Huckabee Ramps Up Game In Early States

Politico: Will Make Largest Ad Buys In Iowa, New Hampshire And South Carolina

(The Politico)  This story was written by David Paul Kuhn.

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Determined to prove he’s more than a political “one-night stand,” Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee will make his largest ad buys in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina this week.

The former Arkansas governor also plans to send out his first mailing to voters in Iowa and is ramping up the numbers of paid staffers in a campaign that until recently relied almost exclusively on volunteers.

While declining to say exactly how much the campaign would spend on the ad buys in the three early-contest states, national campaign manager Chip Saltsman put the figure at around “at least” several hundred thousand dollars.

It’s the cost of moving from long shot to front-runner. Yet despite a double-digit lead in Iowa and growing strength in South Carolina, Huckabee acknowledges skepticism still runs deep over whether he can translate a likely win in Iowa to victories here in the Granite State and in other critical early contests beyond.

“First it was, well nice guy but he doesn’t have a chance of winning,” Huckabee said in a brief interview in his campaign van between stops at a local eatery and a speech at the high school. “Nice guy, he doesn’t have enough money. Nice guy, doesn’t have enough organization. Then it got to be in the place of, well he’s going to do OK in Iowa but that’s as far as it can go. He’ll be a one night stand.”

Huckabee says voters are responding to his ideas. “Regardless of what happens, we’ve proven and I’ve said it since January, the message matters more than the money,” Huckabee said.

Perhaps, but a top new campaign strategist isn’t taking any chances.

“We need to basically put together the mechanisms that not only [last] for Iowa and New Hampshire but [go] all the way to the White House,” said veteran Republican strategist Ed Rollins, who officially began Friday as the national campaign chairman.

It was only last week that Huckabee first aired ads on television in New Hampshire and South Carolina. His first ad in Iowa only aired a week before Thanksgiving, and he’s spent approximately $800,000 on advertising there.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, in comparison, went up on television in February and has spent $7 million on advertising in Iowa alone.

Yet in a matter of weeks Huckabee has achieved what Romney could not in nearly a year.

Not only does Huckabee lead in Iowa, but polls show he is now ahead in the crucial state of South Carolina and contesting Rudy Giuliani both in Florida and nationally.

Winning the nomination remains an ambition with immense obstacles to overcome. He will only have five days to carry a possible victory from Iowa to New Hampshire. That leaves little time to capitalize on momentum but equally, little time to undercut it. But no obstacle haunts Huckabee more than his meager staff resources.

So Huckabee, due to urgent necessity, is now hiring. He added roughly 10 campaign staffers in the last three weeks. Yet his campaign still numbers at 42 paid staffers nationwide - only about half of what Romney has in Iowa alone.

At a recent campaign event, after one of Huckabee’s aides acknowledged the small size of the, he quickly added, “But we have a ton of volunteers. And they aren’t paid $1,000 a head.” It was a veiled swipe at Romney’s use of paid “super-volunteers.”

“Christ,” the Huckabee aide quipped. “That’s a mid level staffer for us.”

The humor masks a serious problem. He only has about 15 staffers in Iowa, six in New Hampshire, and six in South Carolina. And he still has no staff in Michigan or Florida, both of which have critical GOP contests in January.

Over the next two weeks, Rollins intends to beef up staffing on the ground in key states as well as canvass Republican circles tohire foreign, domestic, and national security experts.

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Campaign Calendar
The latest information on the primary and caucus dates in 2008.

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To date, the campaign has only two policy advisors - California attorney Janis Cherry, and J. French Hill, a veteran Republican bureaucrat from the Reagan era - as well as a young assistant. Unlike all other top-tier campaigns, Huckabee has yet to organize his staff into a plane and ground team, which allows a candidate to be apprised of the days’ events while campaigning.

The shoestring operation explains why, in part, Huckabee was unaware when Politico asked earlier this month about a recent intelligence report on Iran’s nuclear program, though it topped the news for more than a day.

“If I was running his campaign at that point in time, the moment something like that breaks you have someone traveling with him briefed,” Rollins said. “In the course of the day you have an hourly contact with your candidate.”

