2008 Fashion Sense

3:55:  I was out most of the early afternoon, and Kate and I came in and flipped on the TV to see how the cable news channels were covering the primary, and, well, apparently issues aren’t on the agenda over at MSNBC.

Chris Jansing of MSNBC:

“What kind of message does a candidate send with what they wear?”

The fashion editor for the Washington Post, Robin Givhan:

“I think fundamentally the message is something that has to do with authenticity, comfort, confidenceand a sense that the voter can relate to the person standing there.”

It devolved from there into a discussion about the “ubiquitous Hillary Clinton pantsuit” and the “manipulation” of wardrobe. Mitt Romney’s fashion style (“polished”) was declared to be too perfect, and referenced Huckabee’s comment that Romney “looks like the guy who would lay you off.”

Boy, I feel well-informed now about the issues that matter.

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Huckabee defends his faith

4:00: Kate just flipped over to CNN and look who’s on…(she just exclaimed “Suckabee”!). It was a replay of an earlier statement from the rapist/murderer-releasing, Christian Reconstructionist-supported, Man-On-Dog wannabe and former Arkansas governor.

He was making a plea for people not to hold his personal faith against him, and that it was a sad day in America when a person holding or running for office says faith is important to him is denigrated.

What?! No one made him bleat any of the following fundie faith-based nonsense:

“[Some of my opponents] do not want to change the Constitution, but I believe it’s a lot easier to change the constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God, and that’swhat we need to do is to amend the Constitution so it’s in God’s standards rather than try to change God’s standards.”

“My faith is my life – it defines me. My faith doesn’t influence my decisions, it drives them. For example, when it comes to the environment, I believe in being a good steward of the earth. I don’t separate my faith from my personal and professional lives.”

— Huck, on his web site

“The perfection of God is seen in a marriage in which one man, one woman live together as a couple committed to each other as life partners.  Now, even married couples don’t do that perfectly, so sin is not some act of equating people with being murderers or rapists…”

— on Meet the Press, December 30, 2007

“[The ruling] dismantles the structure of constitutional law that has permitted a distinction to be made between heterosexual and homosexual unions, insofar as formal recognition in marriage is concerned. If moral disapprobation of homosexual conduct is ‘no legitimate state interest’ for purposes of proscribing that conduct, …what justification could there possibly be for denying the benefits of marriage to homosexual couples exercising ‘the liberty protected by the Constitution’?”

— Huckabee’s response to Ann Coulter to butch up his anti-gay stance by stating his opposition to the outcome of Lawrence v. Texas

“There’s never been a civilization that has rewritten what marriage and family means and survived.”

— to GQ magazine

And don’t forget Jon Perr’s Top 10 Moments in Mike Huckabee’s Extremism. Those are after the jump.Jon Perr recently compiled Huck’s Greatest Fundie Hits for your entertainment.

1. Huckabee Calls for the Quarantine of AIDS Victims
2. Huckabee Enables the Politically-Motivated Parole of Repeat Rapist/Murderer
3. Huckabee Offers Faith-Based Pardons
4. Huckabee Undermines the Teaching of Evolution
5. Huckabee Speaks for God
6. Huckabee Speaks to God
7. Huckabee Claims God Behind His Rise in the Polls
8. Huckabee Proclaims His Theology Degree a Unique Qualification to Fight Terrorism
9. Huckabee Flip-Flops, Calls for Federal Abortion Ban
10. Huckabee Calls for Consumption Tax, Abolition of the IRS

Nope. We have nothing to worry about.

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LGBT Issues and the SC Primary

National Stonewall Dems reminds us that this is the first state with a sizeable black LGBT population that will be weighing in on the primary.(NSD):

“South Carolina has presented unique opportunities that compelled us to begin organizing in the state nearly two years ago,” said Jon Hoadley, Executive Director of the National Stonewall Democrats. “Of all the early presidential states, it is the only one with a significant LGBT African American population. We decided to use that as an opportunity to deepen our organizing within the LGBT community, and especially LGBT communities of color.”

National Stonewall Democrats began organizing ahead of the South Carolina presidential primary nearly two years ago. In 2006, the Stonewall Democrats placed staff on the ground to assist local advocates in campaigning against an anti-marriage ballot initiative. The close relationships initiated during that process helped the group grow throughout the Palmetto State.

“I think presidential candidates expect to encounter our community at black-tie events on the Upper West Side, but not necessarily on historically Black college campuses in Orangeburg, South Carolina,” said Rev. Dr. Keith L. Riddle, President of the South Carolina Stonewall Democrats. “Our presence this season has demonstrated that our community is everywhere and that Democratic politicians should be prepared to address hard questions and issues that impact our families no matter where they find themselves.”

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Other news and notes (will update):

* African American Political Pundit will be liveblogging the primary.