FIVE HUCKABEE TALKING POINTS FOR THE FLORIDA DEBATE
With Florida being a winner-take-all primary and having a somewhat more "Northeastern" demographic than all other Southern states, the Huckabee campaign has wisely chosen to focus on softer "Super Duper Tuesday" targets.

On "Super Duper Tuesday" Governor Huckabee is on "home ground" with a slew of closed primaries (unlike South Carolina) which cannot be poached by "McCain independents" crossing over to the GOP.

Thus, the challenge for the Huckabee camp is to score in the Florida debate to shore up his base and to snatch his share of Thompson voters.

Although the Duncan Hunter endorsement should help Governor Huckabee among "Secure the Borders" voters, the expected split of moderates between John McCain and Rudy means that Romney’s gold-plated "Flip-Flop" Express will feed on Florida and assert a claim to momentum going into February 5. Ever the weak candidate, Romney has now transmogrified into "Romney 3.0" – a wonkish "Mr. Fix-it" sort who is a moderate turnaround expert.

Romney’s ridiculous chameleon act and Thompson’s retreat provide a strategic opening for Huckabee.

Therefore, the Florida Debate is a critical juncture for Huckabee.

HERE ARE FIVE "TALKING POINTS" HUCKABEE MUST MAKE TO BEAT ROMNEY

1. A PRESIDENT MUST HAVE AN UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO BEDROCK AMERICAN VALUES.

Being the smartest overachiever in the class isn’t enough. To withstand the pressures of a dangerous world, a president must have an unshakeable commitment to the heartland values at the core of our National purpose. Responsible freedom . . . Personal liberty . . . Individual opportunity . . . Civic duty. . . Protecting the weak . . . Limiting abuses by the strong . . . Consistency.

Ronald Reagan’s greatness wasn’t because he was the sharpest with a balance sheet or the best businessman. His greatness flowed from his fundamental understanding of the simple values which define and limit all acts of government. [Insert Huckabee plug]

Washington D.C. has probably 10,000 wonks who live for the minutiae of policy.

We don’t need to send another one.

Jimmy Carter lost the forest for the trees. We all know how that turned out. A president who loses sight of the values and purposes behind government . . . one who cynically flips and flops with the wind . . . one who becomes so enamored with arcana and serving special interests . . . cannot keep focus on the essential values against which all presidential decisions must be tested. [insert plug about how Huckabee is not beholden to any special interest – just look at his limited campaign budget!]

2. A GOVERNMENT’S GOT TO KNOW ITS LIMITATIONS. A GOVERNMENT’S ALSO GOT TO SHOULDER ITS RESPONSIBILITIES.

As Republicans, we believe that the purpose of our government is to take on only those limited, Constitutional tasks of general importance that are too big for individuals and private groups to accomplish. . . .A national defense second to none . . . Secure borders . . . A national economic environment that protects our markets and breeds opportunities for success on Main Street, on the farm, in the factory, and even on Wall Street. . . . Safe and efficient highways . . . proper, conservative management of national lands and resources.

A Government that’s too big, too intrusive and too expensive is not the solution – it’s the problem. [Huckabee can then insert how in his 10.5 years as Governor in Arkansas he rebuilt the roads, kept the schools out of the hands of the judges, improved conservation of Arkansas’ hunting and fishing resources, etc., while balancing the budget, cutting taxes . . . .]

It shouldn’t take a whole room full of lawyers and accountants to understand a government regulation. And it shouldn’t take a massive, intrusive bureaucracy like the IRS or a thousand-page tax code to fund the essential duties of our government.

When government has undertaken a responsibility – such as to our seniors and to our brave veterans – we have a solemn duty to live up to that trust in the most responsible and efficient way possible. But we also have a responsibility to future generations to cut the size of government and limit its fiscal demands to what is absolutely necessary. [Insert policy sound bites here; whack on "earmarks" and the "bridge to nowhere"]

We have an inalienable responsibility to fight against totalitarianism and manifold evil in the War on Terror – and to win it decisively for the noble cause of liberty. We will never shrink from the defense of our freedom and our values. Those rogue elements who shed the blood of our soldiers and our innocents must never doubt the powerful, swift and overwhelming response of the United States of America.

