I <3 Huckabee?

I've already decided I'm not going to vote for any of the Republican candidates next year, but I admit that I loved how Mike Huckabee responded to a question posed to him on the YouTube debate the other night. The question was, "What do you think about the Bible?" I typically hate ALL politician's responses to these type of questions because, quite frankly, none of them have any idea what the hell they're talking about, and they always try to give an answer that makes everybody happy. But Huckabee not only nailed this question in a way that demonstrated his theological prowess, he also gave an answer that, I think, would make most people happy. He first said that either you believe the Bible is God's word or you don't, and where the debate begins is what is literal or allegorical. He then went on to say that what is clear is to love your neighbor as yourself and what you do to the least of these you've done to me, and since we still don't get the easy things right, it's pointless to fight over the complicated parts. I paraphrased , but that's essentially what he said.

Chris Matthews made a good point on Hardball last night. Why did Huckabee answer the question at all? What does taking the Bible literally have to do with being a good president? Why is this being used as a litmus test for governing a secular nation? Why should Huckabee being a Christian be a selling point? Here's what I think: it shouldn't, but if Christ is going to be dragged into this, he should look good. Indeed, the correct answer would have been, "I'm not going to acknowledge this question because what I think about the Bible is completely irrelevant to a presidential debate." Instead Huckabee gave an honest answer that highlighted the heart of the Gospel, was thoroughly Christian, yet is something that people of all religions and the non-religious can embrace. And that might be one of the best thing I can say about any of the candidates, Republican or Democrat.