Dec. 12, 2007
Suddenly A Contender, Huckabee Scrambles
Despite Shooting To The Top Of The Polls, GOP Hopeful Is Still Running Like A Long Shot
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Play CBS Video Video Poll: Huckabee, Giuliani Tied Republican presidential contender Mike Huckabee may become the candidate to beat if he can afford to stay in the race. Bob Schieffer discusses a new CBS News/New York Times Poll with Harry Smith.
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Video Climate Change: Huckabee In a CBS Evening News special series, "Primary Questions," Katie Couric asked Mike Huckabee whether he is concerned about global climate change.
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Video Rudy Downplays Huckabee Surge "CBS News RAW": At Mel's Diner in San Francisco, Rudy Giuliani comments on Mike Huckabee's recent gain in the polls. Giuliani: "I don't see any of the other candidates as a threat to my campaign."
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Republican Presidential hopeful former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee makes comments during a press conference in Dallas, Monday, Dec. 10, 2007. (AP)
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Photo Essay Mike Huckabee A look at the life and times of Mike Huckabee.
It was a Tuesday evening in Des Moines in early December, and Mike Huckabee was tired.
The former Arkansas governor, who had been considered a long-shot for most of his GOP presidential bid, suddenly found himself leading in the polls in Iowa, home of the crucial Jan. 3 caucuses. Media outlets were taking a closer look at the candidate, asking tough questions about his role in the parole of a convicted rapist; special interest-groups like the anti-tax Club For Growth were stepping up their attacks; and his GOP rivals, after ignoring Huckabee for most of the campaign, were plotting how to take him down.
Now a reporter was asking Huckabee about the National Intelligence Estimate report, which had found that Iran had halted its nuclear weapons program four years ago. The report had been front-page news, and it seemed likely to transform the rhetoric about Iran coming from the presidential candidates.
Huckabee, to the surprise of the reporters gathered around him, was unfamiliar with the report. It was an embarrassing gaffe for a candidate desperate to convince skeptics about his foreign policy bona fides.
The next day, he would explain his lack of awareness to CNN's Wolf Blitzer.
"I had been up about 20 hours at that time, and had not even so much as had the opportunity to look at a newspaper," he said. "We were literally going from early in the morning to late that night, and talking to guys like you."
Huckabee has good reason to spend his time talking to journalists: Lacking the campaign funds of rivals like Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, he relies on free airtime, not advertising, to get his face in front of the public. It has worked: Huckabee now sits atop polls in Iowa and South Carolina, and a new CBS News poll finds him virtually tied with Giuliani for first-place nationally.
Despite the success, however, Huckabee is still running something of a long-shot's campaign. He lacks the on-the-ground organization of Romney in Iowa, for example. Instead, the Baptist minister is tapping into existing networks of religious conservatives, tax reform advocates, and even home-schoolers.
"It's going to be an interesting case study in Iowa caucus history," Bob Vander Plaats, Huckabee's Iowa chairman, told CBSNews.com. "You're going to have an unpaid, volunteer, true believer network for Gov. Huckabee for the January 3rd caucus night versus a well-staffed, well-organized machine for Mitt Romney."
That may be something of an exaggeration: The Huckabee campaign estimates its paid staff in Iowa in at between 14 and 18 people, while the Romney campaign says it has 17 paid staffers in the state. But many of the Huckabee staffers are recent hires, and his campaign lacks the traditional political machinery that Romney long-ago established.
"There are tactical advantage of getting into Iowa early," according to Steve McMahon, media advisor for Howard Dean in 2004. "When you're well known and well regarded and thought to have a really good chance, it enables you to recruit people who will give you a really big advantage later."
McMahon said that Huckabee may be better positioned than Dean, since much of his network is made up of conservative Christians, a relatively politically savvy group. But he says early organization can make a huge difference in Iowa, where the caucus format adds a social aspect to the voting process.
"I still believe that John Kerry went a long way towards winning Iowa a year or two before we even got there," he said.
Huckabee also lacks the type of inner circle that some of his rivals, particularly Giuliani, have relied on to helped craft their public positions. Huckabee's approach to policy has been far more informal. His recently-unveiled immigration plan, for example, wasn't worked out with advisers; Huckabee campaign manager Chip Saltsman told CBSNews.com that it is simply a restatement of "what he's been saying on the campaign trail all along." According to Vander Plaats, Huckabee threw his support behind the FairTax proposal, which would replace federal income and payroll taxes with a consumption tax, after he was asked about it, and given a book on the topic, while on the campaign trail.
That isn't to say that Huckabee doesn't have advisers, among them businessman French Hill, Charmaine Yoest of the Family Research Council, and Janice Cherry, his policy director. But now that he is a legitimate contender, Huckabee is facing more scrutiny of his public-policy positions, particularly when it comes to foreign affairs. And as the National Intelligence Estimate report incident illustrated, he has at times struggled to keep up.
"The whole thing has taken off faster than he anticipated, and he's having trouble riding the rocket," says David Yepsen, chief political correspondent for The Des Moines Register.
Huckabee now faces a crucial moment in his campaign: Romney has begun an Iowa counteroffensive, which includes a new ad contrasting the rivals' positions on illegal immigration, and Huckabee will likely be a big target at Wednesday's Register-sponsored GOP presidential debate. He is also facing new questions about comments he made in 1992 on issues ranging from AIDS to killing Saddam Hussein to women in combat.
