Huckabee leads Oklahoma!

KOTV/Tulsa World Oklahoma Presidential Poll

Mike Huckabee ...........................29%
John McCain ...............................17%
Rudy Giuliani ..............................11%
Mitt Romney .................................9%
Fred Thompson .............................8%
Ron Paul ......................................3%
Duncan Hunter..............................1%
Don’t Know/Refused ...................22%


http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=071226_1_A1_hButC86400
Thanks to McCarville Report.

Scott Pruitt Joins Huckabee Campaign

Fmr. State Sen. Scott Pruitt Joins Huckabee Campaign

AP -- Former state Sen. Scott Pruitt will chair presidential candidate Mike Huckabee’s Oklahoma Leadership Committee.

Huckabee, who has been surging among Republican presidential candidates, said Thursday he and Pruitt share conservative values.

“He is well-respected within the Republican Party and throughout Oklahoma,” said Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas. “I welcome him to our organization and am thrilled that he is chairing our efforts in this important state.”

Pruitt was elected to the state Senate for two four-year terms beginning in 1998, and served as Republican whip and assistant Republican floor leader during his tenure in the legislature. He resigned his Senate seat to run for lieutenant governor in 2006, but was defeated in the GOP primary.

Pruitt is minority owner and general managing partner of the Oklahoma RedHawks minor league baseball team.

This is awesome! Scott Pruitt was an excellent choice, a well-respected conservative. The perfect man to lead the Huckabee campaign in Oklahoma!

What Really Matters

This ad has got to be the best political ad I've seen in a long time; even better than the HuckChuckFacts ad.

Here's why it's better than the previous best: Mitt Romney is running negative ads at the same time. It just so happens that Christmas is nearly upon us. People don't like negativity around Christmas. Which ad will stick? The positive, non-political one, in this case, Mike Huckabee's "What Really Matters" ad.

Absolutely brillant, a master stroke.

Addition to the OKforHuckabee Team

I would like to introduce you to the newest member of the OKforHuckabee Blog Team, Patrick Haworth.

Patrick is the Assistant Organizer for the Tulsa Mike Huckabee for President 2008 Meetup Group. I look forward to a great time blogging with him.

Gov. Huckabee's "Secure America Plan"

In other major Immigration news, Gov. Huckabee has released his Immigration plan:

The Secure America Plan

A 9-Point Strategy for Immigration Enforcement and Border Security

Overview: Implement a broad-based strategy that commits the resources of the federal government to the enforcement of our immigration laws and results in the attrition of the illegal immigrant population.


1. Build the Fence

Ensure that an interlocking surveillance camera system is installed along the border by July 1, 2010.

Ensure that the border fence construction is completed by July 1, 2010.


2. Increase Border Patrol

Increase the number of border patrol agents.

Fully support all law enforcement personnel tasked with enforcing immigration law.


3. Prevent Amnesty

Policies that promote or tolerate amnesty will be rejected.

Propose to provide all illegal immigrants a 120-day window to register with the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services and leave the country. Those who register and return to their home country will face no penalty if they later apply to immigrate or visit; those who do not return home will be, when caught, barred from future reentry for a period of 10 years.


4. Enforce the Law on Employers

Employment is the chief draw for most illegal immigrants and denying them jobs is the centerpiece of an attrition strategy.

Impose steep fines and penalties on employers that violate the law.

Institute a universal, mandatory citizenship verification system as part of the normal hiring process.

Prevent the IRS and the Social Security Administration from accepting fraudulent Social Security numbers or numbers that don't match the employees' names.*


5. Establish an Economic Border

Move toward passage of the FairTax.

The FairTax provides an extra layer of security by creating an economic disincentive to immigrate to the U.S. illegally.


6. Empower Local Authorities

Promote better cooperation on enforcement by supporting legislative measures such as the CLEAR Act, which aims to systematize the relationship between local law and federal immigration officials.

Encourage immigration-law training for police. Local authorities must be provided the tools, training, and funding they need so local police can turn illegal immigrants over to the federal authorities.


7. Ensure Document Security

End exemptions for Mexicans and Canadians to the US-VISIT program, which tracks the
arrival and departure of foreign visitors. Since these countries account for the vast majority of foreigners coming here (85 percent), such a policy clearly violates Congress' intent in mandating this check-in/check-out system.

Reject Mexico's "matricula consular" card, which functions as an illegal-immigrant identification card.


8. Discourage Dual Citizenship

Inform foreign governments when their former citizens become naturalized U.S. citizens.

Impose civil and/or criminal penalties on American citizens who illegitimately use their dual status (e.g., using a foreign passport, voting in elections in both a foreign country and the U.S.).


9. Modernize the Process of Legal Immigration

Eliminate the visa lottery system and the admission category for adult brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens.

Increase visas for highly-skilled and highly-educated applicants.

Expedite processing for those who serve honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Improve our immigration process so that those patiently and responsibly seeking to come here legally will not have to wait decades to share in the American dream. Governor Huckabee has always been grateful to live in a country that people are trying to break into, rather than break out of.


*This policy will be drafted to comply with the final federal court decisions on this issue.

Note: This plan is partially modeled on a proposal by Mark Krikorian, Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies. ("Re: Immigration: Ten Points for a Successful Presidential Candidate," National Review, May 23, 2005.)

Major Immigration News

MAJOR ENDORSEMENT ALERT!!!! The following is a HUGE endorsement.

Mike Huckabee: weak on immigration? Not according to the Founder of the MINUTEMAN PROJECT, the grassroots movement that brought Illegal Immigration to the forefront.

