We Did It Again! 3,525 Huckabee Contributions

Well folks. Congrats! We did it again! We blew the latest goal out of the water. Two weeks ago the goal was 2,500 new contributions. On Friday we passed it. Next goal was 3,000. We passed that on Saturday night. When the dust settled and the 3rd Quarter ended at midnight, the Grand total for the past two weeks came out to 3,525 contributions! We blew every goal out of the water! Great job everyone!

A $400 Haircut for Huck?

Massachusetts for Huckabee has an exclusive story about a $400 haircut Is this the same guy who ribbed John Edwards? Yes. Relax everyone. The haircut was for charity, specifically to find a cure for Autism. Huck spent 400 dollars that he could have used on the campaign trail for an awesome cause. He proves again his selflessness and his care for people. I am very impressed.

Great News on Two Fronts

Good morning!

There is awesome news on two fronts this morning. Not only did we meet the 2,500 new donations goal set by the Mike Huckabee campaign, we met the 3,000 new donation goal when the bar was raised yesterday! Can we get to 3,250 before Midnight tonight? Let's keep it up!

Also there are new numbers in from Iowa from yesterday and the news is good. Mike's in double digits! Mike is three points ahead of John McCain, one point before Rudy, and four points behind Fred. There is also 15 percent undecided and even if only half broke Mike's way, Huck would be in 2nd place behind Mitt "Mr. Moneybags" Romney. One caveat is that the margin of error is high with this poll. I wonder why? I am also interested in the polls that are taken from this point forward. Why? Well finally Newt is out of the equation. How much of his support will break for Mike? Is the sudden surge in Huckabee donations (500 in one day) a result of Newt's announcement yesterday, and from the people that were going to donate to his campaign?

I am pretty sure that not even Mike Huckabee himself knew what good timing the end of the 3rd Quarter was. He participated in Solutions Day, yesterday, He impressed at the PBS forum on Thursday (Michael Steele was impressed...could an endorsement be coming from him?),and Mike's Foreign policy speech on Friday has gotten him a lot of press from the "Bush Bashing" mainstream media. It can only get better from here folks! We may be watching the most spectacular political Cinderella story ever. Mike is being outspent 1,000 to 1 and yet those people who have more money are losing their support while Mike gains. If Mike can end up pulling this out we might have a movie in the making here. This would be more shocking than Jimmy Carter's rise to the White House. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. There's a long way to go.

BREAKING - Newt Reportedly NOT Running

This decision came quickly. I am listening to the Georgia/Mississippi football game and WSB radio reports that former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich will reportedly not run for President. This comes on the day of the 30-plus workshops of his Solutions Day Initiative (The FairTax workshop starts in 30 minutes).

The Atlanta Journal & Constitution has the story HERE. Apparently it is legally impossible and prohibited for Newt to be the head of, the Political Action Committee, American Solutions For Winning The Future and run for president at the same time. I am a Mike Huckabee supporter but I think this is stupid. We really need to overhaul campaign laws and regulations, to give more freedom for people to run a campaign as they see fit, as long as a candidate is open about who is financing their campaign and their other political activi so that the citizens can make a fair and informed decision.

I am going to assume that knowing what we do now that a Newt Gingrich endorsement for Mike Huckabee is also impossible at this point for the exact same reason Gingrich can't run for President.

Introducing Dave the Swinger!

Good Morning!

I would like to introduce Dave the Swinger to you. He's going to be a new editor here. Don't be afraid, he won't bite. He's also a Huckabee supporter, just like me! Dave is from Louisville, Kentucky and works at the local Wal-Mart. Dave and I go a long way back as Internet DJ's, working together now for about 7 years. I wouldn't bring anyone to this party that won't do a good job. He's a great artist and much more savvy with html than I am. Don't be surprised to see some design changes around here. I think it can only look better. We'll see what Dave comes up with. As far as a more in-depth introduction I will let Dave do the honors if he wishes.

Happy Saturday everyone!

Huckabee Fundraising Goal Met...Can We Get to 3K?

GREAT NEWS ON THE FUNDRASING FRONT- As of this posting the Huckabee Campaign goal of 2,500 donations before Sunday at Midnight has been surpassed and stands at 2,600 Plus! Let's get it up to 3,000!

