Remarkable

There is no other word to describe the presidential campaign of Gov. Mike Huckabee. His effort has truly been a phenomenon in modern American politics. Tonight marks the end of the campaign to win the 2008 presidential nomination. But it also signals the beginning of a new era of leadership for the social conservative movement in America.

Many pro-family, evangelical leaders that I formerly looked to for direction sat on the sidelines or supported other “more electable” candidates this primary season. Then they switched their support around to different candidates depending on what the polls were saying.

But one man stood strong, unflinching in the face of enormous pressure from the Republican establishment, unbalanced critique from fellow social conservatives and unrelenting abuse and neglect by the media. One leader stayed true to his convictions throughout the campaign and now emerges as the new, strong voice of social conservatives for years to come. Integrity, character, determination and civility defined his presidential bid. That man is Mike Huckabee.

I am proud to have volunteered for such a leader. I am inspired to press on because of his persistence.

Thank you Gov. Huckabee for your tireless effort on behalf of the principles that we all hold dear. God bless you and your family. And just let us know when we can do it all again! We stand-by, ready to serve.

………………………..

Huckabee poised to lead revival of conservative evangelical wing
The Washington Times
March 3, 2008

Mike Huckabee's presidential campaign may be nearing its end, but those around him say he won't disappear and is poised to claim political leadership of conservative evangelicals.

Mr. Huckabee's inner circle says he's the perfect bridge to re-establish the Christian right, which has suffered over the last decade, as a political force that speaks for millions of voters.

"He has become the leader of a new generation of Christian conservative voters," said Rex Nelson, who was communications director when Mr. Huckabee was Arkansas' governor. "The old leadership has either passed on in the case of [the Rev. Jerry] Falwell or become either irrelevant or out of touch — the Pat Robertson endorsement of Rudy Giuliani proves that."

"There is nobody else you can identify outside of Mike Huckabee as a leading person to take on that role, really in a new era where evangelicals care about a lot of things like the environment and working with the poor," Mr. Nelson said. Mr. Huckabee said he will remain in the Republican nomination battle until someone reaches 1,191 delegates to the September convention. Sen. John McCain of Arizona would clinch the nomination tomorrow with wins in Ohio, Texas, Vermont and Rhode Island.

Several of Mr. Huckabee's close advisers, speaking on the condition of anonymity to freely discuss possibilities, said he does not have an interest in a Cabinet position or in running for the U.S. Senate from Arkansas, but said being on a ticket as vice president would be an attractive alternative.

One adviser mentioned a role as Republican National Committee chairman, while another said he might be best suited for a role outside the party. Mr. Huckabee is a former Southern Baptist pastor who has energized evangelical Republican voters this year, but his camp has been surprised at how little support evangelical leaders have offered and, in fact, how much they worked against him.

That could signal a split between evangelical leaders and their supporters, which Mr. Huckabee's supporters say leaves the field open for him, both among those religious values voters and a broader conservative audience.

"He now has become the voice and face of conservative America. Whether it's conservatism or Christian conservatism, I think the options now are wide open for him to decide how does he want to take advantage in the right way," said former South Carolina Gov. David Beasley, one of Mr. Huckabee's early supporters.

Similar to Mr. Falwell, Mr. Huckabee has been a church pastor, and he has shown the communication skills of Mr. Robertson. But he also brings a new element — he has won repeatedly in primaries and caucuses, carrying eight states: Iowa, West Virginia, Georgia, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana and Kansas.

Not everyone is happy with Mr. Huckabee's continued campaign. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican, called him last month to ask him to drop out, and some Republican fundraisers privately say he no longer serves a purpose in the campaign.

Some operatives suspect he's staying in the race because money is still flowing on the Internet and it allows him to keep his own profile high. But Mr. Huckabee's inner circle says he feels an obligation to his voters and to the party to stay in the race until someone wins the nomination outright, and Mr. Huckabee himself said he will stay in as long as there's the chance for a brokered convention.

They also say that by not scorching Mr. McCain with attacks and by continuing to draw crowds, he is not damaging himself or the party.

