Huckabee Heads Into Rockier N.H. Landscape

Politico: Iowa Win Gives Republican Hopeful Added Traction, But A Rocky Road Is Ahead

(The Politico)  This story was written by Lisa Lerer.

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Mike Huckabee headed to New Hampshire in a blaze of glory on Thursday night, after his shoestring-and-a-prayer campaign concluded with a surprising 9-point victory.

"We've learned that people really are more important than the purse, and what a great lesson for America to learn," said Huckabee to a crowd of about 400 cheering supporters. "This campaign is not about me, it's about we."

The win gives him added traction before traveling to a far rockier landscape. He trails behind Mitt Romney and John McCain in New Hampshire state polls, a reflection of the state's more moderate, fiscally conservative population.

National campaign chairman Ed Rollins stopped short tonight of predicting a win in New Hampshire but said the campaign had "a really good chance of pressing at least a third and beyond."

In his victory speech at the Des Moines Embassy Suites, Huckabee played up the campaign's classic underdog story. "Most of the pundits believe when you are outspent 50 to one it's impossible to overcome that mountain of money," he said.

The campaign arrived in Iowa in early February and languished, as state Chairman Bob Vander Plaats is fond of saying, as "an asterisk in the polls."

In early December, they began to surge in the polls, powered in part by the state's active population of home schoolers and evangelicals. Born-again or evangelical Christians made up as many as 60% of all Republican caucus-goers and nearly half preferred Huckabee, according to entrance polling conducted by the AP.

Huckabee sold voters a message of change, positioning himself as an outsider to what he called "the Washington/Wall Street axis of power." At the same time, many Washington insiders slammed Huckabee for lacking the gravitas to be president.

Over the past few weeks, Huckabee has faced a barrage of attacks. A press conference Monday to announce he was pulling a negative ad was derided as a stunt. Iowa voters, obviously, had a different take.

"I appreciate that he's not doing a negative campaign," said Carol Gustafson, who said a nasty call she received from the Romney campaign turned her against the candidate. "I would like to hear what they are going to do, rather then what they won't do."

The campaign hopes its win will bring in some much-needed funds. As of the end of September, Huckabee had over $2.3 million, a mere fraction of Romney's over $62 million in the bank. Last week, he bragged on a conference call that he has raised another $5 million online in the past three months as well as several hundred thousand at fundraisers.

Huckabee plans to play as hard as he can in New Hampshire, according to campaign manager Chip Saltzman. For the past two weeks, the campaign has been running two ads statewide that will continue through the primary.

But, in part, New Hampshire will be about surviving until South Carolina.  A big win in the state, which has a much smaller population of voters motivated by social issues, seems unlikely.

The campaign moves forward lagging in money, staff and ground organization. Huckabee employs 50 staffers nationwide, a small fraction of Romney's 200-plus-person team.

Huckabee will likely focus on his tax plan and record as governor of Arkansas, while downplaying the more religious aspects of his faith-based campaign. He will also have to answer more questions about his foreign policy credentials, which have dogged him for weeks in Iowa.

In Iowa, Huckabee has repeatedly praised opponent John McCain, in order to paint Romney as an attack dog. Although Saltzman said the campaign does not plan to attack McCain, having forswore negative campaigning, there might be a bit less praise for the New Hampshire front-runner.

"If this were a marathon, we've only run half of it, but we've run it well," said Huckabee tonight. "From here to New Hampshire and then to the rest of the country."

[prinzowhales]

Hucksterbee speaks of "honor" in the debates...Here is a man with no honor. Here is man who will not address the hijacking of American foreign policy by a group of elites known as the "Neo-Cons" acting on behalf of British imperial interests, Big Oil and Zionists...He will not address the LIES that Bush and the other treasonous dogs in the Regime used to rationalize their war of aggression...He will instead speak of honor...like a wh*re proclaiming her chastity! AND NEITHER WILL THE DEMOCRATIC ACCOMPLICES OF THIS VILE AND TREASONOUS REGIME!!

[bhappy2-2]

What we need is a candidate that supports AMERICA. We have had plenty of politicians who support ILLEGAL ALIEN INVADERS. We need to start DEPORTING ILLEGAL ALIEN INVADERS and HEAVILY FINE those who support ILLEGAL ALIEN INVADERS. We MUST SECURE OUR BORDERS and rid OUR COUNTRY of these parasitic ILLEGAL ALIEN INVADERS. If our politicians refuse to do so WE, THE CITIZENS OF AMERICA, need to REPLACE the treasonous politicians with ones who SUPPORT AMERICA. Failure to act now could result in The United States of America becoming North Mexico. They have an army here already, they only need to arm them. Those who claim "they don''''t want to take over" need to look around, see the way they have ALREADY TAKEN OVER our jobs.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! GET RID OF THESE ILLEGAL ALIEN INVADERS, NOW!

[ih2005]

One hopes that, absent a Huckabee campaign effort, the media will counter Romney attacks by pointing out how, at Bain Capital, Mr. Romney used offshore corporations to avoid U.S. taxation, and he fee-milked acquired businesses before firing workers and taking them into bankruptcy ( http://snipr.com/romneyoffshore ), to amass his great $250,000,000 wealth.

