Home-Schoolers Buoyed Huckabee's Rise

Washington Post: Early Backers Rallied Conservative Network In Iowa

(Washingtonpost.com) 
Home-school parents tend to be heavily involved in a range of community activities from the arts to conservation, giving them wide circles of potential allies, said Roe, who home-schooled her oldest child for a year and now keeps her two youngest at home.
"Even though the media makes it seem that we are a homogenous group of Bible-thumpers and flat-Earthers, there is a variety of opinion," Roe said.

Huckabee made it to Eldora for Roe's event at the Pizza Ranch. Several dozen people showed up, but the popular Hardin County Fair was underway and a number of prospective supporters were away at church camps. So Roe organized a second event two weeks later, drawing about 100 people.

By the end of September, the campaign had finally raised its first million dollars -- a benchmark total, yet barely pocket change in present-day presidential politics. Things picked up in October, especially after Huckabee's enthusiastic reception at the Values Voters Summit in Washington. He raised $2 million in November and began running television ads, including a clever spot with Norris.

For Norris's boost, Huckabee can thank Brett and Alex Harris, 19-year-old twins and sons of an Oregon home-school activist named Gregg Harris. They started blogs to promote Huckabee and had the idea of sending e-mails to prominent conservatives, urging them to get behind the former Arkansas governor.

One of the e-mails from the Portland pair was read to Norris, who climbed aboard, filming an ad that emphasized Huckabee's self-deprecating wit and his credentials as a social conservative and gun advocate.

The ad, which began running Nov. 19, drew laughs, attention and more money. The campaign followed with a spot that makes a direct appeal to the conservative faithful, flashing "Christian Leader" on the screen in large letters.

When a group of more than three dozen pastors in Iowa endorsed Huckabee in early December, it solidified his standing as the leading candidate among conservative Christians in the state. Yet the ministers were trailing their flocks, whose enthusiasm for Huckabee was already showing up in polls.

By this week, polls showed him ahead by 2 to 1 in Iowa and close in South Carolina and Florida.

Just weeks before the Jan. 3 caucuses, Romney's aides are counting on their larger, more formal structure to out-duel Huckabee's seat-of-the-pants operation.

Huckabee supporters, meanwhile, are debating whether his ground-up Iowa model can work in the rest of the country. Last weekend, he attended a rally in South Carolina sponsored in part by home-schoolers and headed to Florida to campaign.

"Home-schoolers organize in every state," Farris said, "so the ability to build fast networks in every state is very realistic."

Yet New Hampshire, which votes Jan. 8, has no comparable base of conservative Christian activists. And, for now at least, Huckabee's campaign treasury is dwarfed by the amounts that Romney and former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani are prepared to spend on television ads in parts of the country where Huckabee is largely unknown.

Comparing today with Huckabee's place in the race a few months ago, his early Iowa supporters are overjoyed, even if there is an occasional bittersweet moment. The other day, Roe drove 80 miles to Des Moines to see Huckabee but could not get near him because of the news media thronging around the new front-runner.

"This is what we believed would happen," said Roe, who is organizing a Dec. 20 rally in central Iowa. "But I do miss the days when we could have a cup of coffee at the Pizza Ranch and sit down and talk."

[bennyblack1]

Oh,well, I guess I''m just speking for my state. Like I said, though, I don''t agree with blindly trusting, nowadays, that the parent is doing the right thing in homeschooling. I believe there should be public testing in the same room as other kids in their grade, while the parent privately teaches the child during the school year. I also think that they should be held to the same standards that schools must adhere to, or face closure. If the child fails a grade twice, it''s time to require that the child go to public school. The way I figure it, the parents got their chance. It should be mandated.

[bennyblack1]

Go Klingon!!!!

[klingon69]

As for home schooling... I have nothing against it, but I think that home schoolers tend to lean conservative and Christian and don''''t like the fact that religion is not taught in public schools. Also from personal knowledge.
Posted by AR_Teacher at 02:57 PM : Dec 17, 2007
It isn''t that religion is not taught in school. It is that both sides are not presented to a child, so thney can decide for themselves. Creationism is verboten, but evolutionism is.
Also, can you answer for me, why must we have gestapo guards at our public schools now? The school district that we live in has an ex-city cop, who was booted off the force for using excessive force in multiple cases, terrorizing the kids. Those that are different, free-thinkers, goths...etc are singled out for harrassment and ridicule, not only by this cop and his entire force, but also by many teachers and administrators.

