NC For Huckabee

New Direction

2008-03-07T10:15:00.002-05:00

Tuesday night after the results from the latest primaries, Mike Huckabee formally ended his bid for the presidency. So, where do we go now? What is next for the governor and for those of us who supported him?

Reading the messages sent to supporters after his withdrawal, it is clear that Mike Huckabee isn't planning on fading into obscurity. He intends to keep his online presence and I imagine that you will see him spend the next four years continuing to build his grassroots network. He will further hone his message of optimism and a return to basic principles for the Republican party. He will be a champion for those who value life and morality. And rest assured, we will get another chance to get behind Mike Huckabee for President.

Meanwhile, what do we do? What you out there do is entirely up to you, but this being my blog, I will share my plans and encourage you to consider some thoughts.

First, yes, I intend to fully support Sen. John McCain for President. I know from contact with other Huckabee supporters and conservatives that there are some out there who cannot do this or will not do this for various reasons. I respect your position and would probably feel the same way had certain other candidates gained the nomination. However, I can get behind McCain, especially considering the other options. I feel that the damage that Hillary or Obama could do in four years outweighs any concerns that there might be for McCain. Therefore, I will do what I can to support him.

Second, I intend to get as involved as I can at the state and local level. As the Huckabee campaign petered out over the last couple of weeks, I have given a lot of thought to the state of conservatism in this nation. We are rapidly losing a generation of conservative leadership that rose to prominence in the Buckley-Goldwater-Reagan era. We must replenish those leaders or we will find ourselves in a much greater wilderness than any loss of congressional or presidential power will create.

It is said that all politics is local politics. It is time for those of us who stand for limited government, lower taxes and national pride to take our places in city councils, school boards and state legislatures. Conservatism needs a deep bench in order to continue to spread the message on to the next generation. We need to stop just watching CNN and complaining and do something about it on whatever level we can access.

To this end, I am personally making the effort to learn more about what is going on right at home, participate in local GOP politics and conventions, and meeting and supporting local and statewide conservative candidates at all levels. I for one am tired of looking at a ballot and not knowing which commissioner or state official to vote for. I am going to go out of my way to educate myself and support those candidates that agree with basic conservative principles. These men and women are the ones that are making decisions that affect our daily live to a much greater extent than do senators and presidents. Let's get the right folks in the right places. And if your community can't put up a suitable candidate, consider running yourself. You can make a difference too.

Third, I am planning on transitioning this blog into a general conservative politics site, focusing specifically on North Carolina politics. I want to do what I can to inform those few that might read here which candidates align with conservative ideals. As such, the domain name will change to something a little more general. When I set it up I will post the link here.

Finally, I received some criticism for my last post indicating that I was accepting the inevitability of McCain as nominee and that I believed the time was come to stand behind him. I did not apologize for my stand then nor do I now. Mike Huckabee left the race with grace and civility and that will be remembered when he comes again. Those that were advocating brokered convention will hopefully see how damaging that can be to a candidate by watching the Democratic convention this year, assuming the superdelegates don't intervene too much. Huckabee can now spend his time building his coalition and laying the groundwork for the future. He will be back and I will be ready to stand with him once again.

~Justin

Catching Up

2008-02-27T19:59:00.002-05:00

Once again, I go through a drought of posting. In the interim since the last post announcing Romney's withdrawal, Huckabee has gained a few wins, but the McCain momentum has grown steadily as well.

What I am about to say might alienate me from many of the other hardcore Huckabee supporters, but understand this: I believe that the best choice of all the candidates on either side is the former governor from Arkansas. However, I also see the reality of the delegate situation. I know that McCain hasn't locked it up completely yet, but I also know that Huckabee's only hope is a brokered convention. Unfortunately, I do not think that would be in the best interest of conservatism or the Republican party. For better or worse, more or less by default, the voters have chosen John McCain as the nominee. I fear that if Huckabee pushed hard for a contested convention, the ensuing disarray would sink our chances in November. It would reopen the field to Romney and others and if we were to choose a nominee that did not win the majority of delegates it would be disastrous.

I think our focus now needs to shift to the general election and us putting our weight behind John McCain. No, he isn't the perfect candidate, nor is he my first or even second choice. But he's the guy and we need to get him a victory. It seems that the Obamamania is nigh unstoppable at this point and that the Senator from Illinois will be the opponent this fall. The more I see of him and the more I read his policy views, the less I think of him. I appreciate his attempt to appeal to unity and his general optimism, but he is a McGovern liberal dressed in a JFK costume. We need to maintain our hold on the White House in order to try to keep the Democratic congress in check. John McCain is our guy now and he needs all the support he can get.

So what of Huckabee? Am I a traitor to the cause for saying such things even before Texas and Ohio vote? Perhaps some will think so, but I have to be true to what I think is the best course of action. I hope that if Huckabee is offered the VP slot by McCain that he respectfully turns it down. Huckabee has established himself as the voice of social conservatism and the standard bearer for the Fair Tax cause. He can take a page from Reagan in the late 70s and remain very much in the public eye while championing values and fiscal reform. With the internet and Huckabee's natural charisma, he can speak, blog and show up on TV often. Should McCain lose in November, Huckabee (along with Romney) will be an automatic frontrunner for the nomination. And I will be waiting to support him once again.

As for this blog, I intend to leave it open for the time being. I am personally going to start focusing on the gubernatorial race here in North Carolina. After 16 years of Democratic leadership, it is time for a conservative in the Governor's Mansion. I personally support State Sen. Fred Smith for the Republican nomination. Check out his website for more information on Sen. Smith. I will also be getting more openly behind McCain once the nomination process is over.

I will probably start a new blog focusing more generally on politics, particularly NC politics. So, keep your eyes peeled and on this spot. I will put clear links to the new blog when I decide to start it. Thanks to the few of you who have read this blog with regularity. I hope you will join me at the new one to continue to fight for conservative ideals both in NC and across the nation.

~Justin

Bye Bye Mitt!

2008-02-08T14:27:00.000-05:00

As everyone knows by now, Mitt Romney took his opportunity to speak at CPAC yesterday as his chance to formally suspend his presidential campaign. It seems that he has his sights set on 2012, a'la Reagan in 1976, however, Reagan stayed in through the convention and won a multitude of states versus Ford. Romney showed that all the money in the world couldn't buy states unless he had lived there or it was a small state caucus.

The media is trying very hard to coronate John McCain, but even he is continually reminding voters that yes, Mike Huckabee is still very much alive in this race. So now, these Limbaugh "conservatives" have a choice. Will they hitch their wagons to Huckabee, as Neal Boortz suggests they do and try to stop Big Mac? Will they suck it up and support McCain anyway? Or will they continue to sit on the sidelines and whine and moan about the sad state of affairs and dream of the increased ratings they will enjoy as President Clinton/Obama take us you know where in a handbasket?

Now What?

2008-02-06T13:46:00.000-05:00

(Decided to split up the Super Tuesday analysis into two posts)

So, where do the candidates go from here?

McCain: The numbers give the impression that he is on the verge of running away with the nomination. But, for better or worse, there is a 20-25% portion of the Republican base who would rather commit political suicide than vote for McCain. Could he win without them? I am not sure that even with his appeal to independents that McCain could compete without the passion of the base behind him. He will lag in fundraising and volunteer support and that will cost him on election day. McCain has to hope that he can mend enough fences to get back 10 or so percent of those voters. But I fear that is not an option at this point. He will have to focus on the idea that he is electable and hopefully stop Huckabee from gaining any more momentum than he has right now.

Romney: Oh, boy, things look kind of bad right now for Mittens. Sources say he has poured over $35 million of his own cash into this campaign. Pundits are predicting he will drop out. I think he stays in a bit longer and hopes that an anti-McCain surge will carry him to some wins. But if fundraising doesn't pick up, he will have to decide how much more he can pour into this sinking ship. The Talk Radio Republicans have to make a choice now. Will they continue to back Romney, even though voters repudiate him? Or will they go for the lesser of two evils and try to use Huckabee to take down McCain? My guess is that they will go down with Romney. It is a dangerous game for them to play...if McCain wins the election, they are marginalized as out of touch. If McCain loses, they can tout that they were right, but at the cost of President Clinton/Obama's liberal policies which the Democratic congress will gladly approve. Pyhrric victories all around...

