Do You Suppose...

Do you suppose the reason that Ron Paul is able to raise so much money has something to do with the spending habits of his base?

In other words, might it be true that young, libertarian-leaning Americans (Paul's base) are more willing to make campaign contributions--credit contributions they really can't afford--than, say, older, thriftier conservatives (Huckabee's base)?

I suspect, though I can't prove, that this explains the astounding disconnect between Paul's considerable money and his less-than-considerable poll numbers. But what politically correct media outlet would ever say so?

Huckabee to Rush: Let's Talk

Huck offers olive branch to Rush, asks for him to get in touch
www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/1207/Huck_offers_olive_branch_to_Rush_asks_for_him_to_get_in_touch.html

December 22, 2007

SIOUX CITY, Iowa — The best-talking Republican politician in America has a message for the best-talking conservative voice in the country: Let's talk to one another.

Mike Huckabee, taking questions from reporters after a town hall meeting here, responded to the torrent of criticism that Rush Limbaugh unleashed during his broadcast yesterday by turning the other cheek — and then heaping on the praise.

"I love Rush Limbaugh; I've always loved his show," Huckabee assured. "I think he’s been great for the conservative movement."

The former Arkansas governor conceded that he hadn't sought Limbaugh out to set the record straight — but that he would like to.

"I don’t have his number," Huckabee explained. "If you have it, Jonathan, why don’t you give it to me. I’d love to talk to him."

"Maybe put it on the Web that if he’ll call me, I’d love to visit with him."

Stung by an anonymous Huckabee supporter's comments to Marc Ambinder that derided the influential talker as taking his cues from the "D.C./Manhattan chattering class," Limbaugh used his Friday show to defend himself.

"I'm part of the Cape Girardeau-Middle America axis," Limbaugh said, alluding to his Missouri hometown.

He called the attacks "Clintonian" and accused Huckabee's campaign of "trying to dumb down conservatism in order to get it to conform with his record."

Asked if he thought Limbaugh was an elite conservative or grass-roots conservative, Huckabee quickly said, "Oh, I think he's a grass-roots conservative."

Questioned why the talk show host would attack him, Huckabee shrugged.

"Ask him. I don't know. ... All I can do is hope that Rush loves me as much as I love Rush."

Over to you, Rushbo.

HSLDA for Huckabee

An early endorsement, a great reminder, a MUST READ...

HSLDA PAC: Mike Huckabee for President
(bold and italics John Morris)

June 19, 2007

HSLDA’s PAC Committee has taken the historic step of making an early endorsement in the 2008 race for president.

We believe that Mike Huckabee, Governor of Arkansas, should be elected the next President of the United States. Mike is a principled conservative, a friend of homeschooling, a man of character, and a man with a mature faith in Jesus Christ.

Mike Huckabee, as governor, was the first to appoint a homeschooler to the Arkansas State Board of Education, and to our knowledge the first to do so in any state. He is adamantly opposed to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and is committed to stopping the erosion of parental rights. He is pro-life. He supports traditional marriage. He believes that the Internal Revenue Service should be abolished and replaced with the Fair Tax—a move that we strongly support because it would greatly benefit homeschooling families. He believes and is willing to say that Islamic extremism needs to be understood as a theologically driven threat. He believes that America must be strong, but should never be perceived as a bully. He believes that our borders must be secured not only from illegal immigration but from the growing trend among American judges of “illegally importing” international law into our American judicial systems.

There are a few other candidates in the race who are properly described as principled conservatives. None of the media’s “frontrunners” would qualify for this designation. But we believe that Mike Huckabee is by far the best communicator in the race—he is able to articulate his conservative principles in an incredibly winsome and articulate manner. Moreover, among the principled conservatives, Huckabee is the only one who has been a governor. And we have not elected members of either the Senate or the House—and certainly not a mayor—as President of the United States in nearly a half century.

We believe that Mike Huckabee may be the only candidate in the race who could defeat Hillary Clinton in 2008.

Because of her past support for the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, we believe that it is absolutely essential to find a candidate who can beat her. If she is elected president, both homeschooling and parental rights would be in serious jeopardy.

