"Christ."

Mike Huckabee's new ad will begin airing in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. It throws the viewer for a loop, starting off with a red-sweater-clad Huckabee asking if "we're about warned out of all the television commercials we've been seeing..." the camera pans slowly to reveal a Christmas tree as the bars of "Silent Night" become recognizable. "What really matters," the former Southern Baptist pastor says, is "the celebration of the birth of Christ and being with our family and our friends."

How explicitly Christian. Forget coded appeals to evangelicals: if it were any more full-frontal, it would get an X rating.

(Has a politician ever before run a television advertisement wishing voters a Merry Christmas?)

But who can criticize an ad celebrating Christmas? Many of those anti-Huckabee conservatives who will bristle at the ad are probably the first to bristle at attempts by the establishment to rid the public square of Christ during Christmas. So why not extend the spirit of orthodoxy to politics?

Funny: the Christmas tree is a pagan symbol, but, hey, this isn't a history class.

Here's the script:

“Are you about worn out of all the television commercials you’ve been seeing? Mostly about politics. I don’t blame you. At this time of year sometimes it’s nice to pull aside from all of that and just remember that what really matters is the celebration of the birth of Christ and being with our family and our friends. I hope that you and your family have a magnificent Christmas season. And on behalf of all of us, God bless and Merry Christmas. I’m Mike Huckabee and I approve this message.”

Comments

uh....am i missing something?

was this a public service announcemtn or a presidential candidates' campaign ad.

i think i just threw up. the shamless use of Christ to get himself elected into office is disgusting.

stuff like this a long with his chuck norris ads is seriously the last straw for me. how can he be taken seriously?

he is the only candidate running away with his record. other candidates aer standing upon theirs. their ads show their qualifications and convictions. huckabee's talk about jokes, chuck norris, and christmas time. yup, now i know, he should be our commander and chief.

it is inslutin to voters to think we are stupid enough that we don't vote on anythign substantive.

Posted by Galt | December 17, 2007 2:52 PM

His other commercials are largely devoid of policy, why should this be different? Most of what he has been trying to communicate is that he is a conservative Christian--this is a continuation of the same.

Marc--just parsing a little here. The Christmas tree originated as a pagan symbol, but it is very difficult to make the case that it is still a pagan symbol today.

Posted by Joel | December 17, 2007 2:58 PM

Mark, you missed the most important thing: the cabinet in the background, which for most of the ad looks exactly likes a cross. In fact, at first I couldn't figure out whether it was in fact a cross. Check it out.

Posted by David Mizner | December 17, 2007 3:15 PM

Andrew posted this Ron Paul Christmas message. A strikingly different tone to say the least.

Posted by Cinderella Ferret | December 17, 2007 3:19 PM

I don't have a problem with RP's ad, but Huckabee's is way over the line. "What really matters" is NOT the celebration of the birth of Christ for many millions of people in this country.

Posted by cms | December 17, 2007 3:50 PM

Man, that big, glowing, bright lighted, cross that starts to the left of the Huckster then moves behind him as he talks is So Over The Top!!

The only trick they missed was shifting the cross light so it gave Huckster a halo when it went behind him.

Next up, for New Years?

Huckster runs a commercial with news he will help New Years Resolutions with his banning stuff like tobacco, fast food if he becomes President so voters can be saved from hell. Then he will show a brief clip of what hell looks like as a warning. With Mitt Romney dressed as Satan, Rudy and the Pope shoveling coal to fan the flames, Lieberman and Obama dressed as a Hassidic and a sheikh respectively sticking sinners with pitchforks.

Posted by Chris Ford | December 17, 2007 4:25 PM

Yay for Theocracy!

Posted by goethean | December 17, 2007 4:36 PM

i'm mike huckabee...and I got nothing in defense of my policies or anything to help justify why i implemented them...but here, let me tell you that this is Christmas. Let me help you settle down, and not listen to all that non-christian stuff about what i might or might not have done...it's not important. What is important is that I am a Christian that is all that matters...here let me help you unplug the internet and any unworthy news about my past...you don't need to listen to that...its Christmas. This is the saddest example of exploitation that i have ever seen. It makes me ashamed to call myself a Christian, knowin that people like this guy are using it to get elected. pathetic.

Posted by jaaron | December 17, 2007 6:14 PM

I love this ad.

No one else does that speaking to the camera bit as well as Huck.

I love this ad.

Posted by RothNRA | December 17, 2007 6:29 PM

“What really matters is the celebration of the birth of Christ [my Christ, that is, who is not, repeat not, related in any way to Beelzebub or any lesser demons or imps like some people's Christ] and being with our family and our friends.”

Posted by Jim | December 17, 2007 7:02 PM

“Are you about worn out of all the television commercials you’ve been seeing? I barely have enough money to run any, so their generally other boring politicians utilizing good fund raising skills and their own hard-earned cash. But it's mostly about politics. I don’t blame you. At this time of year sometimes it’s nice to pull aside from all of that and just remember that what really matters is the celebration of the birth of Christ and being with our family and our friends, and voting for me, Mike Huckabee. Nah, I'm just kidding with ya... but seriously, vote for me; Christ would, and you don't disagree with Christ, do you? I hope that you and your family have a magnificent Christmas season, because everyone celebrates Christmas, right? Everyone believes like me, right? And on behalf of all of us (not politicians, but people just like you), God bless and Merry Christmas. I’m Mike Huckabee and I approve this message (and so does God).”

Posted by The Real Huckabee | December 17, 2007 7:18 PM

Oh and vote Romney, 'cause Mormons are crazy witty! (and they most certainly don't parade Christ around like some political crusade!) Those who need to spout out their belief in Christ aren't showing it enough through their unspoken lives. What a joke this whole ad is...

Posted by The Real Huckabee | December 17, 2007 7:23 PM

The add's actually not a joke, but a very explicit appeal to a base that he needs to capture the nomination. It shows how good a campaign Huckabee is running and I'll bet the rest of the candidates follow his lead.

Posted by KC | December 17, 2007 9:03 PM

It's sooooo gimmicky. Come on KC, you have to admit it. The campaign is not very impressive. Talk to anyone out there, and they'll agree that the Huckabee campaign is not very organized and far from powerful. Guiliani and Romney are world class campaign machines. Everyone knows that Huckabee is a baptist preacher, so I don't know why he comes out with such an exclusive message. Not to mention...true, morals are important and morals come from religion (generally from Christ), so Christ is important in America... BUT the whole reason they spend money on this is (money that is not readily available and every penny is prized in the Huckabee campaign) is to convert people to voting for him. It's a paradox!! He comes out with this saying the most important thing this time of year is Christ, but he's only doing it to boost his popularity (you said that yourself, they need to capture the nomination). The whole thing is dishonest, AND a joke. Give us a break.

Posted by The Real Huckabee | December 17, 2007 10:27 PM

Well, he's gone and done it. I've now found a reason to vote for Clinton if she wins the nomination -- to defeat Huckabee's blatant exploitation of "Christ".

Posted by Gus | December 18, 2007 12:01 AM

Huckabee won't win... the chances are very slim. It is still between Guiliani and Romney really.

Posted by The Real Huckabee | December 18, 2007 2:19 PM