JIM GILCHRIST ENDORSES MIKE HUCKABEE

LITTLE ROCK, AR – In Iowa today, former Arkansas Governor and Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee received a major endorsement from Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minuteman Project.

Huckabee said he was honored to receive the endorsement. “No one can question Jim's commitment to this country and the immigration problem. He has mobilized a group of volunteers to go to the border and draw attention to the issue of immigration. All of us want a policy where people come to this country through the front door, not the back door,” said Huckabee during a morning news conference.

Gilchrist added, "Governor Huckabee actually wrote a plan that I can embrace. I found his ‘Secure America’ plan would open the dialogue and help begin the process of solving the illegal immigration problem.”

Gilchrist, who founded the Minuteman Project in 2004, said he appreciated Huckabee’s plan to secure America ’s borders.

Last week, Huckabee unveiled “The Secure America Plan: A Nine-Point Strategy for Immigration Enforcement and Border Security.” Huckabee said he believes in adopting the best policy ideas to provide a “tough, equitable and comprehensive approach” to dealing with the current immigration crisis.

Huckabee said his goal is to implement a broad-based strategy that commits the resources of the federal government to the enforcement of our immigration laws and results in the attrition of the illegal immigrant population.

A 30-second television ad, called "Secure Borders," began airing in Iowa Monday to educate voters about Huckabee's call for a new immigration strategy, which begins with securing America 's borders.

A copy of the Secure America Plan and his new Iowa ad is available on Huckabee’s website.

The Huckabee SURGE

Well, due to being out of town a few days, and the Ice Storm, I've not been able to post for almost two weeks.

I'm beginning to think I should do this more often. Here's what happened while I was gone (I can't take the credit for it, though...):

• Huckabee is FIRST in Iowa

Latest poll numbers have him around 39%, with Romney in the low 20s, and no one else above 10%.

• Huckabee in a virtual TIE for FIRST in National polls

He's placing around 20-22%, with Giuliani at 22-24%. All the others are below 16%.

• New Hampshire remains his weakest early state

Polls have Huckabee at 10%, Romney around 30%, Giuliani and McCain at 17% and the others below 6%.

• Huckabee leads in Michigan

At 21%, he's ahead of everyone (Romney 20%, Giuliani 19%, other under 10%).

• Huckabee is FIRST in South Carolina

The latest poll has him at 30%, with Thompson and Romney battling for second at around 20%, all the rest are below 13%.

• The NEVADA Surprise

Huckabee is SECOND in Nevada, with 23% (Romney lead with 29%, Giuliani is at 17%, no one else above 10%).

• Huckabee is SECOND in Florida

He jumped to 18% (Giuliani leads with 32%). Romney and Thompson are at 15-14%, with all others below 11%.

• Huckabee in 3-way tie for 3rd in California

Giuliani and McCain lead here, but Huckabee is at 14% (with Romney and Thompson).

• Huckabee FIRST in Georgia

Leads with 23%; FDT has 20%, Giuliani 17%. The rest are under 11%.

• Huckabee FIRST in North Carolina

Leads the field with 33%. Rudy and FDT figh for second at 18%, everyone else is under 10%.

• Huckabee THIRD in Ohio

He breaks into double digits with 10% (Giuliani at 29%, McCain at 13%).

• Huckabee TIED for SECOND in Pennsylvania

Huckabee and McCain tied for second place with 13%. Rudy leads with 27%.

Wow. What a week! Maybe I should go neglect the blog around Election Day!

Huckabee in FIRST in Iowa!

Rasmussen Reports Iowa Poll - 11/26-11/27

Mike Huckabee 28%
Mitt Romney 25%
Rudy Giuliani 12%
Fred Thompson 11%
Ron Paul 5%
John McCain 4%
Tom Tancredo 4%
Duncan Hunter 1%

All I can say is "Wow!"

Mitt Romney must be panicking.

Oklahoma: Going for Huckabee!

The Oklahoma State Republican Party took a straw poll at their annual Bedlam Bash. The results?

Mike Huckabee 26.1
Mitt Romney 23.2
Fred Thompson 20.3
Rudy Guiliani 13.0
John McCain 7.3

There were 69 total votes; Romney had people organized there. This marks the 1st time anyone other than Fred Thompson has won a straw poll in Oklahoma since early this spring.

I'm sensing a shift of Oklahoma's support from Thompson to Huckabee. No matter where I am, or who I'm talking to, Mike Huckabee keeps popping up! People here are getting impressed, and comfortable with Mike Huckabee; he'll win Oklahoma, hands-down.

Christmas Parade in Muskogee

Our 1,000th Visitor dropped by today! Wow!

I'm passing along some info from the Tulsa Mike Huckabee for President 2008 Meetup Group:

What: Christmas Parade in Muskogee
When: Saturday, December 1, 5:30 PM
Where: Downtown Muskogee

Event Description: A group of Huckabee supporters are gathering for the Christmas Parade in Downtown Muskogee. The parade begins at 5:30pm, Saturday, December 1st. We will try to have t-shirts and signs (whatever else) for Huckabee with us. It would be a great idea to print up leaflets, or something, that we could pass out, to direct people to the site. The parade starts at 5:30pm. Further details to some (especially, where to meet at). If anyone was able to make a purchase of signs, I know where we can get some locally, 100 for $350.00. Of course, the downside is that whoever does it needs to sell the signs to the rest of us for $3.50/each to recoup their money. If you hear of a better deal somewhere, please tell us. I'll also talk to my connection and see if there is any way to get a smaller number of signs for a minimum order. If we're lucky, maybe we could get some of the signs and/or t-shirts to show up on the local news cameras. You can pick up your t-shirts from M. J. Grayson while you're there.

