CNN Praises Huckabee For Dodging Questions

Back in June, CNN hosted a Republican debate. When asked if the earth was literally created in a six-day period 6,000 years ago (a scientifically untenable position), creationist candidate Mike Huckabee dodged the question, simply making a joke about not being there. The correct answer was no. Nonetheless, all of the commentators at CNN thought this was a brilliant answer. According to the easily impressed Anderson Cooper, "the question of creationism came up tonight. Mike Huckabee talked about it very eloquently." Never mind the substance of the question, and the fact that the answer was unresponsive. The guy's a smooth talker, and that's apparently all the cable news pundits care about.

At this week's CNN/Youtube Republican debate, Huckabee did it again. When asked "What would Jesus do?" with regard to the death penalty, Mike Huckabee said "Jesus was too smart to ever run for public office, Anderson. That's what Jesus would do." Once again, the easily impressed Anderson Cooper has looked back on the night and expressed his admiration for what he thought was "certainly, probably one of the best answers you could possibly come up to, to that question."

Personally, I think that Jesus probably wouldn't rely on the death penalty. According to the Sermon on the Mount: "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you." When a woman was about to be stoned (the death penalty) for adultery, Jesus came to her aid and said "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." I'm not aware of any Jesus quotes endorsing retribution (the Old Testament God, on the other hand, suggested that we use the death penalty to kill homosexuals and disobedient children). Plus, he might be a bit sensitive about how he was subject to the death penalty, himself.

UPDATE: It looks like somebody asked Huckabee this question (WWJD) before. Here is his response from 1997:

“Interestingly enough,” Huckabee allowed, “if there was ever an occasion for someone to have argued against the death penalty, I think Jesus could have done so on the cross and said, ‘This is an unjust punishment and I deserve clemency’.”

Hm. At least it's more of a direct answer. But to take the fact that he didn't specifically condemn it (while he was busy being tortured), and to infer from that that he endorses it (or at least tacitly approves of it) seems a little absurd to me. Especially given his specific repudiation of "an eye for an eye" in the Sermon on the Mount speech.