December 7, 2007
Posted: 03:22 PM ET

Huckabee said he would put his own Christian twist on a "God speech."

BLUFFTON, South Carolina (CNN) – Speech? What speech?

Mike Huckabee said Friday he did not watch the speech on faith given by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, but offered lukewarm praise for what he had heard about Romney's comments.

The former Arkansas governor said from what he had heard, Romney "seemed to have done an excellent job."

But the Baptist minister argued that he has been confronted with questions about his faith more than Romney has, and that he would make a "God speech" too if given the airtime.

"I get all of the God questions at the debates, so you know when people say, 'Oh, he had to make a speech,' I'm thinking, 'Hey you know what? If you'll give me national television time, I'll make you a God speech, and I'll tell you what I'll do, I'll throw in an offering and an altar call to throw in with it.'"

Huckabee was speaking with reporters after attending a fundraiser here.

– CNN South Carolina Producer Peter Hamby

Filed under: Mike Huckabee • Mitt Romney • South Carolina


Joe, Boston, MA   December 7th, 2007 3:34 pm ET

Whatever ever happened with seperation of church and state?

I'm so fed up with these hypocrital "religious" freaks running for office. They all believe in torture, don't agree to giving all Americans health insurance, hateful towards people who are not like them….but yet they say they're the religious ones.

Give me a break!

Val Davydov, Agawam, MA   December 7th, 2007 3:37 pm ET

Huck is becoming real cocky. Not good for his campaign - just shows the true nature of his personality.

T. Tim, Lodi, WI   December 7th, 2007 3:38 pm ET

"I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between church and State."-Thomas Jefferson, letter to Danbury Baptist Association, CT., Jan. 1, 1802

Do today's "God" folks think Jefferson was unpatriotic? I wonder.

Lars, DC   December 7th, 2007 3:38 pm ET

Hey Huck! You get asked about your religion because it's all you talk about! It's your entire platform. And yet Romney still gets asked more questions about his.

I've got an idea, Why don't you give a speech on whether you think Mormons are Christian or not? I think We'd all like to know if you believe a 'Cult' is 'Christian' or you're just a religous bigot.

New Bern, NC   December 7th, 2007 3:49 pm ET

When is the last time someone questioned the baptist faith - not in mine or your lifetime and not even our father or thiers - never. So no a religious speech of this sort from a baptist is not needed. Romney had to make that speech. Good.

anonymous   December 7th, 2007 3:52 pm ET

i didn't watch it either huck.

Mac Reynolds, Los Angeles, CA   December 7th, 2007 4:16 pm ET

And which debates are those, Huckabee?? From what I saw, Romney by far got asked the most. Sure, Huckabee tried hard to jump in and take whatever ones he could, but that was by his own choice. Likewise, Romney gave this speech because he needed to. He has never tried to use religion as a tool to propel his success. Huckabee? Well, that's a given.

Frank, San Diego   December 7th, 2007 4:26 pm ET

Yeah, Huck. Just what we need. Another "God speech." It's time to turn our backs on theocracy and the Taliban wing of the Republican Party that promotes it.

jerry,worcester,ma   December 7th, 2007 4:28 pm ET

wow, voters be warned of this guy. pretty rude indeed!

lou, Miami Florida   December 7th, 2007 4:30 pm ET

an arrogant side to the saint….

Steve in SC   December 7th, 2007 4:46 pm ET

Joe in Boston,

I take exception to your post! First the idea of "religious freaks" being hateful to those who are not like them? I believe your very words are hateful! Secondly, you want the government to GIVE? That is not the responsibilty of government! I understand some people may need help every now and then! I would love to see people actually earn something! Is it the government's job to bail out homeowners? What we are lacking in this country is personal responsibility. What you want is to punish those who practice personal responsibility and reward those who don't! I believe in helping those who need help but they also have to learn to help themselves! That is why people give to charities. This is not a government responsibility! P.S. I am a Christian!

Daniel, NY   December 7th, 2007 4:46 pm ET

Don't forget that Huckabee is now first in a national primary poll, 4% ahead of Giuliani. An unthinkable development only two weeks ago.

Steve, Lyons, CO   December 7th, 2007 4:49 pm ET

Huckabee: 'Hey you know what? If you'll give me national television time, I'll make you a God speech, and I'll tell you what I'll do, I'll throw in an offering and an altar call to throw in with it.'

Um, you just made it, Mr. Anti-Evolution. Your last sentence there is EXACTLY what's wrong with religiously deluded extremists.