Learn more here: http://mikehuckabee.meetup.com/66/calendar/6756384

If you can show up, that would be great! It would be wonderful to have a bunch of Huckabee supporters there.

Update: Lots of photos of this event at the link above!

HuckChuckFacts: Huckabee's First TV Ad

Here's the 1st Mike Huckabee for President TV Ads. It wll run in Iowa and on the web.

Latest News about Huck

Rasmussen Nat'l Poll

Giuliani: 29%
Huckabee: 12%
Thompson: 12%
Romney: 12%
McCain: 10%


SurveyUSA SC Poll


Giuliani: 26%
Romney: 20%
Thompson: 18%
McCain: 14%
Huckabee: 12%


Mason-Dixon FL Poll


Giuliani: 36%

Romney: 15%

Thompson: 12%
McCain: 10%
Huckabee: 8%


Detroit News MI Poll


Giuliani: 28%
Romney: 25%
Thompson: 13%
McCain: 12%
Huckabee: 9%


Quinnipiac PN Poll


Giuliani: 29%
McCain: 12%
Thompson: 11%
Romney: 7%
Huckabee: 6%


Gov. Huckabee is catching up to the rest in all fields... even states he's not really campaigned in.

Huckabee SOARS in Iowa!

Mike Huckabee soars to 21% in the latest Iowa poll! Romney drops to 27%! Check it out at Kevin Tracy's blog!

*Breaking Poll*

Huckabee withing Margin of Error of Romney in latest ARG poll.

Romney 26%
Huckabee 24%
Giuliani 11%
Thompson 11%
McCain 10%

(Thanks to Huckabee Hound for the breaking news)

I apologize for the infrequent posts lately. Life has been hectic around my home...

The Latest...

One Mom has a great post about Mike Huckabee placing 3rd in the latest Rasmussen poll.

The Huckabee campaign has set a very high goal for November's fundraising (a little ambitious, if you ask me!). They want to raise $2,067,521 online for the month of November. This is a crucial goal. If you haven't contributed yet, go ahead and DO IT!

Folks, this election is creeping up on us. We need to start hitting it hard. Get a bumper sticker, get a t-shirt and wear it often in public (get them here). Talk to your friends, family, neighbors, and talk to strangers. Contact local clubs, GOP groups. But, most of all, PRAY.

Psalm 127:1a - "Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it..."

Pray for Mike Huckabee. Pray for the fundraising. Pray for the campaigning. Pray for votes.

Pray at home. Pray while driving (eyes open, of course!). Pray when you wake, when you go to bed. If you can't sleep, pray. Bathe this campaign in prayer. "Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it."

Another Goal Smashed

We did it! We broke goal after goal during October!

If you participated in my OCTOBER CHALLENGE, please email me or comment with your results!

The Surge is On

It's here, folks. The Huckabee Surge is hitting the Nation. The latest Rasmussen Reports poll has Mike Huckabee sitting at 13%, tied for 3rd with McCain. Mitt "Moneybags" Romney is at 12%.

All of the latest Iowa polls have the Governor tied for second. Huckabee is in double digits in the latest South Carolina and New Hampshire polls.

There are just TWO more days to complete the OCTOBER CHALLENGE. If you have participated in the Challenge, please leave a comment as to your results. I plan on posting them when I get feedback.

The Huckabee campaign has raised $881,305.80 online so far this month. The goal for October is to raise $1,034,487 online; we're almost there! We need to raise $153,181.20 in online contributions BY midnight of October 31st!

Huckabee blasts by Thompson in NH

Rasmussen Reports
Survey of 733 Likely GOP Voters
October 23, 2007

New Hampshire GOP Primary
Mitt Romney	28%
Rudy Giuliani	19%
John McCain	16%
Mike Huckabee	10%
Fred Thompson	6%
Tom Tancredo Duncan Hunter Ron Paul Undecided	3% 2% 2% 14%

Fred Thompson drops to 6%, while Mike Huckabee leapfrogs to 10%!

Huckabee breaks into double-digits!

Rasmussen Nat'l Poll - 10/21-10/24

Rudy Giuliani 21%
Fred Thompson 19%
John McCain 14%
Mitt Romney 12%
Mike Huckabee 10%
Ron Paul 3%
(MoE +/- 4%)

There you have it; Mike Huckabee has broken the double-digit mark nationwide. Another step in his race to the top.

Also, the Huckabee campaign has set yet another goal for October's online contributions. This time, it is $1,034,487 - one dollar more than the entire 3rd Quarter total! So far, over $718,400.85 has been raised online alone! If you haven't given to Mike's campaign yet, now is the time!

Huckabee outrunning his GOP companions

Huckabee outrunning his GOP companions

By Scot Lehigh, Globe Columnist October 24, 2007

Concord, N.H.

THE BEST description of what's happening with Mike Huckabee may just be the old joke about the two lawyers who are out on a hike when they startle a large bear. The first lawyer whips open his briefcase, removes a pair of running shoes, and puts them on.

"Do you really think you can outrun the bear?" the second asks.

His companion offers this, ah, grizzly reply: "I don't have to outrun the bear. I just have to outrun you."

Outrunning one's companions has long been the challenge for the second-tier presidential candidates in this large Republican field. It's a challenge Huckabee has steadily met.

Read the rest of the article here.

Huckabee Lowest in "Never Vote For" Poll

Zogby Poll: Whom would you NEVER vote for for President of the U.S.?