Now Rollins does run the campaign. Staffing up is imperative, he said, but “I think any resources we have at this point in time we will put him on television.”

Huckabee’s campaign may not be able to run a single internal poll before the Iowa caucuses, essentially relying on the media to know where they stand. It has been the media attention in recent weeks that has allowed Huckabee to spend relatively little but maintain a significant national presence.

And the newfound success is beginning to pay off. Last month Huckabee raised $2 million online, more than every month prior combined.

It was this past Saturday that the campaign faced a logistical nightmare. It was caught in northern New Hampshire in the early evening, the nearest commercial airports at least two hours away. The next morning a nor’easter was to hit New England.

Huckabee charted a private plane and flew out Saturday night, beat the storm, and made it to California by Sunday evening for a large fundraiser.

One month ago, said Saltsman, “it would have been almost impossible for us to do that.”

[antoniof123]

You got to look at like Bill Clinton. Yes, there is a difference between him and Bill.

Bill had brains and was a great President, while Mike is not that bright and is a joke.

[prinzowhales]

Billy Blythe was as venal as both Bushes...Recognizing this, Barbara Bush said she considered him one of the family. Clinton looked good compared with Bush because he benefited from the first leg of the FED''s monetary expansion.

On another ''Clinton note'' go to WE ARE CHANGE''s website and hear about the Secret Service attempting to intimidate and threaten a young man who dared ask Bill Clinton an unscripted serious question. The young man was interviewed on ALEX JONES today--you can hear the re-broadcast at infowars.com...These thugs are sent out to keep people from showing up at events and asking embarrassing questions. Katie Couric could take lessons from this young man. That is what journalism is all about.

[grassboots]

"First of all, he needs to keep his religion to himself and realize that Americans don''''t tolerate religious bigotry"

There is a oxymron if I ever heard one. Telling a person to keep his religion to himself IS religous bigotry.

[timoteotk]

I worked with a Jewish gentleman who said he didn''t mind that people had faith, just as long as they didn''t wear it on their shirt sleeves. I asked him if he was a participant in the rites of Judaism. He said yes. I then reminded him that the Old Testament priests wore scriptures on their wrists AND on their foreheads. I said, "that seems to me like wearing your religion on your shirt sleeve does it not?." He smiled ..then I politely asked him at some point if he could refrain from using the The Lord''s name as a curse word. I figured for someone who did not like hearing about Jesus, it was sure odd that he said his name in every other sentence. I said I honor the Name of Jesus and his Memory and would appreciate it if you would be more respectful in regard to his name. To his credit, he was a gentleman about it, and I never heard him use the Lords name as a curse again! Regardless of popular opinion you can have cordial conversations about religion even if you disagree. That is what america is all about =Freedom to discuss ideas without threat of persecution or reprisal.

[vastr-wcon]

.
QUESTION: What do a Radical, Islamic Muslin Jihadist and a Right-Wing American Evangelical Nut-Job have in common?

ANSWER: They BOTH strongly support and religiously follow Mike Huckabee''s statement that "a wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband".

I have no doubt that Huck will bring these two groups together.

Women everywhere: beware of this Neanderthal.

.

[lanefiller1]

Anyone interested in what Huckabee is really like face to face should try this funny (but it actually happened) column:
http://goupstate.us/index.php/lanefiller/2007/11/02/title_14

[christfllwr]

I finally feel that the politics (or democracy) in US is finally hopeful after a candidate who can get his name and ideas in front of American PEOPLE without a deep pocket. I understand that not everyone will agree with Mike Huckabee. I only hope that EVERYONE who agrees with him will first get to know him and know that he is the right choice and then vote for him.

Go to YouTube and search for his speech. As low budget his campaign is, YouTube''s free service really pays off.

1. He is a social conservative.
2. He is a populist (believing a role in the government for the poor and needy).
3. He is fiscal conservative (after he left AR governor post, there was $800 million surplus).
4. He spent less than 10% than is rivals on campaign.

If you are a republican and you don''t know him, go listen to his speech and do your own research before casting your educated vote in the primary.

Go Huckabee Go!

