CNN Poll: Huckabee tops GOP Rivals

In a CNN Poll, Mike Huckabee is the top choice among potential Republican Presidential candidates:

Huckabee 24%
Romney 20%
Palin 15%
Gingrich 14%
Paul 8%
Santorum 3%
Pawlenty 2%
Pence 2%
Barbour 1%

The poll was based on interviews with 1,008 adult Americans, including 907 registered voters, conducted by telephone by Opinion Research Corporation on April 9-11, 2010. The margin of sampling error for results based on the total sample is plus or minus 3 percentage points and for registered voters is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

Meanwhile, In the monthly Public Policy Polling, Huckabee edges President Obama in head-to-head match up 47-45.

Mitt Romney also beats the President, 45-44.

Newt Gingrich ties President Obama at 45-45, and Sarah Palin just barely trails him 47-45.

All four of the potential GOP candidates are basically tied with the President, but Huckabee does the best.

Also of interest: Huckabee is apparently setting up residence in Florida. That might give him a heads up in the primary in 2012 in that key state. If Marco Rubio, whom Huckabee is backing, wins the Senate race there, it will also increase Huckabee's chances in Florida - and among Hispanic voters.

Huckabee: I Am Pro-Life

"As Americans, we have a love of all humans, from the baby growing inside a mother’s womb, to the elderly facing the end of their life on earth. Our respect and love for the human race is at the core of our society. It defines our family units. It defines our judicial system. It defines our political system. If we lose sight of the sanctity of human life, then we lose our soul."

That's Governor Mike Huckabee writing on his blog February 17.

In the statement, he talks about life beginning at conception - and he cites the "culture of life" which stands in opposition to the "culture of death" (Pope John Paul II must be smiling).

His statement it is definitely in line with Catholic teachings when it comes to abortion, the treatement of seniors, and the care of the poor and suffering of the world. It sounds a lot more Catholic than what some "Catholic" politicians say.

The full statement is below.

I have stated repeatedly, unequivocally, that I am pro-life. It is easy to get caught up in the nuances of exactly what that means. So I want to spell it out, as clearly and concisely as I can.

There is no doubt in my mind that life does begin at the point of conception. It does not begin when a Judge, or an attorney, or a left wing activist group decides that it does. Science determines that life begins “when the male sperm and female egg join – a new and unique life form is created.” Scientists don’t say life begins at birth or viability. It begins at conception.

Why is this so important to those of us who are pro-life? It’s pretty simple really. Human life is the foundation of our civilization. It defines us as a people. Protection of life is the centerpiece of what makes us unique as Americans. That is why as one people, we rush to the aid of earthquake victims in Haiti, tsunami victims in Sri Lanka, and hurricane victims in our own country.

We recognize that each life, every life, is unique and that the loss of one unique life diminishes each of us individually and collectively. This recognition is why we fight so hard to save the life of a lost boy scout, or a cave explorer trapped far below the surface. It is why Americans risk their lives every day. It is what separates us from the terrorists – they have a culture of death – we have a culture of life.

As Americans, we have a love of all humans, from the baby growing inside a mother’s womb, to the elderly facing the end of their life on earth. Our respect and love for the human race is at the core of our society. It defines our family units. It defines our judicial system. It defines our political system. If we lose sight of the sanctity of human life, then we lose our soul.

That is why I will continue to fight, by every legal means available, for the protection of life – every life is a life worth fighting for.

Huckabee: On Palin, Pro-life issues

The more people see clips like this, the better his chances in 2012.

Planned Parenthood director quits over abortion

This was just too powerful not to post something. Her description of the child fighting for its life brings starkly home the reality of abortion. I'm so glad Huckabee interviewed her.

