Huckabee surges in Iowa poll, Trails Romney by just 6 points

The Boston Globe ^ | November 15, 2007 | Michael Levenson

[dano1]

Mitt Romney, despite heavy spending and intensive campaigning, finds himself in a tightening battle with Mike Huckabee in Iowa, forcing Romney to confront aggressively an opponent with far less money and organizational backing who was far back in the polls a few weeks ago. more stories like this

(snip)

Seven weeks before the Jan. 3 caucuses, a New York Times/CBS News Poll published yesterday had Romney capturing support from 27 percent of likely Republican voters, but Huckabee within striking range with 21 percent. Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani was third with 15 percent, Fred Thompson had 9 percent, and John McCain and Ron Paul had 4 percent each. As recently as September, Huckabee was in the single digits.

"It happened," a memo from the Huckabee campaign said yesterday. "We broke 20% in Iowa, which pulled us to within 6% of Governor Romney!"

Huckabee has been staking much of his campaign on Iowa, hoping that a win in caucuses there, the first nomination votes of 2008, will vault his relatively shoestring candidacy to prominence in delegate-rich states. Romney has invested heavily in Iowa as part of his strategy to capture the early-voting states.

(snip)

On Fox News yesterday, Huckabee was more pointed in his response to Romney: "I guess Mitt Romney would rather keep people out of college so they can keep working on his lawn, since he had illegals there."

That refers to a Globe report in December that the landscaping service working on Romney's lawn in Belmont employed several illegal immigrants. Romney has said his family checked that the employer was legal, but didn't know about the workers.

[Badeye]

The smackdown of Huckabee has begun. Its going to be interesting how he handles it. If he does so ‘well’ he’s got a shot at winning the nomination.

I still doubt that will happen, but his time is NOW.

[dano1]

"He is an open border fellow"

The Rap Against Huckabee, What’s true, and what’s not
National Review Online | 10/30/2007 | Byron York

"On immigration, Huckabee is a strong advocate of a fence across the entire U.S.–Mexico border. While Congress debates guest-worker programs, Huckabee tells me, the most important problem is being ignored. “Seal the border,” he says. “Until you do that, you don’t have any control over how many people are coming in, who they are, and where they’re going.” At the same time, Huckabee has taken criticism for his proposal, as governor, to offer Arkansas in-state tuition to illegal aliens and their children. “I have always said you don’t punish a child for the crime of a parent,” Huckabee tells me. “Frankly, it’s in our best interest to try to get that child on to a higher level of education.”

[dano1]

"If he does so ‘well’ he’s got a shot at winning the nomination.

I agree 100%.

It comes down to the "teflon" thing. Everyone frontrunner stuff thrown at them. In the end it all depends on whether these things stick or roll off?

[snarkybob]

“What the hell happened to Fred Thompson? Talk about a slow fade...”

While I agree with you on the slow fade, it’s really seems more like he’s yet to get into gear...still...
I hope you have on your suit of asbestos. LOL

[Leisler]

It’s just for conservatives, he’d move to the center and have plenty of to back him up as a moderate in the General.

Going to supposedly extremes to win the nominations is no problem, so long as you come home to big fedgov in the end.

I kind of think if Mitt winks to the MSM that he’s a ‘reasonable’ guy, that there might be a lot of media dislike of Hillary. Even for lefties, except for the bunkered kool-aid drinkers and fellow fems, they must be tired of being jerked around by the Clinton Cadre.

Mitt might get a pass, if not even some support. And anyways, newspaper readers, big three tv, are dying off.

[xzins]

Carl Cameron said on Fox yesterday that Giuliani’s campaign is assisting Huckabee in Iowa. They hope to prevent a Romney win there and in the next few opening states where Romney is front-runner.

My guess is that we see the Giuliani’s VP choice in Huckabee; an articulate, not-too-conservative baptist minister who many social conservatives will be mollified by, and who liberal Republicans will tolerate in the out years as a president.

If Giuliani gets out of the first six states with no massed wins by Romney, who leads or is 2nd in the early states, then it’s clear sailing for him. He will lock up 1300 delegates by the end of March given the current numbers.

Unfortunately, the numbers don’t show Thompson winning a state until Alabama on Super Tuesday.

The path to stopping Giuliani is the path of early wins by Romney. He is positioned to take Iowa(organization), Wyoming(not afraid of Mormons), Michigan(his dad’s old state), Nevada(a mormon ok state), SCarolina(organization), and New Hampshire(organization).

This series of early wins by Romney could start a sea-change away from Giuliani. Thompson or Hunter MUST be prepared to come on strong by then. If they are not, any support for Romney could result in a Romney win.