To date, based on early polls, we are told that Rudy Giuliani is the front-runner for the GOP nomination. It is our judgment that Giuliani cannot possibly beat Hillary Clinton. Since 1976, no person running for president as a moderate Republican has ever won the election. (Not everyone running as a conservative, proved to be a true conservative, but we are analyzing elections.) Ford and Dole—both moderates—lost in 1976 and 1996. Reagan, a clear conservative, won landslides in 1980 and 1984. George H.W. Bush portrayed himself as a Reagan man in 1988 and won. But as president he violated his famous “read my lips—no new taxes” pledge, and was defeated in 1992 when it had become clear to America that he was a moderate. George W. Bush ran as a conservative and was elected in 2000 and 2004.

Moderate Republicans simply cannot win the presidency. If the nation wants a Democrat, they choose the real thing. This is particularly true on the abortion issue. Giuliani supports Roe vs. Wade and will never win the support of the crucial block of social conservatives. Hillary Clinton will be elected president if Giuliani is the candidate. We think this is true of any of the other front-runners—none of whom comes close to being labeled a truly principled conservative. Do not believe the early polls. History is a far better means of analysis. No moderate Republican can be elected president.

We have taken this historic step of an early endorsement because the process of electing our president is based on a radically different timetable in this election. The vast majority of the primaries will be earlier than ever before. If we do not act now, all conservatives will be driven from the race by lack of funding and we will be left with only unacceptable choices.

Thus, we urge our members to do four things:

1. Support Mike Huckabee in your state’s presidential primary (or other nomination process).

2. Please pray for him on a regular basis.

3. Please consider volunteering for his campaign. You can view his website at: www.mikehuckabee.com

4. Please make a donation TODAY to his campaign at: www.mikehuckabee.com

Do not think that your gift is insignificant because you cannot give thousands of dollars. A campaign like Huckabee’s will only work when thousands of friends network together giving, $25, $50, $100, or even just $10 each. Frankly, a campaign that receives $25 from 10,000 people is far stronger than a campaign that receives $10,000 from 25 people.

Grassroots conservatives often complain about the big-dollar types who try to control the process. The only solution is for a whole bunch of small-dollar people to stand together and give together. And the left has learned to drive millions of people to websites and to fund large campaigns based on grassroots supporters who contact their friends and urge them to get involved.

It is far safer for an organization like ours to sit silently on the sidelines for a long time. But, it is our judgment that we must get behind a conservative candidate who will provide a viable option to Hillary. Moreover, many of us have waited a long time for a presidential candidate who is a truly qualified and articulate man who shares our values down to his core. Mike Huckabee entered politics for the same reason that most of us began homeschooling. He wants a future that is grounded upon timeless values.

We think that the time is now. Please support Mike Huckabee.

http://www.hsldapac.org/dnn/Home/HuckabeeforPresident/tabid/93/Default.aspx

What Will Happen in 2008: My Prediction

Mike Huckabee will win the Republican nomination,
name John McCain as his VP,
then go on to win in the general election.

Yes, that is how it will go...

Premium Poll Positions

Recent polls have Mike Huckabee...
http://www.politicsandchristianity.com/2007/12/republican-leader-polls-121407.html
1st in Iowa
1st in South Carolina
1st in North Carolina
1st in Florida
1st in Michigan
1st in Texas
1st in Oklahoma
1st in Arkansas
1st in Georgia
1st in the Nation

Mike Huckabee is 1st in more states than any other Republican candidate.

What's more, Mike now has Reagan's 1984 campaign director, Ed Rollins, as his own national campaign chairman. Ed Rollins is the man who helped Reagan win 49 states! Rollins believes Huckabee can win. So do I. And, I suspect...so do the Democrats.

HuckaBOOM!

Mike Huckabee's website now experiences higher traffic volume than that of ANY other presidential candidate. (www.hitwise.com)

With Democrats included:

1.	www.mikehuckabee.com	24.46%
2.	www.ronpaul2008.com	23.2%
3.	www.barackobama.com	14.41%
4.	www.mittromney.com	9.2%
5.	www.hillaryclinton.com	8.19%
6.	www.johnedwards.com	4.45%
7.	www.johnmccain.com	3.06%
8.	www.fred08.com	2.46%
9.	www.joinrudy2008.com	2.42%
10.	www.joebiden.com	2.32%
11.	www.dennis4president.com	1.81%
12.	www.richardsonforpresident.com	1.12%
13.	www.gohunter08.com	1.02%
14.	www.teamtancredo.org	1%
15.	www.chrisdodd.com	0.66%
16.	www.gravel2008.us	0.23%

America, meet the 44th President of the United States of America.

