1

JordanHanes
GayleBrown
6/7Humanities
1March2016
FromHopetoHigherGround
Dogoodguysalwaysfinishlast?Dopeoplewhodonicethingsfallbehind?Dopeople
whotrytodotherightthinggetshotdown?Apparentlyso,insomecases.MikeHuckabee
learnedthisthehardway.Twice.Hecameintothepresidentialracein2008withhighhopes.He
wontheIowacaucusandmanyotherprimaries,butafterastreamofunsuccessfullosses,he
suspendedhiscampaign.Hegavethe2016presidentialraceashot,buthehimselfwasshot
downaftergettingninthplaceintheIowacaucus.MikeHuckabeewasapastor,agovernor,a
talkshowhost,andisafamilyman.Heisaguywhosupportstaxcuts,agoodeducation,and
keepingpeoplesafe.HeisaguywhosupportstheConstitutionoftheUnitedStates,oneofour
mostimportanthistoricaldocuments.MikeHuckabeewouldhavemadeanexcellentpresidentif
hehadnotsuspendedhiscampaign,becauseofhispastcareerchoices,whathehasdonefor
Arkansas,andthesacreddocumentshestandsby.
MikeHuckabeewasbornonAugust24,1955inHope,Arkansas.Hisfatherwasa
firefighterandhismotherworkedfortheLouisianaTransitcompany.Evenfromanearlyage,he
wasveryinvolvedinthechurch.Atjusttenyearsold,in1965,HuckabeejoinedtheGarrett
MemorialBaptistChurch,andwasinvolvedinmanyofthechurchsactivities.Whenhebecame
older,heknewhewantedtopursueacareerineithermediaorpublicservice,andthehistorical
eventsof1968,suchastheassassinationofMartinLutherKingJr.,pushedhimonthepathtoa

publiccareer.HedatedJanetMcCainduringhisfinalsemesterofhighschoolin1973,after
whichtheyweremarriedin1974andhadthreechildren.HuckabeeenrolledinOuachitaBaptist
Universityandmajoredinreligionandminoredinspeech.Hegraduatedin1975,afteronlytwo
andahalfyears,andafterthatheattendedSouthernBaptistTheologicalSeminaryforone
academicyear.HewaspastoratBeechStreetBaptistChurchinTexarkanawhenBillClinton,
alsofromHope,ArkansasandcurrentgovernorofArkansas,waselectedPresidentoftheUnited
States.JimGuyTucker,thecurrentlieutenantgovernor,becamethenewgovernor,andaspecial
electionwasheldforhispreviousposition.Huckabeewonthatposition.In1996,hewasrunning
foraseatinasenateandwasleadinginnationalpolls,whenJimGuyTuckerwasconvictedof
chargesrelatedtotheWhitewaterScandal.TheWhitewaterscandalwasnamedafterthe
WhitewaterProject,arealtorprojectbelievedtobegivingmoneytotheClintoncampaign.As
convictedfelonscannotbegovernor,JimGuyTuckerresigned.SinceHuckabeewascurrently
lieutenantgovernor,hewouldsucceedTuckerasgovernor,sohedecidedtogiveuptheracefor
theSenateseatandbecamegovernorofArkansasonJuly15,1996.It'swhenordinarypeople
riseabovetheexpectationsandseizetheopportunitythatmilestonestrulyarereached.Hewas
thesecondrepublicangovernorsinceWinthropRockefeller.Hewasthenelectedtwofullterms
in1998and2002.In2007,Huckabeeannouncedthathewouldberunningforpresident.Hewon
severalprimariesinthesouth,butbailedoutwhenJohnMcCainwonenoughdelegatestowin
thenomination.Hestartedashowcalled
Huckabee
onFoxNews.ThenhemovedtoFloridain
2010andstartedhisowntalkshowonABC,
TheMikeHuckabeeShow,
whichendedin
December2013.Heskippedoutonthe2012presidentialrace,butranforpresidentinthe2016
race.ButafteraninthplacefinishintheIowaCaucusonFebruary1st,2016,hesuspendedhis