"Normally you would argue he's at that point. But I think because of his humor, his wit, self-deprecation, I think he's fine at this stage, given the excitement that still exists out there for his candidacy," Mr. Beasley said.

Powered in part, if not primarily, by evangelical voters, Mr. Huckabee has won slightly more than 3 million votes — about 20 percent of the total — in the Republican primaries and caucuses, according to the count kept by http://www.thegreenpapers.com/.

Those are voters Mr. McCain will want to reach for the general election — but he has had a difficult time connecting with them and might need Mr. Huckabee's help.

"When the race is all done and Mike is still out there, I think the Republican Party needs to keep Mike around so that all those people over the years who felt the Republican Party moved away from them realize it wasn't the party, it was them," said Robert E. Clegg Jr., a Republican state senator in New Hampshire.

That matters particularly in places such as Iowa, usually a swing state in November. Mr. Huckabee won its January caucuses, while Mr. McCain didn't even campaign in the state.

Mr. Huckabee might have broken the mold for campaigns — proving someone with low fundraising can still compete and win states.

"We are running one of the most cost-effective political campaigns in modern American history, chiefly because of the governor's ability to communicate and the campaign's ability to excel on the earned media front," said Kirsten Fedewa, who has contributed to Mr. Huckabee's media strategy for years.

By one estimate the campaign's earned media is the equivalent of $125 million in paid ads, and that was before his appearance on "Saturday Night Live" last month.

Former Sen. Tim Hutchinson, an Arkansas ally of Mr. Huckabee's, said Mr. Huckabee could write columns and do radio and television the same way Ronald Reagan did between his unsuccessful 1976 Republican primary campaign and his 1980 presidential victory.

"He has enhanced his national reputation enormously and he's relatively young and has a very, very bright future," Mr. Hutchinson said.

Jed Kirby Reports in from the Little Rock Victory Party

Tampa's Jed Kirby Reports in from his time with Gov. Mike Huckabee at the Little Rock Super Tuesday Victory party:

I am sure that most of you watched the Super Tuesday returns last night, and what a night it was for Governor Huckabee. Katie and I were blessed to be there with him and his family. There is no doubt that prayer was the reason behind these victories.

Governor Huckabee asked us to thank all of you for your prayers and your financial support. This campaign does not have the celebrity name of John McCain or the money of Mitt Romney, but what he does have is the hand of the Lord on him. After seeing the insides of this campaign and having the opportunity to ge to know Governor Huckabee, it is very obvisous that the Lord is doing mighty things to and through him.

None of us know how this election will turn out, whether he become President, Vice President, or even a future candidate for President. But what we do know is that last night he was a heavy underdog, and was written off my all the media, and trailed in all the polls, but in his pocket was not money but 5 smooth stones.

The so called Giants were defeated in the South. This is important because Huckabee won all the states that are crucial to a victory in a general election. John McCain won most of the states that the Republican party will never win in a general election....for more please read this blog:

http://voteforhuckabee.blogspot.com/2008/02/5-reasons-huckabee-can-win-despite.html

Thank you all for all your prayers, and let's continue to pray that the Lord brings us a leader that will protect our values that are so instrumental in our lives of faith.

Jed and Katie

Students Drawn to Huckabee

Here is a news package I missed from Boca Raton on 1/24/08 that still applies because it demonstrates the strong appeal Gov. Huckabee has been young voters.

Pressing Onward

Mike Huckabee’s Florida supporters are to be congratulated on a valiant effort. With so little time and money, Gov. Huckabee did remarkably well in the Sunshine state. I was personally told by a campaign staffer that Florida was more organized on the ground than any other state when the campaign team arrived after South Carolina. That is to the credit of the dozens of Meet-up leaders and county volunteer chairs who were in place and providing leadership.

And, as Gov. Huckabee made very clear last night, we are not finished! Let’s do all we can to refocus our efforts now on calling into the Super Tuesday states, sending emails to our friends and family in those states and giving all we can to the Mike Huckabee for President effort. CLICK HERE to make a donation to the campaign.

Congratulations to Sen. John McCain and his team on an impressive come back here in Florida to win the primary.