However, we cannot afford to police the entire world alone. We must have a foreign policy that never compromises on essential American values, but which leads the responsible nations of the world to join us in actively opposing terror, tyranny and oppression.

3. WE NEED JUDGES THAT DON’T MAKE UP THE LAW AS THEY GO.

The Constitution says what it means and means what it says.

We need judges that follow the law, not judges that invent the law.

Under our system, federal judges are not held accountable in elections. A president must appoint jurists that respect the separation of powers and who will leave questions of policy to the political branches. [He could insert a criticism of Romney’s abysmal record of judicial appointments]

4. THE GREATEST POWER OF THE PRESIDENCY IS IN THE "BULLY PULPIT."

Presidents don’t achieve anything on their own.

Our system is built upon the foundation of popular support. As we saw last year in the immigration debate, the people ultimately determine what course our Nation takes. A successful president must have a consistent and responsive vision for the direction the country should be moving.

But a vision and values aren’t enough. To accomplish anything a president has to build coalitions and earn support for policies. Using the "bully pulpit" properly doesn’t mean focus grouped "themes of the week." It’s not a bunch of boring "PowerPoint" slide shows. It's not smarmy and deceptive "attack ads." And its not sound bites of "inside the beltway" jargon directed toward special interest.

The last eight years have taught us the critical importance of electing a president who able to debate effectively and to persuade.

A president must be able to persuade a majority of Americans from all walks of life to support important national goals . . . to demand responsible change . . . to hold government officials accountable.

A president must establish a tone of civility in the rancorous contests of policy and personality.

A president must exude humility and "main street" sensibilities. The Oval Office is not a place for laconic cowboys or icy, detached corporate commanders.

A president must combine strength, conviction and empathy in a way that resonates with ordinary people. And that’s why millions of Americans want a president who has endured their struggle. A president who has walked their walk. A president who’s worked for a paycheck and then hurried home at night to work some more at home. A president who reminds them more of the guy they work beside and not the guy who laid them off. [insert more Huck stump speech lines here].

5. MY ARKANSAS RECORD DEMONSTRATES SUCCESS BASED ON TRADITIONALLY CONSERVATIVE PRINCIPLES.

[This talking point is about defending the Arkansas record without sounding defensive] I didn’t have to reinvent myself to be Governor of Arkansas. I didn’t have to promise to out "Kennedy" Ted Kennedy on any issue.

Over ten and a half years, I stayed true to my conservative principles and my faith.

We balanced the budgets every year. We worked with a Democrat-controlled legislature to do those things that state governments must do. We didn’t waste time on partisanship. We fixed our roads. We dramatically improved our schools. We protected hunting, fishing and the environment. We cut taxes and expanded opportunities for growth. We invested in future productivity through education and helping young learners to be more healthy.

We did the same sorts of things that Ronald Reagan did when he was governor of California. And unlike some of my opponents, the people of my state kept reelecting me until I was term limited. By the way, we ought to have some more term limits in Washington.

I made some tough choices. Unlike all of my opponents, I’m the only candidate who has had to carry out a death sentence. Unlike some of my opponents, I took my responsibility to review pardons and commutations seriously – I studied 8,000 applications. I wasn't always right, but I’ve learned from my mistakes. But unlike one of my opponents, I never denied a pardon to a decorated war hero who as a child shot another kid in the arm with a B-B gun. I never withheld a pardon for political gain.

We made some tough choices on taxes. Like Ronald Reagan in California, I was faced with fiscal crisis and crumbling infrastructure. But we rallied the people of Arkansas to vote for the taxes necessary to fix the problems. And we kept the size of down as much as we could.