But Huckabee is trying to take it all in stride. Asked Tuesday about increasing criticism from his opponents, he was dismissive. “We obviously are scoring and our offense is working," Huckabee said. "And I think that’s what we want to focus on - why I should be president and why somebody else shouldn’t.”
By Brian Montopoli
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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See all 81 CommentsI don''t see how he will win the majority of republicans with his tax and spend record, but I could be wrong. The current republican party of "compassionate" coservatism is the same as the liberals, except that the welfare check comes with a sermon. Still socialism. What''s his foreign policy knowledge other than giving free scholaships(just a form of welfare) to illegals? Do we need another Arkansas democrat like Clinton and a Republican in name only? Ron Paul has books on Foreign policy and free market economics and doesn''t take the name of God in vain like the Huckster. When the dollar disintegrates and you pension/savings are worth $0, no amount of prayer is going to save you. Don''t be misled by false prophets. This Sunday we are going to blow away all republicans'' fundraising and maybe even OBAMA. TeaParty07.com
I think the guy has no staying power. A little tired of God and Jesus and ministering to the flocks? OK, I just run for governor. Pays better anyway.
Most importantly, Huckabee is ONE with the FairTax grassroots movement ( http://snipr.com/fthuckabeeonirs ). Romney''s recent WEAK response to FairTax questioning on %u201CThis Week with Geo. Stephanopoulos ( http://snipurl.com/stephanopoulosdebate )%u201D drew a sharp contrast between Huckabee and all other presidential front-runners who will not embrace it. Huckabee understands that what''''s wrong with the income tax can''''t be fixed with "a tap of the hammer, nor a twist of the screwdriver." That his opponents cling to the destructive Tax Code, the IRS, preserving political power of granting tax favors at continued cost to - and misery of - American families, invigorates his campaign''''s raison d''''etre. %u201CMain Street%u201D will have to demand ( http://snipr.com/scrapthecode ) that their legislators deliver the bill to Huckabee, if elected.
I have been reading posts here for quite some time and I have to say that you terrify me! Never have I read anything so disturbing. Many of the things you say are right out of the Nazi playbook. I must ask, if I refuse to conform to your "official U.S. religion" would I be shot or gassed? It''s hard to believe that there are people out there who think (?) like you and I can assure that I for one will be doing everything in my power to see that you do NOT have it your way. Finally, even though I am a heathen Democrat I will pray for you. May God lay his hands on you and show you the way.
This is state sponsored media at its'' best!
If you believe in Mike Huckabee''s message, I urge you to take my challenge by visiting: www.abuckforhuck.com.
With your help, he will make a difference!
It states that Jesus was the eldest and Lucifer was the second son.
Quoted directly from:
DISCOURSE BY PRESIDENT BRIGHAM YOUNG,
"Who will redeem the earth, who will go forth and make the sacrifice for the earth and all things it contains?" The eldest son said: "Here am I;" but he did not say "send me." But the second one, which was Lucifer, son of the morning," said, "Lord, here am I, send me, I will redeem every son and daughter of Adam and Eve that lives on the earth, or that ever goes on the earth." "But," says the Father, "that will not answer at all. I give each and every individual his agency; all must use that in order to gain exaltation in my kingdom; inasmuch as they have the power of choice they must exercise that power. They are my children; the attributes which you see in me are in my children and they must use their agency. If you undertake to save all, you must save them in unrighteousness and corruption. You will be the man that will say to the thief on the cross, to the murderer on the gallows, and to him who has killed his father, mother, brothers, and sisters and little ones, "Now, if you will say, I repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, or on the Savior of the world, you shall be saved." This is what all the religious sects of the day are saying now, but Jesus did not say any such thing.
Posted by Prinzowhales at 01:34 PM : Dec 12, 2007
He just self-inflicted a ''mortal'' wound with his own mouth. He is now political ''road pizza''.
If you want unlimited immigration--and the welfare costs of it--vote for Hucksterbee...he''ll give it to you!--and you can enjoy the low wages that unlimited immigration gives you.
If you want high taxes...war...the police state...Hucksterbee is your man! Afterall, he''s a man of God...and for some reason, Hucksterbee''s God is a big fan of taxes and war. Hucksterbee doesn''t seem to like high taxes for some people--Bush''s "base"...the rich and super-rich. With his "Fairtax" he''s going to put the lion''s share of the cost of paying the interest on Bush''s debt on the backs of working Americans...afteral, he doesn''t want them to be tempted by having any excess income that could go to bond holders and bankers.
So Join "Fools for Hucksterbee" and vote for war, debt, illegals and high taxes....don''t worry, it may be a stupid decision...but, Pastor Hucksterbee will pray for you.
If you adoring fans of the Huck want him so badly, put him behind the pulpit (where he belongs), let him bang to his heart''s desire what is "right" and "wrong", and you follow Him (?) according to the gospel of St. Mike.
But, President of these United States? Talk about missing your calling. It would take no time flat for him to be run out on the proverbial rail. Unacceptable for thinking, caring people. Get a clue, will ya?
Posted by neoconnie at 10:47 AM : Dec 12, 2007
I about fell over after I read this - neocon have you ever heard of Fred Phelps? Perhaps you should join his church in Topeka! Huckabee is a Southern Baptist Minister - what next tear down the White House and build a Cathedral or Church Building?
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