When former governor Mike Huckabee officially threw his hat into the Republican bid for the 2008 presidential race on Sunday, many thoughts ran through my head.

“Oh good” wasn’t one of them.

Throughout the past years, Arkansans have developed a love/hate relationship with Huckabee, more so leaning toward the hate side as a result of several actions committed during his tenure as governor.

The Wayne DuMond case comes to mind.

More importantly, this ex-Baptist preacher seems to have a knack for being unable to separate his faith and his political agendas, a quality most despicable in politicans.

In a 1998 article published in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Huckabee is quoted as saying: “I hope we answer the alarm clock and take this nation back for Christ.”

Excuse me?

Is he really attempting to speak for an all-knowing, perfect God?

Excuse us if we’re skeptical in regard to what one mortal being claims to be the desire of God.

Despite what many would say, religion and politics do not go together.

Candidate’s who run on a notion of bringing salvation to the lost need to do us all a favor and just keep themselves behind the pulpit where they belong.

Politics, much like religion, is an imperfect creation of man completely susceptible to the will of the masses. The thought of a supreme being using such a vessel to communicate their message of salvation is not just idiotic and illogical, it’s also completely asinine.

There is no doubt certain people need religion and faith. To them, these serve as providers of hope and faith – two things a human being should never attempt to take away from someone else.

The line gets drawn when others think a part of their continued faith and hope is the conversion of others.

Anyone attempting to pass off their wants and desires as inspiration from a higher power should be treated as the mentally delusional person they are, not elected into office.

Huckabee’s overly religious stance makes him unfit to hold almost any elected position.

Given the power of the presidency, electing such a moral dictator into the office would be unconscionable.

Please, leave the pulpit in the church where it belongs.