Romney’s recent conversion to pro-life is only 2-3 years old. Reagan’s pro-life conversion was ten years old before he ran for the presidency. (Although it was in time for his 2nd gubernatorial run.)

Based on the polls I’m looking at, A Huckabee win in Iowa probably would not launch him, he is: 2nd Iowa, ? in Wyoming, 5th Michigan, 5th Nevada, 5th SCarolina, 5th New Hampshire.

Romney is: 1st Iowa, ? in Wyoming, 1st in latest Michigan, 3rd in fluid Nevada (he led a month ago), recently 1st in S.Carolina, and 1st in New Hampshire

Thompson is: 4th Iowa, ?Wyoming, 3rd Michigan, 2d Nevada, 4th SCarolina, 6th in New Hampshire.

[qam1]

Undecided, leaning towards Fred

But of all the GOP choices, I would pick every other one over Nanny Huckabee.

[Badeye]

Yep.

I still think both political parties are in for a shock once the primaries actually occur.

I also think the MSM and their polling techniques are going to be shown as embarrassingly out of whack with voters.

We’ll see.

[LibLieSlayer]

Well, at least he didn’t use the gender excuse.

LLS

[SUSSA]

Huckabee isn’t a conservative and shouldn’t even be considered as a potential POTUS or VPOTUS.

*****

Huckabee Caught Lying
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1925943/posts?page=1

Huckabee Begs Arkansas Legislature for Tax Increase in May of 2003:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaJW7nXw30A

Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee Calls Immigration Reform Legislation Racist, Un-Christian [Update]
http://www.diggersrealm.com/mt/archives/000718.html

AG questions immigration scholarship bill
http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2005/03/11/News/318458.html

Immigration bill un-Christian, anti-life, governor says
http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2005/01/28/News/316347.html

Mike Huckabee disses Americans, Mexicans, promotes illegal immigration
http://lonewacko.com/blog/archives/005609.html

Dump the Huck He’s not VPOTUS material.
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YzNiY2M5NzIxZDJlMDUxNzUwYmQ4ZDU5ZDAzY2U3YWU=

Christians Need To Beware Of Mike Huckabee
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2007/cbarchive_20071102.html

[spectre]

"Huckabee has taken criticism for his proposal, as governor, to offer Arkansas in-state tuition to illegal aliens and their children."

So once they are here, he wants to roll out the welcome wagon.

“I have always said you don’t punish a child for the crime of a parent,” Huckabee tells me."

Mikes attitude has always been again..once they are here we treat them as citizens..for the sake of God and the family.

“Frankly, it’s in our best interest to try to get that child on to a higher level of education.”

Again, Huckabee is extending his hand of friendship to the Illegals.

It really is worse than what he is admitting. He actively solicited for Illegal alien women to come forward without fear of deportation, to receive FREE regular prenatal care at an Arkansas OBGYN so they could have a healthy, happy Arkansas baby.

As President, would he try and pass a law that says pregnant Illegals can't be deported and must receive free prenatal care for their future Anchor baby?

I think so.

[LibLieSlayer]

I have heard him say that America must allow free health care and education for the children of ILLEGAL ALIENS. No way that I will support that. I heard him say it from his own mouth.

LLS

[Travis McGee]

YOu can keep shilling for the Huckster, and I’ll continue to point out that he’s a Quisling traitor, happy to sell out his country so that Tyson Chicken can have easy access to illegal alien labor.

[CommerceComet]

I guess that's why he's worth a quarter of a billion dollars

I assume that you must be really impressed by Michael Bloomberg whose annual earnings are twice that amount. I generally consider Bloomberg to be clueless (as I assume you do) but I might have to re-think that.

By dressing down someone on the internet, you might be doing exactly what you are accusing: putting down someone whose personal and professional accomplishments put yours to shame.

[dano1]

"YOu can keep shilling for the (the illustrious Governor Huckabee), and I’ll continue to point out that (the ridiculous assertion that) he’s a Quisling traitor..."

ok

[Retired COB]

If the GOP primary were today, who would you vote for?

The answer is Hunter.

I am very glad to see that someone from the media designated "Second Tier" of candidates has broken into the front lines. It still gives me hope for my man.

[Retired COB]

...then they confuse the personal choice of charity to others as a governmental responsibility, while ignoring the effect that doing so has on both the indolent receivers and the forced givers, all to satisfy their own personal desires to be “compassionate”.

That line should get you a standing ovation from every Freeper out there!

[Eric Blair 2084]

[stephenjohnbanker]

“YOu can keep shilling for the Huckster, and I’ll continue to point out that he’s a Quisling traitor, happy to sell out his country so that Tyson Chicken can have easy access to illegal alien labor”

Huckabee is the open borders champion!

[stephenjohnbanker]

Huck already has this guy on retainer.