Mike Huckabee slams Natalie Portman for being unmarried & pregnant

[Old Europe]

Unmarried people with children represents clear and present danger to the national and moral security of the United States. They ought to be shot.

No... if I'm allowed to quote one of the lesser John Carpenter movies, they need to be deported to the island of Los Angeles.

[Communists For McCain]

Unmarried people with children represents clear and present danger to the national and moral security of the United States. They ought to be shot.

No... if I'm allowed to quote one of the lesser John Carpenter movies, they need to be deported to the island of Los Angeles.

You sir have just won the internets.
Congratulations.

[Gustaf]

I'm not horribly offended. He isn't really slamming Natalie Portman, he's just saying that society perhaps shouldn't glorify stardom so much. That's probably a fair point - more people likely drop out of education, do drugs and stuff like that because they're pursuing star careers rather than more normal goals in life.

Of course, children being born out of wedlock is more a symptom than a cause of societal ills. As Johan points out, Sweden isn't a good example because children born out of wedlock here aren't in the same situation as most of those in the US are. At least that's what I suspect.

[Communists For McCain]

Anyway, Tender's statistics from Sweden need to be put into context. Here a lot of couples have children and live together without being married. It's also quite common for people to wait to get married until after they have children. So even though the children are technically born out of wedlock they're still raised in one home by two parents, while in America children who are born out of wedlock will mostly be raised by a single parent.

That being said, this is an unbelievebly clumsy and silly statement from Huckabee. Does he think the acadamy should start handing out Oscars based on actors values and moral rather than their acting? 

I kind of figured.
Though even in America it isn't uncommon to see unmarried couples raising children.  Hell I personally know a few unmarried people raising kids together.
I mean if anything Huck should be congratulating these people for having children out of wedlock instead of say getting abortions (which according to the Huckster is THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE).
I mean this guy isn't even consistent for christ sake.

[Senator Kalwejt]

Unmarried people with children represents clear and present danger to the national and moral security of the United States. They ought to be shot.

No... if I'm allowed to quote one of the lesser John Carpenter movies, they need to be deported to the island of Los Angeles.

Um, how liberal of you.

[CathKhan]

I'm not horribly offended. He isn't really slamming Natalie Portman, he's just saying that society perhaps shouldn't glorify stardom so much. That's probably a fair point - more people likely drop out of education, do drugs and stuff like that because they're pursuing star careers rather than more normal goals in life.

Of course, children being born out of wedlock is more a symptom than a cause of societal ills. As Johan points out, Sweden isn't a good example because children born out of wedlock here aren't in the same situation as most of those in the US are. At least that's what I suspect.

I'm kind of in agreement with Gustaf here.

[wilji1090]

To me this is just as petty as Hannity and the others slamming Obama for how he ordered a hamburger. I mean seriously, who cares if she had a child out of wedlock, the thing is, we're too hung up on stardom, I agree with Huckabee on that. But this "Oh she's got a child out of wedlock" seems rather petty to me, albeit like Dan Quayle or something. Whatever happened to the decency of minding one's own business? I guess Huckabee didn't learn that!

[Frodo]

Whatever happened to the decency of minding one's own business? I guess Huckabee didn't learn that!

It is the business of social/religious conservatives to get hung up on everyone's personal life. 

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

far be it for a leader to seek the moral good of a country, it's none of his/her business if the nation embraces lewd and lascivious lifestyles.

[A dog on every car, a car in every elevator]

Anyone else enjoy the juxtaposition of jmfcst sarcasm-laced peeing on social libertarianism with his sarcasm-laced alarmism about Egyptian religious conservatives?

[opebo]

far be it for a leader to seek the moral good of a country, it's none of his/her business if the nation embraces lewd and lascivious lifestyles.

Embracing lewd and lascivious lifestyles is the moral good of a country, couch-surfer.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Anyone else enjoy the juxtaposition of jmfcst sarcasm-laced peeing on social libertarianism with his sarcasm-laced alarmism about Egyptian religious conservatives?

anyone else enjoy the total failure of some posters to understand the difference between "Christian morality that is preached but not legislated" and "Muslim sharia law"?

Joementum, you really should think more before demonstrating how dumb you are

[Secretary Polnut]

far be it for a leader to seek the moral good of a country, it's none of his/her business if the nation embraces lewd and lascivious lifestyles.

In a liberal democracy, no.

In a theocracy, yes.

[wilji1090]

Well, if we're gonna say that morality is at an all-time low because we have kids being born out of wedlock, then I say Newt Gingrich can't run for president since he cheated on his first wife [sick with cancer mind you] with who would become his second wife, and then in turn cheated on her with his now THIRD wife. If Huckabee wants someone to metaphorically crucify he should go after Gingrich.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

far be it for a leader to seek the moral good of a country, it's none of his/her business if the nation embraces lewd and lascivious lifestyles.

In a liberal democracy, no.

In a theocracy, yes.

then maybe our "leaders" shouldn't advise kids to stay in school and work hard and become good and honest members of society 

[Secretary Polnut]

far be it for a leader to seek the moral good of a country, it's none of his/her business if the nation embraces lewd and lascivious lifestyles.

In a liberal democracy, no.