Rasmussen: Huckabee 1st in the Nation

Daily Presidential Tracking Poll
www.rasmussenreports.com

Huckabee 22%
Giuliani 21%
Romney 14%
Thompson 12%
McCain 9%

Minuteman Founder Jim Gilchrist is endorsing Mike...and Mike is supposed to be soft on immigration?!

Is He Tough Enough? Watch and See.

Mike Huckabee on Islamo-fascism

Discover Mike Huckabee

New TV Ads: IA, NH, SC

Poll Positions...and Great Video

Rasmussen (National)
www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics

Huckabee 22%
Giuliania 18%
Romney 13%
McCain 12%
Thompson 9%
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsweek Poll (Iowa)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/74215

Huckabee 39%
Romney 17%
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Huckabee's Plan for Immigration and the Border

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.

Source: www.mikehuckabee.com

Some Things to Consider

Introduction

Concerning the subject at hand--how the Mormon Church differs substantially from biblical Christianity--there is an overwhelming amount of available information. Far, far too much for us to even begin to scrape the surface here (I have included some relevant links at the end of this post for those interested). In light of that, I have not attempted an exhaustive or definitive, but have instead endeavored to lay out just a few facts that uphold the claim that biblical Christianity and Mormonism are quite distinct. Please note that in showing the doctrines of the Mormon Church, I have used only their own sources.

Finally, as I stated two days ago, these beliefs do not make it impossible for Mitt Romney to serve well in political office. The object of this article is to let the truth be known in the event that his upcoming speech would lead listeners to believe that Mormonism and Christianity are on the same page. So, let's begin...

Mormon Scriptures

The Mormon Church, in contrast to Christian churches, accepts four books as authoritative Scripture: The Bible; The Book of Mormon; The Doctrine and Covenants; and The Pearl of Great Price. This gives them three more holy books than Christians. For biblical Christians, the Bible is the only authoritative rule of faith and practice, the only book inspired by God. This is a huge difference in and of itself.

Of course, if you have three extra books, you're bound to have some extra ideas. That is certainly the case, here. I've decided to take time only to delve into two of these extras (that alone will take plenty of space, as you may have already noticed). First, how the Mormon Church's view of God differs greatly from Christianity's, and second, how their view of the identity and longevity of the church differs.

I. The Nature of God

A. There is one God

A1. The Bible teaches us that there is but one God. In Isaiah 43:10, we read, "Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servants whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me." Later in the same book, God says, "...I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God" (Isaiah 44:6). Finally, as if to make sure the point is driven home, the book of Isaiah offers us a third passage on the subject: "Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any." Other passages speak to this same truth (Deut. 32:29; 2 Sam. 7:22; 1 Chron. 17:20; Mk. 12:32; 1 Co. 8:6; 1 Tim. 2:5; Js. 2:19).

A2. The Mormon Church believes there are three Gods. In the fourth chapter of their Book of Abraham, which is a part of the Pearl of Great Price, you can read many time over of how "the Gods" created the universe (Abraham 4-5). Joseph Smith, the Mormon prophet, said himself: "I have always declared God to be a distinct personage, Jesus Christ a separate and distinct personage from the God the Father, and that the Holy Ghost was a distinct personage and a Spirit: and these three constitute three distinct personages and three Gods" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 370). They also believe in a multiplicity of other gods (gods, with a lower case "g"), as expressed in Doctrine and Covenants 121:32 and 132:20.

B. God has always been God

B1. The Bible teaches that God has always been God. Psalm 90:2 reads, "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." God has always been, and always will be, God (see also Psalm 93:2).

B2. The Mormon Churches teaches that God was once a man! Their prophet, Joseph Smith, said the following: "God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!...I am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea, and take away the veil, so that you may see...[H]e was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on earth, the same as Jesus Christ himself did..." (Teachings, pp. 345-347, quoted from Mormon Doctrine, Bruce R. McConkie, p. 321, under "GODHOOD").

C. God is a spirit

C3. The Bible teaches that God is a spirit, and does not have a body of flesh and bone. In John 4:24, we read: "God is a spirit...", and Jesus affirms that "...a spirit has not flesh and bones..." (Luke 24:39).