We just might surprise everybody

Primary Day is finally here. Mike Huckabee supporters have been faithfully waving signs, making calls and promoting the most conservative leader running for President: Mike Huckabee! He is the only candidate that has been consistently Pro-life his entire career and is the only candidate to support the Human Life Amendment to protect the unborn.

Huckabee is a Jeb Bush type of Conservative Republican Leader

The Huckabee Economic Plan – Additional Analysis

Huckabee Touts Fair Fax in Florida
January 27, 2008
"We take Florida very seriously," Huckabee said. "We understand it is tough state. I think we will surprise some people Tuesday." He also noted that Giuliani had spent much more time campaigning in the state. "I feel like we are going to have a respectable showing," he said. "We are way ahead in states likes Missouri, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Oklahoma and a lot of states on Feb. 5 are very much in play for us."

Huckabee Makes Primary Push
January 28, 2008
Milton resident John Grove doesn't believe the polls that don't give Mike Huckabee a shot at winning the Florida Republican primary Tuesday.

Florida Primary Turnout May Set Record
January 29, 2008

Mike Huckabee is the Leader that America Needs:

Huckabee is a Jeb Bush Republican

Bold Ideas. Smaller and Smarter Government. Principles over Politics. These are all qualities that former Governors Mike Huckabee and Jeb Bush have in common.

With much of their administrations overlapping, these two men probably got to know each other pretty well. In an interview last fall with the Hoover Institution, Jeb Bush was asked about Gov. Huckabee: “I like him. He's a great speaker and clear-minded about the importance of moral principles.”

While many of us may have hoped Jeb would run for President, Mike Huckabee provides us with another great leader, who has 10 ½ years of executive leadership experience. He has an unwavering resolve to win the war with Islamic terrorists and strengthen our economy and families. Notably, Mike Huckabee has always been pro-life and is the only Republican candidate in favor of the Human Life Amendment.

Source of quote: http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2007/11/jeb-bush-on-the.html

Cream and Sugar, Governor?

Gov. Huckabee campaigned in Little Havana Thursday with Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, Rep. David Rivera and Sen. Alex de la Portilla.

Florida Schedule

The following are some of the upcoming Florida appearances that Gov. Mike Huckabee is making. (Events are subject to change and you should check the official website Newsroom for last minute cancellations or changes.)

Sunday January 27, 2008

First Baptist Church of Orlando, Orlando, FL

Fair Tax Rally, Jacksonville, FL

East Brent Baptist, Pensacola, FL

Monday January 28, 2008

Campaign Rally, Pensacola, FL

Florida Appearances

The following are some of the upcoming Florida appearances that Gov. Mike Huckabee is making. (Events are subject to change and you should check the official website Newsroom for last minute cancellations or changes.)

Sunday January 27, 2008

First Baptist Church of Orlando, Orlando, FL

Fair Tax Rally, Jacksonville, FL

East Brent Baptist, Pensacola, FL

Monday January 28, 2008

Campaign Rally, Pensacola, FL

Monday Campaign Rally in Pensacola

Come See Gov. Mike Huckabee in Pensacola, Florida on Monday!

Fish House Restaurant
600 S. Barracks St. #11 ♦ Pensacola, FL
Monday, January 28, 2008 at 8:00 am

RSVP to florida@explorehuckabee.com or 407-438-9134

"Rock the Boat" Rally - Jacksonville - Sunday

A message from the Fair Tax Folks about Gov. Huckabee’s appearance at the Sunday afternoon Fair Tax rally in Jacksonville:

Date: Sunday, January 27, 2008 Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Jacksonville Landing
CLICK HERE for details

This Sunday, January 27 join thousands of your fellow FairTax supporters for a major "Rock the Boat" rally in Jacksonville. Our timing is critical: Sunday's rally is two days before the crucial Florida primary where, the presidential race….. Strong FairTax support will make the difference in the race here, and that could help drive outcome on Super Tuesday the following week.

Our "Rock the Boat" rally will feature music, entertainment, and FairTax speakers. All of the major candidates have been invited to attend, with Gov. Mike Huckabee already confirming he’ll be there.

