@ From Arkansas

"Its funny for me to see Huck getting positive attention, esp considering he wasn’t that great of a governor. He ignored our education system for 6 of his ten years, right up until the state got sued for having an unconstitutional school system. His solution: shut down small schools and consolidate and make all elementary school classes centered toward one single thing, passing a standardized test."

Quoted as being spot on. Huckabee and NCLB were the tag team that turned AR schools into nothing more than prep for standardized tests. He also has changed a lot (more than McCain) to try and win votes, and- from talking to people who worked with him- an all around douche bag.

Mike Huckabee can go to Hell. I've had to live in Arkansas under his reign as governor, and despite what he's claimed, he's done a miserable job.

He claimed he cut taxes. Guess again, he raised them several times.

He said he improved education. Bullshit. My mother is a teacher in Arkansas, and she and her colleagues will quickly tell you that education in the state is a disaster, although much of that is related to Bush's "No Child Left Behind" act.

He's also a health Nazi. He made such changes as to require that schools perform BMI tests on students every two years. There have also been huge changes to what is allowed in cafeterias, such as hamburgers can be made out of soy.

In the end, who cares that he played Guitar Hero for a little bit? That doesn't mean that he's out to defend gamers and their rights. It means that he played a video game with some kids at a publicity event.

Guitar Hero, I think, is meant ot be one of those that can get non gamer's foot in the door to gaming, so, Go Mr Huckabee

Nice to see a candidate actually try and connect with kids today. Rock on Huckabee!

Would it be safe to say he did it for "the childern".

In a good light? lol

That's pretty cool actually. Seems like an ok guy overall.

[Wolfiej Says:

September 8th, 2007 at 5:57 am
Did they play Freebird? ]

Answer: Freebird's no problem for the Governor! See the YouTube link below. (Note: It's a little weak at the start, but it gets better.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkeflmkFCj0

I was there. Those kids loved Mike. It was a private time with them just before he left - not a contrived media moment. Regardless of one's political leanings, I can say he is certainly the most down-to-earth candidate in the race. When you meet him, he's the same face to face as he is on Face The Nation.

Guys that's...got to be one of the worst Photoshop jobs I've ever seen. I believe the story and all, but that picture is horrendous, unless the 360 version of the controller really does have enormous swatches of white background cutout sticking out of it at every angle.

Wow. And here I thought I would have to watch my vote wasted as rumors of Black Babies brought my candidate down in flames once again. (McCain supporter)

I don't like him at all...he is only doing this to show he is "hip" and in line with current fads.

The real problem is how he pushes his personal health ethic on everyone in roughly the same manner as the governator.

just because he is playing a guitar game and is a musician does not mean he will be on our side when it comes to games.

Mike

i was at the Iowa Straw Poll and saw Huckabee play Freebird, but he is considers Bush a great president and is for the status quo. Ron Paul is the best candidate for the U.S because he is for following the Constitution and for not expanding executive power. Ron Paul is for small government and never voted to raise taxes or a unbalanced budget. Ron Paul is the true Conservative.

"He understands teh kids!!!"

I am sick of politicans using video games as a tool to reach out to children. Video games ARE NOT THE SOLE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OF CHILDREN.

Great. Another example of a politican playing video games only within the context of childish play thing. Just what we need, more examples of how baby boomers can't grasp the sad facts:

1. Games are like any other form of media. They are not intrinsically childish.

And yeah, if you have a functioning brain, you should be somewhat disturbed that a man who favors Biblical creationist theory over evolutionary theory can actually be considered a valid presidential canidate. He's a typical superstitious, bible-thumping, conservative pig.

@ Zach

Religious undertones that justify the valuation system that is currently being used to strike down the progression of video games as a form of entertainment have been extremely annoying for years.

I will not apologize for a comment that is responding to the blind -- non-gaming related -- praise that Huckabee is reciving on this thread. Sure, I'll stop this mildly off-topic anti-Hubkabee post when I see the mildly off-topic pro-Huckabee praise cease.

The fact an individual turns to an ancient hate manual and believes counter-intuitive content for fact is a MAJOR indication that the individual has lost touch with reality and should not be trusted with the welfare of a nation.

Oh my good God.

Mike Huckabee kicks ass.

@illspirit

Did I ever make an arguement that it should be **illegal** for Huckabee to run for office? No, I suggest reading my comments closer. Public perception and legal measures are completely different things. I simply pointed out the fact that rational, forward-thinking, and unbiased voters should seriously consider the competence and ability of someone who favors a form of fanatical bronze-age superstition over rationalized, naturalistic, models of thought. You should react to a person like Huckabee with the same amount of intellectual discrimination you would practice against a canidate who claimed that his supernatural, invisible, friend George would run alongside as vice-president.

And, again, if you expect to wave the "i love X" flag without question or discussion, be prepared to deal with the painful hammer of rational critcism when it pulversizes your shoddy arguements into the dirt.

@Dale - thanks much for checking in with that first-person account!

...and Jim F, love that YouTube link.

-GP

He at least seems to be the sanest Republican.. Maybe he doesn't believe in evolution, but as he said on Colbert he certainly believes in devolution. As far as "reaching out to kiddies" Guitar Hero may be popular with the kids, but the music is from the later 60's and 70's generation. One of the few candidates brave enough to actually go on Colbert. Sure McCain and Obama have hit Daily Show, but only because Stewart is fairly gentle with his guests.