C4. Mormon doctrine affirms that God, who "is an exalted man" is not a spirit, and that he has a body of flesh and bone. In Doctrine and Covenants 130:22, we read: "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of the Spirit...."

II. The Existence and Identity of the Church

A. Christianity teaches that "the church" (Christ's body of saved believers on earth) has been in existence since its inception in the first century. It acknowledges that there have been many down through the centuries who erroneously identified themselves as "the church", yet affirms that the church, "the kingdom of God" on earth, persisted all the while. In Daniel 2:44, Daniel speaks of the future establishment of the church, and says, "...the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed...and it shall stand for ever." And centuries later, just prior to Jesus' birth, the angel Gabriel said to Mary that "...of [Jesus'] kingdom (the church, Colossian 1:13) there shall be no end" (Luke 1:33).

B. The Mormon Church teaches quite the opposite. They teach that the true church actually disappeared from existence soon after the death of the apostles, and that it didn't resume existence until over a millennium later, due to the work of their prophet, Joseph Smith. According to Joseph Smith himself, he was told by God when he was a youth that none of the churches in existence in his day were right: "I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong" (History 1:19). In keeping with this idea, he was later directed by God to bring "the truth" to those around him, and restore the church. Of course, this goes hand-in-hand with LDS church's claim that it is "the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth" and that "the power of God unto salvation--(Rom. 1:16) is absent from all but the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints" (Bruce McConkie (a Mormon apostle), Mormon Doctrine).

Conclusion

Time and space fail here, but there is so much more that could be said. We could discuss how the Mormon Church's idea of the afterlife, the priesthood, salvation, and spiritual discernment differ extremely from biblical Christianity. Though they use the same words as Christians, they mean entirely different things when they say them.

We live in a free country, and that's something to be thankful for. The Mormon Church is free to teach and believe what it does. Its members are even free to say what they want about how their faith relates to Christian faith. But regardless of what is said, the truth will not change. "Facts are stubborn things," said John Adams.

Newsweek seems to have summed it up well: "[Mormonism] now insists it be regarded as a Christian church, albeit one with doctrines about God, salvation and priesthood that differ radically from traditional Christianity" (Newsweek, September 10, 2001).

Links:

http://www.utlm.org/
http://www.carm.org/lds/compare.htm
http://contenderministries.org/mormonism/comparison.php

Hitwise Hits Huckabee with Great News

http://www.hitwise.com/political-data-center/republican-candidates.php

This list features the websites for the Republican candidates of 2008 Presidential elections based on US Internet usage for the week ending December 1, 2007...

1.	www.ronpaul2008.com	37.03%
2.	www.mikehuckabee.com	36.12%
3.	www.fred08.com	7.52%
4.	www.mittromney.com	6.03%
5.	www.joinrudy2008.com	5.93%
6.	www.johnmccain.com	3.64%
7.	www.gohunter08.com	2.39%
8.	www.teamtancredo.org	1.34%

Could Ron Paul be about to lose his electronic advantage?

Update

A quick update on the upcoming article...
(see Monday, December 3, 2007 post entitled: "I'm Going to Make You an Offer...")

I'll have the article up (at least part 1) by 11:59 PM Pacific Time tonight, if not before.

Thanks for checking in!

1st in the Nation!!!

Daily Presidential Tracking Poll
www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics

Huckabee 20%
Giuliani 17%
McCain 13%
Romney 13%
Thompson 10%

Mike Huckabee: President of the United States of America...I can live with that.

Tied for 1st in Nation!

Daily Presidential Tracking Poll (12/04/07)
www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics

Huckabee 18%
Giuliani 18%
McCain 14%
Thompson 13%
Romney 12%

We may just be looking at the ascension of the next president...

I'm Going to Make You an Offer...

DISCLAIMER (please read): This blog is in no way funded or directed by the Mike Huckabee campaign. I began this blog of my own volition, continue it on those same grounds, and was prompted by no other force than my own conscience to write what follows. The views expressed here are mine, irrespective of the Governor's, and are posted for the inspection and dissection of all.

So here goes...

This is a political blog, but I'm going to be politically incorrect. I care too much about you, about America, about truth not to be. Sounds sappy, maybe, but it's true. So I'm going to make you an offer.

But first a few remarks.