As you know, the FairTax has become a major issue in the 2008 race thanks to your support. Our huge rally successes in Columbia, South Carolina and Ames, Iowa last year were absolute game changers, drawing national interest to the FairTax, and helping generate support in Washington, and at the grassroots level.Sunday's "Rock the Boat" FairTax rally will prove to be the same, and could be decisive in the 2008 presidential race.

CLICK HERE to reserve your free tickets.

East Brent Baptist - Pensacola

Florida for Huckabee has also confirmed that Gov. Huckabee will be providing the evening message at East Brent Baptist Church in Pensacola this Sunday, January 27, 2008. The service begins at 6:00PM and the church is located at 4801 North Davis Highway in Pensacola.

First Baptist Orlando this Sunday

Florida for Huckabee has learned that Gov. Mike Huckabee will be attending First Baptist Church in Orlando this Sunday, January 27, 2008. He will be introduced during both the 9:00AM and the 10:45AM services. CLICK HERE for directions to First Baptist Orlando.

Sen. Mike Likes Gov. Mike

Florida's Pro-Family Leaders Endorse Huckabee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday January 24, 2008

FLORIDA'S MOST RESPECTED CONSERVATIVE, PRO-FAMILY LEADERS ENDORSE MIKE HUCKABEE FOR PRESIDENT

(Orlando, FL) Today, the Co-Chairmen of the Florida Huckabee Faith and Values Coalition, John Stemberger and Dr. David Uth, announced that a clear consensus has been reached among pro-family leadership in Florida and that Mike Huckabee is the candidate to back for social conservatives. This was further evidenced by rock solid conservative Congressman, and former presidential candidate, Duncan Hunter's endorsement of Governor Mike Huckabee yesterday.

Stemberger said, "A year ago, several leaders set out to build a consensus around who was the best candidate to stand for conservative, pro-life and pro-family values. While it has taken us a while to get here, we are proud to announce that a consensus has been reached not only around the country, but specifically here in Florida. For conservative pro-family voters, Huckabee is our man!" "I have known Governor Huckabee for 32 years and have found him to consistently represent the Biblical values that we can all hold dear." Said David Uth.

Florida's closed primary is a different ball game than in New Hampshire and South Carolina where independents and liberal democrats can cross over and vote for a candidate like John McCain. Social and religious conservatives comprise upwards of forty percent of the primary voters in Florida and Governor Huckabee can be very competitive and could win Florida as the consensus continues to build.

"One of the primary questions we have to ask is who can we trust to bring us home? Mike Huckabee is the answer." John Stemberger said. While hundreds of Florida pro-family advocates and pastors have endorsed Mike Huckabee, the following high profile leaders are announcing their joint endorsement today:

Art Ally
The Timothy Plan

Frank Attkisson
State Representative
Florida House

Bill Bunkley
Host of Drive Time
Salem Radio Network

Barbara Collier
Christian Coalition of
Broward County*

Ken Connor
Center for a Just Society*

John Grant
Florida Senate, Retired

Janet Folger
Faith2Action*

Terry Kemple
Community Issues Forum*

Tomas Lares
Council on Faith in Action (CONFIA)*

Pam Olson
Florida Prayer Network*

Rep. Marco Rubio
Speaker, Florida House of Representatives

Mat Staver
Liberty Counsel*

John Stemberger
Florida Family Policy Council*

Stephen Strang
Strang Communications

Dr. David Uth
First Baptist Church of Orlando*

Senator Daniel Webster
Florida Senate

* For Identification Purposes Only

# # #

Hunter’s FL Campaign Chief Backs Huckabee

Here is a letter written by Chuck Winn who served as Duncan Hunter’s Florida Chief of Staff until the congressman dropped out of the race and endorsed Mike Huckabee this week.

Congressman Hunter’s decision to withdraw from the Presidential race was disappointing, but I will always be proud to have served as his campaign’s Florida Chief of Staff. He boldly warned that the hemorrhaging of jobs and technology to China was eroding the economic component of American National power. He also warned that protecting jobs and in U.S. defense, aircraft, ship repair, machine tools, textile, steel, titanium and information technology industries are essential for maintaining our wartime surge capacity. He led the fight for securing our borders and ending the assault on America’s middle class by unchecked illegal immigration.