Clinton (D) 50%
Kucinich (D) 49%
Gravel (D) 47%
Paul (R) 47%
Brownback (R) 47%
Tancredo (R) 46%
McCain (R) 45%
Hunter (R) 44%
Giuliani (R) 43%
Romney (R) 42%
Edwards (D) 42%
Thompson (R) 41%
Dodd (D) 41%
Biden (D) 40%
Obama (D) 37%
Huckabee (R) 35%
Richardson (D) 34%
Not sure 4%


IVR Polls: Texas Republican Primary

Giuliani - 24%
Thompson - 19%
Huckabee - 14%
Romney - 14%
Tancredo - 7%
McCain - 6%
Paul - 6%
Hunter - 4%
Keyes - 0%
Undecided 6%
532 previous TX GOP Primary voters, polled 10/18/2007 - Margin of error 4.3%

Lots of stuff...

Okay, so I can't leave for more than a few days again! :-D

Chuck Norris has endorsed Mike Huckabee.

Sam Brownback drops out.

Mike blasted away the opposition at the FRC Values Voter Summit in-person poll. Also, read this.

Fundraising has exploded.

There's a new Huckabee Store.

Wow. Lots of stuff is happening!

News Alert: Brownback to drop out?

Brownback expected to drop out of GOP field

Kansas Senator Sam Brownback is about to drop out of the Republican presidential nomination race, the Associated Press is reporting this morning.

Brownback aimed squarely at support from religious conservatives, but he finished behind former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee -- who is seeking the same voters -- in the Ames straw poll in Iowa in August and has not recovered.

This week, he reporting raising a little more than $800,000 in the third quarter of this year, his lowest quarterly amount since entering the race. Brownback appeared this week before the Globe's editorial board and talked about his efforts to reach out to Democrats and independents on issues such as aid to Africa and a congressional resolution apologizing for slavery.

The AP said he is expected announce his withdrawal on Friday in Topeka, Kan. "I know Senator Brownback enjoyed campaigning and meeting new people in talking about ideas for the future of America, but I think it came down to money," one person close to Brownback, who requested anonymity because the candidate had not yet announced his plans, told the AP.

Brownback's withdrawal is expected to help Huckabee, but could also help the prospects of Mitt Romney, who is also aggressively seeking the support of evangelical Christians.

New Iowa Poll

Rasmussen Reports Republican Iowa Caucus

Romney 25%
Thompson 19%
Huckabee 18%
Giuliani 13%
McCain 6%
Brownback 3%
Tancredo 2%
Paul 2%
Hunter 1%
Undecided 11%

More Polls and OCTOBER CHALLENGE

Keep working on that OCTOBER CHALLENGE, folks. Let's get some more momentum for Mike Huckabee!

Here's some more polls (can you tell I like polls?):

Gallup Nationwide poll; 10/04 - 10/07
Rudy Giuliani 32 %
Fred Thompson 20%
John McCain 16%
Mitt Romney 9%
Mike Huckabee 7%
Ron Paul 2%

Des Moines Register Iowa Poll; 10/01 - 10/03
Mitt Romney 29%
Fred Thompson 18%
Mike Huckabee 12%
Rudy Giuliani 11%
John McCain 7%

Insider Advantage Iowa Poll; 10/02 - 10/02
Mitt Romney 24%
Rudy Giuliani 16%
Fred Thompson 13%
Mike Huckabee 13%
John McCain 10%


Insider Advantage New Hampshire Poll; 10/02 - 10/02
Mitt Romney 28%
Rudy Giuliani 20%
John McCain 17%
Fred Thompson 8%
Mike Huckabee 8%

Insider Advantage South Carolina Poll; 10/02 - 10/02
Rudy Giuliani 16%
Fred Thompson 21%
Mitt Romney 16%
John McCain 16%
Mike Huckabee 11%


Insider Advantage Florida Poll; 10/02 - 10/02
Rudy Giuliani 29%
Fred Thompson 19%
Mitt Romney 16%
John McCain 10%
Mike Huckabee 6%

3Q Total: $1.018M

I was greeted this morning by the rather disappointing 3Q fundraising total of $1.018M for the Huckabee Campaign. I was really hoping for over $1.5M.

Then I went over to One Mom's blog (by the way, if you've never been there, she has one of the best Huckabee blogs out there). She has a great, encouraging post about the 3Q totals.

Then I went to Huckabee Hound. Another great post about the money Huckabee raised.

Folks, don't walk around with your heads down! Why should we? We're supporting the best candidate out there! Besides, we raised more money in the 3Q than in either of the other Quarters! The Huckabee campaign is one of only 2 or 3 that actually raised more money than the last quarter!

We're talking about the candidate who spent pennies compared to everyone else at the Iowa Straw Poll, and still came out in 2nd. We're talking about frugality personified!

So, get those heads up, and keep fighting. We're in the middle of the boxing match, and that trophy is calling our name!

New National Poll - Huckabee at New Heights!

New heights for Gov. Huckabee!

Washington Post-ABC News GOP National Primary

Rudy Giuliani 34%
Fred Thompson 17%
John McCain 12%
Mitt Romney 11%
Mike Huckabee 8%
Ron Paul 3%
Duncan Hunter 2%
Sam Brownback 1%
Tom Tancredo 1%


Keep working on the OCTOBER CHALLENGE. We're beginning to get positive responses from the contacts!

October Challenge Update

OCTOBER CHALLENGE Update:

General Info

Known persons participating: 6+
GOP State Representatives to contact: At least 210+
GOP State Senators to contact: At least 78+
GOP Governors to contact: 1+
GOP US Senators to contact: 4+
GOP US Representatives to contact: 20+

I say "at least" or "+" because I only know three of the states where people are participating (OK, MI, GA).