I have been blessed to be able to work as an evangelist among undenominational Christians-- across the US and abroad--for over eight years, and in that time, I've learned more than a little about Mormonism. In my work, I have talked and studied extensively with many Mormons, read considerable portions of their holy books, read their history from their own sources (Deseret Publishing), and researched their many doctrines. After doing so, I can say with educated certainty that Mormonism is totally incompatible with, and in contradiction to, Biblical Christianity. Like I said, politically incorrect.

Now, do I think that just because Mitt Romney is a Mormon that he can't be a good president? No (I have other reasons for believing that--can you say "flip flop"?). But Mitt is going to be giving a speech this Thursday to help his dying campaign, and I fear he may say some things that just aren't true. In fact, I expect it. Either through ignorance, or intentional misrepresentation (and I consider either a possibility), Mitt may just try to tell us all that his faith differs in no substantial way from the faith of Christians. If he says that, it will not be true.

My offer? If you'd like to know the truth about Mormonism--not from one interested in bashing Mormons, but from one who cares about truth--please leave a comment on this post, and by no later than Wednesday night I'll have a post up that details the truth about the Mormon Church. The post WILL NOT BE VINDICTIVE, just matter-of-fact, forthright, and documented (the truth has nothing to hide).

That's the offer. I'll wait to hear from you. Thanks for reading.

HELP HUCK HIT HIS GOAL!

National Poll: Mike Only 3% Behind Rudy

Daily Presidential Tracking Poll
www.rasmussenreports.com

Giuliani 20%
Huckabee 17%
Thompson 14%
McCain 13%
Romney 11%

Even Drudge is talking about it...

9,000+ Join Huckabee Campaign in Just 48 Hours!

Sign-Ups are Surging
www.mikehuckabee.com

Campaign email signups are surging. Over the last 48 hours over 9,000 voters have signed up for Governor Huckabee's emails....over 1,000 of these are also first-time contributors...

1st in Iowa, 2nd in Nation

1st in Iowa (12/02/07)
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=iowapoll07

Huckabee 29%
Romney 24%
Giuliani 13%
Thompson 9%
McCain 7%
Paul 7%
Tancredo 6%
Hunter 1%

2nd in Nation (12/02/07)
www.rasmussenreports.com

Giuliani 22%
Huckabee 17%
McCain 14%
Thompson 14%
Romney 11%

Only 5% from Giuliani? Rudy, meet Romney.

Huckabee 2nd in Nation

Daily Presidential Tracking Poll (12/01/07)
http://www.rasmussenreports.com



Guiliani 24%
Huckabee 15%
Thompson 14%
McCain 13%
Romney 10%

This is Mike Huckabee's best national performance, yet. Look for more.

HuckaBEE

Huckabee Riding the Bounce
by Jay Newton
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1689522,00.html?imw=Y

(excerpt)

Mike Huckabee likes to think of his campaign as the fat bumblebee whose ability to fly has baffled generations of scientists. "The bumblebee, being unaware of these scientific facts, goes ahead and flies anyway and makes honey and pollinates the other plants," Huckabee told a group of reporters over lunch in Washington Thursday. "In many ways our campaign is somewhat like this. Conventional wisdom says that you cannot run a campaign with the amount of money that we've had up to date. You can't do it without the staff, the consultants, the budget — all those things that are considered absolutely critical. But we were unaware of those things so we continued to go on and have seen ourselves grow."

"Moving on Up to the Top"

New Hampshire GOP Primary Poll
www.rasmussenreports.com

"...a virtual three-way tie for second place...."

Mitt Romney 34%
Rudy Giuliani 15%
John McCain 15%
Mike Huckabee 14%
Ron Paul 8%
Fred Thompson 3%
Tom Tancredo 1%
Duncan Hunter 1%

In the last two weeks, polls have revealed that Mike Huckabee is:

1st in Iowa,
2nd in Florida,
2nd in Texas,
2nd in the Nation,
2nd/3rd in New Hampshire.

At this rate, Mike Huckabee might just win the Republican nomination....

LOOK AT THAT BLACK LINE!

Huckabee is for Real (excerpt)
by John McIntyre
(bold and italics McIntyre's)

"...[A]t roughly 10-1 to win the Republican nomination (he is trading in 3rd place at 11.7 at Intrade) I like [Huckabee's] odds to be the GOP nominee.

The GOP race is usually characterized as either a two-person contest (Giuliani vs. Romney) or a wide open field among the five viable candidates (Giuliani, Romney, Thompson, Huckabee and McCain). However, what we are fast approaching is a three-man race between Huckabee, Romney and Giuliani.

