Huckabee threatens to leave GOP

[politicus]

Mike Huckabee says he will leave the GOP if they soften on abortion or gay marriage..

http://news.yahoo.com/huckabee-threatens-leave-gop-over-gay-marriage-abortion-184817498.htm

"Because at that point, you lose me,” Huckabee said. “I’m gone. I’ll become an independent. I’ll start finding people that have guts to stand. I’m tired of this."

“I am utterly exasperated with Republicans and the so-called leadership of the Republicans who have abdicated on this issue when, if they continue this direction they guarantee they’re gonna lose every election in the future,” Huckabee said. “Guarantee it.”

[eric82oslo]

I think he'll be welcome in the Constitution Party.

[Representative Joe Mad]

While I know he's just doing this for attention, it is sorta funny that he says it.  People like him leaving would probably great for the Republicans.  It'd give them the chance to focus on other issues, not hating something most Americans support.

[ElectionsGuy]

Good, go ahead Huck!

[Maxwell]

how can they fight any harder on gay marriage? what argument REALLY makes sense to people? "The definition" of marriage?

And on abortion the GOP has been moving further and further away from public opinion (see Personhood). How can they go any farther other than to literally push for a losing amendment to overturn Roe v. Wade.

[King]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHcunREYzNY

[Consciously Unconscious]

Good riddance.   

Though I definitely don't think the GOP should give up on abortion.  Restrictions on abortion is a winnable issue (although completely getting rid of it is probably not) 

[Senate Minority Leader Lord Voldemort]

Okay. Bye!

[New_Conservative]

Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

[I Will Not Be Wrong]

Religious wackos like him leaving would bring me back to the GOP

[IceSpear]

Who cares? I know narcissism is present in most politicians, but attention whoring among GOP presidential hopefuls seems to be at an all time high lately. Cruz, Huckabee, Palin, etc. are like teenage girls in a twerking competition desperately trying to impress the boys (or in this case, the base).

Hopefully he runs for president as an independent though, that'd be awesome. I'd love to see Hillary win 400+ EVs.

[spacecoyote]

So the plan is to push any eventual nominee so far to the right on now losing social issues they can't win the general election?

[Free Bird]

Religious wackos like him leaving would bring me back to the GOP

[tmthforu94]

I liked Huckabee for a while - I'm at the point now though where I'm pretty sure I will vote for Hillary if he is our nominee.

[New_Conservative]

I liked Huckabee for a while - I'm at the point now though where I'm pretty sure I will vote for Hillary if he is our nominee.

Agreed, anyone that is a religious wingnut will not get my vote.

[Chunk Yogurt for President!]

I think he'll be welcome in the Constitution Party.

His fiscal and foreign policy wouldn't be acceptable to them.

[Maistre]

And on abortion the GOP has been moving further and further away from public opinion (see Personhood). How can they go any farther other than to literally push for a losing amendment to overturn Roe v. Wade.

And I'm sure the Democratic Party's plank for abortions funded by tax dollars is very mainstream as well!

[New_Conservative]

So the plan is to push any eventual nominee so far to the right on now losing social issues they can't win the general election?

It's not looking good. It's probably going to be a long painful primary process this year from us, hopefully the hardcore religious right don't mess things up too much. I am nervous about the Tea Party's influence on the primary. The only Tea Party guy I like is Paul, but I am not even sure if he qualifies as a Tea Partier.

[New_Conservative]

Mike Huckabee says he will leave the GOP if they soften on abortion or gay marriage..

http://news.yahoo.com/huckabee-threatens-leave-gop-over-gay-marriage-abortion-184817498.htm

"Because at that point, you lose me,” Huckabee said. “I’m gone. I’ll become an independent. I’ll start finding people that have guts to stand. I’m tired of this."

“I am utterly exasperated with Republicans and the so-called leadership of the Republicans who have abdicated on this issue when, if they continue this direction they guarantee they’re gonna lose every election in the future,” Huckabee said. “Guarantee it.”

This quote made me laugh, how out of touch can you be. If they don't liberate on the issue of SSM, and somewhat on abortion, then "they're gonna lose every election the future." (I'm mocking Huckabee) Zero common sense.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

And on abortion the GOP has been moving further and further away from public opinion (see Personhood). How can they go any farther other than to literally push for a losing amendment to overturn Roe v. Wade.

And I'm sure the Democratic Party's plank for abortions funded by tax dollars is very mainstream as well!

The Democrats are far too moderate hero for that. Unlike RomneyCare, ObamaCare doesn't cover abortions.

[Maxwell]

And on abortion the GOP has been moving further and further away from public opinion (see Personhood). How can they go any farther other than to literally push for a losing amendment to overturn Roe v. Wade.

And I'm sure the Democratic Party's plank for abortions funded by tax dollars is very mainstream as well!

Okay, you're really missing the point.

[5280]

Okay. Bye!

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

And on abortion the GOP has been moving further and further away from public opinion (see Personhood). How can they go any farther other than to literally push for a losing amendment to overturn Roe v. Wade.

And I'm sure the Democratic Party's plank for abortions funded by tax dollars is very mainstream as well!

The Democrats are far too moderate hero for that. Unlike RomneyCare, ObamaCare doesn't cover abortions.

It provides subsidies to purchase plans that pay for abortions. I'm not sure what else you would call that.