Note about Amazon Links

If you are noticing a few new items on the right side of the blog you're not hallucinating. I am experimenting with Amazon links. If you click on either one and buy something I am going to receive a little money from Amazon. I'm seeing if I can get a little money while I blog each day. I will undoubtedly donate some of my earnings to the Mike Huckabee campaign but it will not be more than 50 percent of my earnings. I am seeing if I can get a little extra income here. Trying this can't hurt right? So yeah, if you would please use the links and make those cash registers ring over at Amazon. Thank You!

My Friend Hayley B Visit's Disneyland

It's Friday afternoon so time for something fun and light. My friend from Delaware, Hayley B. got a chance to go out to Disneyland for the very first time. She had a wonderful time and I am very happy that she did. I am sure it meant as much to her as my first and only visit back in 1986 (when I was four). Hayley has some pictures and a complete Trip Report HERE I must say that I can't wait to do what she did next year. the folks at MiceChat are so wonderful and I want to meet them so very much. I am going to try to head out there to Disneyland next year. My target date is September 19th (my Birthday).

Mike's Major Foreign Policy Speech

This morning, Governor Huckabee presented a major Foreign Policy speech at the Center For Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC and you are probably hearing about from the Mainstream media (who like to eat up a Republican blasting the Bush Administration). Mike hits a home run! Read the transcript here.

Playing Catch-up

Good afternoon!

We'r3e going to start this post by playing Catch-up and move from there. There are several items that I neglected to post about there that I feel I must bring to your attention. After that we'll go looking around and I'll share the good stuff. Sweet Tea anyone? Stick around and I'll pour you a glass. Happy Friday!

Here's the video from Mike's speech this week at his alma mater in Arkansas.

Would you like to meet and get to know governor Huckabee's wife, Janet? Here's your chance!

Mike discusses race, 50 years since the Little Rock Nine.

Governor Huckabee comments on the recent visit by the president of Iran.

Huck sets the record straight on the issues of Civil Unions.

Massachusetts For Huckabee reviews the PBS debate last night and shares news articles which really mean good news for the campaign!

K Street Mole For Huckabee is "Walking On Sunshine" because we've almost reached our goal of 2,500 donations by the end of the weekend (just under 300 still left to go as of this writing) and he got to meet Mike in person.

Rise Conservative Nation, is starting a series highlighting Huckabee vs Clinton. Check out the first installment.

That's all for now. Enjoy the tea I brewed for ya. Lemons and extra sugar are on the table.

Check out "Fall For Huckabee"

Michigan Redneck has a great blog. In fact you should read it every day! She's got a fantastic idea, called "Fall For Huckabee" (as in get more people to like him). Great job!

My Challenge, An Update

I want to thank the Huckabee Myspace and Michigan Redneck for spreading the word around about my challenge. Tomorrow is Friday. I've put down my money and I am wearing my red and black for the Georgia Bulldogs. What about you? We're getting closer and closer to the goal set by the Huckabee campaign of 2,500 donations by the September30th deadline. They've got 700 more to go at this point. There's three days left. Maybe you can't wear anything tomorrow. Maybe your ofice doesn't have Cas' Friday. Maybe you're going to wear your team colors this weekend. I'm going to extend my challenge. If at anytime you're going to wear attire supporting your favorite team this weekend, all you have to do is donate 5 bucks to Huckabee through his website. It's very easy! They even have people that will pick up if you want to phone in your details. C'mon together we can make a difference! While your at it, go over and see Kevin Tracy and let him know you read his challenge and your donation will grow by 50 percent! That means your 5 dollar donation will turn into $7.50!

I tell ya what folks. It's crunch time. It's 4th and Goal and we need to get in the endzone and score a Touchdown to win the game. This is so important to me that if 50 people will tell me they answered my challenge I will donate 50 dollars on Saturday evening! It's that simple. Let's do the math. 50 times $5.00 equals 250 bucks! Add my 50 and that makes 300 bucks. Then taking it over to ktracy we'll add 50 percent ($150) for a grand total of $450 we can raise together! C'mon everyone, let's hunker down and win one for the Huckster! WE CAN DO IT!!!

Solutions Day & the PBS Debate Thoughts

Good evening!

It's been a busy evening in front of the old compy and the tube. Here are some thoughts.