[jbrewster7]

The only thing Huckabee wants you to think is that he is some how qualified to be president because he used to be a baptist minister and a so called true "Christian Leader". Answer me this;

*Would a true christian leader grant 1,033 pardons and commutations, including 12 convicted murderers?

*Would a true christian steal over $70,000 worth of furniture from the Arkansas governers mansion?

NO! Huckabee is a fraud that advertises his religion because where it matters, his record, he''s got nothing! Huckabee is a wolf in sheep''s clothing!

*Would a true conservative supported higher education benefits for children of illegal immigrants?

*Would a true conservative oppose a federal roundup of illegals from his own state?

*Would a true conservative oppose a bill requiring proof of citizenship to vote in his own state?

*Would a true conservative and his administration push for legislation to grant driver''s licenses to illegal immigrants?


What a phoney! What a fake!

[giantrobot2]

It is so disgusting that Mitt Romney is using the hard earned money of his base to pay for negative TV ads about the Republican base.

Mitt has already blown away millions of dollars of his base already. Sinking down in the polls and now spending more money of his base on disgusting cheap shot ads.

Meanwhile Mike Huckabee is out there making kind and caring TV ads during this Christmas season. Mike is a true authentic, humble and trustworthy person. A very down to earth person that all ordinary Americans can easily relate to.

Mitt Romney on the other hand can take his gobs of money and his big portrait of himself back home. Can you imagine if he is acting childish now, how he can handle the pressure as President? He would throw a fit and pay his lawyers to come in and make a decision for him.

Mitt Romney has got some nerve to bash others while he is the one saying he would first call his lawyers if a Nuclear bomb was headed our way. Call his lawyers, what is this kind thinking of? (Ummm protecting himself...)

Can you imagine if Katrina came in on his term, well of course he wouldnt make a tough decision and get help and finacial support to the stranded citizens, he would first get his lawyers involved to draw up a bunch of red tape. It would probably take those people 3 years to get anyhelp, why... because he is watching out for his ownself.

[njpaul2-2009]

A Vote for Huckabee means:
1. Higher taxes so we can pay for college scholarships for the children of illegal aliens now in the country.
2. Getting a second job so we can pay for college for our own kids.
3. Still higher taxes so we can pay for college scholarships for the children of foreigners who weren%u2019t really thinking about sneaking into the USA, but now change their minds because the willingness of those Americans to pay for college for their kids is just too good of a deal to pass up.
Seriously, isn%u2019t this the kind of thinking that got us into trouble in the first place? The only creative thinking Huckabee seems capable of is raising taxes to pay for his expensive ideas. We Americans are the most generous people in the world, but we can%u2019t afford to hand out college scholarships to the children of the world. I want Huckabee to teach my Sunday School class, because that%u2019s what his training qualifies him for. I want Romney for president because his education and skills are legitimate and he brings 25 years or so of success using out-of-the-box thinking to turn things around. I do not believe that Huckabee%u2019s tax hikes, one-liners, and prayers will be enough to turn around the mess in Washington. My vote considers the future of my children and grandchildren, and it will go to Romney.

[winnersedge4]

Mitt Romney is proven to be more trustworthy as a leader for this nation. I agree with njpaul2. Mitt Romney is a great leader by example. He is a man of great family values. Huckabee sure a good man too but his record carries "can of worms."

[wasatch01-2009]

It seems that Mike Huckabee has brainwashed some members of the GOP with his smooth talk and witty one-liners. The fact is the Huckabee has a terrible record and it simply not the best to lead the Republican Party. I mean here is a guy who gave out over 1000 commutations and pardons%u2014that is more than double the three previous Arkansas Governor%u2019s gave out combined. He rose over $500 million in taxes. He also supported college tuition breaks for illegal immigrants. All of this while Governor of Arkansas. Trust me, though he %u201Csounds good%u201D with his witty one-liners and smooth talk to stir the emotions%u2026Huckabee is not the guy for the GOP.

[cpatter6]

Mitt Romney trustworthy?

He promised the people of Massachusetts that he would fight to protect abortion rights, yet he says that he came down on the side of life. Trustworthy?