Huckabee: He gets another chance at trying to position himself as the anti-McCain. Huck has proven he is a winner or is competitive in traditional Republican states. If he can snag wins in LA and KS, he could very well put Romney out of the race. Huckabee voters can point to these wins as reasons to keep supporting him rather than going to Romney to stop McCain. He was very close to winning OK and MO in addition to everything else. Huckabee needs to position himself as the viable alternative to John McCain. He can do this without resorting to the negative attacks that Romney uses. Huck speaks at CPAC on Saturday morning. He really needs to hammer home his genuine conservative credentials to show that he is not the "liberal" that Limbaugh and his ilk paint him as. If Huckbee can get conservatives to coalesce around him instead of Romney, his chances are better to win the nomination. Huck needs to win at least one of LA or KS to show that he has continued strength.

Aftermath

2008-02-06T13:22:00.001-05:00

Well...here we sit. The day after Super Duper Tuesday and Huckabee is back in the thick of things. I must confess. My hope had waned. I was not looking forward to yesterday. I feared that it would be over for the best candidate in the race. However, a funny thing happens sometimes when you entrust actual voters with their responsiblity. The pundits and talking heads are proven wrong. Let's look at the results:

Huckabee wins WV, AR, GA, AL and TN.

Romney wins MA, UT, MN, MT, ND, CO and AK.

McCain wins CA, NY, NJ, CT, DE, MO, OK, AZ and IL

What can we glean from these results?

1) McCain is currently the official frontrunner....but look at the states he won. With the exception of MO, OK and AZ, these are faithful blue states. I seriously doubt that even Big Mac has the support to flip NY or CA in November. MO and OK were just narrowly won with Huckabee right on his heels in both. He won his home state of AZ but not by as much as he should have. It is clear now that McCain has the support of liberal and center-left Republicans in the blue states. But whither the conservatives??? Can McCain win without them?

2) Romney is dangerously weakened. Yes, he picked up seven states last night, but did anyone really do any campaigning in any of them? Looking at his wins as a whole, Romney wins when he has a family or religious connection or when he is the only candidate competing in a caucus. The only true primaries he has won are MI, MA and UT. Romney claims that Huckabee is damaging his campaign and taking away votes. But it seems that should be the other way around. More on that later.

3) Huckabee has risen from the political near-dead. Yeah, looking at the tally it seems that Huckabee can only win Southern states. And he has thus far, Iowa notwithstanding. But what is neglected is that for the most part, Huckabee is winning the conservative states. Not bad for a guy who is supposed to be a "liberal." Huckabee is strongest in traditional red states. As much as I would like to see a Reaganesque landslide in 2008, it is just not going to happen. We need to hold on to every single 2000/04 red state and pick up a couple of midwestern states too in order to win in 2008. Romney is a non-factor in the South. McCain pretty much is too, even with the SC win thanks to Fred Thompson.

Final Super Tuesday Polls

2008-02-05T16:06:00.000-05:00

Huckabee, after slipping behind in the necessary Southern states, has surged back in some key Super Tuesday states.

ARG Tennessee 2/5/08

Huckabee 36%
McCain 30%
Romney 27%

Insider Advantage/Majority Opinion Alabama 2/5/08

Huckabee 38%
McCain 29%
Romney 20%

In addition to these, Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas all are close. Good weather, Romney/McCain backlash and the WV win could converge to give Huck wins and valuable delegates in these places. Could it be a better than expected day today??? The momentum in these vital states seems to be shifting...

Win for Huckabee!

2008-02-05T15:59:00.000-05:00

The first Super Tuesday state has voted, and the winner is Mike Huckabee!

West Virginia's GOP convention caucused today and Huckabee beat Romney. Romney led the first ballot, but McCain supporters moved over to Huckabee on the second, giving him the win.

Now, Romney supporters are screaming and crying that this was a conspiracy and Huck is just spoiling for McCain, blah, blah, blah. However, my question is this...why is it that the more a state sees Romney and the more he touts organization...he loses? If Romney really were the choice of conservatives, why couldn't he have won on the first ballot and ended it right there?

Sorry Mittens, spending millions and slamming your opponents with lies doesn't equal support.
Mitt Romney learned again today that in primary politics, your enemy yesterday might just need to be your friend tomorrow.

And Mitt hasn't done much to make many friends...

(He is now alleging "back room deals", implying that people actually voting in a state organized caucus is somehow fraudulent...this is going to backfire on Mitt if he is not careful...)

Catching Up

2008-02-05T15:53:00.000-05:00

OK, so my earlier predictions were that Huckabee would need to win SC and FL to stay in the race. Unfortunately, he didn't win either, but he is still very much in the game. Thompson influenced SC just enough to allow McCain to eke out a win and gain the momentum needed to take FL. Giuliani's campaign completed its historic collapse in the Sunshine State, after which he dropped out and went for McCain. Romney took Michigan based on not much more than his last name and also took Wyoming and Nevada based on the fact that he was pretty much the only candidate that showed up.

So, here it is Super Tuesday and this is where we stand. McCain is for all intents and purposes the "front-runner". Huckabee and Romney are vying for the conservative votes as McCain takes all the moderate to liberal votes. Romney spends his time whining that Huck is spoiling for McCain, even when polls show that if it were down to he and Big Mac, that McCain would obliterate him pretty much everywhere.

Today's big questions are as follows: Can McCain wrap it up tonight? Will Romney win any states? Will Huckabee win any states? How much longer can either of them stay in after today?

Waaaay Behind...

2008-02-05T15:51:00.000-05:00

I am sorry. I have let this blog get way out of date. I traveled out of town for work after New Hampshire, and work has been busy since, and I have just let the blog go. No more...I will strive to keep it more up to date as I did in December...Super Tuesday discussion to follow...

NH Primary Day Update

2008-01-08T01:06:00.000-05:00

The first few votes have been cast and counted in two small towns in New Hampshire...here are the results:

McCain: 10
Huckabee: 5
Paul: 4
Romney: 3
Giuliani: 1

I'd love to see this particular finishing order play out, but these towns don't generally tend to be very good bellweathers for the whole state. (Wesley Clark won them in 2004, but Kerry won big overall)

Most polls right now (and there are several) have McCain with a pretty solid lead, Romney in second, and Huckabee in third with Paul and Giuliani hovering around 3rd-4th. Thing is though, there has been so little time since the Iowa caucuses and the two debates this weekend. Weekend polling is notoriously unreliable, especially for Republicans, so we really don't have a complete picture right now of the situation in New Hampshire.

I think it is pretty likely that McCain wins and probably wins by 8+ points. However, the feeling on the ground is that Romney's crowds dwindled and Huckabee's crowds have swelled to tremendous proportions. Will that translate into votes? Could we even dare to dream of a 2nd place finish? Honestly, I expect us to finish 3rd or possibly even 4th, depending on the depth of Ron Paul's support.

However, as I said earlier, the situation on the ground is very fluid. Romney is not making very many friends right now and interest is rising in Huckabee. Here are the scenarios as I see them:

If McCain loses here, his last hope is Michigan. If he loses there, it is over for the senator. A McCain win means he has a good shot at taking Michigan, which keeps him in the ballgame. He needs to win both to have any realistic chance of winning the nomination.

If Romney wins, his campaign is re-energized and he just might take Michigan as well, setting up a do-or-die moment for Huckabee in SC. If Romney finishes second, he lives to fight another day in Michigan, which become a must win for him. If Romney finishes third or worse, it will be the story of the day and will be played as a tremendous collapse. I don't see how his campaign recovers for a 3rd or worse. He's got the cash to stick around, but his support will bleed quickly.

If Huckabee finishes 3rd or 4th, no big deal. Expectations are low for him here and no one will be surprised or will write his obituary. He can finish second or even third in Michigan without major damage as well, but will absolutely need to take SC and FL to win the nomination. If Huckabee finishes 2nd ahead of Romney, it will be huge and may cement his position as the Republican frontrunner. He would prove once again that big money does not result in wins. Second place means that Romney is marginalized and the nomination will come down to Huck vs. McCain. He could still take MI, which I think would set off a chain reaction that would carry through to SC and FL. Super Tuesday would become a formality and the nomination would be Huckabee's.

So, by my analysis, the pressure today is on Mitt Romney. He has the most to gain or the most to lose. McCain needs the win but has one more shot in Michigan next week. Huckabee can finish further back and still have several paths to the nomination available.

One thing of which I do feel certain...we will enter Florida at the end of the month with only two realistic contenders. And sorry, Mr. Mayor, neither will be you.