Significantly, the Congressman did not endorse his Armed Services Committee counterpart in the Senate, and fellow Vietnam Veteran John McCain. Having full confidence in Duncan’s judgment, I must conclude there is a valid reason. Governor Romney's obviously did not sufficiently responded to Duncan's appeal to have him influence the Bain Corporation to drop its strategic partnership with Chinese defense contractor Huawei Technologies in a bid to buy U.S. defense contractor 3Com. Mayor Giuliani maintains his liberal positions on social issues.

Congressman Hunter introduced me to Governor Mike Huckabee at the Univision GOP Candidate’s Forum in Miami, where he made an impressive performance. I had concerns over several of his controversial decisions as Arkansas’ Governor, but he has demonstrated the ability to change course and grow. Duncan Hunter has endorsed him as the “most strongly committed to strengthening national defense, constructing the border fence and meeting the challenge of China’s emergence as a military superpower that is taking large portions of America’s industrial base.” I share that view and urge you to vote for Governor Huckabee on January 29th.

Charles J. Winn
Colonel, U.S. Army (Ret)
Stuart, FL 34994

“I’ll Probably go with Huckabee”

With Fred Thompson quitting the race for president, his Florida supporters are now moving their support to Gov. Mike Huckabee. It’s a nature switch. Many social, fiscal and foreign policy conservatives were lining up behind Thompson early on when he was the rock star. Now they are gravitating to Gov Huckabee because his pro-life, pro-2nd Amendment, and strong national security policy are all so similar to Senator Thompson’s.

Miami Herald - January 23, 2008
''I'll probably go with Huckabee,'' said Barbara Collier, a well-known Christian activist in Fort Lauderdale and Thompson supporter. ``He has a lot of the principles that I stand for, that I would like to see in a president.'' Atlanta-based pollster Matt Towery said Huckabee will get more votes without Thompson siphoning away Christian conservatives.

St. Petersburg Times – January 23, 2008
John Stemberger,[a]…conservative…in Orlando, said Thompson supporters will feel at home with fellow southerner, Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor. He should know; he made the switch a couple of months ago. "I think that Mike Huckabee for social conservatives is the candidate," he said. "Nobody comes close to his credentials."

Vote for Gov. Huckabee in this Online poll

Go vote in the Florida Virtual Primary:

http://purpleflorida.ning.com/

Make Phone Calls to Florida...Come to Florida

Attention America: If you want to help Gov. Mike Huckabee win the Florida primary on January 29th, please take action now:

Make Phone calls into Florida: If you can help make calls into the state, please email Katie.Halley@explorehuckabee.com. Tell Katie how many numbers you can realistically call in the next few days and she will email you a list of numbers and a phone script to use.

Come to Florida: If you want to come to Florida and volunteer please email cheriereopro@huckabee.com right away.

Florida Media: Where's Mike?

Wow, to hear and read the media today, you would think Gov. Mike Huckabee does not know where to find the state of Florida on a map. They are having a good time piling on Gov. Huckabee here, here, here, oh, and here and here.

Truth be told, Mike Huckabee is running a strong campaign in Florida, with grassroots volunteers active all across the state. Gov. Huckabee is running a nationwide, 50-state campaign because he understands that a President of the United States must represent every American…not just citizens in the “early states” or those in the “BIG states.”

CLICK HERE to see the energetic reception Gov. Huckabee received from Orlando supporters yesterday.
CLICK HERE to learn about the exciting Ft. Lauderdale Rally with Gov. Huckabee planned for tomorrow.
CLICK HERE to see a sample of the Meet-up activities going on around the state all week to boost the campaign.
CLICK HERE to read about Gov. Huckabee’s non-political speech to a thousand pastors in Orlando yesterday.

And that is not to mention the half dozen or so fund raiser events going on with Gov. Huckabee around the state this week. Nor does it include the opportunity for Gov. Huckabee to shine on Thursday with the debate from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton (that’s in Florida also…just in case the Florida media is still confused!)