To kick off the night we had Newt Gingrich and the kick-off of Solutions Day. Red State has a good handle of the whole thing as they had a few folks live blogging the even down at the Cobb Galleria. Very well done. I enjoyed every minute of it. Newt is a very brilliant man. Not only was the webcast available in Spanish but he als did a similar presentation in the Online world of Second Life. Don't ask me to tell you about that cause I really don't know. My computer doesn't have the memory or the graphics card to be able to get in there. However I do know it is immensely popular and including them in Solutions Day is absolutely brilliant!

The Solutions Day kickoff ended 5 minutes ahead of schedule (around 8:25 PM) so downstairs I went to do the dishes so I could be free for the next event of the evening, the PBS debate. I have some early thoughts on that.

- There was a very tight schedule since we were dealing with a network. I appreciate the pleasantries and the pomp and circumstance but all that ended up douing was rushing the end of the debate and keeping a few candidates fro not even answering the last question.

- Speaking of the last question - Why even ask a question that not all the candidates will have time to answer due to the constraints of the PBS schedule? That was stupid!

- Alan Keyes - Would you please stop screaming so much? You're giving me a headache. I must say that hearing that he is not invited to the debate in Michigan does not sit well with me. No matter how loud and obnoxious he is when he is screaming, he is a candidate and he deserves to be invited to debates. The inclusion of a man of color on the stage is definitely an asset for the GOP if there is a candidate that meets the qualification.

- this was the first televised debate that only one question was asked about Iraq. Finally they get it! There were questions about health-care for the first time and one on education (that was the last question that not all candidates got the pleasure of answering, which I still think was unfair).

- Mike did very well. He answered his questions with his usual class. There really wasn't room for jokes this time since everything felt so rushed. Who cares! Ron Paul was also impressive. Why? Because only one question was asked about Iraq. He scores points with me by default because of that. I think tonight was Brownback's best showing. He's still not on par with the other top-tiers though (and some of that was his communications skills). Brownback may have had the best line of the night at the very beginning asking the viewers to send a political message during the Primary and vote on the GOP side for one of the six who attended the debate tonight. I couldn't agree more!

Speaking of the FairTax - 3 New Co-Sponsors Today!!

Great news on the FairTax front today. There are three new Co-Sponsors of HR 25 today! Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL 5th District), Mary Falin (R-OK 5th District), and Frank D. Lucas (R-OK 3rd District). You can read more, including comments from each co-signer here.

Huckabee/Gingrich - A Juggernaut

Good morning!

Tonight has the potential to be a huge night.

At 7 PM Eastern, former Republican Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich opens up his "Solutions Day" initiative with a speech at the Cobb Galleria neat Atlanta, GA. There is a full day of workshops being hosted at the University of West Georgia and all over the country on Saturday. Mike Huckabee will be leading one on Education from New Hampshire Saturday afternoon. There is also one being led by Libertarian talk show host, Neal Boortz and my Congressmen, John Linder (R-GA) on the Fair Tax. It all gets started at 7 PM tonight. You can watch it right there online Be sure to test your ability to watch ASAP so you don't miss it. You can see it on DIRECTV 577 and DISH Network 219 as well.

Following that will be tonight's debate from Baltimore, MD on PBS from 9-10:30 PM Eastern. Mike Huckabee will be there but yet again "Rudy McRomneyson" will be absent. It is appalling to me to see so many Republicans skipping out on this debate which is a wonderful opportunity to reach out to Minorities. The refusal of some is beyond me.

Anywho, I want you to pay attention to both of these events tonight. I will be front and center for both. Here you have two politicians with fresh ideas that are not just aimed at Conservatives or Republicans, but with the goal of (quoting Newt here if I may) creating a "Red, White ,and Blue" nation and creating real political change that would be beneficial for us all and for our Nation.

I have no idea if I will take a hit here for saying this but I think a Huckabee/Gingrich ticket would be a juggernaut that could not be stopped. I don't care who head the ticket either. It really doesn't matter. In many state polls both of these politicians poll the same despite the fact that Newt has not declared his candidacy at this point. If you add the poll numbers that Gingrich and Huckabee are getting you get a ticket that would be 2nd or 3rd depending on the state (and those numbers could only go up). I know there are some things in Newt's past that are not very good to look at so I suggest Mike Huckabee head the ticket. It could be 1994 all over again. There is enough time between the primaries and the actual election this year (because everything is so bunched up together) that if the right ticket is created by the Republicans, with a platform that would unite the Moderates and independents with them the Senate and The House might be able to change hands in November. Yes it is a stretch but a possibility nonetheless.

