My "snapshot" of Mike Huckabee

To the casual reader (all 5 of them), my blog may look like it’s dedicated to getting the former governor from Hope, Arkansas elected as our next President. No, not that one. He's already left his indelible muddy footprint on the office. Kind of like how a skunk marks it territory. Took two months to fumigate it too!

No, oddly enough, I'm talking about ANOTHER former governor from Hope, Arkansas who is like the good twin from an alternate universe when compared to the first one.

Anybody remember that Star Trek episode with the two universes where there was a good Kirk and a bad Kirk, a good Spock to match the bad Spock, etc? I guess Hope, Arkansas is kind of like that. Either that or Hope is trying to make up for a bad showing the first time around.

In any case, trying to get Mike Huckabee elected was not the point of my blog when I first started blogging in my little corner of the Net in mid 2005. As is the case with many, if not most bloggers, mine was started as a vanity – as if my opinion on any issue might be of interest to others. In fact, the whole concept of blogging seems to support the old adage about giving an infinite number of monkeys an infinite number of typewriters. The claimed result is the monkeys will eventually write all the great novels.

With few exceptions it appears when employing the same workforce, this theory has pretty much the same effect with most blogs. Every now and then one of the higher primates will crank out an intelligible one, but by and large most blogs are pure monkey mush. In fact, some would point to mine as the primate example.

Nonetheless, I still can’t resist the urge to give the world MY precious opinion from time to time – as of late, mostly with You Tube offerings – but tonight, you lucky readers are going to get some original content.

As you can see if you scroll back to my September 5th offering, I instantly became a fan of the former governor from Hope Arkansas (the one who can keep his pants zipped) when he offered his excellent reply to the question that was meant to trap him. By the way which was answered in much the same excellent way as Jesus did when asked if the Jews of his day should pay taxes to the despised Roman government which was in occupation of ancient Israel. Consequently, over the last few months, I’ve been following Governor Huckabee’s campaign more closely and have been impressed with what appears to be a strong man of God with firm convictions who conveniently happens to share most of my political views and who also appears to be a very qualified man to ascend to the highest office in the land.

So when I received a letter from my old alma mater informing me that the Governor would be the keynote speaker for their annual fund raising dinner, I immediately offered my services as a professional photographer to help document the evening. And to my great delight, they accepted my offer.

I was assigned to photograph the VIP reception, then to continue photographing the evening’s events up to and through the Governor's address after the dinner.

Well, VIP photos are as VIP photos go. You pose the VIPs, tell them to smile and grab the shot. And then do it again as long as your time lasts. However, in-between the shots, I could tell that Governor Huckabee was a very gracious and genuinely affable man. It didn’t seem like he was “tolerating” the moment, but genuinely enjoyed greeting the guests. This seemed especially true when he was talking with the young undergrads in the university’s choir who were also at the VIP reception.

Since – as in most situations like this – I felt it was my duty as an event photographer to simply take the photos and try to stay in the background, I went about doing my job as quickly and efficiently as possible. Thus I didn’t plan to “chat it up” with the Governor since I was working the evening in a professional capacity.

However, as the VIP event wrapped up, it was time to rush the Governor to the next venue for yet another photo shoot. It was during this time that one of the university VPs (seen here walking with the Governor) unexpectedly and graciously started singing my praises to him as the three of us dashed across the mall. He went on an on about my great photography and that I was a huge fan of the Governor to the point that I could no longer blend into the background and just do my job. Thus I was introduced to the Governor and blurted out the first thing I could express which was something to the effect of, “I’m seriously hoping your campaign takes traction.”

Not the more brilliant of opening lines offered to the man you would like to see as your next president, but as I was unprepared to make any conversation, it was pretty much the only thing that came to my mind on the spur of the moment.

Graciously, the Governor offered me his hand and made some small talk about needing a White House photographer should he be elected. To which I didn’t dare slobber out the first thing that came to my mind which was something along the lines of, “YESIWOULDLOVETHEJOB!!!”

So we ran to our next stop for the evening, and the Governor was just as affable with the non-VIPs in the general photo session which followed.