Contacts (that I know of)

Governor: 1
US Senators: 5
State Reps: 114
State Senators: 24

OKforHuckabee Info

State Representatives contacted: 57
State Senators contacted: 24

National Polls, October Challenge, and ARG

National Polling: Romney and Giuliani are dropping. McCain spiked when Fred Thompson got in (Fred jumped as well), but they're both slipping a little. Mike Huckabee looks like the only one still gaining ground nationally, although he's dropped some in IA, NH and SC.

October Challenge: Today is the offical start of OKforHuckabee's OCTOBER CHALLENGE. I'm planning on starting to email all the Oklahoma Republican legislators in the coming days. In fact, my first emails to State Representatives just went out... the first of many emails to come.

American Research Group: I'm beginning to wonder about the accuracy of ARG's polls. They've always been somewhat different than the other polls.

Newsweek Iowa Poll:

First Choice:
Mitt Romney 25%
Fred Thompson 16%
Rudy Giuliani 15%
John McCain 7%
Mike Huckabee 6%
Sam Brownback 3%
Tom tancredo 3%
Ron Paul 2%
Duncan Hunter 1%
Undecided 21%

Leaning:
Mitt Romney 24%
Fred Thompson 16%
Rudy Giuliani 13%
Mike Huckabee 12%
John McCain 9%
Ron Paul 5%
Tom Tancredo 3%
Sam Brownback 2%
Duncan Hunter 1%
Undecided 15%

(Note: The set-up for this poll was slightly confusing...)

October Challenge from OKforHuckabee

I was going to wait for October 1st to unveil this, but it was too good of an idea for me to wait! (I hate suspense.)

So, without further ado, I present to you...

The

OCTOBER CHALLENGE

from OKforHuckabee.

Contact all of the Republican...

• State Senators
• State Representatives
• Statewide Elected Officials

... in YOUR STATE about Mike Huckabee, by either...

• Mail
• Telephone
• Email
• Fax
• Or in person

... by the end of October.

If you find Elected Officials Who Like Mike, ask them to publicly endorse Mike Huckabee for President.

Now... let's see who can do the most for Mike Huckabee in their home state!

Another Georgia Poll

GEORGIA; Strategic Vision 9/8

Fred Thompson 32%
Rudy Giuliani 17%
Newt Gingrich 9%
John McCain 8%
Mitt Romney 6%
Mike Huckabee 6%
Tom Tancredo 2%
Sam Brownback 2%
Ron Paul 2%
Duncan Hunter 1%

Mike is tied with Mitt Romney, again. Within the MoE with McCain, again. No, Mike Huckabee just can't be "Top Tier"... no way. Right?

The Nation's Article on Huckabee

Here's an article I found on the Web today. (Emphasis mine)

The Nation - Hunting for Votes
Matthew Blake

At Friday's National Rifle Association "Celebration of American Values" convention in Washington, while former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani was being tepidly received, it was former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, a back-of-the-pack GOP presiential wannabe, who stole the show. And this raised a question: is it at all possible that Huckabee's appeal to the party's base can make him a viable candidate?

Unlike Giuliani, Mitt Romney, John McCain or even supposed conservative darling Fred Thompson, Huckabee had no flaws or inconvenient positions to defend before the powerful gun lobby. He delivered a funny, relaxed speech that was more like a commencement address than a pandering lecture on gun rights. He won over the crowd with down-home anecdotes about entering antelope hunting contests and shooting ducks in the Ozarks.

Huckabee, a former minister, spoke of taking his son hunting to "teach him the rules about conservation and the rules of the world." And he opened fire on the latest NRA bogeyman: a U.N. law putting restrictions on gun ownership. "We should never ever think we should be under obligation to follow laws other than our own," Huckabee said to thunderous applause.

Huckabee is certainly facing an uphill battle for the nomination. He is currently polling fifth and remains unmentioned in stories about the Republican presidential race. And he will have a hard time trumping Thompson in the folksy category. Thompson also received a warm welcome from the crowd, and referring to his wife Jeri, Thompson told the NRAers, "I think she would be a much better first lady than Bill Clinton." The audience ate it up.

Thompson does face the ire of conservative groups for supporting the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform, which the NRA despises--and obviously McCain faces the same problem. Huckabee, meanwhile, has nowhere to go but up among voters celebrating NRA values.

More Polls

NATIONAL; AP-Ipsos Poll, 9/10-9/12

Rudy Giuliani 24%
Fred Thompson 19%
John McCain 15%
Mitt Romney 7% (Statistical Tie)
Newt Gingrich 6% (Statistical Tie)
Mike Huckabee 5% (Statistical Tie)
Sam Brownback 2%

MICHIGAN; Market Research Group Poll, 9/13-9/19

Rudy Giuliani 27%
Mitt Romney 13%
Fred Thompson 13%
John McCain 6% (Statistical Tie)
Mike Huckabee 5% (Statistical Tie)

COLORADO; American Research Group 9/17

Fred Thompson 25%
Rudy Giuliani 20%
John McCain 12%
Mitt Romney 8% (Tied)
Mike Huckabee 8% (Tied)
Newt Gingrich 5%
Tom Tancredo 4%
Duncan Hunter 1%
Sam Brownback 1%
Ron Paul 1%

FLORIDA; Mason Dixon Polling & Research 9/18

Rudy Giuliani 24%
Fred Thompson 23%
Mitt Romney 13%
John McCain 9% (Statistical Tie)
Mike Huckabee 6% (Statistical Tie)
Tom Tancredo 1%
Duncan Hunter 1%
Ron Paul 1%

Note: Huckabee is in a statistical tie with McCain in Florida and Michigan; tied with Romney in Colorado and also a statistical tie nationwide with Mitt.