5 things you can do this week to help Mike Huckabee win Florida:

1. Vote Early and take others with you. Early voting allows a strategic advantage for those who will go to the early voting locations and cast their vote this week so that next Tuesday on Primary Day, they can be freed up to help Gov. Huckabee in other ways. CLICK HERE to find early voting locations in your county.

2. Make phone calls as a campaign volunteer. Contact the state headquarters in Orlando at 407-438-9134 to find out how you can help in this effort to connect with Republican voters around the state.

3. Write a Letter to the Editor. You can write a 250-word-or-less letter explaining why you support Gov. Huckabee or highlighting one of his policy positions, like his strong stand against Islamic Terrorism, his promotion of the Fair Tax or his Secure America plan to deal with those entering our nation illegally.

4. Email all of your Florida contacts. A simple tool is available HERE on the main http://www.mikehuckabee.com/ site that allows you to send an email introducing Mike Huckabee and add a personal greeting to your friends.

5. Stand outside the required distance from Early Voting locations and wave signs in support of Mike Huckabee from now through Saturday, Jan. 26th.

And last but not least, CLICK HERE to read about Fred Thompson dropping out of the presidential race today.

On to a Florida victory on January 29th!

Tampa Reception

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO A RECEPTION IN SUPPORT OF

United States Presidential Candidate
Governor Mike Huckabee (R)

Friday, January 25, 2008
6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

1001 East Palm Avenue ~ Tampa, FL 33605

Private Reception and Photo with Governor Huckabee
Contribution: $2,300 per person

General Reception
Contribution: $1,000 per person

Business Casual ~ Heavy Hors D'oeuvres

RSVP by January 22:
813.453.7608 or Petradevelop@gmail.com


Paid for by Huckabee for President, Inc.
www.mikehuckabee.com

Ft. Lauderdale Campaign Rally

You are invited to join Presidential Candidate
Governor Mike Huckabee
Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008
7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
For a Campaign Rally
at
Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport/Elite Jet Hangar
2900 NW 59th Street ♦ Fort Lauderdale, FL
RSVP to
Florida@explorehuckabee.com
or
(407) 438-9134

It's Time to Win Florida!

Welcome to Florida Governor Huckabee! We are with you all the way to a January 29th victory!

Sample of Florida Meet-up Activities this week

Florida Hispanics for Mike Huckabee Meet-up
January 22, 2008
7:15 PM
CLICK HERE for more details

Pensacola Meet-up
January 22, 2008
7:00 PM
CLICK HERE for more details

Polk County Meet-up
January 22, 2008
6:00 PM
CLICK HERE for more details

Orange Park/Clay County Meet-up
January 24, 2008
7:00 PM
CLICK HERE for more details

Space coast Meet-up – Melbourne
January 24, 2008
7:00 PM
CLICK HERE for details

Gainesville Meet-up
January 26, 2008
12:00 PM
CLICK HERE for more details

For see all Florida Meet-ups, CLICK HERE

Florida Headquarters Grand Opening

Tuesday 1/22 - Prayer in Orlando

You are invited to a powerful hour of prayer and worship in Orlando
seeking God’s favor and direction for our nation and our next president.

Tuesday – January 22, 2008
6:30 – 7:30 AM
First Baptist Church of Orlando
Faith Hall

Prayer Leaders:
Becky Hunter
Coach Bill McCartney
Pastor David Swanson
Pastor David Uth

This is an opportunity to petition the Lord for the next President of the United States and to pray specifically for presidential candidate Governor Mike Huckabee and his family according to the power of prayer and the Biblical mandate to pray for other believers. (2 Chronicles 7:14, 1 Timothy 2:1-3).

This is not a political event. Not a fund raiser. No breakfast. No coffee.
Just prayer for the future of our nation.

Please CLICK HERE to RSVP.

Florida Media Coverage

Huckabee Needs to Expand Base in Florida
Sun-Sentinel
January 15, 2008
As other candidates perform poorly and possibly drop out after today's primary in Michigan and Saturday's in South Carolina, Craig and Dinerstein said Huckabee may face a smaller field of opponents. While he may get the same share, each of the remaining Republicans would be able to get a larger share of the vote.

