Huckabee's Campaign Coping With Momentum

Republican Hopeful Trying To Capitalize On Rise In Polls, But With Relatively Little Cash

(AP)  The tiny campaign of former Gov. Mike Huckabee is growing so swiftly, some have scrambled to buy winter coats so they can volunteer for him in Iowa.

"Our campaign is not about high-paid consultants," Huckabee said Thursday in an interview with The Associated Press. "It's about ordinary people who've come from as far away as Oregon and Florida to get to Iowa, many of whom are coming up there from Southern states where they're having to buy a coat so they can survive going door-to-door, answering phones, getting out material and signing up people for the caucuses."

Huckabee has climbed to second place in Iowa polls despite having millions fewer dollars than his rivals. The former Arkansas governor is doing so well, his aides wonder if his campaign can keep up with the momentum.

"I think the organization has to catch up to the candidate and the candidate's message," said Eric Woolson, Huckabee's Iowa state director.

Huckabee, speaking with reporters in Washington, said: "Is momentum enough? No, but if momentum turns into the ground game, the money and everything else, then yes, it is."

"We tend to forget that at this stage of the game in 1979, Ronald Reagan was flat broke and was in fourth place," Huckabee said, recalling a recent encounter with campaign strategist Ed Rollins, who worked for Reagan.

"He said, 'We were so broke, we were sleeping three to a room in New Hampshire and eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,"' Huckabee said.

Reagan had angered the GOP establishment by challenging President Ford four years earlier, and he wasn't expected to win, Huckabee said.

"Now he's the icon, and everybody wraps themselves up in Ronald Reagan, and he's the standard bearer, you know, he's the gold standard of the Republican Party," Huckabee said. "He was anything but that, prior to his election and his term."

Huckabee's fundraising is eclipsed by that of Mitt Romney; the former Massachusetts governor has raised more than $62 million, while Huckabee has raised about $5 million.

So while voters are seeing Huckabee's first television commercials this week, they aren't seeing other typical signs of activity.

"I don't know that there will be any direct mail in the next 38 days" from the Huckabee campaign, Woolson said.

For now, the focus is on personal contact with voters and building support one precinct at a time. Huckabee pointed to a Washington Post-ABC News poll indicating that his supporters are more enthusiastic about their candidate. Nearly half of his supporters said they definitely would vote for him, while 29 percent of Romney's supporters said they would definitely vote for Romney.

"We've got to have people who, no matter how much snow is on the ground, no matter how good the Orange Bowl is, they're going to still come out and be there with us on caucus night," Huckabee said.

[tessies101]

Too bad he doesn''t have the backing like Ron Paul.

[realpatriot1]

One can never tell, but I don''t think Huckabee would be at all like Bush. For starters, Huckabee is self-depreciating and more well adjusted and grounded than the drunk-in-chief. He''s rational and reasonable and listens to people.

He has some views that I strogly disagree with but he would be a worthy adversary and would elevate the campaign from the gutter which the Gulianis, Romneys, Bushes, Roves, Cheneys, Delays, and Gingriches have been residing in.

Regardless of the outcome of the election, that would be good for America.

[hwy71so]

Guiliani and Clinton could be running mates their ideology is so akin.

Huckabee, next to Hunter, is our best bet for the oval office. Hunter''s not gaining momentum. If Huckabee does take the nom, I hope he chooses Hunter as a vice and vice versa. Other than them, I just don''t have the trust in any to punch my ballot for...

[mudrose-2009]

I think Huckabee and Bush think very much alike (backwards). Putting Huckabee in office would be like 4 more years of George Bush. Lord help us...

Posted by tmn123 at 12:09 AM : Nov 30, 2007

I think this is really funny. Now if Billary the Clintoid gets into the WH, that isn''t going down memory lane? Hahahaha!

[prinzowhales]

While CBSNBCABCCNNFOX is puffing Huckabee as the latest distraction from the real Republican contest of Dr. Paul vs. Giulliani, McCain et al....I hope people will start to consider canceling cable and satellite services and dispensing with the mainstream media once and for all. Its good for you, the kids and the country if you stop having your opinions and tastes shaped by product pimps in New York and Washington...

[tbweb]

I think Huckabee and Bush think very much alike (backwards). Putting Huckabee in office would be like 4 more years of George Bush. Lord help us...

Posted by tmn123 at 12:09 AM : Nov 30, 2007,,,

The only person who thinks exactly like Bush and is not shy about admitting it is Rudy Giuliani! Mike Huckabee thinks Americans should have a right to bear arms against an out of control government, and so did our founding fathers, Giuliani doesn''t think that, Giuliani believes in a Police State and as a former Prosecutor Giuliani has a Police State mentality!

[tmn]

I think Huckabee and Bush think very much alike (backwards). Putting Huckabee in office would be like 4 more years of George Bush. Lord help us...

[tbweb]

Gov. Mike Huckabee''s real power is that he looks and sounds like a safe harbor from all the madness, he looks like sanity restored, that''s very appealing when you look back over the past 7 years. Of course he has some skeleton bones in his closet, who doesn''t, and in fact some not only have full skeletons in their closets but full bodies too!

[eruncu]

Anybody really wanna'' know why Huck is rising so fast--on a peanut butter-and-jelly budget? I think he''s getting a puff from somewhere a lot farther up than Mars.

[starleo146]

cAN YOU TELL ME WHY NOT ONE QUESTION ON HEALTHCARE, EDUCATION who picks these you tube questions seems that Bible question and that gun question was not a pressing issue here and now. UNBELIEVABLE. I will say please no more planned debates. FORGET ABOUT IT MAYBE AL GORE WILL COME IN AS AN INDEPENDENT AND RUN. PULL A JOE LIEBERMAN AL PLEASE RESCUE US FROM THIS MESS.

[denn034]

Change coping to enjoying, CBS.