Does Newt Like Mike?

I was surprised to see New Gingrich as one of the Vertical Day Guest Bloggers on MikeHuckabee.com.

Newt compliments Gov. Huckabee throughout his post (of course, it is written for the Huckabee blog, but still...):

"I’ve been very impressed with the Governor’s openness to new ideas and solutions for improving our country."

"He showed genuine leadership a few weeks ago by being the first candidate to sign the Nine Nineties in Nine debate pledge."

"By committing to a much more in-depth, solution-oriented political dialogue in our country, Governor Huckabee showed that he’s truly interested in real change."

(Emphasis all mine)

All this to say, if Newt does not get into the Presidential race (which I think he will not), is he setting up to endorse Mike Huckabee? This isn't the first time he's spoken highly of the Governor, and I have a feeling that it won't be the last.

Will James Dobson and Newt Gingrich endorse Mike Huckabee? Only time will tell...

Huckabee Wins Big at Values Voter Debate

From TheHill.com.

Huckabee triumphs in ‘Value Voters’ straw poll

By Klaus Marre
September 18, 2007

"Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) was the big winner of a straw poll of “value voters,” garnering 64 percent of the vote and easily beating all other GOP presidential hopefuls.

The poll of 340 delegates, who were handpicked by social conservative activists, followed a debate on issues important to many members of the Republican base.

The forum attracted only the so-called “second-tier” GOP candidates, with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Sen. Fred Thompson (Tenn.), Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney all skipping the event. Their absence was reflected in the poll results.

“We won huge,” Huckabee said. “I’m pleased, and proud, and honored to have this historic endorsement from America’s leading social conservatives who believe, as I do, in the core values which define American culture and life. This overwhelming vote affirms that conservatives are coalescing around one candidate and that candidate is me.”

Delegates were asked to cast a vote prior to the debate and at its conclusion, and the support for the first-tier candidates plunged. Thompson fell to below 5 percent from 15 percent, Giuliani dropped to just above 1 percent from 5 percent, McCain dipped to below 1 percent from 4 percent and Romney failed to garner a single vote after attracting about 4 percent prior to the debate.

“How can we expect these no-show candidates to take on Osama bin Laden and other world leaders when they’re afraid to show up and answer questions from Phyllis Schlafly?” Rabbi Aryeh Spero of the Jewish Action Alliance asked.

Added Rick Scarborough, the president of Vision America: “If you care about our votes, you need to care about our values enough to show up.”

The debate focused on abortion, national security, a marriage amendment and immigration.

Rep. Ron Paul (Texas) finished a distant second behind Huckabee, taking 16 percent of the vote."


Here are the official results of the Values Voter poll, thanks to Massachusetts for Huckabee.

Here are the official results of the straw poll conducted before andthen immediately after the Values Voter debate. The poll included 340 delegates hand-selected by 40 of America's social conservativeactivists and opinion makers. Pre-debate numbers are located in theparenthesis and the post debate numbers immediately follow the colon.

Mike Huckabee: 219 (119) Clear Winner with 63%
Ron Paul: 44 (53)
Alan Keyes: 24 (30)
Sam Brownback: 18 (26)
Fred Thompson: 15 (52)
Duncan Hunter: 13 (8)
Tom Tancredo: 7 (8)
Rudy Guiliani: 4 (16)
John Cox: 2 (1)
John McCain: 2 (13)
Mitt Romney: 0 (14)

Interesting note: Mike Huckabee and Duncan Hunter were the only ones to gain votes.

Co-sign letter to Sam Brownback

Justin Thomas has written an outstanding letter, to be sent to Sen. Sam Brownback next week, calling for him to pull out of the Presidential race.

Honorable Senator Sam Brownback,

Since 1996, you have been a great asset to the social and economic conservative movement in the US Senate as an ardent supporter of pro-life and pro-growth policies.

There are not many Senators like you today that represent us, conservatives, in the U.S. government.

We believe, however, with all due respect that your announcement on Jan 20th 2007 of your intention to seek the Republican Party's Nomination for President of the United States is an unrealizable goal.

Read more.

Run over there and co-sign Justin's letter.

Thompson won't debate Huckabee

Thompson Campaign Says No to Huckabee Debate Challenge

September 11, 2007

The Brody File has been told by Fred Thompson's campaign that he will NOT debate Mike Huckabee one on one. Huckabee had issued the debate challenge last week. Here's what Thompson's Communication Director Todd Harris just told me:

“We have the greatest respect for Gov. Huckabee and respect his desire to elevate the discourse in this campaign. But there are nine people running for the GOP nomination and an arbitrary pairing of just two of them does a disservice to the voters. We will push hard for Lincoln-Douglas style debates once we get into the General Election, when there are only two candidates running.”

To be fair to Thompson, when he said ON The Tonight Show that he backed Newt Gingrich’s debate plan, that plan was for the General Election, not the primaries. You can read about the Gingrich plan here.

You can read more about Mike Huckabee’s challenge to Thompson here.

I will say to Huckabee’s credit he is the only candidate so far that has officially endorsed Gingrich’s debate plan, though Thompson sounds like he’s ok with it too.

Everybody talks about how Thompson will be a thorn in the side of Romney. It looks to me like Huckabee will be a thorn in the side of Thompson. All of them want to be the social conservative guy.

http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/229168.aspx

Co-sign Mike Huckabee's letter to Fred Thompson

If you haven't already done this, please co-sign Gov. Huckabee's letter to Fred Thompson. So far, over 1900 people have signed this; make sure you are one of them!

Huckabee to debate Thompson one-on-one?