Its funny for me to see Huck getting positive attention, esp considering he wasn't that great of a governor. He ignored our education system for 6 of his ten years, right up until the state got sued for having an unconstitutional school system. His solution: shut down small schools and consolidate and make all elementary school classes centered toward one single thing, passing a standardized test. The only way I'd vote for him is if his dem opponent was Hillary.

The only way I would vote for him is if he would just wake up and stop trying to appease the conservative far right.

It is the duty of the President to represent all people under him/her and not to pander to one side. He needs to look at what everyone wants and try to find a good middle ground.

Will he get us out of Iraq?, Will he get us universal health care?, will he push for seperation of church and state that has been broken for so many years?.

He will do what his conservative supporters tell him to do...and that is why he will never get my vote.

Pandralisk is being very blunt but I think he/she is trying to say that Huckabee is not making any secret out of his strong religous ties and if he was by some miracle to get elected, he would not go out of his way to support equal rights to homosexuals or promote the expansion of scientific knowlege in areas like stem cell research or evolution.

His opinions on personal health are also a issue...I know that smoking is bad but I have no intention of quitting just because he tells me it is bad and raises taxes on them...or bans smoking in most resturaunts and some bars (dumb).

We need a younger and fresher president...someone who perhaps has a agnostic view on religion and experience in the world of modern science and technology.

Mike

He didn't do Freebird did he?

Just to set the record straight Governor Huckabee was at our home when my son asked the Governor if he would play Guitar Hero with him. It was not some publicity stunt set up by his campaign. I have spent a lot of time with the candidates and have been at both debates in NH. Governor Huckabee is the real deal! He is honest and straight forward, he is a man of conviction and has the moral fiber to lead this country. And yes he did play freebird!

@Pandralisk
Go fuck yourself you jackass.

@BlackIce
Of the few people in politics I've met, Huckabee was the most sincere, and he actually played bass with me while I played seven deadly sins on guitar.

@ Zach
I'm sorry you were forced to live in Arkansas, I'm sure some Arkansans were sorry you were there. I know teachers all across the country will say the education system is disaster. I seem to recall it went to pot with prayer being removed from school, no more corporal punishment, and forced busing, all which occurred many years before Huckabee was Gov. I should know, I was born there and was forced to leave(better job) while Clinton was Gov.

@ Pandralisk
If you think Christianity and politics don't go together, you must have missed those world history classes and the the history of the United States...but I forgot, I grew up when they actually TAUGHT such things. Evolution and natural selection are not the same thing. Huckabee is not against science, after all God created science. Has anyone proven evolution through scientific method.......?

@JL

Speaking as someone who is not a Christian, I would appreciate it if you would stop trying to ram Jesus up my ass. I would also like to suggest you go back to history class, because you seem to have forgotten about the whole "seperation of Church and State" thing.

I would also suggest you go back to science class because you clearly don't understand what science is.

@Thabor -- Guitar Hero has a pretty huge mix of music, from the 60s and 70s (Allman Brothers Band, Black Sabbath, etc.) on up to modern stuff (Wolfmother, Red Hot Chili Peppers, etc.) and have a huge mix from easier listening standards (Surrender by Cheap Trick) all the way up to hardcore death metal (Laid to Rest by Lamb of God).

@Pandrelisk -- no real need to rebut you in any way. You've shown yourself nothing more than a bigoted jackass in the past, and you haven't disappointed here at all. Not all Christians believe in ramming Christianity and extreme political views down anyone's throats. Likewise, I don't believe everyone on the left is as narrowminded as you. Your views are the exact opposite of Jack Thompson's, but you're every bit the asshole he is.

@JL -- you need to bone up on your science. A scientific theory is ever a working model. The Theory of Gravity, for example, has never been "proven," yet we know that there is gravity and essentially how it works -- but new discoveries require revisions. The same goes for the Theory of Evolution, which has changed greatly from the days of Charles Darwin (which is usually what the ill-informed Christian right holds up when they say evolution isn't real) and is constantly in flux as new evidence and facts are brought to light.

To Black Ice, Leftie I reply the party paid me nothing and you don't believe me because you are a you are so far to the left you don't believe that there could be a true gentleman running for office who would just take the time to play guitar hero with a little boy. I feel kind of bad for you. To the rest of you following the guitar hero story I sat down with my boy to show him about the blog thinking he may be excited to read some of the writings. It's unfortunate that profanity is all over the place. I haven't checked out who is tossing the "F Bombs" etc... but I would guess the majority are not the people with Huckabee.

In reality Ron Paul is the guy you want if you want your games. Why? He is the one who believes in freedom above all else. Why would you want some moralizing toad like Huckabee?

[...] As GamePolitics reported last September, Huckabee has plus been known to try his hand at Guitar Hero. He’s actually a pretty darned good real-world guitarist as well and plays in a band called Capitol Offense. [...]

[...] It was a fitting end for the bass-slapper-turned-presidential-candidate, as his staffers gathered around to enjoy the layered Italian treat, and to witness Huck’s well-documented aptitude with peripheral-based rhythm games. Regardless of your political views and endorsements, we think we can all agree that the gaming community would be well-served by a president that shared Huckabee’s fervor for video games of any kind. His reported Garfield-esque penchant for lasagna, however, we could take or leave. [...]

Now, I’m not saying I’m a Republican gamer, but if I was, which presidential candidate would be top of my list? Certainly not Mitt Romney, who sees video games as part of an ocean of filth. Ditto for Sam Brownback, who’s pushing video game legislation in the Senate. It’s gotta be former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee

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MUKESH11

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