Carl Cameron on the Huckaboom

2008-01-04T01:06:00.000-05:00

Fox News has been notoriously negative toward Governor Huckabee in this election season, but reporter Carl Cameron has some interesting insights into the Huckabee win in Iowa:

"Christian conservatives do not explain the whole Mike Huckabee win.
His authenticity and populist message struck a chord with heartland middle income and blue collar values voters."

Full Blog Here

This is a nice counterpoint to those who believe that Huckabee won solely on the strength of evangelical Christians, of whom 47% voted for him...leaving the other 53% to vote for someone else? He had to have had strong support outside that group. We shall see how that translates in New Hampshire.

Thoughts on Iowa

2008-01-03T23:34:00.000-05:00

Such a huge night...I expected a Huckabee win, but I thought it would be close...9 points! Wow...the work is not over yet. There is a debate this weekend in New Hampshire and expect Mitt Romney to pull out the longest of the long knives for not only Huckabee, but also McCain. He has nothing to lose, has already gone negative, and has repeatedly shown he has absolutely NO regard for truth or honesty or personal integrity when it comes to winning elections. But, I trust Mike Huckabee. He has shined in debates thus far, and I think he will continue to do so this weekend.

The big Obama win will really shake up things on Tuesday. Will independents flock to him, or will they go to the old standby of John McCain? Will Rudy's non-presence (in hindsight, possibly a fatal move) combined with Huckabee's big win push Huck into a strong 3rd in NH? Hillary is on the ropes and Republicans have finally realized we don't need "America's Mayor" to take her down.

I think we see a close McCain victory in NH on Tuesday and a stronger than expected third for Huckabee. The questions will arise louder as to whether or not Romney can maintain any type of momentum at all. Michigan is the next big contest and McCain has been strong there in the past. Huckabee actually has an insignificant lead there already so that will be a McCain/Huck battle for first. SC is next, where the faded Thompson hopes to make his last stand, if he even stays in the race that long. Huckabee will win SC versus McCain and with two, possibly three wins under his belt, should beat Giuliani in Florida at the end of the month.

This victory tonight is a great one, but it is only the first battle...the war is not won yet...although the path become a bit clearer...

**Oh, and watch the money ticker at the top of this blog...it was at $60k at caucus time...over $130,000 as of this posting!!!

VICTORY!!!

2008-01-03T21:57:00.000-05:00

Huckabee wins Iowa!!!

UPDATED:

Ok...the rush of the moment has come and gone and now it is time to look at the results:

With 85% of precincts reporting, here it is. I will update when it hits 100%.

HUCKABEE: 34%
Romney: 25%
Thompson: 14%
McCain: 13%

Source: CNN

Huckabee on Leno 1/2/08

2008-01-03T00:53:00.000-05:00

Mike Huckabee was the first guest on the return of Jay Leno tonight sans writers. Mike took a little flack for crossing the picket line to be on the show, but I don't think that will have much effect on most people. Both Huckabee and Jay Leno repeatedly have expressed their support for the writers (as do I) and Huckabee made the point in a news release that he only went on knowing that there were no "scabs" writing...all was done by Leno himself.

Anyway, on to the meat of the interview...classic Huckabee...he was very fluid, cool, collected and humorous. There was a video of him being interviewed by Leno 7 years and 110 pounds ago that got some laughs and an opening for Mike to talk about the health crisis in America. Mike also got a chance to simply explain the benefits of the Fair Tax, which got him a round of applause from the audience. And of course, he got to join the Tonight Show band and jam on the bass a little. All in all, I think that many people across the country probably got their first look at Mike Huckabee tonight, and got to see the best he has to offer.

Link to the transcript from the Official Blog (video to follow later)

Interactive Poll

2008-01-02T18:09:00.000-05:00

Eric Odom over at ConservaBlogs.com has the latest RCP Interactive Poll up.

Go here and be sure to vote Huckabee!

Pre-Caucus Update

2008-01-02T15:49:00.000-05:00

Again, sorry it has been so long between updates...getting adjusted after the holidays and vacation, but here we go!

Polling

So, so much has happened in the last two weeks in the campaign that I am not even going to try to hit everything. The race in Iowa has tightened, as expected. Most polls show Huckabee in the lead or in second within the margin of error. The only poll I want to link to is the most reliable for Iowa, the Des Moines Register.

Iowa/Des Moines Register Poll

Huckabee 32%
Romney 26%
McCain 13%
Paul 9%
Thompson 9% (Ouch! That's gotta hurt Fred!)

While we are at it, John McCain has surged ahead in many New Hampshire polls to a close second or even into the lead against Mitt Romney. Many of the NH and Massachusetts papers have come out strongly against Romney and his terrible record in MA. NH independents who loved McCain 8 years ago are coming back to him now. Romney is in serious trouble if he loses both IA and NH. Michigan will become a must win situation and the latest polls there show Huckabee with a slight lead, thanks to some support from his social conservative base and some union support. Huckabee will be a more formidable candidate there with an IA win under his belt. I still maintain that a 3rd place finish in NH is a good finish for Huckabee, and it looks like with the rise of McCain and the fall of Giuliani, that is a strong possiblitly.

To Attack or Not To Attack?

You may have heard of the Negative Ad Incident, in which Huckabee prepared a negative ad on Mitt Romney, then decided at the last minute to withold the ad. At first, it really bothered me. It seemed like a cheap political stunt, however, it seems to have gone over well with Iowans who appreciated that Huckabee was willing to do the right thing, even if it cost him money. I felt much better about it after reading the following article and interview with Ed Rollins with the Washington Post. It seems that the natural political fighter in Rollins convinced Huckabee that it was time to swing back at Romney and Huckabee grudgingly made the ad. On Monday morning, Huckabee decided that he just couldn't release it with a clear conscience. However, there was already a news conference scheduled, which Huckabee went through with and explained the situation. He did show the ad to the reporters gathered, but did not release it for TV or web viewing. There are some copies out there on YouTube if you are really curious, but out of respect for the wishes of the campaign, I won't post it here.

A stumble? Perhaps, but I'd rather my candidate stumble doing the right thing than stumble doing the wrong thing...

Link to WaPo

Huck and Leno

Jay Leno returns tonight for the first time due to the writer's strike and guess who his guest is? Without writers, the format of the show will be quite different and perhaps Mike will get a chance to really shine in that kind of venue. Leno is the highest rated late night host (sorry, Dave) and Huckabee does really well in one-on-one interviews. This should get massive ratings and really help Mike get his message out across the nation. This was a HUGE coup for the campaign and should help him as we move on in the primary schedule.

Jay Leno come on at 11:35 pm EST.

Hunter for Huckabee???

I respect Duncan Hunter and his stand on the major issues of the day. He is a good man and a solid conservative, however his presidential bid has never really gotten off the ground. Had it, I could have easily supported him. He is polling in the 1-2% range right now, and although he is optimistic, he knows that he is probably not long for this campaign.

Congressman Hunter has had some good words to say about Governor Huckabee, though, leading to speculation that if he drops out after Iowa or New Hampshire, he will possibly endorse Huckabee. He doesn't bring too many supporters with him, but he is well respected in foreign policy circles and that cannot do anything but help Huckabee. I think that Hunter would make an excellent Secretary of Defense or Homeland Security in a Huckabee Administration...

I'm Back

2007-12-31T17:19:00.001-05:00

Been a few days since I last updated here, but Christmas, then a Washington, DC vacation intervened. I am home now and recovered from the trip and will post a Huckabee update later tonight. Much has happened since the holidays!

Why I Like Mike...

2007-12-22T14:18:00.000-05:00

Summed up simply in a quote by Huckabee on the stump in Iowa:

"They [the Republican establishment] don't mind having us vote for them. They don't mind having us empower them. They don't mind even coming and patting us on the head and telling us they'll think very seriously about taking to heart the issues we think important. But when they get elected, they forget who we are and they never push the issues we think are important. And they are scared to death that someone who isn't part of them might actually get elected and might actually go to Washington with a view saying 'I do know where I come from and I haven't forgotten where I've been and I go for all those people whose odds are stacked against them 20 to 1.'"

Read the rest of the article by Terry Eastland from the Weekly Standard here.