He says he will appoint constructionist judges to protect marriage, but according to the Boston Globe "Governor Mitt Romney, who touts his conservative credentials to out-of-state Republicans, has passed over GOP lawyers for three-quarters of the 36 judicial vacancies he has faced, instead tapping registered Democrats or independents -- including two gay lawyers who have supported expanded same-*** rights"
-- Boston Globe 7/25/2005

Romney''s record is even more disturbing than Huckabee''s, just look into the Governor''s Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth, a taxpayer funded organization that promoted alternative lifestyles in public schools at the discretion of the Governor.

Huckabee may not have a perfect record, but please don''t pretend that Romney''s is any better.

[winnersedge4]

Yeah:) Boston Globe make a good "mouthpiece" for Republican. You think? :)

[winnersedge4]

Mitt Romney is proven to be more trustworthy as a leader for this nation. I agree with njpaul2. Mitt Romney is a great leader by example. He is a man of great family values. Huckabee sure a good man too but his record carries "can of worms."

[wasatch01-2009]

Romney''s record is much better than Huckabee. Here is a little comparison:

Taxes Raised-
Huckabee: $500 million
Romney: $0

Commutations and Pardons-
Huckabee: 1000+
Romney:0

College tuition breaks for illegals-
Huckabee: For
Romney: Against

Unethical investigations-
Huckabee:6
Romney: 0

[njpaul2-2009]

No pretending about it, Romney is a whole lot better than Huckabee. He governed the most liberal state in the country...do you really think he could get away with appointing a lot of conservative judges? You do what you can, and Romney did a lot to bring more balance, and fiscal health, to Massachusetts. By comparison, Huckabee had far fewer challeges, and he showed little creativity or spine in standing up for conservative principles. He gets away with calling himself a conservative because he''s a preacher, but his actions as governor show him to be a liberal. He raised taxes. Released a steady stream of criminals from jail. Raised taxes some more. Wants all of us to pay for illegal immigrants to go to college, regardless of whether we can afford to pay for our own kids to go. The problems we have in this country are simply far too complicated for a man of Huckabee''s qualifications to solve. He wouldn''t have a clue where to begin. If you disagree, please point out something he did in Arkansas where he solved a very difficult problem, and didn''t raise taxes to do it.

[hungry1968]

Both Romney and Huckabee are running as "religious politicians" and for that reason they should both be disqualified from contention.

[hwy71so]

hungry, that should be the FIRST qualification. For one not to believe in God, that should be a disqualification.

EVERY president down from George Washington himself claimed faith in God and claimed to be a christian (save JFK who was catholic - an offshoot from christianity). EVEN William Jefferson...

Why should ''08 be any different?

[cfin5]

Ron Paul''s Straw Poll Results
Updated on December 10, 2007
Ron Paul''s Head-to-Head Records (Win-Lose-Tie):
Ron Paul v. Rudy Giuliani 41-7-0
Ron Paul v. Mitt Romney 32-16-0
Ron Paul v. Fred Thompson 32-15-0
Ron Paul v. John McCain 42-5-0
Ron Paul v. Mike Huckabee 40-6-1
Ron Paul v. Tom Tancredo 45-1-0
Ron Paul v. Duncan Hunter 44-2-0

[jbrewster7]

I don''t care that Huckabee is a so-called christian. What bothers me, is that he has consistantly used his so-called religious accomplishments to boost his campaign as well as attack others.

The only thing Huckabee wants you to think is that he is some how qualified to be president because he used to be a baptist minister and is a so called true "Christian Leader".

Will the real Mike Huckabee please stand up?

FACT: Mike Huckabee was one of 131 signatories to a full page USA Today Ad which declared: %u201CI affirm the statement on the family issued by the 1998 Southern Baptist Convention.%u201D What was in the family statement from the SBC? %u201CA wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ.%u201D

[jbrewster7]

FACT: Mike Huckabee granted 1,033 pardons and commutations, including 12 convicted murderers, one of which "Wayne DuMond" shortly after his release moved to Missouri where he raped and murdered Carol Sue Shields. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in Clay County, Mo., in 2003. He died in prison in 2005.

