Silly Season: Huckabee's Christmas Ad

Geez, give me a freakin' break. Mike Huckabee, an ordained minister and Republican candidate for his party's presidential nomination, is catching all kinds of flack for his Christmas ad in which he comes right out and mentions Jesus Christ.

I see an AP article that says, "Independent groups have criticized the ad, saying Huckabee went too far mixing politics and religion." D'uh! That's his whole strategy! He's the only candidate with even a hint of legitimacy to his claim to being an Evangelical Christian--of course he's mixing politics and religion.

And then the article reads, "Others took exception to the cross-like image created by a white bookcase in the background, describing it as a subliminal message." Listen carefully people: It wasn't subliminal! There was nothing subtle about it. Subliminal is when they flash an image of a Coca Cola bottle during a movie and suddenly you really want a Coke. Huckabee's ad was not deceptive or underhanded: That cross-like reflection is perfectly in keeping with his spoken message--it supports his message, so it was hardly "submliminal." They probably set up the lights and the camera and noticed that the reflection on the bookcase made a cross and said, "Cool, let's move him over here and we'll get that cross shape in the picture."

Now, if he'd said, "I will never allow my religious faith to intrude on my conduct as president" and then there was this "accidental" cross-like image--THAT would be dishonest and (if subtle enough), subliminal.

Here's the point: If you don't want someone who mixes religion with politics, don't give him any money. Don't vote for him. And give money and votes to someone who won't mix religion an politics. But don't use a lame-ass argument that he's being dishonest with subliminal messages. That's just stupid.