The Republicans no longer being the pro-life party on abortion would sap the energy from a large portion of their base and return white Catholics to being comfortably majority Democrats.  As for gay marriage, it would just be a matter of hurt feelings for a while.

[Maistre]

And on abortion the GOP has been moving further and further away from public opinion (see Personhood). How can they go any farther other than to literally push for a losing amendment to overturn Roe v. Wade.

And I'm sure the Democratic Party's plank for abortions funded by tax dollars is very mainstream as well!

Okay, you're really missing the point.

Er. No.

You are clutching your pearls over Huckabee expressing that the GOP should not abandon their opposition to abortion. No where did Huckabee say he wanted Republicans to barricade outside abortion clinics or anything. He simply said that if the GOP dropped their opposition to abortion/gay marriage, he would stop supporting the GOP, which is not exactly an uncommon position (especially on the former).

You then chastise the Republicans for 'moving away' from public opinion on abortion, when it is the Democratic plank - tax subsidies for abortions, not even banning late-term abortions is far more extreme when it comes to popular opinion.

[Mechaman]

And on abortion the GOP has been moving further and further away from public opinion (see Personhood). How can they go any farther other than to literally push for a losing amendment to overturn Roe v. Wade.

And I'm sure the Democratic Party's plank for abortions funded by tax dollars is very mainstream as well!

The Democrats are far too moderate hero for that. Unlike RomneyCare, ObamaCare doesn't cover abortions.

It provides subsidies to purchase plans that pay for abortions. I'm not sure what else you would call that.

The Republicans no longer being the pro-life party on abortion would sap the energy from a large portion of their base and return white Catholics to being comfortably majority Democrats.  As for gay marriage, it would just be a matter of hurt feelings for a while.

While I don't deny it would have an impact on the white Catholic vote in favor of the Democrats, I do not believe it would be as dramatic as you imply.  Even before Roe V. Wade many white Catholics were starting to vote Republican due to a variety of factors, but largely economic.  The average "White Catholic" is a lot wealthier than they were just seventy years ago, for instance.  Hell, a lot of the moderate Republicanism (contrary to the common perception around here) strategy was to appeal to the "lace curtain class" (if you will) that was kind of turned off by the excesses of the New Deal but still liked their Social Security, their unions, and other liberals things who were turned off by the reluctance of Democrats to push for Civil Rights that GOPhers like Nelson Rockefeller, Mark Hatfield, Dwight Eisenhower, and even conservatives like Robert Taft were strongly pushing for.  Arguably, Kennedy and LBJ were an attempt to get these voters back into the Democratic fold by bringing up the Civil Rights issue that was avoided in the 1950s in a vain attempt to get Southern Whites back into the voting coalition.  Contrary to some perceptions, White Catholics were not united against Civil Rights.  Many Catholics in all social classes actually wanted Civil Rights legislation, it was just a few violent hooligans in places like the southside of Chicago and South Boston who made everyone look bad.  Moderate Republicans, arguably, saw this trend as favorable for them compared to some of the Democratic parties up north that were more reluctant on Civil Rights issues.  It would also be intellectually dishonest of me to omit the whole Cold War aspect, as the Pope had many Catholics convinced that the USSR represented godless Communism which the GOP at the time was seen as being more against than the Democrats who were seen as almost embracing Soviet spies in the 1940s.
I should note, Joe McCarthy was an Irish Catholic Republican who dated Kennedy girls.  Hell, he was initially elected with help from the AFL-CIO and outside of the whole anti-communism schtick he was actually considered a pretty moderate Republican for his day.
Of course it is important to note that for a lot of the time "Rockefeller Republicanism" was in vogue abortion wasn't really a top issue.  So that might have something to do with it, though I would note that some very well known "moderate Republicans" like Mark Hatfield and Margaret Heckler were pro-life (though to be completely fair, I don't believe either of them would've supported something like a blanket abortion ban in all fifty states like Huckabee and others probably do).  Those are the only two I can think of at the top of my head, but I bet there are at least a few more examples.  You could argue that many "Rockefeller Republicans" or whatever you like to call them probably downplayed the issue at times to help their numbers with "White Catholics".  So maybe you do indeed have a point that it would be a significant factor, given that abortion is a much more pressing than issue than it was in the past.  Though really, the average Catholic thinks it's less of a pressing issue than the average Protestant, so I think it would at worst make "White Catholics" something like 55% Democratic and not like 65% Democratic like in the old days.  And even then, like BRTD repeatedly notes, there isn't really that much of a unified "Catholic vote" as German Catholics were pretty Republican even in 1960.
Point mainly is that "moderate" Republicans were not winning elections back in the day by appealing solely to socially liberal WASPs like many on here seem to think.

If the GOP wishes to be more successful dropping the abortion issue is probably not a winner.  It is not as divisive as gay marriage or border control.  The pro-life movement, though it is largely associated with conservatism, is sort of a wide tent.  There are many "moderates", libertarians, and even liberals who consider themselves "Pro-Life" while disagreeing strongly with conservatives on other issues.  I don't think that a Constitutional Amendment to ban abortion in all fifty states would be popular and idiots like Todd Akin certainly did not help, but with the right positioning (like Mark Hatfield, who was elected for DECADES into state office in Oregon of all places) they can still have a winning coalition.