Just think about it!

A Challenge to all you Huckabee Sports Fans!

Back when I was in school we were forbidden to wear hats. Being able to wear one was a real privilege. There were exceptions made for special purposes. Several of those exceptions were made for fundraising. I am proposing something similar for this Friday!

We are reaching the end of the 4th Quarter of the Fundraising period for the Huckabee campaign. I know many of us out there are football fans. I realize that Friday is usually "causal Friday" for those out in the workforce. I challenge each of you that will be wearing attire for your favorite College/NFL football team, or NASCAR driver donate at least 5 dollars to the Mike Huckabee campaign by using this link

We can do it Y'all! No matter what team we are rooting for on Saturday and Sunday, let's get behind Team Huckabee! Together we can achieve Victory! Let's get out there and win one for the Huckster!!

Post-Vertical Day Roundup

Good morning everyone!

Based on everything I have heard and read Vertical Day was and continues to be a huge success for the Mike Huckabee campaign! There are over 20 new Huckabee bloggers, thousands of new visitors to the website, and an increase in donations at a very critical time (very near the end of the 3rd Quarter). Vertical Day was also a success for my blog too- I have more readers than ever before and I was a guest blogger on V-Day! Hooray!

So let's go on this special Post V-Day edition of a Huckabee Roundup-

First up is an interview Real Clear Politics had with Governor Huckabee.

Yesterday, Huckabee was in Little Rock to mark the 50th anniversary of the "Little Rock Nine" and the historic de-segregation of Central High. Mike was also there 40 years ago as Governor of Arkansas and he made this speech.

Last week, Mike Huckabee was well received at the NRA. Here's his speech. Also here are Glenn Beck's thoughts. (Thanks to Mike Huckabee '08 for sharing!)

Former Maryland Lt. Governor, Michael Steele is quite upset with "Rudy McRomneyson" for skipping out on the debate in Baltimore tomorrow. Newt agrees.

Huckabee - The Underdog On The March.

Iowa Independent chimes in on V-Day.

Huckabee and Buzz Dynamics

Please check out ktracy's coverage and videos from V-Day. They do a great job over there!

A new Fundraising challenge - $4.15 for each year you have filed taxes to the IRS for the Huckabee Campaign. I'm in!

Well tha's all the time I have for now. Thanks for reading. See ya real soon! OoO

Three more Great Vertical Day Questions Answered...

Mike has answered two more great questions as Vertical Day is quickly coming to a close:

The First question involves the FairTax and a low income family.

The second question involves energy independence.

The third question involves the current credit and mortgage crisis.

There's only about an hour left. I am sure there will be a few more entries posted before everything wraps up. Based on what I have heard this initiative has been successful. I hope it ends up bearing fruit. This has been real fun to watch , blog about, promote, and cover.

While I Was Sleeping On Vertical Day

Good Morning everyone! This is what was posted while I was sleeping.

"Once upon a time there was OneMom who set upon a journey to find the next President of the United States....

Iowa State Campaign Chair Bob Vander Plaats checks in with his support.

Blogger Larry Perrault's guest post, "Security, Prosperity, & Civility"

Another guest blogger, Amy Tucker's post

Mike answers a question about Iraq.

Another question answered - this time about Senator Clinton's Healthcare plan.

Townhall blogger, John Witt's guest post.

Check out "Huckabee The Snoopy Candidate"!

A guest post from the blogger, Nuke Gingrich

Debate Highlights are shared: One, Two, Three, Four.

Dr. Laurence White tells us why "This election is cannot be about electability."

Mike answers a question regarding what he would be able to do with a House and Senate controlled by Democrats (which is likely at this point).

Well now we are up to-date. What's to come? Well I don't know but I am sure it will all be good.

I'm Going to Call It A Night But....

...Vertical Day continues! I leave you with the video from this afternoon's Web Conference





I may be sleeping but there is no sleep over at the Vertical Day Site. There will be much more content posted overnight. I will share it all here tomorrow morning over a nice cup of coffee with you. In the mean time, check the site and I'll see y'all tomorrow morning as Vertical Day comes to its climax!

The Sun Goes Down but Vertical Day Continues!

The sun has sank in the West but Vertical Day is still going strong!

Longtime friend, Dr. Lester Sitzes shares with us the sincere and honest man that is Governor Mike Huckabee.