[klingon69]

And I agree, home schooling means it will be heavily biased with religious views. As religiously diverse as we are now (compared to the 1900s), eveyone would be biasing thier kids differently. Society would be a fragmented mess.
Posted by CultureChang at 02:56 PM : Dec 17, 2007
And I submit to you, that society is a fragmented mess. That is what society is. A melting pot of different cultures, beliefs, lifestyles...etc. As a homeschooler, my child is taught the educational basics, as well as the Bible. However, he is also taught different belief systems as well. He asks questions that we attempt to answer as unbiased as we can. Nobody, I mean nobody knows everything, unlike some who act as if they do. We, as parents are charged to provide necessities for our children, this does include education. However, I submit to you, that a parent(properly motivated, with proper materials) can provide as good as if not better instruction as most of the teachers in today''s public school system. At least, we know that they will learn more than THE STATE''S REQUIREMENTS!

[klingon69]

"Home schooler" typically is a euphemism for "rabid Christian end-timer", so it''''s no surprise they support Hucksterbee, a man who claims total ignorance of the fundamental principle of modern biology.
Posted by MyIDonCBS at 02:48 PM : Dec 17, 2007
You, friend, are obviously a person with limited mental capacities. As a homeschooler, I DO NOT support Huckleberry Hound, or for that matter any of the candidates currently running. I would much rather see Mickey Mouse or Bugs Bunny running this country, as they could not destroy it anymore than the bush baby currently ensconched upon his velvet throne. However, I do believe in evolution, and modern biology. So, please do not paint every7one with the same brush, because you lack the capability to homeschool your children, if you have any.

[klingon69]

The state board of education is not stupid. They''''re not going to trust that the parent has done the right thing, and their not going to gamble on it either. So, in general, a parent/teacher will not administer the tests.
Posted by bennyblack1 at 02:16 PM : Dec 17, 2007
In my state, the only test given is if you want to reenroll your child in public school. The only requirements are:
1)Must inform school sytem that you are going to homeschool.
2)Must have a recognized curriculum that follows the state requirements.
3)Be a highschool graduate.

Yearend tests are given by the parent/teacher.

[cfin5]

If you want to increase your children''''s chances of achieving an eigth grade reading level in only twelve years... public schools are where you need to send them.

Posted by Prinzowhales at 01:32 PM : Dec 18, 2007--------------------You got that right,......if they survive it.

[prinzowhales]

If you want to increase your children''s chances of achieving an eigth grade reading level in only twelve years... public schools are where you need to send them.

[standlee5]

Homeschoolers in general are very open minded. That''s why they''re doing what they''re doing. It used to be illegal in some states and parents had to fight for the right to de-intitutionalize their kids. They''ve come a long way from the fringe grassroots humble beginnings. Homeschool kids are usually more inquisitive, creative and polite than their public school peers. IMO

[bennyblack1]

mudrose;

Good views. I''m sure that there are more than a majority on this board that can identify.

[mudrose-2009]

I can''''t help but wonder if all these evangelicals think they are voting for a president or a pastor?

Again, anyone who is going to vote for anyone because of their religion is doing a huge fatal disservice to this country. This country is a country based on laws, not men. And certainly not the faith of any any particular candidate.

Voting with religion as the primary qualification is single issue voting with the worst consequence. Haven''''t we learned anything from the last seven years of quasi-religious governance?
Posted by ObservantX

We don''t like the direction the SPs are pulling the country toward. The main issue isn''t religion as much as it is moral values. We are tired of porn clubs in our neighborhoods, no fault divorces, allowing children to have condoms and birth control pills while not even out of elementary school, abortion on demand, abortion across state lines without parental knowledge and on and on. So if you think religion is the problem, think again. The majority of Americans are faith minded people and they don''t like their country given over to Mr. Potter types.

[observantx]

I can''t help but wonder if all these evangelicals think they are voting for a president or a pastor?

Again, anyone who is going to vote for anyone because of their religion is doing a huge fatal disservice to this country. This country is a country based on laws, not men. And certainly not the faith of any any particular candidate.

Voting with religion as the primary qualification is single issue voting with the worst consequence. Haven''t we learned anything from the last seven years of quasi-religious governance?

[keithle1]

Home-schoolers! They make the news when one of their kind wins the National Spelling Bee.

Can''t imagine anything worse. Having my mother teach me! Glad I avoided that. Hoo boy. Only thing worse would have been my father teaching me. Day after day after day stuck in the house.

That''s what schools are for, people. You can''t protect little Timmy & Cindy Lou from the big bad world forever. What happens when they want to go to university? Or is Mom going to become a university professor in all disciplines?