Read this letter from Mike Huckabee to Fred Thompson.

September 7, 2007

The Honorable Fred Thompson
1130 Eighth Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37203

Dear Senator Thompson, Welcome to the 2008 Presidential race. I look forward to seeing you on the trail in the upcoming days, weeks, and months ahead.

I share your view of the debates and agree that Newt's "Nine Nineties in Nine" concept is a far better way to make sure America's next President has the character and capacity to lead our nation forward, and that's why I have already signed that pledge. I agree that what is needed is a real discussion by the candidates about their vision for the future of our country.

The debates so far have not offered an in-depth discussion on critical issues such as health care, education, energy independence, in addition to terrorism and national security.

I am aware of your comments on Fox News that you would like to participate in a series of Lincoln Douglas-styled debates. I would like to officially accept your offer and look forward to working with your staff to schedule this. I would suggest we start this series in New Hampshire.

At the end of these debates, the American people will know each candidate far greater and would be able to choose which candidate possesses the depth of knowledge on the issues and has the character and capacity to lead or great nation. More importantly, the American people would be able to rely on a true conversation on the issues, instead of just 30-second ads and soundbites to decide which candidate has the right vision for America's future.

Senator, let's lead by example and get the ball rolling. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this idea and debating you in front of the American people.

Sincerely,

Mike Huckabee Former Governor of Arkansas (1996-2007)

Texas Poll has Huckabee at 13%

This IVR Poll has Huckabee at 13% in Texas; a great improvement over the last Texas poll.

Fred Thompson 25%
Rudy Giuliani 21%
Mitt Romney 15%
Mike Huckabee 13%
John McCain 8%
Ron Paul 5%
Unsure 5%
Other 8%

http://www.usaelectionpolls.com/2008/articles/fred-thompson-leads-texas-poll.html

Fred "The Wimp" Thompson?

Huckabee Hound has a great post about Fred Thompson's decision to jump into the race after the New Hampshire debate.

Fred Thompson is a Chicken!

I respect Fred Thompson as a Republican and a conservative. However, I cannot respect his decision to officially declare his candidacy one day after the New Hamphire Republican Debate to be televised on the Fox News channel September 5th. The reason Thompson chose Sept. 6th to declare his campaign is so that he wouldn't have to participate in the debate with all the other candidates. That is cowardly, there's no other way to put it.

Read the rest of this article HERE.

I really am disappointed in Fred Thompson. I expected more out of him. And snubbing New Hampshire like this will backfire on him.

Fred clearly doesn't have the guts to enter into the debate with Mike Huckabee. Think about it; who poses the greatest threat to Fred? Who's poll numbers leap right after the debates? Who has recently passed Fred in Iowa and New Hampshire polls? Mike Huckabee. So, by entering the Presidential race the day after the NH debate, and stealing the limelight, Fred Thompson thinks he can move the momentum away from his biggest opponent. And Fred's poll number will go up for a while. After all, people have been waiting forever for him to jump in. But after a few weeks, people will begin to see Fred Thompson for who he really is: a coward.

McLaughlin & Associates Iowa Poll

McLaughlin & Associates conducted a survey of 500 likely Republican caucus voters in Iowa on August 20th and 21st, 2007. The poll has an accuracy of +/- 4.5%.

Mitt Romney 35
Rudy Giuliani 12
Fred Thompson 11
Mike Huckabee 11
Tom Tancredo 9
John McCain 7
Sam Brownback 2
Ron Paul 1
Duncan Hunter 1
Firm Undecided 10

http://www.one.org/polls/documents/ia/august/iowa_memo_0830.pdf

This poll was taken more than a week before the ARG poll.

Huckabee's Surging Poll Numbers

Hot off the press! Mike Huckabee has literally surged past Fred Thompson and John McCain!

American Research Group Iowa Caucus Poll, conducted August 26-29, 2007

Mitt Romney 26% (21% last month)
Rudy Giuliani 17% (22% last month)
Mike Huckabee 17% (1% last month)
Fred Thompson 13% (13% last month)
Newt Gingrich 7% (4% last month)
John McCain 4% (17% last month)
Duncan Hunter 1% (2% last month)
Ron Paul 1% (1% last month)

American Research Group New Hampshire Primary Poll, conducted August 26-29, 2007

Mitt Romney 27% (26% last month)
Rudy Giuliani 23% (27% last month)
John McCain 12% (10% last month)
Mike Huckabee 9% (1% last month)
Fred Thompson 8% (13% last month)
Newt Gingrich 4% (6% last month)
Ron Paul 3% (1% last month)

Republicans Only:
Rudy Giuliani 26%
Mitt Romney 24%
Mike Huckabee 12%
John McCain 10%
Fred Thompson 7%
Newt Gingrich 5%
Ron Paul 2%

American Research Group South Carolina Poll, conducted August 26-29, 2007

Rudy Giuliani 26% (28% last month)
Fred Thompson 21% (27% last month)
John McCain 12% (10% last month)
Mike Huckabee 9% (3% last month)
Mitt Romney 9% (7% last month)
Newt Gingrich 6% (7% last month)
Sam Brownback 2% (0% last month)
Ron Paul 2% (3% last month)
Tom Tancredo 1% (1% last month)

The candidates that dropped are italicized, with major drops of 5% or more underlined as well.

Thanks to race42008.com for this breaking story!

Huckabee Shines at Livestrong Forum

Here's a great article by Newsweek's Jonathon Alter.