If you haven't added Mike as a friend on Myspace or Facebook, what are you waiting around for? Add Mike Today!

Florida construction business manager, author, and blogger, William Morgan, chimes in with why he likes Mike!

Mike receives a question about the FairTax and answers it in his intelligent manner.

Former South Carolina Governor, David Beasley supports Huckabee (he endorsed Mike back in May)!

Vertical Day Continues

Mike Huckabee talks about "A Different (Political) Message."

the next issue up to bat is Mike's view on relations with China.

More stuff to come. We're only 8 hours in and there's lots to come!

I will keep everyone up to date as I can. Please visit the Vertical Day Page for the latest!

29 things You May Not Know About Mike Huckabee

29 Things You Don't Know About Mike Huckabee

1. He narrated the Doctor Suess book, Horton Hatches An Egg in a high school play.


2. He's a big fan of The Three Stooges.

3. He's a great cook.

4. He rides his bicycle to the grocery store.

5. He likes Yarnell's guilt free ice cream.

6. He likes to snorkle.

7. He likes the The Colbert Report.

8. His favorite actor is Robert De Niro.

9. His favorite actress is Meryl Streep.

10. He reads a chapter of Proverbs every single day when he wakes up.

11. He is not fond of heights.

12. He's like a kid at Christmas because he wants to open Christmas gifts early just so he can see what he got.

13. He organizes his socks, and everything else.

14. He prepares his own breakfast the night before to save time in the morning because getting up no later than 4:30 might not be enough time.

15. He talks to "the Boys" (his three dogs) and thinks they are listening.

16. He graduated from College magna cum laude with a 4 year degree in just over 2 years.

17. His Dad picked him up from school once in a car that had no body, just a frame and wooden boxes for seats.

18. He does great impressions of Billy Graham, Jimmy Stewart, Ronald Reagan, and Ross Perot.

19. He was left handed but was made to write with his right hand in elementary school.

20. He wanted to be an astronaut in first grade.

21. He was a pretty shy kid.

22. He can't sit still. If there is ever a free minute he feels the need to get up and immediately start on a new project, for instance the minute a meal is over he has to get up and start putting things away and doing dishes.

23. One of his favorite television shows is The Sopranos.

24. His favorite snack food is movie style popcorn. And he likes it so much his wife Janet bought him a popcorn machine for christmas.

25. He gave Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones a pardon when he was Governor.

26. He loves to play practical jokes.

27. His favorite movies are To Kill a Mockingbird and Casablanca.

28. His favorite church hymns are A Mighty Fortress is our God and In the Garden.

29. One of his dreams is to watch a game in every Major League baseball park.

Vertical Day Getting Better & Better!

The impact of this day continues to mount - Here's what's happening now!

Mike reflects on the Campaign thus far and what's to come.

Michelle Donaldson, of Montana For Huckabee 2008, hails Mike as a Real American Leader!

Mike Huckabee: Pastors & Pews

Next up is some guy named Brian Donegan (Yes, I'm ecstatic!) with the supportive viewpoint of an Independent voter.

And probably the best news of the day - SOUTH DAKOTA GOVERNOR MIKE ROUNDS ENDORSES MIKE HUCKABEE!!!

Vertical Day Marches On!

Here's the latest from Vertical Day:

Lu Hardin, the President of Central Arkansas University chimes in on Huckabee and the issue of education.

Yet another Gues blogger, Huckbee in '08, tells us why he supports Mike!

Mike talks about Newt Gingrich's "Nine Nineties in Nine" debate plan and why he supports it.



Speaking of Newt, the former Speaker of the House checks in with a plug for "Solutions Day" on September 27th and 29th. I'll also cover this on my blog. Mike Huckabee will be participating on the 29th.

More coming up later, after dinner and my daily exercise session.

Mike on Iraq

The following video is Mike Huckabee's thoughts on Iraq, what needs to be done there, and his distate for the MoveOn.org attack ad:




Mike is right on the money here! If I could look out tonight and wish on the first star I see and be able to end the War in Iraq I would do it in a heartbeat. However, the conclusion of the war needs to end in Victory and Honor for the Iraqui citizens and for our Military. Too many sacrifices have been made to cut-and-run. Think about the thousands of lives that would be lost in vain if we pulled out tomorrow and plunge the country into chaos.