Huckabee/Obama gap continues to narrow

The latest poll from Public Policy Polling shows Mike Huckabee continues to close in on Obama:

2012 Presidential Match-up:

Obama 47%, Huckabee 44% (-3% spread)

Obama 47%, Romney 40% (-7% spread)

Obama 49%, Gingrich 41% (8% spread)

Obama 52%, Palin 38% (-15% spread)

The last poll showed a 6-point gap between the two (48-42); in June it was a 7-point spread (50-43).

If the trend continues, Huckabee might tie or even pass Obama early this Fall.

Huckabee: Healthcare Reform = Elective Abortions?

Catholics and pro-lifers who are not still drinking Kool Aid need to pay attention.

Oh, and in 2012, consider Huckabee.

They Like Mike (Huckabee)

The results of a Washington Post poll:

27. (ASKED OF REPUBLICANS AND GOP-LEANING INDEPENDENTS) If the 2012 Republican presidential primary or caucus in your state were being held today, and the candidates were (READ LIST) for whom would you vote?

Mike Huckabee 26%
Mitt Romney 21%
Sarah Palin 19%
Newt Gingrich 10%
Tim Pawlenty 4%
Jeb Bush 3%
Haley Barbour 1%
Bobby Jindal (vol.) 2%
Charlie Crist (vol.) *

It's only 2009, but Huckabee is slowly beginning to edge ahead in some polls.

A recent poll also had him closer than any other Republican to Obama in a head-to-head race, trailing 48-42. Last month he trailed by seven points. Edging closer.

Huckabee: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Czar

Thoughtful, and humorous.

2012 can't come soon enough!

Huckabee on Palin

Governor Mike Huckabee was very positive, thoughtful and gracious in his assessment of Sarah Palin and her decision to resign. In the second section, he notes some of the things he and Palin have in common on the issues.

I think she has hurt her chances for 2012, and maybe for good. But then, after Nixon's press conference after the 1962 governor's race, who could have predicted he'd win in 1968?

I think some of Palin's supporters might give Huckabee a look now.

Huckabee leads poll, closes on Obama

A new poll from Public Policy Polling has Mike Huckabee edging closer to Obama - whose numbers are dropping. Huckabee now gets the highest numbers when matched against Obama (43 %) and is the closest of the potential GOP candidates listed in the poll, trailing Obama by only 7 points.

PRESIDENT - NATIONAL

Barack Obama (D-inc) 50% - Mike Huckabee (R) 43% (7 points)

Barack Obama (D-inc) 49% - Newt Gingrich (R) 41% (8 points)

Barack Obama (D-inc) 48% - Mitt Romney (R) 40% (8 points)

Barack Obama (D-inc) 52% - Sarah Palin (R) 40% (12 points)

I still have my Huckabee buttons from 2008!

Remember: It's a marathon.

Huckabee, American Idol, and the Beatles!

Huckabee shines in poll

Fox News/Opinion Dynamics conducted a poll May 12-13, and came up with the following results that look great for Huckabee.

I’m going to read a list of potential candidates for the 2012 Republican nomination. Please tell me which one you would like to see as the Republican presidential nominee:

Among Republicans:

Mike Huckabee - 20%
Mitt Romney - 18%
Newt Gingrich - 14%
Sarah Palin - 13%
Rudy Giuliani - 12%
Too soon to say - 7%
Don’t know - 4%
Mark Sanford - 4%
Jeb Bush - 3%
Bobby Jindal - 3%
Someone else - 3%

Among Independents:

Rudy Giuliani - 19%
Mike Huckabee - 16%
Too soon to say - 14%
Mitt Romney - 12%
Sarah Palin - 10%
Don’t know - 9%
Someone else - 9%
Newt Gingrich - 5%
Jeb Bush - 2%
Bobby Jindal - 2%
Mark Sanford - 2%

Overall (include Democrats):

Rudy Giuliani - 16%
Mike Huckabee - 15%
Mitt Romney - 14%
Don’t know - 11%
Someone else - 10%
Sarah Palin - 9%
Too soon to say - 9%
Newt Gingrich - 7%
Jeb Bush -3%
Mark Sanford - 3%
Bobby Jindal - 2%

Polling was conducted by telephone May 12 - 13, 2009, in the evenings. The total sample is 900 registered voters nationwide with a margin of error of ±3 percentage points.