So, when you compare how Mr. Huckabee''s visionary FairTax advocacy ( http://snipr.com/nextrung ) compares to Romney''s interest in the current tax system, it''s pretty easy to see who will lead us out of tax slavery ( http://snipr.com/taxburden ) - $265 billion annual tax code compliance costs representing 5 billion wasted hours, annually.

[realpatriot1]

Element51/Prinzowhales,

Prinz is right as far as the accusations are concerned. Since no charges we''re filed in either case one is left to either conclude that the charges were baseless or political influence raised its ugly head
It all depends on one''s level of paranoia and the amount of importance this holds for them as a pressing national issue.

[candide777]

If this last little shoot-out proved anything, it''''s that the voters are in control...not the polls or campaign spin masters.
Posted by likeitis5050 at 12:57 PM : Jan 05, 2008

I guess this little shoot-out didn''t prove anything because the voters don''t know their ***** from a hole in the ground. They are controlled 100% by the media and their religious leaders. They just haven''t yet been given a clear directive on who to vote for, so it''s still a little bit of chaos until corporate america and religious america come together and make up their collective mind.

[prinzowhales]

Aside from stealing furniture, Hucksterbee and the Clin''Toons are War Pigs...AND! they support criminals who break the laws of the United States...whether they scamper across the border illegally, or simply blow the cover of CIA agents--like the members of the Bush Regime who threw Ambassador Wilson''s wife to the wolves....

[candide777]

This is such a sad commentary on Iowa, a state that has a lot to be proud of, but still apparently has it''s head soaked in religious dogma. I expected more from a state that values education, unlike typical republican strongholds where it is taught that education is evil and should be ridiculed as elitist. I thought Iowa had more sense than that.

[candide777]

Huckabee = American Taliban

Do we really need to go there?

[prinzowhales]

Element51--

http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/baldwin/071127

http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3a850f2246fd.htm

provided per your request...

Cheers!

PZW

[likeitis5050]

Prinzowhales....Interesting comment..Could you please site your source for that information? You see, without a source you statement is reduced to simple political rhetoric and as such has no value at all. It''''s like two old ladies exchanging gossip over the back fence.

Posted by Element51

Better yet...why don''t you do your homework and give us a source that proves him wrong. It''s called research. You''ll be better for having done the work yourself. Who cares if it''s rhetoric? If it concerns you...get busy and get informed. Sometimes it''s just this kind of stimulation needed to induce knowledge.

[likeitis5050]

Huckabee isn''t going to be given a free pass anywhere. He''s checkered...just like Hillary. The only thing predictable in his campaign is that he won''t backdoor his opponents and toss out ''well kept secrets'' in order to deflect attention from his own inadequacies. Everyone is bracing for the Hillary smack-down on Obama. She''ll casually drop a secret or two, and of course no one has yet challenged her on her own nasty history of political bed partners...no one dares...unless they want to be accused of being biased against women (bad Iowa...baaaaaad)...or worse. She''s about to show the nation her true colors and it will be swallowed, hook line and sinker, by the media. If this last little shoot-out proved anything, it''s that the voters are in control...not the polls or campaign spin masters.

[element51]

Prinzowhales....Interesting comment..Could you please site your source for that information? You see, without a source you statement is reduced to simple political rhetoric and as such has no value at all. It''s like two old ladies exchanging gossip over the back fence.

[prinzowhales]

Hucksterbee has a lot in common with the Clin''Toons... both tried to walk off with public property after leaving the Little Rock governor''s mansion and the White House, respectively.

[element51]

MCVet......WELL SAID!!!!! I,too am perfectly capable of my Family Values and I trust folks like you.

[newz4i]

Huckabee quote: "...We''ll get ''em all converted to the evangelical faith..."

Another four years of positioning someone''s (g)od ahead of America''s values? No thanks.

Bush''s mistaken path after 911 was following another''s evangelical faith. This country needs a leader to carrying American''s Constitution into the 21st Century.

Huckabee is not the man who can ... nor is he the candidate who will change direction to accomplish it.

[mcvet]

We''''ve had 7+yrs of a religious nutjob in the WH. Absolutely no to a former baptist minister because there is no such thing! This country was founded without a state religion and will remain so as long as I''''m alive. Don''''t worry I don''''t care if it''''s not for long! I support the Constitution, same as when I was in the Army!!


Posted by bm6005 at 09:05 PM : Jan 04, 2008
report abuse

I find that most of us who put on the Uniform and walked into combat feel that way. I don''t think the nation can take another 4 years of having the Moral Police call congress back or have our policy based on the beliefs of Southern Baptist.

[cfin5]

The seeds of stupidity sown in Iowa grow VERY fast,.....just in time for New Hampshire.

[moxford0]

The GOP doesn''t need a win. They need a good waterboarding with dog pee and then hit over the head with the board

[smirk5]

Who will win the Republican primary in NH? Soft on immigration boy or amnesty boy?

[jonesforch]

"This campaign is not about me, it''s about we."


How about us? The people who vote? This campaign is about us?