John Nichols: Huckabee Surfs The Christmastide

from The Nation:




HUCKABEE SURFS THE CHRISTMASTIDE...Of course it's a cross in the background of that new Mike Huckabee for President commercial running amidst the Christmas sale ads on Iowa television screens.

It is, in fact, a great big shining cross. And it is hovering over the evangelical candidate's shoulder in the most blatantly religious campaign advertisement ever aired by a serious contender -- and the polls confirm that Huckabee is indeed a very serious contender -- for the presidential nomination of a major party.

Despite the suggestion by some that Huckabee's "Merry Christmas" ad simply features a convenient window-pane pattern next to that decorated tree, no one who is familiar with Huckabee's penchant for playing the religion card doubts that the former Arkansas governor who says that there is a Biblical explanation for his rise in the polls is positioning himself as the candidate for the cross.

All the campaigns that are competing in the January 3 Iowa Republican and Democratic caucuses debated internally about how to approach the Christmas question. With the caucuses falling during the traditional twelve days of Christmas, it was inevitable that campaigns ads would be appearing on television during the Holiday season.

The various campaigns did not want to strike a wrong note -- seeming too religious or too secular, too harsh in a season of good will or too exploitive of that good will. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters?bid=45&pid=261556