FACT: Mike Huckabee stole over $70,000 worth of furniture from the Arkansas governors mansion.

FACT: Mike Huckabee supported in-state higher education benefits for children of illegal immigrants.

FACT: Mike Huckabee opposed a federal raid of 119 illegal immigrants at an Arkansas Tyson poultry plant, 107 of whom left the country either voluntarily or through deportation.

[jbrewster7]

FACT: Mike Huckabee opposed a bill requiring proof of citizenship to vote in his own state.

FACT: Mike Huckabee and his administration pushed for legislation to grant driver''s licenses to illegal immigrants.

FACT: Mike Huckabee set up a nonprofit entity so he could give paid ``inspirational'''' speeches without having to disclose the donors.

FACT: Huckabee along with special interest big business built a Mexican consulate in Akkansas for illegals.

FACT: The ethics commission fined Huckabee $1,000 for failing to report that he paid himself $14,000 from his 1992 U.S. Senate campaign and $43,000 from his 1994 lieutenant governor''s campaign.

[jbrewster7]

FACT: Huckabee accepted more than 300 gifts worth at least $130,000, ranging from $3,700 cowboy boots to a $600 chainsaw.

FACT: Arkansas lawmakers criticized the registries, which were listed as "wedding" registries, even though the Huckabees have been married since 1974.

Look through his "Awe Schucks" act and see him for what he really is. Mike Huckabee is a wolf in sheep''s clothing that uses the religion card to push his own agenda.

[thgdriver]

Huckabee son''s killing of that poor dog by hanging it is right up there with Mike Vick.

The actions of a son or daughter go to the type of upbringing in the home and the failure of the parents to teach right from wrong. First he tried to cover it up, when that failed he tried to make the excuse the dog was sick and emaciated. With that kind of thinking I would not want Huckabee to rescue me from a prisoner of war camp. I would get hung!!!
Lies, lies and more lies.
Huckabee just lost my vote!!

[mudrose-2009]

The last thing we need is a SP in the WH. They will sell the country to the highest bidder. These people hear only Carl Marx, George Soros or Looney Lackoff in their heads.

[jon2012-2009]

Hwy71So: The odds of an atheist taking the White House have never been much better than an outside chance since they constitute a miniscule portion of the population. But they certainly are qualified to lead, just as there are women and blacks who would make excellent leaders, groups with higher representation in the demographic makeup. Regardless, a candidate who professes belief in God is not expected to push that agenda and would be, in fact, constrained by the Constitution.

I always turn away from leaders coming heavy on religion. They are no better than their supporters who, generally speaking, have nothing positive to contribute to society beyond the raw labor of their hands and supplying part of the gene pool.

[gslinger3]

Mike Huckabee does not hold a candle to Hilary Clinton, at least as far as scandals are concerned!



Just in case you''ve lost track of the scandals that have hit the Clintons here is the A to Z list!

A is for Arkansas, where Bill Clinton got his political start, where Hillary Rodham Clinton worked at Rose Law Firm, and where Whitewater began as a land deal between the Clintons and Jim and Susan McDougal.

B is for Billing-gate, Hillary Clinton''s missing law-billing records. Those records -- which raised questions about Mrs. Clinton''s role in the Castle Grande deal -- were subpoenaed in 1994. They were missing until early 1996, when they turned up in a White House room next to her office. She says she doesn''t know how they got there.

C is for Cattlegate, Hillary Clinton''s mysterious ability to turn a $1,000 investment into a $100,000 profit on cattle futures, a feat experts say was virtually impossible in normal trading.

for d thru z go here

http://www.io.com/~cjburke/clinton/clinatoz.html

[mudrose-2009]

C is for Cattlegate, Hillary Clinton''''s mysterious ability to turn a $1,000 investment into a $100,000 profit on cattle futures, a feat experts say was virtually impossible in normal trading.

for d thru z go here

http://www.io.com/~cjburke/clint
on/clinatoz.html
Posted by gslinger3

Isn''t see absolutely amazoning, er amazon?

