Leonard Pitts Jr.: Why I Like Mike Huckabee

Nationally-syndicated columnist Leonard Pitts, Jr. (winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary) published a great editorial this weekend on why he — and by representation, so many independents, minorities, Democrats, and other traditionally non-Republican voters — can't help but like Governor Huckabee. Excerpt below:

How often have you heard a politician say something intellectually dishonest, and you knew it was intellectually dishonest and he knew it was intellectually dishonest and you knew he knew, and you knew he knew you knew -- but he went and said it anyway.

Because he's not trying to convince anyone of the fitness of his ideas, nor persuade them to his point of view.

No, his only object is to tick off his talking points, hit his applause lines, score for his side.

Sometimes you wonder if anyone is still on the country's side. You couldn't prove it by most of what passes for leadership these days.

Which is why we never seem to reach national consensus, never seem to find compromise, never do anything except boil with a free floating, self-perpetuating anger.

But Huckabee seems to have the novel idea that it's more important to find answers than win arguments, more important to speak conscience than parrot talking points.

That's why, even when I disagree with him, I like Mike.

And why I wish other politicians would take note.

Read the whole thing...