In general this is very bad news for Mitt Romney. A strongly viable Huckabee will steal voters Romney has to have to be able to beat Giuliani as the primary calendar moves into the post-New Hampshire contests...

What we have developing is Huckabee stepping in and filling the void in the GOP field that was available to Thompson in the summer - a void that his inept campaign has been unable to fill. So perhaps instead of the Tennessean sinking the Romney campaign it could very well be the Arkansan.

For the Romney campaign the silver lining in Huckabee's move into the first tier -- and it is not an unimportant silver lining -- is that Huckabee has totally shaken up the expectations for Iowa on the GOP side. Because of this resetting of expectations in December, if Romney is able to hold off Huckabee in Iowa it will be a huge win for his campaign...

However, what has to make the Romney campaign very nervous is this chart in Iowa.

Intrade now has Huckabee at 55.1 and Romney at 38.0. Those markets are correctly pricing the race. Romney is now the underdog in Iowa.

An important signal to watch for over the next month will be whether Huckabee overtakes Romney in the national polls leading up to Iowa. If that were to happen concurrently with Huckabee continuing to head toward a win in Iowa that would be an important tell that Republican voters are moving toward ultimately a Huckabee vs. Giuliani showdown.

Giuliani remains the favorite, but at 10-1 odds that would be a showdown that Mike Huckabee might just be able to win.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/realclearpolitics/20071129/cm_rcp/huckabee_is_for_real

Huckabee Outshines Opponents

---

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2007/11/28/politics/horserace/entry3551763.shtml

Romney Battles, Huckabee Shines In GOP Debate

by Vaughn Ververs

(excerpted)

"...Huckabee, who has distinguished himself in the debates all year, turned in the strongest performance of the evening at a time when he’s beginning to become a force in the race. Time and time again, Huckabee stood out, giving thoughtful and eloquent answers to questions about immigration, taxes, the death penalty and the Bible, which for an ordained Baptist minister is a familiar subject. He also once again delivered the best punch lines...."

America Likes Mike

by John Morris

Like a phoenix, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee has exploded from the ashes of obscurity, and soared into the sunlit heavens of national awareness. Largely overlooked by the media just weeks ago, Mike Huckabee has become this campaign cycle's most exciting story.

A recent Zogby survey found that Huckabee would beat Hillary by a wider margin than any of the other leading Republican candidates if the general election were held today.

Huckabee is shining with equal strength at the state level. Rasmussen now shows he's FIRST IN IOWA. He's SECOND IN TEXAS, he's SECOND IN FLORIDA, and his numbers are climbing elsewhere.

Huckabee has done this with relatively little money, and limited previous name recognition. Romney has outspent him in Iowa by at least 1000%, and still can't keep Huckabee off his heels. Fred Thompson has all the fame and notoriety a fella could ask for, but finds his ride to the White House stalling on the shoulder while Huckabee blazes by in the passing lane. What's up? (besides Huckabee's poll numbers, that is)

America likes Mike. They like his message, they like his manner, they like the man. For all his faults and failings, he seems to be a pretty nice guy who genuinely stands for things that most Americans still cherish: faith, family, life, and liberty. And more than just stand for them, he can communicate them! "Finally," many conservatives are saying to themselves, "a Republican candidate who has convictions, and who can speak intelligently and persuasively about them."

It's true, the jury is still out on what will become of Mike Huckabee's run for the presidency. The next few weeks will likely be very telling. But all indications, right now, are that this dark horse is a force to be reckoned with, and may just be the candidate that conservatives have been hoping for.

Huckabee has experienced a surge in support after each of the recent televised debates. He hopes the same will happen after tonight. If he performs as well as he has in the past, it likely will. Check him out tonight on the CNN/YouTube Debate, and let me know what you think.

