I very rarely comment on politics on this blog, and I hope to remain that way. However, it’s inevitable that as this year heads to a close and 2008 looms, the question of who will be the next President of the United States increasingly becomes a matter of great importance (and for many, great concern).

I am not married to the Republican party, and in fact have some major complaints with how a lot of the big guys in Washington get business done, but given the fact that I hold certain moral values which receive little support in the Democrat party these days (namely pro-life, pro-traditional marriage, pro-strong national defense and vigorous support of Israel), and given my dismay at the disturbing trend of high taxes and socialized government espoused by the leaders of said party, I’m left with little alternative.

What’s particularly frustrating is that none of the “top tier” candidates currently running for the Republican nomination excite me. In fact, I actually am extremely upset with the options. Rudy Giuliani is out of the question. As far as I’m concerned, he might as well switch parties and go head-to-head with Hillary Clinton. John McCain is probably a decent fellow, but his erratic political career and his personality quirks deem him highly undesirable as the top gun in the executive branch. As for Mitt Romney, certainly he looks like a good candidate on paper, but frankly I have some serious reservations when it comes to his principles over the years as well the religious institution with which he is affiliated.

Which leaves us with the so-called “second tier” candidates. I knew there were some good people with some great ideas in that ring, but I felt fairly ambivalent for the most part as to who would receive my support — until recently, that is. Starting with the Republican debates, a certain candidate started to stand out for me. I liked his life story. I liked his sharp wit and charming manner. I liked his ideas. Most importantly, I liked his faith and his principles which he’s held dear for many, many years. I also liked the fact that he was “one of us” — a man of the people without gazillions of dollars and pats-on-the-back from the good ol’ boys and the power brokers. Then when he obviously won the recent Iowa straw poll if not in numbers then in merit (he came in a strong second place behind the juggernaut of Mitt Romney’s campaign), I began to feel a stirring in my bones that maybe, just maybe, this guy had a chance and actually deserved it.

I’m talking about Mike Huckabee of course, the former Governor of Arkansas and an ordained minister. Go Google him and check out his site and some of the third-party blogs about his campaign. Also look him up on YouTube. The guy knows how to communicate — something that has been sadly lacking with our current president. And astonishingly enough, the media people seem to like him. He may be a conservative Christian, but he’s a jolly conservative Christian who will tell you where you’re wrong, then wink at you and go chat about organic food at a local coffee bar. He doesn’t smell like a politician who will say or do anything just to get ahead. In a world where principles can be bought or sold like wares at a flea market and issues are as flexible as Gumby, it’s refreshing to see somebody standing tall and firm on his faith and his ideas.

I know it’s a long shot, and it’s always possible I’m just naive and misinformed, but for the moment, I’ve gotten excited about politics again. I want a good man with a good head on his shoulders to be the next President of the United States, and at the moment, Huckabee is my man.