Dear Huck, Love Sarah

Dear Governor Huckabee,

I have been torn in many directions over the past few months. At many times I thought there was not a strong candidate in the race, and I didn't know who I could vote for. I've read blogs, website, and articles, and I've listened to debates, commentators, and talk show hosts... but the more I read and heard, the more uncertain I felt.

I went to the polls at the public library this evening, and as I was handed my ballot I still didn't know who I would vote for. I looked down at three significant names on the ballot, and all three stared up at me until my vision blurred with tears of frustration. A lot of smart people I respect have been publishing interesting thoughts on the virtues of Mitt Romney or John McCain as presidential candidates, and I've read those words and taken them into consideration. I've tried to think about the economic and fiscal issues, the immigration issues, the education issues, the Iraq issues, and many others.

As my pencil hovered over McCain's name on the ballot, I thought about the many things on his voting record that I couldn't agree with. I moved to Romney's name, and thought about the way he's called truly bad ideas 'good ideas' in my state of Massachusetts, how he's disregarded human rights and dignity when it comes to matters of torture, and how I find myself unsure of where he really stands on many of the issues that matter to me the most. I moved my pencil to the bubble beside your name, Mike Huckabee, and filled the circle in completely.

Immediately I felt a sense of relief, a feeling of peace with my decision. Maybe I'm the only person in Massachusetts who voted for you. Maybe I'm the only person in my family who voted for you. Maybe everyone reading this is laughing at me for voting for you, the guy some think of only as a backwoods Christian guitar player with limited experience in foreign policy, business, or economics.

To be honest, I don't understand all the issues being so hotly debated as this election process unfolds. And the more I read, hear, and try to understand, the more I realize how little I truly understand. But you know what? In this crazy world today, presidential candidates sometimes seem to know less about right and wrong than six-year-olds. On the most fundamental issues of morality, it's clear to children that "hurting people is bad," "killing babies is bad," and "lying is bad." Yet somehow grown adults positing themselves as presidential candidates can't give a straight answer, or a right answer, on many of these subjects. Governor Huckabee, you know the difference between right and wrong, and that is the most essential thing. I know that, should you miraculously be elected president, you will surround yourself with advisors who can help you make the biggest and most complicated decisions. And I know that given the opportunity, you will make those decisions from a moral perspective that truly values life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Very sincerely yours,
Sarah Marie