campaign.MikeHuckabeehaswrittenmanybooks,suchas
LivingBeyondYourLifetime
,
Dothe
RightThing
,

and,hismostrecent,
God,Guns,Grits,andGravy
.Hisfavoritepastimesare
hunting,fishing,andmusic,andhewasnamedoneofthe25MostInfluentialPeoplefor
conservationbyOutdoorLifeMagazine.HisthreechildrenareJohnMark,an
actor/screenwriter/producer,David,amortgagebroker,andSarah,whowashiscampaign
manager.Hisnetworthisfivemilliondollars.

MikeHuckabeeisaRepublicanConservative.Heopposestopicslikeabortion,samesex
marriage,andObamacare.Hefavorsthesecondamendment,thedeathpenalty,andkeepingGod
inourlives.AstheGovernorofArkansas,hehasmadeeducationoneofhistoppriorities.
OneofhisfirstactsasgovernorofArkansaswasestablishingaprogramcalledARKids,
amedicalinsuranceplanforfamilieswhocouldntaffordprivateinsuranceorMedicaid.Healso
supportedAmendment75,acentsalestaxwhichcreatedmorerevenueforfourgovernment
programs,includingpreservingArkansaswildlifeandhistory,aswellaspromotingtoursand
parksinthestate.Inhisfirstfullterm,herebuiltthehighwaysystemandstrivedforthetobacco
settlementinArkansastobeusedforthestateshealthcaresystem.Educationwashugefor
Huckabee,sohecreatedtwoprograms.OnewasSmartStart,whichpromotedmathandreading
skillsforgradesKindergartentofourth.Theother,SmartStep,promotedthesameskillsfor
gradesfifththrougheighth.Insideeveryhumanbeingtherearetreasurestounlock.Buthis
greatestchallengerevealeditselfinhissecondfullterm,whentheArkansasSupremeCourt
ruledthatthewayschoolfundingworkedinArkansaswasunconstitutional.Theyalsosaidthata
new,fairsystemhadtobeestablishedbytheendof2004.Inresponse,hedevisedaplanthat
consolidatedmanysmallschooldistricts,whichseemedtoworkquitewell.Healsocreateda

programcalledHealthyArkansas,createdtopromotehealthylifestylesusingMikeHuckabees
personalstory(helost110poundsbychanginghisdietandexercise).Now,haveIeverbeen
temptedtobreakintoaKrispyKremedoughnutstoreinthemiddleofthenight?Oh,yeah.God
helpusifIhadaminibarstockedwithcheesecakeandchickenfriedsteak.However,Mike
Huckabeespoliticalbackgroundwasnotwithoutitsdowns.Forexample,whentheGovernors
Mansionwasbeingrenovated,thepeopleofArkansasandthemediacriticizedhimforthecost
oftherenovationandthetriplewidemobilehomethattheHuckabeesstayedinwhilethe
renovationtookplace.Hetriedtorectifythesituationbyappearingonthe
TonightShow
and
donatingthemobilehometoaranchfordisadvantagedandtroubledyouth.Amongother
controversialthings,HuckabeedescribedArkansasselectoralsystemclosetothatofaBanana
Republicandpardonedmultiplehighprofilecriminals.
MikeHuckabeehasenjoyedadiverselifeinhiscareerchoices.Hesamanwhosupports
taxcuts,agoodeducation,andkeepingpeoplesafe,andbelievesinupholdingtheConstitution
oftheUnitedStates.Huckabeewouldhavemadeanexcellentpresident,becauseofhispast
careerchoices,whathedidforArkansasasGovernor,andthesacreddocumentshestandsby.

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Outline

I. Introduction
A. ThesisStatement
II. Body
A. Paragraph1
1. Background
2. Education
3. Career
B. Paragraph2
1. PoliticalViews
2. Quotes
3. StandingsinthePolls
C. Paragraph3
1. PositiveActions
2. NegativeActions
3. PhilanthropicActions
III. Conclusion
A. RestateThesis