Giuliani leads among independents and overall (including Democrats), but I don't think he has the credibility to win the GOP nomination. If he runs for governor, that might boost his chances. He certainly would not get my vote - for governor or President - however.

But the word about Huckabee is getting out - and as people get to know him, the more they like him.

Huckabee goes pro-life on Obama (and the flu hype)

This is the kind of thing that got me campaigning for him in 2008 - and looking forward to doing so again in 2012!

Pro-lifer Huckabee tops poll

In a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Friday, 34 percent of Republican and independent voters who lean Republican say they will be likely to vote for former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee if he gets the Republican nomination in 2012.

He beat out Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who got the support of 32 percent of those polled - a statistical tie, but with Huckabee still ahead.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney took third place in the poll with 28 percent of those questioned saying they are very likely to support him as the GOP nominee in 2012.

Huckabee and Palin are both pro-life. I particularly like one Huckabee quote on the issue of abortion: "I have no desire to throw women in jail, I just want to stop throwing babies in the garbage."

Huckabee on the Culture of Life

"There is intrinsic worth and value in every human life regardless of that person's age, stature, functional capacity, ancestry, personal assets, last name, level of education, or occupation. The culture of life is much broader than the simple notion that abortions are immoral and wrong (although it encompasses that, too)."

- Mike Huckabee, Do the Right Thing.

Huckabee on the radio

ABC Radio has signed Mike Huckabee to do weekday news spots, starting in January.

That's a potential audience of 105 million listeners.

2012 ....

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/ABC-Radio-Networks-Governor-Mike/story.aspx?guid=%7B44B2706A-8D71-4CEF-B021-CCC7E6DE7045%7D

Huckabee - topping the ratings

Huckabee's show - shown Saturday and Sunday nights at 8 on FOX - was the highest rated show its time slot both November 8 and 9 (against other news/talk shows), and the highest rated show overall on Saturday night (beating among others Dobbs, Brown and King on CNN, and Geraldo on Fox).

Cable news networks on weekend nights are not ratings blockbusters, obviously, but still, he is getting an audience and building national recognition.

Gotta love those bass players!

Huckabee successfully addresses anti-Catholic concerns

After a visit to a church whose minister has been accused of anti-Catholicism, Governor Mike Huckabee got some crititcism.

He addressed those concerns in an interview with Catholic Online: http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=26312

As part of that interview he said -

"To be honest, I have never thought about having “a view” about Catholics in America.

Rather, I have enjoyed strong, personal relationships with many Catholics over the years and I would hate to think about my life without those relationships having been there.

For more than a decade, I marched side-by-side with Catholic Bishops in Arkansas’ annual March for Life.

Throughout my years as Lieutenant Governor and Governor, I enjoyed a very close relationship with leaders and members of the Catholic Church in Arkansas.

My pro-life record is largely the result of this close working relationship.

My relationships with Catholics predated my entry into politics. When I was pastoring a Baptist church in Texarkana, I had the opportunity to work closely with the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word at the St. Michael Hospital near my church. I was always welcomed warmly by the sisters when I visited the sick.

As a pastor, I held joint services with my neighboring Catholic congregation, was invited to speak in Catholic churches for special services, and had regular breakfast meetings with the Bishop of the Arkansas Diocese, Bishop Peter Sartain, now in Illinois.

Those early years of ministry showed me the value of working with caring people whether or not every one of our religious tenets line up exactly. In short, if I held any animosity toward Catholics, I don't think Justice Scalia would have ever taken me up on my invitations to go duck hunting.

As I mentioned before, many of my top-level staff and closest advisors are Catholic, including my national campaign manager, national campaign director, my policy advisor and my campaign’s chief operating officer."