Huckabee is Difficult for Some to Define
Sun-Sentinel
January 15, 2008
Henry Bayard, Huckabee's volunteer coordinator in Broward, lauds the candidate for talking about protecting the environment, improving education, and the so-called fair tax. The fair tax, a major cause among some conservatives, calls for replacing all federal income taxes with a national sales tax. "He's more of a well-rounded candidate," Bayard said.

Thompson Chucked for Huck by Florida Conservative
Orlando Sentinel
January 14, 2008
“Gov. Huckabee is without question the best candidate to breathe new life and fresh hope into a nation and its people who are fed up with scandal, corruption and big-money power politics”

State Headquarters Opens in Orlando

The first Florida campaign office for Mike Huckabee opened on Friday in Orlando. Here is the contact information for the office and the new Online Florida Headquarters also:

Mike Huckabee for President
LaQuinta Business Center II
1282 LaQuinta Dr Unit #4
Orlando, FL 32809
407-438-9134
Florida Online HQ

FL Native Ken Connor: Bluebloods vs. the Base

Florida Native and former Florida gubernatorial candidate Ken Connor wrote an excellent piece describing what is now occurring within the Republican Party.

CLICK HERE for full article

They are the Republican elites, the bluebloods that fund political campaigns. They fashion for themselves quaint little names like "Rangers" and "Pioneers." Raising political capital is their new frontier. They invest in political campaigns as a cost of doing business and they expect a return on their investment. To spread the risk, they often put their money down on more than one candidate. And the returns are good—subsidies, tax breaks, limitations on liability when things go awry. Power is a wonderful way to leverage wealth! They are fiscally conservative and socially liberal. After all, one never knows when the right to abortion might come in handy. An unexpected pregnancy can be so inconvenient!

They expect people to know their place—and to stay in it. Place, after all, reflects one's station in life. It is, therefore, unsettling when one gets out of place.

That's why the candidacy of Mike Huckabee is so unsettling to them. A Baptist preacher who wants to sit at the head of the table! Can't he just pronounce the benediction? A graduate of Ouachita Baptist University—never heard of it. Where is he from? Arkansas? That's where the Ozarks are, right? They make moonshine there and those quaint little dolls with faces made of dried fruit. Governor, you say? Ah, but has he ever run a business? Wasn't Bill Clinton governor of Arkansas? Who is backing Huckabee? Home schoolers? Why would anyone want to teach their kids at home when there are perfectly lovely boarding schools available? Evangelicals? Those are the folks with the red necks and blue collars that carry big black Bibles, right? The ones that don't believe in evolution and want to take the nation back for Christ. They think the earth is flat and object to embryonic stem cell research? I thought so. Oh, they can be useful by winning elections for you, but they are soooo presumptuous! Who do they think they are? Give someone a seat at the table, and the next thing you know, they want to sit at the head of the table!

Here's the bad news for the bluebloods. The blue collars aren't going to go away. The base isn't going to the back of the bus. They've ridden back there for so long, their behinds are sore. They're mad as hell and they aren't going to take it any more. They've found a champion in Mike Huckabee and they intend to fight. They've chafed long enough. For years, they watched as the Republican controlled Congress spent money like drunken sailors. They saw "earmarks" for the business elites elevated to an art form and rise to an all time high under Republican leadership. They watched as the party of family values became embroiled in scandals involving sex and money. They winced as the Republican led Congress gave away tens of millions of dollars to Planned Parenthood, the biggest abortionist in the business. And they became apoplectic when the business elites thwarted efforts to stem the tide of illegal immigration because the bluebloods wanted to maximize profits through the use of cheap immigrant labor at the expense of the American worker.

To borrow a phrase from Hillary Clinton, Huckabee listened to them and found his own voice. And the base is responding to it.

Full story…

Huckabee 1st in FL...Rudy 4th

A new poll shows Gov. Mike Huckabee solidifying his Florida lead with his main competitor in Florida, Rudy Giuliani, slipping to 4th. From Datamar:

Mike Huckabee 23.9%

Mitt Romney 19.5%

John McCain 17.9%

Rudy Giuliani 16.4%

Fred Thompson 9.4%

Ron Paul 4.8%

Florida Leaders Campaign in NH

Florida leaders like House Speaker Marco Rubio, State Representative David Rivera and State Senator Mike Haridopolos (all pictured here with Mike Huckabee) have been in New Hampshire campaigning for the governor.

