If the reaction of Nashville political bloggers Adam Groves and Jay Bush is any indication, the seemingly long-shot presidential campaign of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee may have a big upside with conservatives. Bush and Groves were among the people at a private reception for Huckabee Saturday in Nashville.
Jay Bush of Volunteer Dispatch wrote:
Huckabee spoke at length, using broad terms to discuss his vision for the country. He talked about federalism and his view that innovations in healthcare and education were occurring, not at the national level, but in state governments. He spoke of his dedication to the ongoing war with Islamo-fascists (and that's the term he used), his support for a balanced budget, spending caps on domestic and non-defense discretionary spending and his commitment to the sanctity of life.
One issue Huckabee didn't address in his remarks was immigration, so I asked him about it when he opened the floor for questions. He told us that first and foremost we must secure the border. He said he did not support amnesty for illegal immigrants, but that the punishment should fit the crime, explaining that he didn't want to throw someone in jail who'd come into the country illegally to clean rooms at a LaQuinta Inn. Huckabee also said he would like to make it easier for immigrants to come to America legally by streamlining the entry process.
Perhaps Huckabee's greatest attribute was his Reaganesque ability to communicate a conservative agenda in terms that I believe will attract support from independents and moderate Democrats. He's very polished and good humored, speaking to our group extemporaneously for 45 minutes or longer -- it was apparent his former career as Baptist minister translated well to the stump. In addition to being an effective communicator, Huckabee comes across as a very personable fellow, a rare combination that should pay big dividends when practicing old-fashioned retail politics in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Clearly, Huckabee's biggest obstacle is going to be fundraising and garnering the media attention necessary to gain some momentum in the primary. He's got a great story, an optimistic message and a small but dedicated campaign staff -- including his daughter -- that really believe in him (because they're definitely not working for the money). If Huckabee can hang around, I think he can do very well in the South, especially among evangelicals...
Adam Groves of Tennessee Politics Blog writes:
Strikingly, Huckabee has a unique folksiness that makes him one of the most personable politicans I have seen in a long time. To be sure, Huckabee's personability isn't the same brand of personability as Barack Obama or even Bill Frist - where there is still an air of untouchability. Instead, Huckabee's personality and banter is almost next door neighborly. I can quite easily imagine looking over the hedge only to be greeted by Mike Huckabee's "Hey there, neighbor." That mental picture wasn't difficult throughout Huckabee's remarks where he characterized Tennessee as neighbors who had just won the backyard basketball game that day against his Razorbacks.
Decidedly and refreshingly so, Huckabee's remarks were almost like he wasn't running for President and more like he just wanted to explain what he was all about - and what he believed. I look at what he was wearing - not a suit, just a sportscoat. Not the Northeastern GQ of Mitt Romney - no tie. It could be Mike Huckabee's come-from-nothing past or it could be the calmness from pastoral counciling or it could be conjured images of Huckabee jamming out on bass guitar-- but there was something quite different about Mike Huckabee, first at the Southern Republican Leadership Caucus and now at this event.
Groves also applauded Huckabee's choice of former Tennessee Republican Party chairman Chip Saltsman to run his campaign.
I also attended the Nashville reception and wanted to ask Gov. Huckabee about blogs and the role the social media will play in the campaign, but didn't get a chance to do so. But Huckabee evidenced a clear awareness of the new media landscape when he started his talk by saying his job was to not say something that "winds up on YouTube and ends my career."
Huckabee's campaign - technically still an exploratory committee - hasn't yet made a big social-media/blogosphere splash, but the campaign has smart people working on it, including Chris Maiorana of LCM Strategies, formerly director of marketing (from 2000-2005) for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
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