Maimonides,
Do you really think that Huckabee came to this Orthodox Jewish community to say that he is unhappy about WikiLeaks?
Don't you think that he uses WikiLeaks as reason to bring the issue of Pollard to light?
He mentions that JP has spent 25 years of his life in prison. Does that have any connection with WikiLeaks? I don't think so.
Huckabee very carefully, in my opinion, wants to make Pollard's release a viable subject of discussion.
I understand that Huckabee has the best position on Israel, but lets not forget he is still a POLITICIAN!
Huckabee brought up the Pollard issue here, because he knew it would score him political points with righteous Jews and Gentiles. Huckabee is careful to not say anything definitively, but instead is expecting people like you to make the implicit connection that he cares about Pollard and might even grant him clemency. However, by not saying anything definitively, Huckabee is leaving himself more than enough room to DO NOTHING about Pollard
Politicians do not speak clearly. Instead they speak in undertones and hope people like you pick up any message you want to pick up, without having to make any clear promise that you can hold them accountable for. If this is what we can expect from Huckabee then you should go back to 1999 when then Gov. George W. Bush visited Israel, and stated that the pre-1967 where smaller than his DRIVEWAY! Bush did this so righteous Jews and Gentiles would pick up the implicit message that he is against any retreats, without Bush having to outright make any promises! Remember how that turned out!
Maimonides,
Technically you are correct, Huckabee did not pronounce specifically that he would pardon Jonathan Pollard. And he can change his mind later. But he would be able to change his mind later, even if he did say it, as in “read my lips” promise.
Politicians are masters at that. For example, Barack Osama did clearly say that Jerusalem will remain united, and flip flopped no later than 30 minutes after that.
But, and there is a big but. If we don’t trust Huckabee in vain that he stands by his statements that there is no such people as Palestinians, and Palestine state could be created in any Arab country, but not in the Jewish State, don’t you think that such positions are much stronger than possible Jonathan Pollard’s release and, if the American People embraces the truth about the Palestinian myth, then they would be ready to accept the idea of releasing J. Pollard?
Also, Huckabee doesn’t have to necessarily pardon him. There could be an exchange of spies, such as the one that took place with Russia, which was completely pre-arranged and agreed upon, in my opinion.