There's no way you'll get elected, Mr. Huckabee, because you're too busy trying to force your religion down everyone's throat.

Romney's speech was a piece of junk. His "you must be religious to hold office" crap is exactly what the Constitution FORBIDS, and what the Founding Fathers were most worried about, except for making sure the executive branch didn't hold too much power, which FF decision has been totally decimated by President Lawless and his fascist V.P.

Brad, from the great state of Texas   December 7th, 2007 4:58 pm ET

Hey Frank, I love the cute names ("Taliban") liberals like you have for religious Republicans. Funny how you guys get up in arms when you are labeled "socialists" or "communists"– and please, why don't you elaborate on how religious politicians like Huckabee oppress and/or harass you in ANY manner like the Taliban did to the people of Afghanistan. Take your time, I'm a patient person.

I guess you're just another hateful, namecalling child from the left… what a big shock…

Brian, Palatine Illinois   December 7th, 2007 5:02 pm ET

The founders of this country strongly believed in God, but the Bible questions at the last GOP debate were unneeded and very uncalled for. I am a Christian and I will vote for a Christian candidate because I believe the morals we stand behind are just and compassionate. We don't believe in torture, we simply say desperate times call for desperate measures…meaning the President should do whatever is needed to get information if they as well as Congress believes their is an imminent threat on this nation. Huckabee does need to stop using Christianity as his main point to avoid loosing the athiest, Jewish, Muslim, etc, vote. I do not agree with him about what he did with college tuition for illegals but I do think his morals are needed in a time when our nation is getting a little hazy on morality. The thing with him and Chuck Norris is to get the younger voters involved who know all the Chuck Norris jokes and will laugh about it when he makes those jokes. Cocky and confident are two different things.

Geoff, Arlington, VA   December 7th, 2007 5:52 pm ET

Riiiiggghhht, Huckabee. You are a typical politician in saying you didn't watch the Romney speech. The only reason why you say you didn't watch it is so you can't be asked to comment on it. The speech was outstanding, and you wouldn't be able to hold a candle to it.

Huckabee is trying to play dumb, just like he did when he was Governor and pardoned six times more people than surrounding states combined. Then he says he didn't have a lot to do with it. Easy way out, Huck

Dan, St. Louis, MO   December 7th, 2007 6:30 pm ET

I'm a social conservative, but let's face it, Huckleberry is not presidential material. Doesn't really have the brains for such an important job, and more importantly, he's not even a conservative beyond abortion and gay marriage, two things presidents hardly affect.

John   December 7th, 2007 6:34 pm ET

Is it me or does back-slapping jokester Huck turn into just another political jerk when the polls start to run in his favor? This guy is starting to scare me.

Dan Seattle, WA   December 7th, 2007 7:23 pm ET

Huckabee, no thanks. Mitt's was enough.

Stick to your Chuck Norris commercials.

Shawnie - Grants Pass, OR   December 7th, 2007 7:23 pm ET

Good thing, because if you did, it would have worried you. Romney put religion where it belongs, as a back drop. Huck is claiming he is God's candidate, that his rise in the polls is by divine intervention, he is saying "a vote for me is a vote for the Faith" etc. etc. etc.

Travis Medford,Oregon   December 7th, 2007 7:29 pm ET

To all the Republicans and who look at their candidates running this year and are still not happy with their choices,look at the Democratic side and check out the candidate that has a strong bi-partisan track record of leading and working with both parties and getting things done instead of being polorizing or inexperienced. A candidate who has a strong foreign policy background and a exit plan to this War we are involved in. Joe Biden is worth a look that is if the far left of the Democratic party lets that happen.

Jesse, Carlisle, PA   December 7th, 2007 7:38 pm ET

It is unfair that Romney was given free airtime to talk about his Mormonism. The "Incredible Huck" should be given the same courtesy. Wait, if I recall, in Romney's speech he didn't talk about Mormonism, he talked about "faith" generally. I guess it doesn't matter what you believe in this spiritually relativist culture.

Dale Davis, Glendora, California   December 7th, 2007 8:06 pm ET

Why would Huckabee want to look at the Mitt Romney speech?
The scarey things about Romney to ALL of his opponents are:
He looks like a president.
He acts like a president.
He talks like a president.
He has the credentials to be a president.
He SHOULD be a president.
None of the candidates would want to watch him because he is great speaker, just like Ronald Reagan.
By the way, Ronald Reagan had long admired, respected, and even counseled with Mormons. Some have even worked for him. The Mormon issue should be a moot point at this now, except for a handful of desperate anti-Mormons from both the right wing religionists and the left wing radicals, both of which meet full circle in their intolerance.

