Huckabee: Polls don't dictate my values

HARLAN, Ia. — For 12 years, Mike Huckabee served as a Baptist minister but the Republican told a group of mostly retired veterans on Wednesday that if he's elected president, he won't be America's pastor.

Still, Huckabee said that the first thing he would do when he walked into the Oval Office as president is “get down on my knees and pray.

“I don’t believe this is a job that mere human brains can handle without inspiration. If you believe that a person can do this job and do it solely on his own instincts and not upon God, then elect somebody else,” he said. “I’m not your guy.”

The campaign stop at the American Legion Hall in Harlan was the first of four events on Wednesday for Huckabee. Since Jan. 2, Huckabee has held 42 campaign events in Iowa. By Feb. 1, the date of the Iowa caucuses, the candidate has said he will hold 150 events.

At least two will be concerts.

Huckabee, who plays bass guitar, will join the 1990s rock band FireHouse on Friday at Clear Lake’s Surf Ballroom. On Monday, he’ll play with country music recording artist Josh Turner at Wooly’s in Des Moines.

Shelby County Supervisor Charles Parkhurst introduced Huckabee on Wednesday. Parkhurst said he supported Huckabee in 2008 when the former Arkansas governor won the Iowa caucuses and that he’ll likely support the candidate again.

“He’s got a good moral character and he’s real straightforward,” Parkhurst said.

The point is one Huckabee made at his stops in Harlan and Carroll. He told audiences in both communities that he hasn’t changed since the 2008 caucuses and neither have his values.

“My values don’t come from the latest political polls, they come from my faith,” Huckabee said. He added that the electorate wants elected officials who are consistent in what they say and believe.

Harlan resident Janet C. Miller told Huckabee that she was disappointed all of the Republican candidates weren’t on the same debate stage and asked him if there was anything he could do to change it.

Huckabee said he too is frustrated by the debate process.

“If a candidate will go after another candidate and trash them they’ll get a whole lot of attention,” he said. “If they get a whole lot of attention, they’ll get on the news more. If they get on the news more, their poll numbers go up. If their poll numbers go up, they’ll get on the main stage …

“I will not sacrifice my honor and my integrity just to be able to please the rating system and become part of the entertainment culture instead of taking a serious run the White House.”

AT THE EVENTS

SETTINGS: American Legion Hall in Harlan and Central Church of Carroll’s Youth Center.

CROWD: About 35 people in Harlan and 20 in Carroll.

REACTION: Huckabee was applauded in Harlan when he said he supports term limits for members of Congress and U.S. Supreme Court justices.

WHAT’S NEXT: Huckabee will be in Sioux City, Le Mars, Sioux Center, Rock Valley and Sheldon on Thursday. For details, go to DesMoinesRegister.com/candidatetracker.