To heck with the home schoolers. Who do the 100 million Evangelical Christians want to vote for?

[wogerwabbit]

I''m looking for Mitt Romney
Posted by perception5

Ronbo was as out of his league as Bush is... you puppies just don''t get it... the president is a figurehead... a dummy with a hand up his a$$. Because your economic scale tends to give you some immunity from the enormity of what your fellow citizens are presently going through, you lamely push your la la land view of present day politics and economics and completely space out the reality around you. Let me clue you in... your day is over. America is a far better country than the one you''re trying to sell us, mr. preppy never been to war, boy. Braver by the thousands than the skirt clutching fear mongers you''d have us be with your insidious ********* paranoia and the sky is falling mentality. As a recovering Republican, let me tell you that you and your treasonous bretheren who support the Bush tyrancy, are subverting the very meaning of this country to further a political agenda that should scare the poop out of any real American. You hate that you were wrong, so you won''t make it right, you wretched a$$holes. Be a real right winger instead of a Taliban-like fanatic the neocons trained you to be and stand up for your country and not the glorious leader you so pitifully bow before.

[homespunlady]

pakaal I''m NOT condemning ALL school districts but they are like the lottery some are winners but many are losers.

The district I grew up in was GREAT, the district/state we were in with my oldest was so deplorable I put everything I had into 2 years of private school until we were transferred out.

Here, My biggest regret is that like your mom I had little choice - NO private school and another deplorable district.
I taught my 2 sons AFTER they came home from that school but it didn''t help that the conditions they faced IN school were horrendous and the Administration despite having a "fund" well into the tens of millions ran the place like something out of a Dickens story.

My younger son BEGGED for me to home-school him and I regret I didn''t.

When my daughter became a target I reached my limit. The SAFETY, health and well-being of my family overrode my reservations.

For us it''s been the best thing I could have done.
For others it may not be a good choice.

I just want to preserve that option since it''s been threatened in so many ways.

[homespunlady]

Posted by pakaal at 09:06 PM : Dec 17, 2007

I AM a single parent.

Have several degrees and worked my backside off at 3 jobs for 20 plus years - one being military.
I now have a VERY small pension but it''s enough IF we shop at yard-sales, bargain bins and discount outlets and NO "keeping up with the Joneses" or other wasteful things. Don''t even see charity and help support my mother to boot.

It''s tough sometimes but for me WELL WORTH the sacrifice.
She''ll be on her own soon enough and then I''ll try to "make up for lost time" in the job market.

[pakaal]

hamiltongrad wrote: Did anyone see the picture of Hillary on Drudge ?? Wow. I don''''t want to be mean...."

Then you should ask yourself why you were mean, if you didn''t want to be? If you don''t want to be mean, then don''t. That''s not so hard, now is it?

[sparkbox]

Squint your eyes and Huckabee looks and sounds like Nixon.Excellent future prevariacater.

[pakaal]

homespunlady wrote: "ALL the REAL home-schoolers I know have loving, caring parents.... I can''''t say the same for all too many of the parents of the Public school kids I know."

Must be nice to have two parents with enough money to be able to take that route. I was raised by a single parent who probably wouldn''t have minded home-schooling me except she was busy doing that whole "working to pay for food" thing.

I can only thank God for our U.S. public education system myself, since those great alternatives I keep hearing about like private education or home education were financially out of our reach - as it is for a tremendous number of working families.

[cfin5]

Home Schooling (RON PAUL''S STATEMENT ON THIS ISSUE)

My commitment to ensuring home schooling remains a practical alternative for American families is unmatched by any Presidential candidate.

Returning control of education to parents is the centerpiece of my education agenda. As President I will advance tax credits through the Family Education Freedom Act, which reduces taxes to make it easier for parents to home school by allowing them to devote more of their own funds to their children''s education.

I am committed to guaranteeing parity for home school diplomas and advancing equal scholarship consideration for students entering college from a home school environment.

We must have permanency in the Department of Defense Home School Tier 1 Pilot Program, providing recruitment status parity for home school graduates. I will use my authority to prevent the Department of Education from regulating home school activities.

I will veto any legislation that creates national standards or national testing for home school parents or students. I also believe that, as long as No Child Left Behind remains law, it must include the protections for home schoolers included in sec. 9506 (enshrining home schoolers%u2019 rights) and 9527 (guaranteeing no national curriculum).

Federal monies must never be used to undermine the rights of homeschooling parents. I will use the bully pulpit of the Presidency to encourage a culture of educational freedom throughout the nation.