Casey Warner Iowa   December 7th, 2007 8:30 pm ET

another democrat in Republican clothing. The guy reminds me of the republican Hillary, can't answer a question and is soft on crime.

FAIR TAX ,LA   December 7th, 2007 8:33 pm ET

FAIR TAX HUCK, YOU GO FOR IT !! ALL THE WAY !!!!!

Bill , Covington,LA   December 7th, 2007 9:00 pm ET

Governor Huckabee, slick willie clinton, Hillary, Arkansas, need I say More? be careful what you vote for, you may get it, then what?

Tom Dedham, Mass   December 7th, 2007 9:19 pm ET

And which debates are those, Huckabee?? From what I saw, Romney by far got asked the most. Sure, Huckabee tried hard to jump in and take whatever ones he could, but that was by his own choice. Likewise, Romney gave this speech because he needed to. He has never tried to use religion as a tool to propel his success. Huckabee? Well, that's a given.

Posted By Mac Reynolds, Los Angeles, CA : December 7, 2007 4:16 pm

Very well put Mac, and unlike you NPR watching tools, I know what Mac says is the truth, as Romney was my Governor and he NEVER, EVER used his religoun to make a point or buy favor.

You can't say the same about the MSM media flavor of the month Huckabee.

As a Conservative leaning Christian, but A NON BIBLE THUMPER, if Huckabee gets the nomination, my party deserves to lose and I will gladly vote for Biden or Obama.

Apollo, Seattle, WA   December 7th, 2007 10:47 pm ET

The huckster doesn't have to watch it because he has his hatchet workers out attacking Romney for him (push poll phone calls, bigotted propoganda, etc. etc.)

I know that the media likes to play up the issue of needing the religious right, well, like it or not, Mormons (up until now) have formed a portion of this broad-based coalition.

What happens if now, after months of hearing non-stop biggoted slurs hurled at them Mormons simply don't vote in the next election, or vote for a democrat?

You say it couldn't happen? Well, Sen. Reid is Mormon and a Democrat.

You say that it won't affect the presidential race? Huckster, if nominated (God Forbid!) will not win in New Mexico, Nevada (Vegas was founded by Mormons, you know), Colorado because the hundreds of thousands of Mormons in those three states will not vote for an anti-Mormon bigot. Throughout Mormon history, they have stood up to bigots like him, and will not tolerate his intolerance and his supporters' open hostility.

NV, NM, CO. If those go purple or blue…it's over. What about the 750,000 Mormons in California? Could there be a few more congressional seats lost? Even Id. could vote for a third party libertarian.

AZ.? Might lose some more congressional seats. WA. (250,000) same…Oregon (where Bush lost in 2000 by a couple thousand votes?) the 140,000 Mormons will turn away.

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints will put up with a lot, but the lies and continued bigotry has gone too far. The Huckster has pushed them out of the 'tent'

Angela Wpb, Fl   December 8th, 2007 12:34 am ET

Wow, Huck sounds like he's auditioning to become a host of a God game show.

John Allen   December 8th, 2007 1:55 am ET

What? Huck tuned out Governor Romney's speech on faith in America? For a former pastor who literally brands himself "The Christian Candidate," it is difficult to comprehend that Huck did not watch Romney's speech. It's shocking actually. I mean what kind of a pastor would purposely miss what turned out to be perhaps the most inspiring speech on American religion in recent memory? I can only assume that Huck was jealous of all the attention Romney was getting and couldn't stand any more of it, or else he secretly did watch The Speech and doesn't want to admit it. In either case, it's yet another disappointing performance by a candidate who's got a lot more bark than bite.

Jerimiah, South Carolina   December 8th, 2007 2:42 am ET

Amen! to all of these comments

Alice Newman Center Harbor NH   December 8th, 2007 6:29 am ET

"i didn't watch it either huck.
Posted By anonymous" ….

Which means that you can't form an intelligent opinion on what you saw … just like Mike. Ignorance is not bliss anymore … for either of you…

BTW, why not post your comments under your name? uniformed and no name? Who are you voting for?

That Guy   December 8th, 2007 10:05 am ET

Alice

Anon never tried to form an opinion on what he didn't see.

I didn't watch it either.

