Huckabee's Theology Degree Controversy: What Was Once on Viddler

In late 2007, during the heat of the presidential primary season, a controversy emerged regarding then-candidate Mike Huckabee's educational credentials—specifically whether he had earned a theology degree as he had claimed in multiple public forums. This story, which gained significant traction in political circles, was once documented in video content hosted on Viddler.com's platform under the user account "acomplia4cn."

The Original Controversy

The controversy originated from a December 2007 article published on ArkansasFreedom.Net, which questioned Huckabee's repeated claims about having a theology degree. According to the original reporting, Huckabee had stated this claim to the Christian Broadcasting Network, to Iowa voters, and during a CNN YouTube debate.

The issue came to light following Huckabee's comments about Mormonism in a New York Times interview, where reporter Zev Chafets noted that Huckabee had attended Ouachita Baptist University, majoring in speech and communications, and later spent only a year at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary before dropping out.

The Viddler Connection

The video content previously hosted on Viddler.com under the URL "www.viddler.com/explore/acomplia4cn" likely contained footage of Huckabee's various statements regarding his educational background, possibly including clips from:

CNN YouTube debate appearances
Christian Broadcasting Network interviews
Campaign speeches in Iowa
Potential news coverage of the controversy

What We Know About the Content

While the original video content is no longer available since Viddler.com ceased operations in 2022, the accompanying text indicated that the controversy deepened when Joe Carter, Huckabee's research director at the time, acknowledged in an email that "Governor Huckabee doesn't have a theology degree. He only spent a year in seminary."

This admission contradicted Huckabee's public statements and raised questions about transparency in his presidential campaign.

Historical Context

This incident occurred during a period when candidates' religious credentials were particularly scrutinized. Huckabee, as an ordained Baptist pastor, had positioned his religious background as a key qualification and differentiator in the Republican primary race.

The controversy also intersected with discussions about Mormonism, as Huckabee had made comments questioning whether Mormons believed that Jesus and Satan were brothers—remarks for which he later apologized to fellow candidate Mitt Romney.

Legacy of the Controversy

This episode represents an interesting moment in political history where a candidate's educational claims became a campaign issue. While the original video documentation is no longer accessible, the controversy remains part of the historical record of the 2007-2008 presidential campaign season.