McCain Christmas Ad

2007-12-21T21:13:00.000-05:00

Although I am obviously a Huckabee supporter, I really liked this McCain Christmas ad. McCain has comported himself with dignity and with respect for his fellow competitors in this campaign so far and I think that says volumes for his character, even if I may not support him for president.

1000 Miles for Huckabee

2007-12-21T21:04:00.001-05:00

I am posting this on behalf of a Huckabee supporter that is a part of the Cary, NC Meetup group. His name is David Zannini and he has started 1000 Miles for Huckabee (http://www.1000milesforhuckabee.com).

David was first introduced to Governor Huckabee through a profile on him in a 2005 article of Runner's World and has been a supporter ever since.

He is a runner as well and is pledging to run 1000 miles in a Huckabee t-shirt before the general election. Please go and check out his site and help support David in his effort to spread the word about Huckabee! Thanks!

Huckabee vs. Romney on Judges

2007-12-21T13:21:00.001-05:00

Good article here from the Conservative Voice comparing Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee's record on nominating solid, conservative judges.

On Romney:

"Mitt Romney's record in Massachusetts on judicial nominations is abysmal. His conduct was either an abdication of duty or a complete disregard of the importance of a governor's role in that state's nominations process."

On Huckabee:

"By contrast, Governor Huckabee not only left the Arkansas judiciary better than he found it, but he also vigorously supported the President's Arkansas nominees to the federal bench. Excellent nominees, like Leon Holmes who Democrats obstructed for years. As soon as Holmes was confirmed, colleagues elected him Chief Judge."

Good article...the courts are the primary battlefields of the sanctity of life debate right now. This is the primary area of influence that a president has over these issues, along with a host of other constitutional issues. Chances are the next president will nominate at least one if not multiple Supreme Court justices whose influence will extend far beyond any presidential term. When you stack them up the Romney-labeled "liberal" Huckabee shines in this area whereas Romney has, as the article states, an "abysmal" record. More on Romney's record in this area can be found here.

News Roundup 12/20/07

2007-12-20T23:02:00.000-05:00

Seems like after several days of downers for us Huckabee supporters, there is a flood of good news and good press today. Here's a sampling of Huckabee in the news!

Pat Buchanan seems to think the the race is down to two competitors...Huckabee and Romney. He believes that winning Iowa will all but seal the deal for Huckabee, and that Rudy and Fred are essential done. Here's a bit from the article:

"So, two weeks out from Iowa, here are the odds.

Rudy and Thompson each 20-1. John McCain 6-1. He has to win New Hampshire, and even if he wins there, he would be an underdog. Grass-roots conservatives do not like him and would prefer Huckabee.

Mitt Romney 3-2. If he wins Iowa, he is almost unstoppable. If he loses Iowa, he has to come back and beat McCain in New Hampshire. Then it would a Mitt-Mike race through Feb. 5.

And Huckabee? He has to win Iowa. If he does, he will be the favorite in South Carolina and for the nomination, as well."

Michael Reagan, scion of the Great Communicator himself, is generally good for a nice word about Huckabee as well. Today is no different as he compliments the campaign on some smart strategies. He compliments the campaign for the brilliant Christmas ad that every pundit on TV has played a million times, giving Huckabee priceless advertising at no cost to him.

"In addition to seeing Mike Huckabee suddenly surge in the polls, the nation is also witnessing some of the smartest campaign strategies any candidate has displayed in a long time. The former Arkansas governor has shown he can play the game with the best of them, and better than most."

A slew of new polls look good for Huckabee, too.

National Polls

Rasmussen Daily Tracking: Huckabee 21%, McCain/Romney 15%, Giuliani 13% (ouch!)

Fox News National: Giuliani 20%, Huckabee 19%, McCain 19%, Romney 11%

NBC/WSJ National: Giuliani 20%, Romney 20%, Huckabee 17%, McCain 14%

Note: National polls really don't mean too much at this point, so don't get too excited either way. However, the most important thing to note is that Giuliani's fall and Huckabee's rise is not just limited to the early states. As many predicted, once the Republican electorate got serious about their nominee, Giuliani's support would evaporate.

Early State Polls

Strategic Vision Iowa: Huckabee 31%, Romney 25%, Thompson 16%

ABC/WaPo Iowa: Huckabee 35%, Romney 27% (Look at the internals on this one...Huckabee is pulling over 40% of women, 57% of evangelicals and 42% of conservatives)

CNN Iowa: Huckabee 33%, Romney 25%, Giuliani 11%

Survey USA/Live 5 News SC: Huckabee 28%, Romney 18%, McCain 16%, Thompson 15%
The SC poll also has Huckabee ahead as the best candidate on immigration...so much for your commercials and mailers, Mitt...

CBS News SC: Huckabee 28%, Romney 20%, Giuliani 12%, McCain 11%

CNN New Hampshire: Romney 34%, McCain 22%, Giuliani 16%, Huckabee 10%
You might say, "Why put this negative poll in the midst of the good ones?" Well, just watch McCain...other polls have him within a point or two of Romney. If Huckabee wins IA and McCain squeaks by Romney here, then Romney might just be through. Giuliani is dropping like a rock here and a strong third for Huckabee would be a good finish. Oh, and Romney's home conservative newspaper just endorsed McCain...whoops!

EPIC-MRA Michigan: Romney 21%, Huckabee 19%, Giuliani 12%, McCain 10%
Big news here is that Huckabee is now within the margin of error for the lead in Michigan and Giuliani has dropped a whopping 16 points since the last poll. Couple a MI win with an IA win for Huckabee and it will be very hard for Romney to recover to win SC. Remember, his dad was governor of Michigan in the 60s and ran for president himself until a foolish remark regarding Vietnam dashed his hopes. This is practically a second home state for Mitt...he's gotta win here.

Finally we end with California, which is a Super Tuesday state and one of the ones that Giuliani was banking on to help him recover from losing possibly every single January contest. He might want to look in his rearview mirror...methinks I see the Huckabus on the horizon...

The Field Poll California: Giuliani 25%, Huckabee 17%, Romney 15%, McCain 12%
Huckabee has gained 13 points in the last two months in California...and the state is not winner-take-all so even a strong second place would give Huckabee valuable delegates. But also, we Republicans tend to like to back the perceived frontrunner, so by the time Super Tuesday gets here, whoever can rack up the most wins just might jump ahead everywhere.

Huckabee the Fiscal Conservative

2007-12-19T18:30:00.000-05:00

In light of the recent attacks on Mike Huckabee's record in Arkansas, I am going to be using this space to more aggressively defend his record and distribute the truth behind the falsehoods out there.

This is an older article, but a good one nonetheless regarding Huckabee's fiscal conservatism, which has been attacked at various points in the last month. Enjoy!

Mike Huckabee is a Fiscal Conservative
by Dick Morris

Newsweek: Romney on Huckabee - The Facts

2007-12-19T17:27:00.000-05:00

Newsweek has an excellent article where they detail the facts behind Romney's latest attempt to smear Gov. Huckabee, this time on his crime record. It seems he not only misrepresents Huckabee's record, but the reactions of Massachusetts newspapers on his own record as well. This article is well worth your time. Please forward it along to anyone who might be buying into Romney's deceptions.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/80949

(Honestly, Mitt...if you really want to win the nomination, you are going to need to have the support of ALL Republicans...you are on the very cusp of losing any chance that I personally will support you if you are the nominee...)

Responding to Romney

2007-12-19T17:08:00.001-05:00

Man, it seems every time Mitt Romney opens his mouth I lose a little bit more respect for the man. Back in the spring, I really thought I'd be supporting him at this juncture, but the anger and the lies he has been spouting about Huckabee lately makes me glad I took my time deciding on a candidate.

I am also glad to see the Huckabee campaign coming out more aggressively to defend their record. Interesting that when Romney attacks, he calls names and puts inappropriate labels on Huckabee and when Huckabee responds, the bulk of the article consists of verifiable quotes and facts exposing the falseness of Romney's assertions.

Huckabee talks alot about "Vertical Politics", which is simply using the political process to move forward and upward, away from the petty "horizontal" focus on attacking and misrepresenting an opponent, toward looking ahead to how we can actually solve problems and give the next generation a better future. However, that doesn't mean you have to take dirty political attack lying down. The Official Blog has a great new post addressing some of Romney's misguided criticisms of Huckabee's assertion that the Bush Administration has some "arrogant" policies.

Here's the link...please share this with as many folks as you can!