Remember the song by Canned Heat, "Let's Work Together"? We need to take that song to heart. I could stand here today and tell you why things haven't gone entirely the way the should in Iraq. I could point fingers and curse the names of many but that's not what we need to be doing. We need to "Work Together" and unite to bring victory in Iraq for her people, honor for our military, and defeat for the terror cells and Islamic fascists that would run over iraq if we left immidiately.

Vertical Day Update

Good afternoon everyone!

Vertical Day is just getting started. Here's what's been posted thus far:

The first guest of the days is James Robison of Life Outreach International and he hails Mike as a "Strong Pro Life leader"

Mike Huckabee discusses his faith

Then there is a note about an interview that Mike did with Instapundit that will appear online October 1st and air on XM's new POTUS channel on October 3rd.

Luke Vargas tells us why he likes Mike as a guest blogger.

Next feature is a video discussion on Iraq by Mike Huckabee and I will share that and give my own thoughts in the next post. Stay tuned. Lots more to come today. Don't forget to check the website often!

Thoughts on the Vertical Day Webcast!

About 45 minutes ago the Vertical Day Webcast with Mike Huckabee was completed. It was very interesting. Here are some thoughts:

- I thought this was a great way to interact. Even though I am legally blind I liked the fact that I was able to see Mike as he talked. The screen was big enough for me to see him, despite my low vision.

- After a few minutes, in fact just after Mike told us that this was the first ever live 24 Internet event being done by any political campaign (that he knows of), we lost the audio feed for two minutes! Wit this being the first webcast as well there were bugs to be worked out. There were no other issues from that point forward.

- Once the audio feed returned, An important event i nthe Campaign was discussed. For the past nine months the Huckabee campaign has been knows as an "Exploratory Committee" With so much going on on the trail the fact that a name change was in order was overlooked. So today the name has official changed to "The Mike Huckabee For President Election Committee!"

- After that he summed up the past week about the Values voter Debate and straw Poll wins there and in South Carolina. He also let us know that he will be in Baltimore, MD for another debate on Thursday night on PBS at 9 PM Eastern (and discussed how several candidates were skipping the debate and that it focused on minority issues). Huckabee guessed that those GOP candidates that are not participating fear they have no message for minorities and noted that he received 48 percent of the minority vote in his 1998 Gubernatorial election in Arkansas.

-Then questions were asked and answered. Mike will be posting the video of the webcast on his site later. I'll share this with you when that does happen.

It's going to be a busy day around here. Stay tuned and do subscribe to the RSS feed so you can keep up-to-date!

VERTICAL DAY HAS ARRIVED!!!

Good morning everyone!

Vertical Day is up and running at mikehuckabee.com Please click here and check it out! There's going to be lots of awesome content throughout the next 24 hours and you're not going to want to miss it. And please pass the word around!

Looks like the demand for the Blogger and Media Web conference was very high as the limit has been exceeded. I guess I miss out. That's okay, because the more demand to be apart of the conference is positive for the campaign and a very good sign about the impact of this event!

(EDIT) Great news. I think a new room was created or the original room was expanded for the demand. I'm in!

Happy Vertical Day everyone!! :)

Mike Huckabee Takes 3rd in Cape Cod!

Tonight there was a straw poll held at the Lower Cape Round Up on Cape Cod and Huckabee placed 3rd in the poll and his message was well received (a v0lunteer spoke on Mike's behalf). Massachusetts For Huckabee has all the details here

Huckabee Campaign Press Release on Vertical Day

Here's the official press release from the Huckabee Campaign on Vertical Day tomorrow:

Media Advisory: Mike Huckabee To Host First-Ever, 24-Hour "Vertcal Day" On Mon., Sept. 24 & Tues., Sept. 25

September 23, 2007

Little Rock, AR – Former Arkansas Governor and Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee will host an historic 24-hour online "conversation" with voters called "Vertical Day, starting at 10 a.m. CT / 11 a.m. ET on Monday, Sept. 24 and ending at 10 a.m. CT / 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Sept. 25, it was announced today.

To officially kick-off the special event, Huckabee will host a live web-cast for bloggers and interested media at 11 a.m. CT / 12 Noon ET. (RSVP details below.)

The goal of "Vertical Day" is to focus on the issues in order to attract a large wave of potential supporters to the campaign website (www.mikehuckabee.com) over a 24-hour period. An emphasis will be placed on building new online support, energizing the campaign's base of existing support, and identifying the people most likely to participate in the first wave of the actual get-out-the-vote efforts on the ground.
Components of Vertical Day include: blog posts, video clips of Huckabee on the issues and clips of Huckabee answering questions from bloggers.

