Viewed as the only "bona fide social conservative," Mike Huckabee has won the official endorsement of two southern Iowa newspapers.

The former Arkansas governor was recently endorsed by the Albia Union-Republican and the Chariton Herald-Patriot, newspapers that are owned by the same company and located in neighboring Monroe and Lucas counties in southern Iowa. Dave Paxton serves as publisher for both papers. According to Paxton, the Albia paper has a circulation of about 2,800, and the Chariton paper has a circulation of approximately 3,000.

The Albia Newspapers, Inc., and the Chariton Newspapers, Inc., have limited websites and do not publish editorials or columns online, so the endorsements have gone unnoticed by all except for subscribers.

On Oct. 25, Paxton wrote in the Albia Union-Republican a column in which he admits he was "sort of half-joking" when he endorsed Huckabee because — like Paxton — Huckabee is an "old guy in a rock-and-roll band."

"I'm going to be the first newspaper guy to endorse a Republican candidate for president — a guy who doesn't carry much personal baggage at all, unless you consider being a one-time Baptist preacher baggage (I don't)," Paxton wrote. "Don't even attempt to question my reasons. They are impeccable." Paxton went on to jokingly explain why being an older gentleman who plays in a band is a sign that he is just a "real guy."

 

But he's not joking anymore. Last week, Paxton wrote that his endorsement of Huckabee is now serious and official, and he's proud of the fact that he was the first "newspaper guy" to pick the candidate who has surged to become the front-runner for the Republican nod in Iowa.

Iowa Independent spoke with Paxton Friday and asked him to explain his endorsement of Huckabee.
"The original endorsement in my column, was, in a way, it was just a kind of fun thing to do," said Paxton. "I liked the fact that Huckabee was kind of a real person, and he still plays rock and roll music. At the time, I didn't think Huckabee really had a chance."
But as the campaign has intensified, Paxton said he's liked what he's seen and heard about Huckabee, and has generally been disappointed in the other Republican candidates.

"Huckabee's probably the only one that is a bona fide social conservative," said Paxton. "With a very long record of support for human rights and right-to-life. He passed the marriage amendment in Arkansas, which is a big deal to social conservatives. He has that pedigree, and it is unbending."
Paxton also noted Huckabee's record on education as a big factor in the endorsement. "From what I've read, if you can avoid getting all cluttered up in the fact that he was letting illegals go to school, his support for education and arts and music and extra-curriculars in the schools was extremely strong."

"When I go to the caucus, I'm planning to caucus for him," said Paxton. But he said that he still has questions about all of the candidates, and he could actually change his mind before Jan. 3.
"When you're governor for 10 years, you've got a long record, and there are still some things I still want to know about him. But he was a governor in a state where he never had a Republican legislature, and so he had to make deals with the devil all the time." Paxton said he was somewhat concerned about the fact that Huckabee presided over some significant tax increases, "but those things don't trip my trigger as much as, say, the social issues."

"I like (former Massachusetts governor) Mitt Romney, for the fact that he's a proven manager. But there are some things about him that for a core conservative like myself, I just grind my teeth." Paxton said that Romney's past positions on social issues are "troubling."

He said he sees (former Tennessee Sen.) Fred Thompson as the "Barack Obama of the Republican side," noting that he hadn't really heard Thompson say anything of substance throughout the campaign. But he said Obama and Thompson are both excellent communicators.

Paxton said former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani is definitely not the kind of candidate he's looking for. "There's not a hair's breadth of difference between Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton," he said. "Giuliani's personal life is going to be a train-wreck, unless he runs against somebody whose personal life is just as bad, like Hillary Clinton."

In addition to the Albia and Chariton newspapers' endorsement of Huckabee, several other newspapers have made endorsements of presidential candidates. The Iowa State University student-runIowa State Daily endorsed Sen. Barack Obama on the Democratic side, and Sen. John McCain on the Republican side. The Shenandoah Valley News Today endorsed Sen. John Edwards on the Democratic side and Huckabee on the Republican side. The Vinton Eagle has endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton, and the Storm Lake Times has endorsed Sen. Joe Biden.

The Des Moines Register endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. John McCain Saturday evening.

Dien Judge is a former news editor for the Albia Newspapers, Inc.