New Polling Data

2007-12-19T11:46:00.001-05:00

The race continues to tighten in Iowa as people begin to settle into their candidates right before Christmas:

Rasmussen Iowa

Huckabee 28%
Romney 27%
McCain 14%
Giuliani/Thompson 8%

(It should be noted that Giuliani has pretty much pulled out of Iowa and McCain has recently decided to return and ramp up his campaign there. The question is, if McCain surges, where does his support come from?)

It seems that Romney's attacks have had some effect in Iowa, but with that campaign showing no signs of slowing down the Huckabee bashing, at what point do voters become disgusted with the negativity, especially here at Christmas? Will McCain take from Romney? What about Fred, who is launching a bus tour around the state?

Although it looks good for Huckabee in Iowa, there is still work to be done before he wins the caucus there.

Now, on to New Hampshire...

Rasmussen New Hampshire

Romney 31%
McCain 27%
Giuliani 13%
Huckabee 11%

Now, on the surface, things don't look good for Huckabee in the Granite State. But, this is a must-win state for Romney...if he loses IA and NH, he is essentially through. But look at who now sits in second place...McCain. He has surged in the state that was very friendly to him back in 2000. Some key newspaper endorsements have given him new life in NH. The thing is, though, this is really his only realistic shot to win a state in the primaries except for Arizona. So his role here is more of a spoiler to the Romney camp than serious contender for the nomination.

Best case scenario in NH for Huckabee: Coming off a win in Iowa, he surges a bit in NH to third place. Romney now looks shaky after a second in Iowa pushing a few more voters over to McCain. McCain wins a squeaker with Romney in second and Huckabee vaulting past Giuliani in third. No one really expects McCain to do well in SC, Huckabee is seen as a winner and as having a surprisingly strong showing in a very libertarian state, and Romney has now lost two primaries where he has dumped a tremendous amount of money.

Huckabee can go on to win SC and possibly MI. If he wins MI, then Romney is truly and thoroughly done. The momentum of being a winner can carry Huckabee into a win in FL where polls show him now overtaking Giuliani. So now, we enter Super Tuesday. It is basically Huck vs. Rudy. The down side is, Rudy has won nothing to this point. People will tend to at this point vote for the perceived winner. Rudy may take NY, NJ or other Northeastern states, but Huckabee sweeps the South and Midwest and either wins CA outright or has a strong enough showing there to take enough delegates that Rudy is pretty much done.

So, on the morning of February 6th, Mike Huckabee, for all intents and purposes, is the Republican nominee. Sound crazy? :)

Huckabee on Today Show 12/19/07

2007-12-19T11:44:00.000-05:00

Huckabee on Larry King Live 12/17/07

2007-12-18T11:10:00.000-05:00

Yet another great interview with Mike Huckabee with Chuck Norris thrown into the mix as well. Great responses to some of the ridiculous stuff the Romney attack machine has been throwing his way as well. This video is well worth your time to watch!

Great New Huckabee Christmas Ad

2007-12-17T15:30:00.000-05:00

This is playing in IA, NH and SC and I think it will play well to the folks who are tired of the constant stream of political commercials. Even Mike's critics think it is a brilliant ad!

Huckabee on Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer 12/16/07

2007-12-16T20:07:00.000-05:00

I admit, I have not spent much time in this space addressing and shooting down every ridiculous piece of dirt the "conservative" elite and certain Republican candidates has dredged up against Mike Huckabee. I believe that the candidate is doing a great job of taking care of these issues on his own and his website has a section devoted to presenting the truth behind the lies of his opponents.

However, with the hiring of the experienced Ed Rollins as his new National Campaign Chairman, I have noticed that Huckabee has been even more direct in addressing the criticisms of his tenure as governor of Arkansas within the media. What follows is a video of him on CNN's Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer. Ironically, CNN and MSNBC are being considerably fairer to the candidate than the so-called "conservative" Fox News and the talking heads out there in Talk Radio Land. Weird, huh?

Huckabee on Foreign Policy

2007-12-14T20:19:00.000-05:00

Here is a link to an article that will appear in the Jan/Feb 2008 issue of Foreign Affairs. Written by none other than Michael D. Huckabee himself.

Here is the summary as a teaser:

Summary: The Bush administration's arrogant bunker mentality has been counterproductive at home and abroad. American foreign policy needs to change its tone and attitude, open up, and reach out. In particular, it should focus on eliminating Islamist terrorists, stabilizing Iraq, containing Iran, and toughening its stance with Pakistan.

Huckabee on "Money and Politics"

2007-12-14T12:04:00.000-05:00

Here is a link to a text transcript of an interview with Mike Huckabee on Bloomberg's "Money and Politics" show. Very good answers and a look into Huckabee's fiscal conservatism as well.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/12/huckabee_on_money_politics.html

Here is a great answer to the question of what Huckabee would do if he inherited a recession as president. This gives great insight into his philosophy of governing:

"Well, I think every president has to be worried about the what-ifs. But I learned as a governor, you basically are hired to handle the what-ifs. That's the job. It's not the things you plan for; it's the things you don't plan for. That's when character and judgment come into play. It's not that hard a job just to take out the normal routine, cut the ribbons, make the speeches; you really get paid for handling the crises, the things that nobody saw coming. I did that as a governor for 10 and a half years. That's what a president has to do. And that's when you need someone with executive experience who knows that you don't have weeks to have committee meetings. You make a decision; you've got to pull the trigger on it and you've got to take action. And then you have to take responsibility for that action. That's why a president gets elected."

The Boom Continues to Spread...

2007-12-14T10:26:00.000-05:00

New polls out for two key states in the primaries...

First, one of the major states before Super Tuesday, Florida, has a new leader...would you like to hazard a guess as to who that might be???

Rasmussen is preparing to report that Mike Huckabee now leads in Florida with 27%!!! This is HUGE...if Huckabee wins Iowa, SC, and Florida before Super Tuesday, this thing could well be over with. Florida is supposed to be Giuliani's firewall before Feb. 5th. However, can he maintain any momentum whatsoever if he goes into that Tuesday with no primary wins?

Huckabee 27%
Romney 23%
Giuliani 19%

Second, IVR Polls has a new leader for Texas as well...

Huckabee 29%
Giuliani 16%
Thompson/Romney 14%

The Texas poll also mentions that it seems that moderates are moving from Giuliani to Huckabee, which accounts for his rise in the Texas poll. So, that kind of shoots holes in the whole "Huckabee can only get the support of the super conservatives" vote, doesn't it?

Piedmont NC Meetup

2007-12-13T18:21:00.000-05:00

Hello all, I really need any central NC blog readers to head over to http://mikehuckabee.meetup.com/182/ and join the Piedmont NC Mike Huckabee for President Meetup Group! I want to get this thing off the ground before Christmas and time is rapidly running out! We only have 5 members and I'd like to see at least 15 before we have a meeting. The site says we have a meeting scheduled for the17th, but unless I get a few more folks on board, I may need to move it back until the new year.

Help me spread the word and let's get the Piedmont organized for Mike Huckabee!

http://mikehuckabee.meetup.com/182/

~Justin

News Roundup

2007-12-13T15:37:00.001-05:00

(Feeling a bit under the weather the last day or so...)

Here is a quick roundup of what is happening with Mike Huckabee:

Rasmussen Daily Tracking Poll has Huckabee at 23% versus Giuliani's 19%. Giuliani had a big day several days ago that tomorrow will drop off this rolling poll, therefore we could see Huckabee's number jump up again. I'll keep my eye on it.

Most Iowa polls coming out in the last week or so have Huckabee with a lead of anywhere from 5 to 20 percentage points. This in spite of the constant attacks from Mitt Romney and the "conservative" talking heads. Romney is gambling that attacking Huckabee will bleed off enough voters in Iowa to give him a decent finish, but Iowans are famous for not responding kindly to negative ads.

Speaking of Romney, there is some word from the Huckabee campaign that Romney has a film crew in Hope, Arkansas right now. Could he be attempting to dig up some negative info on Huckabee? How would that play in the primaries? Would people really appreciate a fellow Republican going back to a rival's hometown and trying to pry negative stories out of folks? My guess is no...although, the prospect of doing this is downright Clintonian in stature...

It seems that Huckabee is rising in pretty much every poll that comes out of late...

ARG has him tied nationally with Giuliani at 21%

Quinnipiac has Huckabee as the only candidate to gain on Giuliani in the New Jersey primary (as state where Giuliani has been VERY popular). They have Huckabee up to third with 8% behind Giuliani and McCain. Giuliani, however has lost 10 percentage points overall there since the last poll, suggesting that his support may be soft.

