Gov. Mike Huckabee's supporters pass out signs proclaiming, "I Like Mike." But the Republican candidate's starkly different speeches in Washington and College Park yesterday showed that there's more than one Mike to like.
Speaking to the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, the former Arkansas governor vowed to wage war against "Islamo-fascism," if elected president. He quoted from the Bible, boasted of hard-core conservative values, touted "law and order" and the need to close U.S. borders to illegal immigrants.
But he sounded like a more liberal stand-up comedian to hundreds of cheering students at the University of Maryland, College Park. He never mentioned the war or immigration, instead talking about the need for creativity and the arts, environmental protections and health care reform.
In both places, Huckabee offered the same line about why he intends to stay in the fight for the Republican nomination, no matter what the odds.
"The pundits say, the math doesn't work out. Well, folks, I didn't major in math. I majored in miracles," the Baptist preacher told an audience of more than 1,000 conservatives at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington.
Some things about his two speeches were similar. In both, he took shots at the "aristocracy" or "ruling class" and talked about his family's humble roots, including a father who was a fireman and mechanic who never graduated from high school. At both locations, he declared himself pro-life and pledged to abolish the Internal Revenue Service and income taxes.
"Save the trees, kill the IRS. That will be our new motto," he said, ripping up a federal tax form at the University of Maryland.
To the college students, he gave a softer, funnier presentation. He never used the words "law and order" and didn't quote from the Bible during his half-hour talk to hundreds of cheering, sign-waving young people at the Stamp Student Union.
Instead, he preached the need for more music and art classes and the end to rigid education systems that stymie creativity.
He said the results of a more arts-based curriculum would be: "You won't have kids dropping out; you will have kids dropping in." He called for an end to learning systems that have students "put their nose in a black-and-white book and tell them to be still, be quiet, sit down," he said to enthusiastic cheers.
He got his best response by telling jokes. "Have your friends and neighbors vote, if they are going to vote for me," he said. "If you have friends or relatives that are not going to vote for me, do not let them out of their house. ... These are dangerous people."
At the conservative conference, his tone was much more solemn. He saluted President Bush for not waiting until America was attacked before he launched a war against Iraq. He decried "Islamo-fascism" as a culture "out to destroy us."
"This is not a war for soil. This is a war for our soul," Huckabee said to cheers. "We must win, they must lose. Islamo-fascism must disappear from the face of the earth."
In Washington, Benjamin Lynch, 20, from North Carolina, said many conservatives are unhappy with Sen. John McCain, the front-runner in the race. He said having Huckabee remain in the "conversation" within the Republican Party discourages people from giving up on the GOP.
tom.pelton@baltsun.com