In a theocracy, yes.

then maybe our "leaders" shouldn't advise kids to stay in school and work hard and become good and honest members of society 

They have nothing to do with 'morality' - let alone a 'Christian' value.

I know plenty of people who would fall under your categorisation of 'lewd and lascivious lifestyles (gay, sexually confident, occasional drug use etc etc...) ' - who have worked hard, stayed in school, graduated University and are good, decent and honest members of society... who pay taxes, do not harm others etc etc...

Being a productive member of society and adhering to 'Christian Morality' are not one in the same... to you they are perhaps...

[Landslide Lyndon]

Joementum, you really should think more before demonstrating how dumb you are

You should follow your own advices more often.

far be it for a leader to seek the moral good of a country, it's none of his/her business if the nation embraces lewd and lascivious lifestyles.

Huckabee isn't a leader of any kind. He is a cable TV personality in search for controversy=higher ratings.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

far be it for a leader to seek the moral good of a country, it's none of his/her business if the nation embraces lewd and lascivious lifestyles.

In a liberal democracy, no.

In a theocracy, yes.

then maybe our "leaders" shouldn't advise kids to stay in school and work hard and become good and honest members of society 

They have nothing to do with 'morality' - let alone a 'Christian' value.

yeah, I guess that's why my bible is full of passages relating to the those topics

---

I know plenty of people who would fall under your categorisation of 'lewd and lascivious lifestyles (gay, sexually confident, occasional drug use etc etc...) ' - who have worked hard, stayed in school, graduated University and are good, decent and honest members of society... who pay taxes, do not harm others etc etc...

Being a productive member of society and adhering to 'Christian Morality' are not one in the same... to you they are perhaps...

a glass doesn't have to be either 100% full or 100% empty, you know?

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Joementum, you really should think more before demonstrating how dumb you are

You should follow your own advices more often.

far be it for a leader to seek the moral good of a country, it's none of his/her business if the nation embraces lewd and lascivious lifestyles.

Huckabee isn't a leader of any kind. He is a cable TV personality in search for controversy=higher ratings.

um...last I checked, this thread was started under the context of the 2012 presidential election

[Gustaf]

If you read what the man actually said he isn't very focused on slamming Nathalie Portman.

He's making a reasonable point about what ideals we want for people and how the reality of a famous person like Portman is very different from that of average poor people. You can disagree with the point and so on, but it's hardly a gaffe. If anything, I suspect it's positive political move because he gets out an issue that he wants to be out there.

[danny]

If you read what the man actually said he isn't very focused on slamming Nathalie Portman.

He's making a reasonable point about what ideals we want for people and how the reality of a famous person like Portman is very different from that of average poor people. You can disagree with the point and so on, but it's hardly a gaffe. If anything, I suspect it's positive political move because he gets out an issue that he wants to be out there.

There is a reasonable argument that in a society where most children grow up with two breadwinners, growing up just one would have an adverse effect on the child. However by speaking specifically about Portman to whom the above would not apply because she will be raising the child with the father. What he is doing is making it seem as if his religious convictions against premarital sex and children out of wedlock are really an economic one, when often, like in this case, they are not.

And then there is this quote:

My comments were about the statistical reality that most single moms are very poor, under-educated, can't get a job, and if it weren't for government assistance, their kids would be starving to death.

The assertion that most children to single mothers would starve to death without government assistance is:
1. Ludicrous
2. if it were true, would be a great argument against the conservative position that the government should not get involved in welfare and should leave it up to private charity, if he really believes this, than he should be attacking economic conservatives on this.

the part about Undereducated is phrased in a way that makes it hard to statistically quantify but it isn't as if most single parent mothers are high school dropouts, in 2008 15.5 percent hadn't graduated from high school, while 26.9 had an associate's degree.

The part about very poor could be somewhat subjective but considering 24.6 are below the poverty line saying most are very poor is a exaggerating things.

The part about "can't get a job' is quantifiable  Huckabee is simply wrong only 18.7 didn't have a job in 2007, and while i'm sure that number is up since then there is no chance it's over 50% now.

And I can't remember seeing single motherhood being glorified, what I have seen is single mothers being commended with the hard work they do in raising their children but that always includes saying how hard it is to raise a child on your own.

[BlondewithaBrain]

so before getting pregnant make sure that you do the christian ritual of marriage

the church is a corrupt institution and its people like mike huckabee that turn me off the republican party

quite simple if huckabee is the republican candidate ill vote for obama in colorado. thanks for your candid views mike you lost my vote, you are now a member of the republican/democrat troll brigade.

where are the moderates....

[Grumps]

so before getting pregnant make sure that you do the christian ritual of marriage

the church is a corrupt institution and its people like mike huckabee that turn me off the republican party

quite simple if huckabee is the republican candidate ill vote for obama in colorado. thanks for your candid views mike you lost my vote, you are now a member of the republican/democrat troll brigade.

where are the moderates....

He never had your vote, and he's not part of the "corrupt institution".

[Vasall des Midas]

I suppose she deserves chastisement for being unmarried to me, and pregnant but not with my child. Separately. These are unrelated points of criticism.

[white trash heroes]

Anyone else getting Murphy Brown flashbacks?