His decision would seem potentially to help Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, who has competed for many of the same conservative voters that Thompson sought to appeal to. Huckabee said Tuesday he might have come in second in South Carolina because Thompson had siphoned off much of his support, permitting Sen. John McCain of Arizona to win.
The news items in Huckabee's favor have really been piling up the last couple of days! Take courage, a groundswell of momentum is building and ready to burst. The field of candidates is also narrowing, and Huckabee is still standing just fine.
Paul West from the Baltimore Sun makes some exciting observations about a last minute surge for Mike Huckabee taking place in South Carolina. Take heart my friends; and if you are in SC, VOTE!
On the eve of Saturday's Republican primary in South Carolina, there are signs that Mike Huckabee could be overtaking John McCain, who had been favored to win the first southern test of the '08 campaign.
The former Arkansas governor (and former Baptist minister) may trail John McCain by 2.5 percent in the latest South Carolina polling averages, but seeing the two leading Palmetto State contenders back-to-back on the same afternoon, it's immediately clear that it's McCain, not Huckabee, who's fighting the uphill battle this week.
The article might have some bias, so take it in stride.
It would be a mistake to assume that he'll be unable to broaden his appeal. Huckabee is an extraordinary communicator--by far the best speaker in the Republican field--and his rhetorical skill helped Iowa voters see him as a plausible president.
Unfortunately portions of this article, along with the commentators in the media, are still making the mistake of underestimating Huckabee by his financial situation. First they said he couldn't will Iowa against Mitt Romney's money and organization, but then when he did, they came up with reasons why it was an exception.
Now they are trying to say the same thing about the rest of the nomination. "Without a huge war chest no one can compete on Super Tuesday" they say. Certainly money can help almost any campaign, but in the end people still vote because of what they think of a candidate, not how many comericals they've seen.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has a reputation among the press as being very accessible (at least compared to many of the other presidential candidates)... He sits with his back against a bus window and casually answers the questions tossed his way by the still modest traveling press corps.
Mike Huckabee was incredible during the debate on thursday night. Here is some interesting post analysis provided by FOX News. According to their focus group, Huckabee had one of the best lines of the night:
More detailed commentary on Huckabee's performance:
I do give him credit for one thing: an innovative tax plan that's being trashed by journalists who almost universally fail to understand its consequences.
I have been one of the long time supporters of the FairTax even before the candidacy of Mike Huckabee. It is the most appealing tax reform system on the table, and what so many people forget is that is was designed by the leading economists in this country with millions of dollars in research. It is not some flippant ideology of Mike Huckabee for getting rid of the IRS like the press would make you think.
You can visit the official FairTax website for all the details:
But then Huckabee won in Iowa, not barely, but by 9 points. He crushed Mitt Romney, despite the Mitt machine, a massive campaign organization that ruled the August straw poll and dropped nasty mailers like confetti.
The Associated Press has an article with some fascinating observations on Mike Huckabee's innovative style, both on the campaign trail and as an elected official. You will be inspired:
Mike Huckabee's offbeat antics — what some would call stunts — helped propel him to the front of the Republican presidential pack after a decade honing that "bumper sticker" style as governor of Arkansas.
We have had hundreds of people reading this weblog, feel free to share your comments, they will be read by someone.
At a Friday night event at New England College in Henniker, he played bass with a local rock band, Mama Kicks. One secular New Hampshire Republican’s reaction: “Gee, he’s not some kind of crazy Christian. He’s an ordinary American.
We are experiencing an exciting time in politics right now!
Whether one agrees or disagrees with his values and positions, he comes across as the type of person that many of us would not mind having as a neighbor.
You would probably be surprised at the number of people who are not partisan when they choose who to vote for. Many of these individuals do not make strong ideological distinctions between liberals and conservatives. They are drawn to the candidate of their choice in the same way many of you would order a meal at a restaurant: according to personal impressions rather than criteria.
The voting block described above is one of the reasons that two candidates with same exact values and principles may not do nearly as well as one another against an identical opponent. Even though likability really has nothing to do with qualifications, it still has a very powerful influence on the voting choices that people make.
On Monday Huckabee held a press conference to announce he had suddenly reversed his decision to start running negative ads against Romney in Iowa hours before they were scheduled to run.
The press has been fairly cynical about the event, calling it a "stunt." He is being criticized for trying to "release the ad without really releasing it." Such a claim is unreasonable if you understand what was really involved with the decision that had to be made.
The first clear evidence for such a case is that Politico.com is reporting that the last minute decision may have cost the Huckabee campaign up to $150,000. That is big sacrifice for a campaign that has been strapped for cash.
The media has displayed some awkwardness handling this story. They want to report that Huckabee is a fool for not running negative campaign ads, but that forces them to imply that he must have been sincere (something they hate to admit even more). So the reaction of the press has been very interesting.
You must realize that negative ads work. During a barrage of attacks, it is simply impossible for the mind not to be eventually influenced by it. So in one sense you could say that Huckabee had nothing to lose by running the ad. But he did. He would have lost his character.
It is not all peaches and cream though. There are several other factors that demonstrate this decision would have been impossible if "doing anything to win" was the motive behind this decision. The campaign not only lost money, but precious time to prepare the ad.
