In light of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee's resounding win in the Iowa caucuses Thursday, it is worth examining the assessment provided by Missouri Speaker of the House Rod Jetton on Huckabee's campaign in a column which I reprinted in the Nov. 27 Turner Report:
It seems to me we have two well-funded and organized campaigns with candidates (Mitt and Rudy) who have a proven track record as reformers. We also have two candidates (McCain and Thompson) who are Washington insiders and are dropping in the polls. Then we have one late bloomer (Huckabee) with no money, a small one state organization, and no real chance of competing in a multistate primary with the new condensed schedule.
So here is the problem for many voters. Only Rudy and Mitt have a real chance at winning the nomination, and some voters are not totally happy with either one. Rudy and Mitt are leading all the other candidates in fundraising support by very large margins and they are first and second in most state polls. Fred is dropping daily in the polls, and McCain has been dropping in all states for several months. Huckabee is moving up in Iowa but that's the only state and his campaign is barely raising enough money to keep him afloat there.
What a difference six weeks makes. Of course, it should be taken into consideration that Jetton is in the Mitt Romney camp and serves as a paid political consultant for the former Massachusetts governor.
Jetton, Talent and Blunt, supporting Romney....all losers. BIG TIME.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad they have found each other.
What difference? He is still the late bloomer with a one state organization that (being Iowa), so what is the difference you are pointing to?
ReplyDeleteHuckabee's first in South Carolina, Florida, and in some polls first nationally. Not exactly a one state wonder, anonymous.
ReplyDeleteRomney is paying Jetton and John Hancock an obscene amounty of money and by the looks of it isn't getting much in return. I knew Romney was sunk when he hired those two idiots and all the guys who lost Talent's campaign.
ReplyDeleteAt least now Romney can return to his old job as a department store manequin!
Huckabee has no meaningful organization in Florida or South Carolina and he is not first in Florida and never has been. His poll standing and organization are two different things he had all his organization in Iowa. This is a replay of the Pat Robertson win in Iowa followed by a distant finish in New Hampshire and only spotty performances until he withdraws. Like Robertson this was won by the home schoolers, flat taxers and other one issue folks often evangelicals, the same folks that delivered the Iowa caucuses to Robertson, their participation is fair and fine, but New Hampshire is an election and when you have a real election next week Huckabee will be blown out. I am not anti-Huckabee but I do know history.
ReplyDeleteJetton is right that Huckabee's star will begin to burn out soon. He won't win New Hampshire
ReplyDeleteJetton is wrong that Romney is the guy to beat, especially looking at the day after Iowa but the signs were always there to show it. Romney has never enjoyed broad support. He had been able to buy his support until Iowa when it just didn't work.
McCain is likely to kick Romney's butt in New Hampshire and probably Thompson kicks it in South Carolina where he has received the endorsement of SC Right to Life over Huckabee.
Jetton might be right about Guiliani being the guy to beat (I know he didn't exactly say that). Guiliani's probably got the best strategy. Don't bother with Iowa and New Hampshire where the # of delegates are miniscule compared to Florida where 1/2 of New York city lives and the rest of super Tuesday states including Missouri. I hear more strong support for Guiliani than any other candidate.
Romney will do as well as he will in Missouri because of Jetton, Talent, Hancock and Blunt. And oh yeah, Nodler ;) Without them, he would really be sucking wind in the state. It still won't be enough to win Missouri.