"The focus of Vertical Day will be a discussion of the most important challenges facing America ," said Huckabee. "I'm excited about this opportunity to reach thousands of voters across America – and to build excitement around this discussion of these ideas, the solutions we see possible, and our hopes for America ."

To participate, please R.S.V.P. to alice.stewart@explorehuckabee.com or kirsten@fedewaconsulting.com by 10 a.m. CT / 11 a.m. ET on Monday, Sept 24.

A Great Invitation to Send For Vertical Day!

Good Morning everyone!

Big Kudos to Brian over at Popular Huck! He's composed a fantastic invitation that you can send to your friends to invite them to Vertical Day tomorrow! Here it is in quotes:

Dear [Friend’s Name],

I probably don’t have to tell you how crucial the next presidential election will be in addressing the dire challenges that face our country. Shall we find by next summer that the government-media establishment has once again selected the final contenders, leaving us with no choice but to vote in November ’08 for “the lesser of two evils?” I hope you’ll join me in standing up now to say, “No more! We have a say who gets to play!” You see, we will soon have an opportunity to vote our conscience without reservation: the upcoming Primary, only four months away, when we choose our party’s nominee for the general election. It is, in fact, for conscience’ sake, and to stand up to the establishment, that I’m asking you to take this opportunity to learn more about Governor Mike Huckabee for president.

What are you looking for in a president? Here’s my short list:

• Authentic Conservative – Has always stood for Life, Family, Traditional Values, and all of the rights and protections guaranteed by our Constitution.

• Winsome Communicator – Real. Persuasive. Respected by friend and foe alike because, while his speech is “seasoned with salt,” it is also “full of grace.”

• Proven Leader – Experienced executive. Calls a spade a spade. Innovator of solutions to the most pressing challenges.

If you screen the candidates you know about by these criteria, which ones do you have left? The only choice for me is Mike Huckabee.

Governor Huckabee can win in 2008 not because he has appeared on a television screen, on the Hollywood scene, or with a big-money scheme, but because he radiates real leadership, unmatched character and brilliant ideas. I will tell you this about Mike Huckabee: wherever he goes – whether it’s a debate or a “straw poll” – he wins the crowd. Now that is electability.

This Monday, September 24, Governor Huckabee will host a 24-hour online open house called “Vertical Day” at www.mikehuckabee.com. Please take a few minutes to see what he has to say about the issues that are most important to you, and see if you don’t agree with me that Governor Mike Huckabee is the most worthy candidate for President of the United States. Let us now do what is within our power, for a change, to vote for the “greater good.” That’s www.mikehuckabee.com.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

So what are you waiting for? Let's get the word out people!!

Saturday Huckabee Roundup

Good morning everyone!

It's been a busy week for me. Wednesday was my 25th Birthday and last night my party was held. the Party was at my house so I had to help clean and prepare the house for company. That's why you have not heard much from me this week.

Just as it has been a busy week for me, It's been a busy week for the Huckabee campaign and it looks like the early part of next week at least will be even busier. I know there have been new bloggers posted on the Huckbee site and I will add Y'all later today while watching football.

First of all a big grassroots push has begun. There is a website the Huckabee campaign is now using called Eventful. Supporters have the opportunity to "demand" an appearance by Mike Huckabee and some supporters are building Google maps to represent their state's amount of demands. There has been so much news of late that the blog posts on Mike Huckabee's website have buried the posts with all the links to these maps. I am sure they will appear again soon and when they do I will link to them here.

Speaking of Google Maps, as part of the end of the 3rd Quarter fundraising drive, Google Maps are also being used to represent donations to the Huckabee campaign. The end of the 3rd Quarter is September 30th. If you donate money (and Please do!) a placeholder will appear with your town on it.

The good news keeps rolling in for the Huckabee camp this week, following his triumph at the Values voters Debate, Huckabee won the Palmetto Family Council Straw Poll in South Carolina! Yesterday Mike Huckabee charmed the folks at the NRA and you can read about that here and here. Also a big endorsement may be coming from Colorado.