Huckabee Stars as GOP Stumbles

Aug. 28, 2007 - On the second day of Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong Presidential Cancer Forum, only two of the eight invited Republican candidates showed up—a reflection of some poor thinking in the GOP. But it didn’t matter too much. Attendees at the Cedar Rapids, Iowa event may look back at two “surges” that began here—one a boom in health care as a major campaign issue for Republicans; the other the emergence of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as a serious candidate for president.

The story of the no-shows tells you a lot about the state of the GOP. Some—like John McCain—had longstanding conflicts. But Mitt Romney was considered a likely guest until the last possible minute, then chose instead to speak at another cancer event, hastily scheduled this week by Republicans at the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research. The best explanation for Romney’s decision to stiff Armstrong is that he didn't want to face questions from co-moderator Chris Matthews about why he was running away from his innovative health care plan in Massachusetts. (The breast cancer event was a speech, not a Q and A).

Rudy Giuliani was also expected, but refused to return several calls from Armstrong personally about whether he would attend. The best guess is that Giuliani didn’t want to have to acknowledge his support for embryonic stem cell research in front of conservative Iowa caucus-goers. His own status as a prostate-cancer survivor was apparently not enough protection.
That left Sen. Sam Brownback and Huckabee. Brownback, himself a melanoma survivor, scored some points by emphasizing his efforts to ease the availability of experimental drugs for end-stage cancer patients, which the FDA continues to make difficult, at a cost of thousands of lives. My question: Why couldn't he get his bipartisan bill passed when his party controlled the Senate? And Brownback's continued support for "high-risk insurance pools" is just more of the same for Americans with pre-existing conditions. On top of cancer or other life-threatening illnesses, they have to pay three or four times as much for insurance, if they can get it at all. The only solution is to mandate a single risk pool for the entire country. But the insurance industry has bought and paid for too many legislators to allow that.

Brownback refused to be pinned down on cancer research funding. While all four Democrats who appeared Monday (plus Barack Obama) have pledged to at least double the $5 billlion in federal funds spent annually on cancer research, Brownback said he wanted to start with a pledge to end cancer deaths in ten years, then assess how much money would be required.
After he said it would require much more money, Matthews pounced. Where Democrats said they would fund their ambitious expansions of health-care funding by rescinding the tax cut for those making more than $200,000 a year and winding down the Iraq war, Brownback refused to make any tough choices, saying money could be saved with the equivalent of the military-base closing commission for the whole government. "If it could have been done so easily, it would have been done a long time ago. Presidents have to choose!" Matthews thundered.

Where Brownback was plodding and humorless, Huckabee was ambitious, fresh and amusing. He explained how he had lost 110 pounds, then set about transforming the health of the people in his state. Smoking is big in the South, so it is especially impressive that he got the Arkansas state legislature to ban all smoking in public places and workplaces. “It’s a work place safety issue, not just about bars and restaurants,” Huckabee noted. He also eliminated co-payments for colonoscopies, prostate tests and other screening, arguing that early detection will save the state billions. Considering that most states still don't require insurance companies to even cover colonoscopies—about the most pound-foolish policy imaginable—that's a real accomplishment.

Huckabee has a way of explaining things in ways people can relate to, and he received the most laughs and applause of the whole event. For example: "People today aren't eating food, they're eating 'food products'. You're better off throwing away the contents and eating the packaging. At least the cardboard has fiber."

He’s also the only candidate in either party who introduces truly fresh ideas I’ve never heard before. Some months ago, he launched the idea of federal funding for art and music programs, which he rightly says are necessary to help the U.S. keep its creative edge in global competition. And today Huckabee talked about a food-stamp program that would offer financial incentives for healthy choices, so that a dollar in food stamps would buy $1.25 worth of fruit and vegetables but only 75 cents worth of junk food. Worth a try.

Overall, Lance Armstrong and his foundation got something important going this week—a real conversation on cancer and health. Now it’s up to the candidates, the media and the public to keep it going.

© 2007 Newsweek, Inc.

Mike Huckabee Second in OKGOP poll

This from the OKGOP party's weekly e-mail.

Huckabee Makes Move in Latest OKGOP Poll

With 410 Republican votes cast, Fred Thompson was once again Oklahoma's top choice in our State Party online poll, but the margin has shrunk.

Thompson went from 46% to 38%. Rudy Giuliani, who received 16% in our first poll in April, came in third with 14%. The candidate who made the biggest jump was Mike Huckabee of Arkansas. Huckabee was under 7% in our first poll, but came in with 18% in our latest poll. Huckabee also made some noise in Iowa recently, coming in second behind Mitt Romney. Romney rounded out the top four in our poll with 13%. All other candidates in our poll received under 4%.

Mike Huckabee: the Hope for America

Greetings to the new OKforHuckabee blog!

First things first. The 2008 Presidential Election is going to be one of the most crucial races in our nation's recent history. That's why I'm supporting Mike Huckabee, the Hope for America.

Mike Huckabee is a strong conservative, with a proven record. He has demonstrated his bipartisan appeal with his gubernatorial elections in Arkansas. He's not afraid to stand up for what's right, and he's not afraid to be alone in doing so. As a former Southern Baptist pastor, he has strong morals, something found lacking in many politicians today.

Among the crowd of Republican presidential candidates, Mike Huckabee is the only true conservative that stands out. There are liberals, psuedo-conservatives, and people that belong in a totally different parties running for the Republican nomination. Please, make the right choice for our party, the right choice for our state, and the right choice for America. Let's make Oklahoma a Huckabee state. Vote for Mike Huckabee in the Republican Presidential Primary.

Visit http://www.mikehuckabee.com/ for more information on this outstanding candidate.

P.S. Be sure and check the Blog List on the left side of this page from time to time. I will be adding links to other great Huckabee bloggers as I find them.