Rasmussen has Huckabee (14%) moving up to a statistical tie for third with Giuliani (15%) in New Hampshire. Romney seems to have the Granite State locked up with 33%, but in this crazy political season, who knows? A strong second place showing (high teens) would be a victory for Huckabee. A win in New Hampshire for Huckabee would probably put Romney on the ropes or even out for good. Commentators have stated that the sudden lead Obama has taken there over Clinton could bode well for Huckabee. The thought is that independents and moderates would be drawn to the newly competitive Democratic race, thereby making the Republican race much more conservative. We shall see...

Matt Drudge has made news for himself in recent days for stating that supposedly the DNC is laying off Huckabee in the primaries, calling him an "easy kill" with a "glass jaw" in November. Turns out, the DNC has claimed to have said no such thing. There is even some speculation that the Romney campaign might be behind this. I'm sorry, but the DNC is smart enough to know that if they really think this, that their best course of action is to keep their big mouths shut until after we nominate the guy!

It seems that James Pinkerton over at Newsday would disagree with the assertion that Huckabee is an "easy kill." Just read this article to see why...

More to come later as I address the recent attacks on Huckabee and how we can combat them!

~Justin

Campaign Update

2007-12-11T19:24:00.001-05:00

Here is a video update from Chris Saltsman, national campaign manager for Mike Huckabee.

Be sure to stop by the official site, make a donation or sign up to volunteer!

Poll Roundup 12/11/07

2007-12-11T13:27:00.000-05:00

The polls are coming out fast and furious and most show Huckabee on the rise or even leading in new places.

Rasmussen Daily Tracking Poll (National)

Huckabee 22%
Giuliani 21%
Romney 14%

Rasmussen Iowa

Huckabee 39%
Romney 23%
All others in single digits

Strategic Vision Georgia

Huckabee 23% (up from 5% in October)
Thompson 20%
Giuliani 17%
McCain 11%
Romney 10%

NYTimes/CBS News National (Read down to the bottom for numbers)

Giuliani 22%
Huckabee 21%
Romney 16%

A word about the NYT/CBS poll...it shows that this race is still very volatile and many Republicans have not made up their minds completely yet. It also seems to indicate that Republicans are tired of their candidates beating up on each other. This could bode well for Huckabee even with the attacks on him, if he can stay above the fray and keep answering the critics with reason and grace.

Mitt Romney Endorses Huckabee???

2007-12-11T13:23:00.000-05:00

You read that right...apparently in 2005, Mitt Romney told reporters that he thought that Mike Huckabee would make a "fine president." Wonder if we can get him to confirm that statement now?

December 10th article in the Fort Smith, Arkansas Times-Record

You know, Romney could just make that official and simplify the primary process quite a bit!

Gilchrist Endorses Huckabee

2007-12-11T13:18:00.000-05:00

Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minutemen, has endorsed Mike Huckabee for president. The Minutemen is a grassroots organization committed to curbing illegal immigration.

This certainly takes the wind out of the argument that Huckabee is unacceptable to the hardliners on the immigration issue, doesn't it? :)

More details to come at the Official Blog.

Excellent New Huckabee Ads

2007-12-09T22:21:00.000-05:00

From the Official Blog...one is a general vision-based ad highlighting accomplishments in Arkansas, the other is directly about immigration and securing borders. Both (especially the first) are great!

Huckabass

2007-12-09T22:04:00.000-05:00

Here is a brief, incomplete and admittedly crappy video of Huckabee jamming with some high school students in Greenville, SC on Saturday. Enjoy!

Mike and Me

2007-12-09T21:41:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I got up at the crack of dawn and headed down to Greenville, SC for an opportunity to see Mike Huckabee in person at a meet and greet. Short version of the story is that it was worth every single minute of driving to see him in person.

People, this guy is the real deal. I don't have a tremendous amount of experience being around people in politics, but I have met a couple of congressmen, a senator and heard Dubya speak on the campaign trail in 2000 in a pretty big venue. The biggest impression I came away with yesterday of Mike Huckabee is that this guy is grounded. He knows what he believes, he knows where he stands on the issues and he has a foundation of belief that guides him. There was no Karl Rove or James Carville whispering in his ear what the focus groups want to hear (at least, as far as I know). Huckabee's position as an outsider and an unexpected candidate gives him the freedom to be himself.

The stump speech itself was excellent...the same things we have been hearing Huckabee talk about his entire campaign. His values, his modest upbringing, the things he got done in Arkansas and how a focus on Vertical Politics can change the horizontal, confrontational mindset that rules politics today. Honestly, if I had to list everything he said in detail, I couldn't do it. But what I walked away from with yesterday was a sense of optimism for the future. This is a guy who has a vision and has the ability to work with people to get it done. I left the venue ready to do whatever I can to get this man elected president of the United States. I guess the worst thing about it is after meeting him, I don't think I could get as jazzed about someone else if Huckabee doesn't win the nomination...but I feel pretty confident that as long as enough people see the Mike Huckabee I saw yesterday, he will win.

I wonder...was this what it was like to encounter Ronald Reagan in 1980? :)

Huckabee Meet and Greet!

2007-12-07T23:57:00.000-05:00

I am off to Greenville, SC tomorrow morning to the Huckabee Meet and Greet at the old McAlister Square Mall (I think it is some extension of USC now). Hopefully I'll get to get some good pictures and shake the hand of the next president of the United States!

Meanwhile, check out the Huckabee Roundup over at the official blog.

New Newsweek Poll

2007-12-07T17:38:00.000-05:00

According the latest Newsweek poll, Mike Huckabee has rocketed to a huge lead in the Iowa caucuses.

Likely Republican Caucus Voters (12/5-12/6)

Huckabee: 39%
Romney: 17%
Thompson: 10%

Let's face it, for all intents and purposes, this race is pretty much becoming a Huckabee vs. Giuliani matchup. Romney has the personal money to stay in it for a while, but if this trend continues, his campaign is over.

Gas for the Bus!

2007-12-06T23:30:00.001-05:00

Click here to keep gas in the Huckabus!

Mobilize for Mike Day Update!

2007-12-06T22:59:00.000-05:00

The goal of Mobilize for Mike Day was to send out 100,000 emails from the official site in one day.

As of 11:00 pm EST, we have sent out 102,881 emails! Huzzah! And there are still three hours to go in the day on the West Coast! Folks, the Huckaboom is reverberating across the nation!

Attacks on Huckabee

2007-12-06T22:50:00.001-05:00

In the last day or so, a flurry of attacks have been unleashed on Mike Huckabee as a result of his meteoric rise in the polls. Unfortunately, even the so-called "conservative media" seems to want to get in on the act and distort Huckabee's record in Arkansas. This is to be expected when you are becoming the frontrunner, but I wanted to guide anyone who sees this blog to Huckabee's responses to his critics.

Huckabee Truth Squad

Critics may say, "But that is from the official site! Of COURSE they are going to be on Huckabee's side!" My opinion is that any candidate should have the opportunity to correct misconceptions about his or her own record, and if you do not trust that candidate enough to believe them, then it is time to look for someone else for whom to vote.

I for one think that Mike Huckabee's record of integrity and honesty in his entire political career speaks for itself. Read his responses and decide for yourself!

Piedmont NC Meetup!

2007-12-06T22:43:00.000-05:00

The Piedmont NC Mike Huckabee for President 2008 Meetup Group is up and running! Please join if you live anywhere in central NC and help us get organized for Mike Huckabee. I am located in Asheboro and our meetings will probably take place there for now, so if you live in Randolph, Guilford, Montgomery, Davidson or Chatham counties please help us help Mike Huckabee.

Direct any questions about the group to me, Justin Tarlton, the assistant organizer of the group.

Special thanks to Jane Hall, the organizer of the Mooresville, NC group for helping me get this started and for being the official organizer (and for footing the cost through January!)

~Justin

Too Much News...

2007-12-06T13:02:00.000-05:00

So very much good news and good polls to cover today...

First, Huckabee maintains his lead over Giuliani in the Rasmussen Daily Tracking Poll 21%-18%. It seems that Huck is gaining about a point or two every day. If he keeps on this trajectory, he could have a substantial national lead going into Iowa.

