During Mike Huckabee’s interview at the Family Leadership Summit candidate forum on Saturday, moderator Frank Luntz asked the reporters in attendance how many of them went to church or synagogue on a weekly basis.
After doing a quick hand count of what Luntz estimated to be about 60 or 70 journalists, the pollster observed “Only nine of them” raised their hands.
Luntz, probably nailing a primary reason why people of faith and their issues are treated so badly by the liberal media, then asked Huckabee if there was “a disconnect when you speak of faith and only nine” of the journalists assigned to cover the event admitted to being regular church attendees.
For his part Huckabee responded by zinging Hillary Clinton. The former Arkansas Republican governor told Luntz that he isn’t always treated “unfairly” by the press but even if he were attacked by journalists he would “never put them inside of a rope and pull tightly.”
The following exchange was aired during C-SPAN’s coverage of the Family Leadership Summit candidate forum on July 18:
FRANK LUNTZ: I’m gonna do something I’ve never done before and I don’t know if it’s going to work.
GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE: And you’re doing it to me?
LUNTZ: I’m doing it because I want to see something here. We’ve got reporters sitting in these first three rows. And I know that a lot of you are looking at your computers but I’m gonna speak for about 10 seconds to get your attention. Knock him in the shoulder. If someone is not paying attention in these first three rows. Right here, take a look. Look up so you can’t look away. Tell me the truth. How many of you in these first three rows here attend church or synagogue once a week? Raise your hands. [counting hands] Three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. And there are what? 60, 70 people in here.
There’s, I wonder if there’s a disconnect when you speak of faith and only nine of them - and even if they won’t participate. They’re Amer-, they’re human beings. They’re citizens. Nine of them raised their hands. What does that mean?
HUCKABEE: I do think there’s a difference between those who often give commentary on our culture and those who are the representatives of so much of our culture and content of the country. I just want to say that I find it generally I don’t always feel like that even people who disagree with me, treat me unfairly in the media. I’m very honest and say sometimes they do. Some are more responsible than others. And even when they do treat me in ways I don’t think are altogether great, I never put them inside of a rope and pull tightly and hold them and keep them away. I let them ask me questions.