[jon2012-2009]

C is for Cattlegate, Hillary Clinton''s mysterious ability to turn a $1,000 investment into a $100,000 profit on cattle futures, a feat experts say was virtually impossible in normal trading.
Posted by mudrose

I''ve heard of such investments, not one of mine unfortunately, and true it''s not in cattle futures either. I''ve also heard about baseless attacks and nothing in them is "virtually impossible."

[taotxzen]

Huckabee: The GOP''s Cynical Use of Religion Has Come Home to Roost

With Mike Huckabee''s continuing surge, the Republican Party now has an Iowa front-runner who, like George Bush, is anti-choice, born-again, against gay-marriage, and gets political advice directly from God. So why is the Republican establishment suddenly in a state of near-apoplexy? They''ve been cultivating evangelicals and fundamentalists for 30 years. Now they finally have a candidate who''s truly part of the movement. Which, it turns out, is precisely the problem. The evangelical crowd was fine when it was just a resource to be cynically exploited every few years in demagogic anti-gay get-out-the-vote campaigns. But now the holy-rolling monster the GOP''s Dr. Frankensteins have created has thrown off the shackles, fled the lab, and is currently leading in Iowa. And the party doesn''t know what to do.

Arianna Huffington

[npborn]

Mike Huckabee has a more conservative track record that Mitt Romney and Rudy. Romney was pro-choice and pro-civil unions until last year when he decided to run for president. Rudy is a Democrat running as a republican. The quicker republicans realize this the faster the party can rally behind a candidate. How does Huckabee/ McCain sound?

Answer: Very, very good. More like AWSOME!

[mudrose-2009]

Answer: Very, very good. More like AWSOME!
Posted by npborn

I haven''t decided, but I like his in-your-face attitude about religion. It''s rather refreshing. Rather unpolitically correct. Sounds my like Bishop Fulton J. Sheen. Wasn''t he terrific?.

[taotxzen]

(cont)

The War on Science, Harriet Miers, stem cell research, Missile defense shield that doesn''''''''t work, defunding overseas AIDS programs, male prostitute Gannon/Guckert, Native American trust funds, false military reporting on Pat Tillman, Jessica Lynch, Guantanamo torture, Bush connections to Enron and Ken Lay, refusing to intervene in the California electricity crisis, lack of action on Darfur despite Congress declaring it genocide, White House involvement in election day phone jamming, attempted use of GSA to promote Republican candidates, Karl Rove and the culture of corruption, Voter suppression, voter ID laws, Swift boating of John Kerry, No Child Left Behind, based on flawed and false data, Rumsfields not enough boots on the ground war strategy, Paul Bremers wrong at every turn mismanagement of post war Iraq, a supreme lack of oversight by a rubberstamping Republican Congress for 5 years, stacking of the federal judiciary with unqualified rightwing hacks, Ralph "I need to start humping in corporate accounts" Reed led Christian Coalition, lax security at US nuclear facilities, Geneva Convention does not apply, FEMAs faux news conference, State Children''''''''s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP.)

These are only the ones we know of!

[taotxzen]

gslinger3

Bush Scandals

Abu Ghraib, Plamegate, Niger Forgeries, Manipulated Intelligence on Iraq, Pundits on the Payroll, Illegal warrant less NSA wiretapping, Walter Reed, Firing of US attorneys, illegally transferring resources to Iraq from Afghanistan, Halliburton and Cheney, Hurricane Katrina and reconstruction, Black prisons and extraordinary rendition, Homeland Security, Blackwater, involvement in Delays and Abramoffs K Street Lobbyists Project, Cheney''''''''s Energy Policy, tax cuts for the wealthiest, denial of Global warming, big budget deficits and vastly increased national debt, big pharmaceuticals write prescription drug plan, attempts to torpedo the 911 Commission, loss of US reputation internationally after massive post-911 world support, under funding of basic research, Alberto Gonzales, FDA and EPA, Porter Goss and the gutting of the CIA, Signing statements, Overuse and abuse of the National Guard and Reserves, US balance of trade deficit, Dubai Ports deal and manipulation of Iran intelligence.

(cont)

[mudrose-2009]

These are only the ones we know of!
Posted by taotxzen

Gee and Clinton got impeached?