Why do you care what his name is? or who he's voting for?

Tannim   December 8th, 2007 11:44 am ET

While Slick Willard pontificates maure on religion, and while Huckabee is exposed as a hypcritical fraud, one man doesn't alk much about his religion and chooses to live it instead: Dr. Paul. No speeches or apologies needed for this man, a devout Christian married 50 years and a great-grandfather, pro-life, baby doctor, anti-death penalty, anti-war, and pro-peace.

Romney was trying to be JFK. Unfortunately Lloyd Bensten is no longer alive to put the MittWit in his proper place.

Steve S., Louisville KY   December 8th, 2007 11:51 am ET

I'm not sure if cocky is the word for Huckabee but rather bold. I think he's the best thing in the last 20 years. I'm not sure everybody caught his humorous spin with the reference to an altar call and offering. He's great and has got solid character too. You probably cannot put moral and other candidates names in the same sentence.

As far as the seperation of church and state, for anyone who believes strongly in God, trying to seperate the two would be like trying to seperate your heart from decision making. Often, you just cannot do it. I think the physical church and state ought to be different but how people personally use it in their moral decision making is up to them. If a person professes to believe in God but does not consider God while making decisions (ultimately because they are accountable to God) then they really do not believe in anything at all and are a liar.

Ashley, Foxworth, MS   December 8th, 2007 1:13 pm ET

Why would anyone want Huck to give a speech on religion? It is the evangelicals like him that demanded Romney give his speech. It is sad that Romney is under fire for his personal religion. His speech was great but should not have been needed much less demanded. We should judge these candidates based on their character, experience, political stances, etc.
By the way: that collection plate remark was way out of line. Shame on you sucky Huck!

Independent in IA   December 8th, 2007 3:00 pm ET

To those of you who would vote for this religious nut, I would suggest you read Margaret Atwood's novel "The Handmaid's Tale", surmising events following the establishment of a Christian Theocracy, which is what Huckabee advocates. Makes the Taliban look like children compared to his vision.

Chris, Bethesda, Maryland   December 8th, 2007 3:39 pm ET

When have not made a "God speech?" When have you not had airtime?

David, Encinitas, CA   December 9th, 2007 1:44 pm ET

Brad,

After enduring all the name calling from folks like you for the last decade, it's hardly surprising that people like Frank have alot of bottled up frustration. I was raised to believe that being "liberal" was a good thing, that helping people who needed it was a good thing, that keeping religion away from government and at the same time keeping individual rights and freedoms intact and protected from government - was also a good thing. So get off your high horse. People in this country have a constitutional right to be conservative, liberal, religious or atheist, and can be any of the above or none and still be patriotic and love their country. Show a little respect to others and then maybe you can expect the same back.

Oh, and BTW, I've read your posts, and you might want to remember the saying that people living in glass houses should not throw stones.

Charles in Salt Lake City, UT   December 9th, 2007 2:19 pm ET

Didn't watch Romney's speech? Well, tell him he didn't miss much.

Having had time to finally digest Mr. Romney's much anticipated "faith" speech myself, I have to state the obvious: This will not be remembered as one of the great speeches of history.

I realize he probably meant well, but when he said words to the effect that "religion requires freedom and freedom requires religion," Romney in one fell swoop managed to disenfranchise the liberty of every American who chooses to live their life without a religious faith system — and whether that condition applies to one lone individual or a considerable host, the very essence of being an American is that a person is free to make that choice and still be an American.

But worse, Romney's remarks are but a hair's bredth from the view that "only the TRUE religion" can provide us with TRUE freedom. And if that is to be the case, whose faith or religion must we define as the "true" one? Romney's? JFK's? Pat Robertson's? Joseph Lieberman's?

All Romney's speech has managed to do is virtually guarantee that he will not receive his party's nomination by assuring us all that he cannot possibly win in the general election.

Harold, NY, NY   December 10th, 2007 11:19 am ET

umm, please don't Mike. you're pathetic, really.

Steve in SC   December 10th, 2007 11:59 am ET

Independent in IA,

First, that book is fiction! Secondly, who is asking for a theocracy? Name names please! I would consider voting for him and I don't won't a theocracy. Stop making stuff up to incite fear!

Ian, Elkhart Lake WI   December 10th, 2007 2:30 pm ET

"I hope we answer the alarm clock and take this nation back for Christ."
- Mike Huckabee

Hmm, sounds like theocracy to me. How do you spin it?

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