Huckabee 2nd in Florida

Southern Political Report
http://www.southernpoliticalreport.com/storylink_1127_50.aspx

Rudy Giuliani (26%)
Mike Huckabee (17%)
John McCain (13%)
Mitt Romney (12%)
Fred Thompson (9%)
Ron Paul (3%)
Duncan Hunter (1%)
Tom Tancredo (1%)
Undecided (18%)

Zogby Poll: Huckabee Beats Hillary

A new Zogby survey has discovered that Hillary would be defeated by any of the leading Repulbican candidates if the general election were held today. What's especially interesting, however, is that her biggest defeat would come at the hands of former Arkansas governor, Mike Huckabee.
http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews2.dbm?ID=1393

	11/26/2007	7/14/2007	5/17/2007
Clinton	38%	45%	43%
McCain	42%	43%	47%

	11/26/2007	7/14/2007	5/17/2007
Clinton	40%	46%	43%
Giuliani	43%	41%	48%

	11/26/2007	7/14/2007	5/17/2007
Clinton	40%	48%	48%
Romney	43%	38%	40%

	11/26/2007	7/14/2007	5/17/2007
Clinton	39%	N/A	N/A
Huckabee	44%	N/A	N/A

	11/26/2007	7/14/2007	5/17/2007
Clinton	40%	47%	48%
Thompson	44%	41%	41%

	11/26/2007	7/14/2007	5/17/2007
Obama	45%	45%	46%
McCain	38%	42%	43%

	11/26/2007	7/14/2007	5/17/2007
Obama	46%	46%	48%
Giuliani	41%	42%	42%

	11/26/2007	7/14/2007	5/17/2007
Obama	46%	49%	52%
Romney	40%	35%	35%

	11/26/2007	7/14/2007	5/17/2007
Obama	46%	N/A	N/A
Huckabee	40%	N/A	N/A

	11/26/2007	7/14/2007	5/17/2007
Obama	47%	48%	52%
Thompson	40%	40%	35%

	11/26/2007	7/14/2007	5/17/2007
Edwards	42%	43%	41%
McCain	42%	43%	46%

	11/26/2007	7/14/2007	5/17/2007
Edwards	44%	43%	43%
Giuliani	43%	46%	47%

	11/26/2007	7/14/2007	5/17/2007
Edwards	44%	47%	50%
Romney	42%	38%	36%

	11/26/2007	7/14/2007	5/17/2007
Edwards	43%	N/A	N/A
Huckabee	42%	N/A	N/A

	11/26/2007	7/14/2007	5/17/2007
Edwards	45%	46%	48%
Thompson	42%	40%	40%

Straight from the Huckabee's Mouth

Governor Mike Huckabee hosted a blogger conference call this morning, and some of us were able to talk to him and ask questions. Some of what was discussed during the call follows (in no particular order):

1. The Governor deeply appreciates the work of the bloggers, as we are a main reason he has been able to perform so well throughout the nation with limited resources.

2. There are over 400 blogs for Huckabee (which means I account for less than .0025% of the Huckabee blogosphere. hmm...).

3. www.techpresident.com has an article entitled "Mike Huckabee is Running the Best Web Campaign" (viewable on Mike's blog: www.mikehuckabee.com) that discusses how Mike Huckabee's site is being more effectively used than his opponents', and is getting more traffic than Hillary's or Obama's.

4. Huckabee is tied for 2nd nationally in the Rasmussen daily tracking poll (as of 11/21).
5. The current tax burden (considering ALL current taxes, presumably: income, sales, etc.) for the average American is 33%; by implementing the FairTax (fairtax.org), Mike proposes to reduce that load to 23%.

6. Information on the Fairtax is available at fairtax.org, as well as in book form: The Fairtax Book: Saying Goodbye to the Income Tax and the IRS and Fairtax: The Truth: Answering the Critics, both co-authored by Boortz and Linder.

7. After the famed Huck and Chuck ad came out, the Huckabee website was inundated with traffic. During this cyber deluge, hackers tried to get into the site. But the firewalls held. The site was saved.

8. While governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee supported permitting high school students (who had been in the public school system for at least four years, had high marks, and were in the process of applying for citizenship) to receive scholarship money. Contrary to his critics' claims, however, this in no way affected available funds for citizen students--THERE WAS NO LIMIT TO THE NUMBER OF SCHOLARSHIPS THAT COULD BE AWARDED at the time. In the end, the bill was proposed, but not passed.

9. Team Huckabee is taking measures to ensure that the official website is ready for the huge number of contributions that will likely follow a victory in Iowa on January 3.

10. Fred Thompson issued SIX NEGATIVE PRESS RELEASES against Mike before 10 AM, yesterday morning. "Amazing," Mike observed, as this is the most energy we've seen out of the Thompson campaign since it started. =)

New TV Ad: "BELIEVE"