I didn’t have an opportunity to talk with the Governor any further, but listened as intently as I could during his address later that evening. Unfortunately, I was quite preoccupied with working the room for the best photo locations, so I kind of dipped in and out with my attention. But he gave a very impressive message regarding the young Christian students of my alma mater being the exact type of young leaders we need if our country is to have a brighter future. Which might seem more like the banal platitudes one would expect when a politician is addressing a room full of university alums. However, as I have previously demonstrated by my lack of quick thinking on my feet during my brief introduction to the Governor, I am likewise not doing his message justice as I describe it here since I am unable able to adequately recount the effect of the Governor’s presence and message as he delivered it with his southern humor and gracious style.

Nonetheless, his audience obviously “got it” when they gave him a standing ovation as he hurriedly exited the room to catch a flight to his next campaign obligation.

After returning home and processing the photos, I felt it might be appropriate (considering our brief meeting) to send the Governor a little gift album of some of the photos from that night along with a note expressing that it would be my great pleasure to offer my professional services as a photographer to his campaign should he have any upcoming events in our state.

Unfortunately, I have the misfortune to live in the great blue state of California which – if I remember correctly – hasn’t been carried by a member of the GOP since Reagan ran for office. There is no greater feeling than to know that your vote means about as much as ten thousand "Who's Line is it Anyway" points when it comes to a Presidential race. However, I digress…

I also assumed that my gift might be brought to the Governor’s attention by a staffer, but that it probably wouldn’t go any further than that. So, all this to say, I thought if I was really lucky perhaps I might get a call from a staffer saying I could tag along with my camera during a California stop . So what comes to my mail box this week??? To my great surprise nothing less than a very gracious, self effacing, hand signed, personal note from the Governor thanking me for my gift album along with high praise regarding my work and a final note that my contact information has been forwarded to his press secretary for future reference. Well, it’s a long way from being offered a position as a photographer on the White House staff should he be elected, but I was still very impressed that the Governor would take a moment from his busy campaign schedule to bother sending me a personal note. Besides that, the California primaries aren’t until February 5th which – politically speaking – is a hundred years from now as of this writing. He needs to focus on Iowa, New Hampshire and the early primary states. However, come February if the Governor is still in the running, you can bet that I will be answering my phone on the first ring. And who knows??? Stranger things have happened to former two term Governors from Hope Arkansas who play musical instruments. If Governor Huckabee wins all the marbles next year, it will more or less be an act of God. But then who better to have God act on his behalf (and by benefit, our nation’s behalf) than a former Baptist minister who walks the walk when it comes to his faith?

In any case, as I’ve been following the Governor’s campaign more closely since my experience with him, I’ve noticed many other written reports and blogs with the same kinds of personal warmth and charm by others who have only met him once … as well as others who have known him for years.

He appears to be the real deal in the sense that what you see is what you get. And so far, I like what I’ve seen and have personally experienced. At least a voter can expect to get a straight answer from this governor from Hope, Arkansas without parsed answers on what the meaning if "is" is.

I only hope the rest of the nation will have the opportunity to see the same thing.

Perhaps what I like most of all is that the Governor carries his power lightly. He comes off as a strong man with firm opinions and well thought out positions, yet he delivers his message in a soft spoken, Southern way that is not overly abrasive. In fact, his manner reminds me of a sermon I heard about “meekness” some years ago. In that sermon, the pastor described the true meaning of meekness as not being a wimp, but rather keeping one's “power under control.” In other words, “the meek” are those who have and know how to exercise their power, but don’t do it in a selfish or ostentatious manner. What better people to inherit the earth? Or, in the case of the Governor, elect as president?

But don't think of meek as weak. This presidential candidate is meek in the same way Teddy Roosevelt was meek when he admonished our nation to speak softly, yet carry a big stick. In fact, he doesn't mince words when he talks of the Islamofascist threat we are currently facing. Like him or not when he speaks, you know where Mike Huckabee stands.

And God willing, Mike Huckabee will have the chance to be the Teddy Roosevelt we need today when he gets sworn into office on January 20, 2009.





BTW, if you want some free "Huckabee for President" graphics, click here and fire me off an email with your request.