Second, Huckabee has roared into 1st place in South Carolina! This is a must win for the campaign. Couple this with a win in Iowa and a strong second (or even a first) in New Hampshire, and the Huckaboom may well become unstoppable!

Third, it seems that in multiple polls, from multiple pollsters, Huckabee is gaining ground all across the country. He really only has paid staff working in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina at the moment, but in pretty much every single poll he has gained ground in the last month.

There is a clear path now for Huckabee to the nomination. With strong showings and wins early in January, the organization and money will fall into place. There are thousands of grassroots supporters out there just waiting to be mobilized. This is no fluke...this movement is for real!

Linked

2007-12-06T13:01:00.001-05:00

NC 4 Huckabee is now linked from the Official Mike Huckabee blog! Hooray! :)

On a lighter note...

2007-12-05T22:27:00.001-05:00

Am I the only one that grins when I see the word "Huckaboom" incorporated into news stories?

:)

Windshields 4 Huckabee!

2007-12-05T21:17:00.000-05:00

Neat idea from the folks at http://windshields4huckabee.blogspot.com to get the word out simply and easily.

Just buy a car windshield marker and decorate your car with:

Faith. Family. Freedom.
www.MikeHuckabee.com
President 2008

Official Windshields 4 Huckabee Day is Saturday, December 15th. Be sure to get the word out to everybody to show your support then!

Huckabee the Frontrunner!

2007-12-05T12:18:00.000-05:00

According to today's Rasmussen Daily Presidential Tracking Poll, Mike Huckabee has overtaken the lead nationally from Rudy Giuliani! This is the first time that Giuliani has lost the lead EVER! Continue the surge! Tomorrow is Mobilize for Mike Day, during which the goal is to reach 100,000 people through the power of the internet. To your right are links to Huckabee sites on YouTube, Facebook, MySpace and Flickr. If you have accounts there, invite all of your friends to check out Huckabee. If not, email a link to the official site (and of course this blog) to the folks in the address book. Let's keep moving forward!

National (12/5/07)

Huckabee: 20%
Giuliani: 17%
McCain: 13%
Romney: 13%
Thompson: 10%

Mobilize for Mike Day

2007-12-05T12:14:00.000-05:00

(from the Official Blog)

When: Thursday December 6

Goal: Contact 100,000 Voters

How: Use the internet to outreach to our friends, family members and co-workers.

Why: Educate voters about Mike, counter misinformation being circulated by rival campaigns and build Mike's base of support nationally.

When voters meet Mike Huckabee they like him. When they learn more about Mike Huckabee they want to support him for President.

This Thursday our mission is to contact 100,000 voters in 24 hours. While other campaigns spend hundreds of thousands of dollars micro-targeting voters with canned messages, this Thursday we'll focus on what has worked for us: friends telling friends about Mike Huckabee.

More details to follow...

Cary NC Meetup Group

2007-12-04T23:48:00.000-05:00

I just got home a little while ago from the Huckabee Meetup.com group in Cary. It was a great kickoff meeting and a great chance to meet some other Huckabee supporters. I was also impressed with the diverseness of the group that was there. People say that Huckabee is only bringing the so-called "social/religious right" conservatives. There were a number of us (I do put myself in that group) there, but there were fiscal cons and other more moderate folks in attendance as well. I think that speaks to the strength of Huckabee as a candidate. He is one that can bring together the GOP coalition under one banner and can unite us to win in November. Very encouraging...

I would highly recommend that if you live in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill metro area, please get in touch with the folks over at the Cary Meetup. There is another meeting scheduled for Tuesday, December 18th to organize the efforts to assist the SC primary in January. You don't want to miss that if at all possible!

I am also working on a Piedmont NC Meetup group that will encompass my hometown of Asheboro, Greensboro, High Point and all the surrounding areas. Keep your eyes here for more info about that in the next 48 hours!

~Justin

Huckabee on Nightline 12/3/07

2007-12-04T11:52:00.001-05:00

Great interview with Mike Huckabee on ABC's Nightline from last night. I only got to see the last 3 or 4 minutes but it is a great tool to share with folks who might be on the line regarding Huckabee. Copy and paste the link and send it out to everyone you know!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjxWZT53gQ8

(Sorry, embedding problems again...click there to watch and share it)

Big News from Rasmussen!

2007-12-04T11:48:00.001-05:00

Hello all! Huge news from the Rasmussen Daily Presidential Tracking Poll:

National:

Giuliani: 18%
Huckabee: 18%
McCain: 14%
Thompson: 13%
Romney: 12%

This is the first time Huckabee has shared the lead nationally! Folks, it is only Tuesday...will Huckabee take sole possession of first place by the end of the week??? Time will tell...and in the meantime, share this poll with everyone you know. The Huckaboom continues!

Huckaboom!

2007-12-03T17:36:00.000-05:00

That is the highly original headline on Drudge Report today. Why the questionable attempt at humor? Just take a look at this:

Rasmussen Report Daily Presidential Tracking Poll (12/3/07)

National:

Giuliani: 20%
Huckabee: 17%

Head to Head Matchup:

Hillary: 46%
Huckabee: 45%

Obama: 45%
Huckabee: 41%

In both head to head cases, Huckabee has gained points on his likely competitor (2 points on Clinton and 5 points on Obama). So, now Huckabee leads in Iowa, is in second in New Hampshire and is surging all across the board, even against the Democrats. Romney has fallen to 11% nationally.

So who's electable now??? :)

Update: USA Today has Huckabee at 16% versus Giuliani's 25%. The story also notes that no candidate has yet has as great an upward surge as Huckabee has this month. Just wait until next month!

Is Huck Qualified?

2007-12-02T18:02:00.000-05:00

The question came up to Mike Huckabee on This Week regarding his qualifications to be president based on some comments by Mitt Romney earlier in the week. Here is his response:

"I know what hungry families look like. I could put a name and a face on them. I know what elderly struggling with how to pay for their medication look like, because I've been in their homes. I've sat with the families when they had to decide whether to take the life support off their 17-year-old in a motorcycle accident. I think that's pretty good preparation to lead a country, where people ought to come first before the paperwork."

I know that empathy is something that many conservatives look at as a sign of weakness, but a president's decisions are not just limited to papers and bills and sound bites. His decisions have an impact on the lives of regular folks. Mike Huckabee is a person who understands that and that is one of the many reasons I support him for president.

Huck on This Week

2007-12-02T17:39:00.000-05:00

Folks, this is why I support Mike Huckabee for president! Watch this interview. It is well worth your time. More on this later...

I Heart Huckabee?

2007-12-01T13:16:00.001-05:00

Clever video made by a supporter...enjoy!

(Via the Official Blog)

12/1/07 Rasmussen Poll

2007-12-01T12:34:00.000-05:00

Some good news from the current Rasmussen polls:

Iowa:

Huckabee: 28%
Romney: 25%

New Hampshire:

Romney: 34%
Giuliani/McCain: 15%
Huckabee: 14%

National:

Giuliani: 24%
Huckabee: 15%
Thompson: 14%
McCain: 13%
Romney: 10%

So, Huckabee extends his lead in Iowa, currently has his best showing so far in New Hampshire, and is essentially tied for second nationwide...It seems that in most polls, Huckabee is gaining some points from almost all of the frontrunners. If he can win Iowa convincingly, come in a strong second in New Hampshire and win at least South Carolina, this whole thing might just boil down to a Rudy vs. Huck race. And, quite frankly, I like my chances in that situation. This surge just goes to show that conservatives are looking for someone to vote for and not to have to wait until November just to vote against Hillary.

Just ask John Kerry what it is like when your supporters aren't so much for you as they are against your opponent...

~Justin

We Did It!

2007-12-01T08:11:00.000-05:00

Around midnight CST, the Huckabee campaign reached its November goal and then some.

The final tally according to the official site was: $2,076,467.73

Great job in November! Still have a long way to go, though. If you haven't contributed yet, December is a great time to do so. You can do it here right now!

~Justin

The Immigration Controversy

2007-11-30T22:23:00.001-05:00

In my earlier post today, I mentioned the controversies swirling around Gov. Huckabee as he moves forward in the primaries. Probably the biggest one that has come out is his stand on illegal immigration. This issue has become one of the major focuses of the Republican primary, ever since President Bush's earlier failed proposal.