If you're only pulling a stunt, none of this makes sense:
» Losing almost $150,000 in campaign funds. » Canceling your ad buys only hours beforehand. » Refusing to give a copy of the ad to the media. » Admitting you were about to do something wrong. » Taking a huge political risk when you're ahead. » Knowing that the press is going to figure out your stunt.
If the character of Mike Huckabee, or his honesty as a candidate was ever in question, these concerns were demolished during a monday morning press conference in which he decided to reverse a decision suggested by his campaign advisers to go on the attack against Mitt Romney in Iowa.
We suggest that you read about this story as reported by the Washington Post. More specifically, we recommend that you watch the video highlights of the press conference available in the article.
Mike Huckabee is a rare breed in the political realm. He is someone who has not been changed by politics. You can still see the average, everyday american in him. For this reason his campaign has baffled the modern political media, and charmed so many of us who support him.
Consider the dedication he has to the principles of his christian beliefs. Many candidates have a religious background, but how many of them faithfully practice what they believe, let alone in their campaign? One does not need to be a christian like Mike Huckabee to at least appreciate the traits of honesty, kindness, humility, and self-control that his faith requires of him. I look forward to having some of that in the oval office.
"...all philosophy and religion aside, Mike is a sincere, honest, warm person, and he doesn't wear his opinions on his sleeve. If you disagree with him, he won't be condescending or try to work on you."
Sometimes what we need is a personal recommendation like this to put all the relentless political attacks back into perspective. Even the worst candidate running for president is probably not nearly as bad as his critics will make him out to be.
The political analysts have started to change their tone about Huckabee. Now that his surge appears to be more than a spike of support, there are a number of people making some interesting predictions:
I think Mike Huckabee wins Iowa pretty cleanly and goes on to get the Republican nomination. Here's my big prediction, though: if it is Hillary Clinton against Mike Huckabee, Mike Huckabee will the the next President of the United States.
Now that Huckabee is being considered viable, it is prime time to take some action. Share your support for Mike Huckabee with your friends and family, and contribute to the campaign if you can.
With the endorsement now of the DMN, and previously the National Education Association, many conservatives are pointing to these as signs that Huckabee is a weak conservative; these groups almost exclusively endorse democrats.
In one sense they have a point. It is just not good for your image when you are endorsed by someone who your supporters strongly disagree with. But there is a different angle that is easily overlooked. Maybe these endorsements have less to do with issues, and more to do with character. Read more to see what I mean.
Mike Huckabee comes across as very compassionate, down to earth, and open-minded. He builds common ground with people around the need for solutions rather than emphasizing the conflict over which ones to use. If the National Education Association recognizes that Huckabee is not a stubborn ideologue, but sincerely interested in solutions, they may find him even more attractive than the people who relentlessly support their propaganda.
This positive approach is also evident in the way Mike Huckabee is running his campaign: no negative advertising, rarely mentioning his opponents in stump speeches, and refusing to bash fellow contenders when presented with the opportunity.
Rather than a burden, these endorsements are a strong sign that Huckabee's honest approach is even capable of winning over democrats who disagree with his conservative politics. Reading this endorsement from the DMN shows why some democrats like Mike Huckabee in spite of opposing many of his positions.
"Mike Huckabee has stormed to frontrunner status in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, placing the former Baptist pastor in sight of one of the biggest upsets in US political history."
We need the enthusiasm of every Mike Huckabee supporter right now more than ever before. It is not the majority that makes the biggest difference, but those with a passion who never quit. Be one them while it can still make the difference.
This article gives some very interesting details and background behind the Mike Huckabee Christmas message video we posted yesterday. You will be very surprised to learn how it all came together. Reading this made me love it that much more!
If you were not aware, there has been a wave of cynicism, particularly in the media, over this simple Christmas ad. I even remarked yesterday about how refreshing it was. But it did not take the press one day to start coming up with accusations that the television spot had some deep strategic political meaning.
Sometimes I wish I could ask reporters this: if someone actually wanted to just mean what they say, how else would they say it? The press does not get along with Mike Huckabee because he doesn't fit the mold of the politicians they are use to dealing with.
It is bewildering how Huckabee has had the character to hold himself in good tone throughout all these blatant misrepresentations of his record. In the interview below I think Mike actually "broke open" a little bit about his sincere frustration with all that he's been going through. But it came out in a compassionate frustration, rather than an angry one. It was a really neat moment to watch.
"Of course Mike Huckabee can win the Republican nomination. I dismissed the possibility a few weeks ago by saying he had no 'path to the nomination,' and I was foolish to do so."
More and more people are being convinced that Huckabee is not just a popular sensation, but a real contender for the republican nomination. It is very interesting to notice that while the media and political strategists attempt to downplay the Huckabee surge as a factor in his likelihood of winning the nomination, his actual opponents display mannerisms of anything but disregard for his legitimacy.
Both Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson have targeted Huckabee with quite a bit of attention, including verbal comments, mailings, and even expensive television ads. It is hard to imagine them wasting time and resources on Huckabee if they did not consider him a real threat to the success of their campaigns.
