, by Mike Huckabee, p.181-186 Jun 1, 2007

The above quotations are from Character Makes a Difference Where I'm From, Where I've Been, and What I Believe, by Mike Huckabee. Click here for main summary page. Click here for a profile of Mike Huckabee. Click here for Mike Huckabee on all issues.
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