Hopefully, Catholics will feel assured, and not be afraid to back him.

Huckabee reaches out to Catholics

Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee was recently interviewed by Catholic Online. (http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=26206)

Here's part of it:

Governor Huckabee: “I believe that life begins at conception and ends at a natural death. Life is a gift from God.

Every child deserves a quality education, first-rate health care, decent housing in a safe neighborhood, and clean air and drinking water. Every child deserves the opportunity to discover and use his God-given gifts and talents.

What I accomplished as Governor proves that there is a lot more that a pro-life President can do than wait for a Supreme Court vacancy, and I will do everything I can to promote a pro-life agenda and pass pro-life legislation.

I'll veto any pro-abortion legislation Congress passes. I will staff all relevant positions with pro-life appointees. I will use the Bully Pulpit to change hearts and minds, to move this country from a culture of death to a culture of life."

QUESTION: How have you lived that commitment personally, as well as in your years of public service as an elected official?

Governor Huckabee: “I have always been actively and aggressively pro-life. No candidate has a stronger or more consistent record on the sanctity of life than I do.

When I was elected Lieutenant Governor, and later Governor, I marched in the annual Right to Life parade down Capitol Avenue in Little Rock. I did this at a time when no other state-wide elected official in Arkansas would participate in this event.

I first became politically active when I helped pass Arkansas' Unborn Child Amendment, which requires the state to do whatever it can to protect life. As Governor, I used that Amendment to pass pro-life legislation. The many pro-life laws I got through my Democrat-controlled Legislature are the accomplishments that give me the most pride and personal satisfaction.”

QUESTION: What have you done to build a new culture of life and defend the right to life against the encroachment of what the late Pope John Paul II rightly called a culture of death?

Governor Huckabee: “As Governor, I banned partial birth abortion; I required parental notification; I required that a woman give informed consent before having an abortion; I required that a woman be told her baby will experience pain and be given the option of anesthesia for her baby; I allowed a woman to have her baby and, if she was unable to care for it, leave the child safely at a hospital; and I made it a crime for an unborn child to be injured or murdered during an attack on his mother.

I support and have always supported passage of a constitutional amendment to protect the right to life. As President, I will fight for passage of this amendment. My convictions regarding the sanctity of life have always been clear and consistent, without equivocation or wavering.

I believe that Roe v. Wade should be over-turned.

I applaud the Supreme Court's recent decision in Gonzales v. Cathcart forbidding the gruesome practice of partial birth abortion.

While I am optimistic that we are turning the tide in favor of life, we still have many battles ahead of us to protect those who cannot protect themselves, and so it is vital that we elect a pro-life President.”

The interview touches on other issues, including education (and schol choice), Iraq, taxes, immigration, and terrorism.

Sounded good to me!

Letter to editor about Huckabee (re: Cohen)

The following letter to the editor by me was published in the local newspaper December 11:

Huckabee took honest way out

In his Dec. 5 column ("Huckabee's moment of shame"), Richard Cohen accused former Gov. Mike Huckabee of "punting" when ABC's George Stephanopoulos asked if former Gov. Mitt Romney, a Mormon, is a Christian.

Cohen also accused Huckabee of having obdurate and narrow-minded religious beliefs.

I suggest that Cohen has a narrow-minded view of Christianity and Huckabee.

Huckabee told Stephanopoulos, "Mitt Romney has to answer that. ... It's not for me to determine what somebody else's faith is."

He was stating common Christian beliefs that each person has to account for his own faith, and you can't judge what is in others' hearts. Moreover, Huckabee left ministry long ago to become a public servant. He is running to be president of a multi-faith United States, not evangelical-in-chief.

Huckabee's style is to avoid tearing down others — as he declined to do to Rudy Giuliani in the same interview. He is trying to focus instead on issues and a vision for America.

Echoing Cohen's football reference, I think Cohen fumbled the ball with this column.