Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee
Prepare to hear a lot about
"values voters" as the 2016 Republican presidential primary campaign heats up. According to a new poll, these special creatures favor former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and are not mostly fans of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Who are they?
The poll used a series of issues to identify the group of voters, including strong support support for gun rights, the right to life movement and traditional marriage.
In the United States, if you want to make it easier to kill people with guns, seek to control women, and want to prevent marriage between loving, consenting adults, you can claim the "values voter" label. Apparently opposing hunger, thinking people who work should be paid enough to live on, and wanting our water and air to go unpoisoned don't count as "values." Anyway, though, why do these Republican values voters matter?
The numbers are crucial because "values voters" are key for candidates looking to generate momentum in the Republican primaries. They make up about half of Republican primary voters (46%) according to the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll -- and big chunks of the electorate in early Republican nominating contest states such as Iowa and South Carolina.
In other words, to "generate momentum" for the primaries, Republican presidential candidates had better start moving right, or loudly emphasizing their far-right credentials, on all the issues they'll then have to waffle and hedge on as they try not to look so extreme that general-election voters will be totally turned off. Quick, guys—these are your marching orders. Start talking about your opposition to rape and incest exceptions in abortion laws and your hatred of the gays so you can win over those all-important Iowa and South Carolina base Republicans. And if possible, do it on camera?