Here is the problem in a nutshell: when he was in Arkansas, Mike Huckabee allowed the children of illegal immigrants to access a state scholarship program in much the same way that regular residents of the state could. Now, on the surface, that sounds unfair, but let's take a second and think about it. The scholarship in question was a merit based scholarship. The applicant had to meet certain academic requirements. In other words, they had to earn it. Second, the applicant had to apply for US citizenship in order to be considered for the award. So, logically, wouldn't it be better to have an intelligent, well-educated US citizen come out of this process rather than an undocumented illegal?

I understand and believe the opinion that an illegal is just that...illegal. But should we really be punishing the children for the crimes of the parents? If you think so, that is fine, but do not slam Mike Huckabee for trying to govern sensibly in a difficult situation.

Overall, the governor is pro-enforcement, pro-border security, and anti-amnesty. Isn't that what we all are looking for anyway? So where is the problem???

~Justin

Check out the following Huckabee/Immigration Resources

Charlie Rose Show Interview on Immigration

Main campaign website answers to immigration issue

Getting Closer...

2007-11-30T22:09:00.001-05:00

Less than 2 hours to go Eastern time and the fundraising goal is within reach! About $89,000 left! I have contributed...have you? :)

Contribute to Mike Huckabee here!

Update 1:
11:00 pm EST and we have broken the $2,000,000 mark! Only $62,000 to go!

Update 2:
11:30 pm EST...total $2,023,562!

Update 3:
12:00 am EST...total $20,036,493! It is now December here on the East Coast, but there is still plenty of time for the Midwest and West to chip in! Only $31,500 to go! I am off to bed but I feel pretty confident we will meet our goal before very much longer. Way to go!

Criticizing Mike

2007-11-30T15:36:00.001-05:00

I have been an avid follower of political news and blogs on the internet since the Clinton scandal days of the late 90's. I understand that the internet is a great way to regular folks like myself to discuss ideas and opinions with people that I would never have the opportunity to encounter otherwise. As it is though, the internet can become something of an "echo chamber", where truth and logic fall prey to ideology and personal preference.

Reading my regular conservative/Republican sites in the last several weeks of this Huckabee surge, I have to admit that I am getting a little disgusted with some of my fellow conservatives. Before Mike was really on the radar, the bulk of the discussion online seemed to be taken with many people's dislike of Rudy Giuliani and a search for a more conservative alternative to his campaign. There was a small but vocal minority of folks who righteously declared that if Rudy were the nominee, then they would stay home! Although I have never been a Rudy supporter in any way, I certainly would vote for him over Hillary or Obama.

But the saddest thing I have noticed of late is that same self-defeating attitude toward Mike Huckabee. Many folks calling him "Bubba Jr." or an "economic liberal" based on some tough decisions he had to make as governor of Arkansas. Some conservatives are declaring that they will stay home if Huck is the nominee or that his nomination will be the death of the Republican party! How ridiculous is this?

Huckabee's rapid surge to the forefront has certainly hurt the feelings of many hard core supporters of other candidates. I imagine I would feel the same way if someone else surged past the candidate I believed in too. However, this kind of attack should be reserved for our true opponents next November. Yes, we need to vet our candidates and make the best decision we can at this time. But let's leave the name calling and hyperbole out for now. The 2008 election is just too important.

I have no intention of slamming Rudy or Mitt or Fred or anyone else on this blog. I believe that Mike Huckabee is the best candidate we have and I am going to spend my time talking about him, not running down everyone else. Plenty of other places on the net for that...

~Justin

(For the best response to criticisms of Mike Huckabee's record, check out the Truth Squad articles on the official website.)

Who won the debate last night?

2007-11-29T14:06:00.000-05:00

Great video from a supporter of Huckabee...

Watch it on the Official Blog...(sorry, I can't get the video to embed properly here. I'll try it again later.)

~Justin

Huck on TV 11/29-30

2007-11-29T11:23:00.000-05:00

From the Official Blog:

Thursday, November 29, 2007
(All times are approximate)

4:15 p.m. ET – Guest on CNN’s Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer

5:00 p.m. ET – Guest on MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews

10:00 p.m. ET – Guest on Fox News Channel’s On the Record with Greta Van Susteren

Friday, November 30, 2007

7:00 a.m. ET – Guest on Fox News Channel’s Fox and Friends. (Note the Governor will appear sometime during the program which runs from 7:00 – 9:00 a.m. ET)

(I am going to try to watch what I can of these, but I have to work this evening.)

More Debate Stuff

2007-11-29T10:10:00.000-05:00

It seems that CNN might have allowed just a touch of bias into the debate proceedings last evening...what? CNN shilling for the Clintons??? Why, I would never have imagined! :)

And it also seems that many of the other debate questioners were confirmed supporters of Edwards or Obama as well. See here for more details. I have no problem with my candidate facing tough questions from people, even from folks on the other side. But let's have some transparency from CNN on the matter. Does anyone really think that very many of the folks from the Democratic YouTube debate still have Bush/Cheney '04 stickers on their vehicles?

The general consensus as the morning dawns is still that Huckabee won the debate. My favorite response was this one:

Debate Reactions

2007-11-29T00:57:00.000-05:00

As I said earlier, many folks on the web think that Huckabee walked away from the debate as the winner, even those who do not personally support his campaign.

Huckabee's official blog has a good rundown of some of those reactions here.

Also, the Southern Political Report did a survey of Florida and Iowa undecided voters who agreed to watch the debate and got the following results:

Florida:

Huckabee: 44%
Giulani: 18%
Romney: 13%
McCain: 10%
Thompson: 5%
Paul: 4%
Hunter: 1%
Tancredo: 1%
Rest: undecided

Iowa:

Huckabee: 32%
Romney: 16%
Giuliani: 12%
McCain: 10%
Thompson: 7%
Paul: 6%
Tancredo: 2%
Hunter: 0%
Rest: undecided

Let's see how this translates into polling over the next week or so...it will be great to see a big Huckabee boost from this debate!

~Justin

YouTube Debate Review

2007-11-29T00:44:00.001-05:00

Well, I just finished watching the Republican debate tonight and I have a few thoughts.

Format:
The whole user-submitted questions notion is interesting, but it resulted in some unusual questions, particularly the one to Giuliani regarding his support of the Red Sox in the World Series. Was that really necessary? Were there no other more important issues to cover? I know that people want to see the "human" side of candidates, but this was a Leno or Letterman question, not a debate question.

Performances:
The inital feeling in the blogosphere and through some of the news outlets is that Huckabee is the winner tonight. Granted, I am biased, but I would agree with that. He gave some great answers defending his immigration stance and on his beliefs about the Bible and the death penalty. Much of the evening's focus was on Giuliani and Romney, especially since they each went for the jugular on the first question. Romney seemed flustered at times and was off his game quite a bit. Giuliani did well, but his positions are the problem, not his performance.

Overall, Huckabee was able to stay above the fray, address criticisms of his positions and past decisions and connect with the audience very well. I think he will see a boost in both attention and fundraising with this debate in conjunction with his recent rise in the polls. Hopefully, this is yet another step in Huck's ascendance from obscurity to potential front-runner!

~Justin

Huck on the issues

2007-11-28T22:22:00.000-05:00

As I get this blog up and running, I am going to try to direct readers to the best places to learn about Governor Huckabee and where he stands on the important issues of the campaign.

Check out this section on his main website for a good rundown of his positions. Each section also has videos as well that summarize his main ideas. Great place to get acquainted with the next president of the United States! :)

~Justin

CNN/YouTube Debate

2007-11-28T22:14:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, I missed the debate live, but I am going to go watch the tape right now. I'll comment on it a little later. For now, check out the live blogging on Huckabee's Official Blog! Or you can read the debate transcript yourself here on CNN.com!

~Justin

Here's the second part of that debate transcript as well. Enjoy!

Welcome to NC for Huckabee!

2007-11-28T19:00:00.000-05:00

Hello fellow North Carolinians and anyone else who happens upon this blog!

The purpose of NC for Huckabee is to keep folks in the Old North State updated on the campaign of Gov. Mike Huckabee for president. For more information about the governor, check out the following websites:

www.mikehuckabee.com (Campaign Site)
www.teamhuckabee.com (Join the team, get Huckabee resources and contribute to the campaign)
Mike Huckabee in the Carolinas (Meetup site for folks in NC and SC)

Please feel free to make comments to the posts, but I am moderating comments to keep out the trolls and such. Hope you enjoy the site and be sure to vote Huckabee!

~Justin