Here is the story from the Miami Herald:

Mike Huckabee's staunchest Florida supporters believe his Iowa surprise was enough to catapult him to victory in Florida's Jan. 29 contest -- so much so that they spent a chilly Sunday hitting the pavement for the Baptist minister who has upended the Republican race for the presidency.

Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, swaddled in a dark sweater and a thermal top, and his top lieutenant, state Rep. David Rivera, traded South Florida for southern New Hampshire, calling GOP voters from Huckabee's makeshift New Hampshire headquarters here and thrusting Florida oranges to passing motorists, urging them to vote for the former Arkansas governor.

''I came all the way from Florida to give you this orange and ask you to please consider Gov. Huckabee when you vote Tuesday,'' Rivera said to several startled drivers, as he darted across three lanes of traffic on North Main Street….

Full story…

Rubio and Rivera Bring FL Sunshine to NH

FL House Speaker Marco Rubio and Rep. David Rivera are in New Hampshire stumping for Mike Huckabee. Here is a report from the Miami Herald blog:

Huckabee backers Marco Rubio and David Rivera spent the day in the Granite State, calling voters and in Rivera's case, nearly getting arrested.

"I came all the way from Florida to give you this orange," Rivera said, plunging into traffic at a Concord intersection near Huckabee's campaign headquarters. "I'm hoping you'll remember on Tuesday to vote for Gov. Huckabee."

Huckabee is giving Mitt Romney a run for his money. He bested him in Iowa last week and is here hoping that a decent showing in New Hampshire will propel him into more conservative South Carolina and then into Florida on Jan. 29. A topsy turvy GOP race - Huckabee takes Iowa, John McCain takes New Hampshire? - could mean Florida gains new relevancy in presidential politics.

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Port St. Lucie Huckabee Supporters Organize

Action star Chuck Norris is hosting a barbecue in Port St. Lucie — a virtual one — and about a dozen Treasure Coast residents gathered Saturday morning at a local Dunkin' Donuts to start coordinating the event.

The men and women, grassroots supporters of Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee, plan to showcase the Jan. 20 event at Norris' Texas ranch via Web-cam on a large surround-sound screen at the Port St. Lucie home of Nick Manzie, where they're talking about holding a pig roast and pot-luck feast.

In rallying for Huckabee, the group, which includes Okeechobee supporters, is making e-mail contacts throughout the country and pointing voters toward Huckabee Web site.

CLICK HERE to read the full story from the Sun-Sentinel

A New Day in American Politics

Congratulations to Gov. Mike Huckabee and his incredible staff and volunteers in Iowa! What an outstanding victory last night! If you live in Florida and want to help Gov. Huckabee win the Jan. 29 primary, please let us know.

From USA Today:

Long-shot Republican candidate Mike Huckabee declared "a new day in American politics" Thursday after riding strong support from evangelical Christians into a decisive victory in the Iowa caucuses.

Huckabee, an ordained Baptist minister and, like Bill Clinton, a native of Hope, Ark., managed to win despite trailing badly in national polls for most of the year. He out-hustled runner-up Mitt Romney and better-known candidates John McCain, Fred Thompson and Rudy Giuliani with a coalition of pastors, home schooling adherents, gun rights advocates and supporters of a new national tax system.

"This election is not about me. It's about we," the former Arkansas governor told supporters here. He said the victory would ignite "a prairie fire of new hope and zeal."

The victory makes Huckabee a serious contender for the Republican presidential nomination.

Full story…

www.vivamike.com – New Latino Blog from Miami

Supporters of Mike Huckabee from a Miami Meet-up started a new blog located at http://www.vivamike.com/. This new blog will focus on news and views of special interest to Latino Americans.

New North Miami Meet-up Group

If you live in north Miami-Dade County or the surrounding area, make sure you take part in the new North Miami Meet-up group in Aventura. The first meeting of the group is tonight, January 2, 2008. CLICK HERE for all the details.