One thing about Huckabee is that so many people still haven't heard of him. As people are learning about who Huckabee is, they tend to support him. This may help to account for why he is able to gain ground so quickly in the polls.
One thing about Huckabee is that so many people still haven't heard of him. As people are learning about who Huckabee is, they tend to support him. This may help to account for why he is able to gain ground so quickly in the polls.
Iowa Republicans.
The realclearpolitics.com average has Mike Huckabee leading Mitt Romney 27 to 25 percent, with 12 for Rudy Giuliani and 11 for Fred Thompson.
As I've pointed out in my U.S. News column this week, Huckabee gets most of his support in Iowa from evangelical Christians, and they account for a much larger share of Iowa caucusgoers (about 38 percent) than New Hampshire primary voters (about 18 percent). Huckabee, even if he wins in Iowa, has to expand his base to be close to winning in New Hampshire. Obviously, Giuliani and John McCain would like to see a Huckabee win in Iowa, which they hope will deflate Romney's current lead in New Hampshire (below) to their benefit.
New Hampshire Republicans.
Even so, Romney's lead in New Hampshire has, so far, pretty well held up. He's averaging a lead of 34 percent to 18 percent over Giuliani and 16 for McCain. New Hampshire historically has had an aversion to southerners, and the figures for them are discouraging: 10 percent for Huckabee, 6 for Ron Paul, 3 for Thompson. (In retrospect, it wasn't very wise for Thompson to skip the New Hampshire debate to announce on Jay Leno.)
Romney's position here is the only serious lead anyone has in the Iowa caucus or New Hampshire primary polling. But one can't regard it as etched in stone. Republican voters, to judge from polling, are less firmly committed than Democrats, who aren't all that firmly committed themselves; and one can imagine these numbers shifting significantly should Romney lose in Iowa. A window of opportunity, maybe, for McCain and, maybe, for Giuliani.
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Now I'm not one to call the accuracy or intentions of MSM polling into doubt, but, given CNN's proclivities, isn't it just a tiny bit possible they are skewing results for the guy they think most easily defeated by the Left?
I am fairly certain that many pastors at various churches (with the exception of Catholics and Jews) in Omaha are urging their worshipers to vote for Huckabee. That’s the only explanation for his rise in the polls. I also spoke with a close relatve who’s leaning toward Huckabee only because everyone else is (!) - the person hadn’t done any research which would have informed that person about Huckabee’s awful arkansas track record. IMHO he’s too much like a slelazy televangelist.