Estranged Bedfellows: Top Black Michigan Republican Dumps McCain for Huckabee

Bishop Keith Butler, one of the most influential black Republicans in Michigan and a longtime supporter of Sen. John McCain, has switched political horses and endorsed Mike Huckabee in the state’s Jan. 15 Republican presidential primary.

Butler is the head of the Word of Faith International Christian Center in Southfield, which claims more than 20,000 members. He is also a former Detroit city councilman — the only Republican elected to the council since before World War II, he claims — and ran unsuccessfully for a U.S. Senate seat as a Republican.

“Mike Huckabee is a proven leader who has embraced and supported the values throughout his career of which all Republicans can be proud,” Butler said last month. “I stand with Gov. Huckabee for president, because I believe he is the best choice for the future of America.”

The Butler endorsement comes as Huckabee, an ordained minister and former Arkansas governor, is showing a surprising surge in Michigan. A poll conducted Dec. 4-7 of 600 likely voters in the Jan. 15 primary, conducted by Marketing Resource Group of Lansing, shows Republican support of Huckabee at 21 percent, to Mitt Romney’s 20 percent and McCain’s 14 percent. When independents and crossover Democrats are added to the mix, McCain polled 21 percent, Romney 18 percent and Huckabee 16 percent.

Continued -Butler, who was born and raised in Detroit, became a Republican in 1982 and has been a GOP activist for Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush in presidential campaigns in Michigan. His ministry is well known, setting up more than 300 satellite churches from San Francisco to Brazil to England.

Inside Michigan Politics editor Bill Ballenger told Michigan Messenger that Butler”s defection “might help Huckabee, marginally.”

But Ballenger said Huckabee has almost no ground operation in Michigan and failed to make the pilgrimage to Mackinac Island in September. The Labor Day powwow at Mackinac features the movers and shakers in state Republican circles as well as national politics. The combined social and business meeting is a forum where many national candidates find a platform and supporters in Michigan. Without showing up, a Republican candidate is considered handicapped going into elections in the state.

Still, the Butler endorsement and flip from McCain certainly can’t hurt Huckabee, Ballenger said.

“For any high-profile party leader to endorse him, and particularly to switch, it’s gotta help. Whether it is enough to make him (Huckabee) a major player, that is the key question,” Ballenger added.

Ballenger said the change could also have an impact on Butler, who is on his way to a “coronation” as a Republican National Committee member representing Michigan starting in spring ’08.

“Where will Huckabee be then? Where will McCain be? Will he (Butler) get burned? If Huckabee is close to or is the nominee, he (Butler) will look like he jumped on the train as it was leaving the station,” Ballenger said.

As for the impact on the McCain campaign, Ballenger saw none. “McCain already lost (Attorney General Mike) Cox in September,” Ballenger said. “I gotta tell you, you can overestimate the amount of organization that these candidates have … . How organized in Michigan was McCain in 2000? He had nothing and look what happened.”

In 2000 the entire Republican establishment in Michigan was lined up behind George W. Bush. But with no ground team and very little political operation, McCain won the Michigan Republican primary.

Butler is the most recent high-profile supporter to jump ship for another campaign. Butler was co-chair of McCain”s Michigan operations earlier this year.

At the time, McCain lauded Butler in a press release, saying: “Keith Butler is someone that leads by example. His support means a lot to me and my family. Keith has served several presidents and I am proud to call him one of my advisors.” (http://www.johnmccai…)

Butler also praised McCain: “John McCain has been a genuine conservative and will remain one. He will represent the values and principles of families in a way that will make us all proud. John is a tremendous human being and he will lead our country with integrity and character.” (http://www.johnmccai…)

But by the Nov. 8 Lincoln Day Dinner in Clinton County, Butler was introducing Huckabee. (http://michiganredne…)

Then came the announcement four weeks ago from the Huckabee campaign that Butler had indeed switched allegiances and had joined Huckabee”s Faith and Family Values Coalition as an adviser. (http://www.mikehucka…)

Calls to Butler”s church and the Huckabee campaign for comment were not returned.

[Photo: Keith Butler as featured on Hurston Ministries" website]