All week long the Huckabee campaign has bee dropping hints about "V Day" which has resulted a high level of anticipation and guessing on what "V" stands for and what could be happening on September 24th. Well we have our answer today. Also during the day they will posting guest blog posts that the campaign has selected. I am one of many bloggers who submitted a post and I hope that I have been selected but we shall see! As a Blogger for Huckabee I will be all over this on Monday and tuesday with live coverage here. I'll have more information for you very soon. Stay tuned.

Mike's Final Remarks at the Values Voters Debate

Remember that I told you that Mike Huckabee was able to use four minutes to make his final remarks at the debate the other night? Well I found those remarks on Youtube today and wanted to share it.

More on Huckabee's Triumph Last Night

First of all here is a press release from the Huckabee campaign:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Media
Contacts:
Kirsten Fedewa
Tel: 202-365-6936

Alice
Stewart
Tel: 501-324-2008 Office
501-658-1654 BB

MIKE
HUCKABEE TRIUMPHS AT VALUES VOTER DEBATE
Former Arkansas Governor Wins with
63% of Vote

Little Rock, AR – Former Arkansas Governor Mike
Huckabee was the clear winner of last night’s Values Voter Presidential Debate,
winning with a sweeping 63% of the vote.

“We won huge,” said
Huckabee after the votes were in. “I’m pleased, and proud, and honored to have
this historic endorsement from America’s leading social conservatives who
believe, as I do, in the core values which define American culture and
life. This overwhelming vote affirms that conservatives are coalescing
around one candidate and that candidate is me. Together, we will prevail.”

Huckabee came in a strong first place with 219 votes, garnering
more votes than all of the other candidates’ votes combined. Ron Paul was
a distant second-place, with 44 votes; Sam Brownback and Fred Thompson came in
fourth and fifth, with 18 and 15 respectively.

The poll included
340 delegates who were hand-selected by 40 of America’s social activists and
opinion-makers.

The debate, held at the Broward Center
for the Performing Arts, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, was organized by Phyllis
Schlafly, Paul Weyrich, Don Wildmon, Matt Staver, Rick Scarborough, and Janet
Folger.

What was really impressive was the fact that the delegates voted before the debate and afterwards. Comparing the two votes, Mike's total increased by 100 votes! Ron Paul lost 9.

The totoals can be found here.

A few more thoughts about last night:

Kudos to Huck for using his time wisely. Since he did not use any of his extra time, Mike was able to talk for two additional minutes (for a total of four minutes) during his final remarks. Thus he got to make a stump speech. that probably won people over.

Ron Paul - During the "Speed Round" I was shocked by an answer he gave about Sudan/Darfur the cnadidates were asked if they would support working to end slavery there and the only red light (giving a no answer) was Ron Paul. This is where he differs with the "Anti-War" crowd. The majority of that bloc wants actions taken in the Sudan. If there is anything that cost Ron Paul his nine votes it was probably this.

MIKE HUCKABEE WINS VALUES VOTERS STRAW POLL!!!

FLASH!! Mike Huckabee wins the Values Voters Straw Poll following their debate this evening. Stay tuned more to come, including the official numbers.

Some Perliminary Thoughts On This Debate

I am sitting here watching the Online feed of the "Values Voters Debate" Here are some thoughts as we go.

- Welcome aboard Alan Keyes. At least there's another color being represented and the Democrats cannot hold that against the GOP anymore. It is very appareant and very clear that he is a one-issue candidate. Almost every answer to a question he makes sure without a doubt that he is pro life. He is so extrememly crystal clear that he appears to be a zealot. Additionally I don't know who screams louder, Michaels Savage or Alan Keyes.

Ron Paul - Again I agree with him on most everything except his position on the War on Islamic Fascism. Like Alan Keyes, Ron Paul keeps stressing "Anti War" While he really isn't he makes himself seem like a one issue candidate.

The Debate feed keeps buffering on me at times. that's unfortunate however I do know that this is the first time these people are doing a debate. Hopefully they can fix it for the next go-around. The Speed Round is interesting but also confusing. And the buffering isn't helping my understanding here either. Someone needs to get the video of the speed round to see how confusing this is. The Candidates are confused as well.

Tancredo, Hunter, Cox, & Brownback - These people are very intelligent and I wish them the very best of luck.

It is very clear thus far that Mike Huckabee is the most-well rounded candidate and is able to give the most intelligent answers to the questions given to him.

Values Voter Debate Tonight!

Tonight at 7:30 PM Eastern is the Values Voter Debate in Florida. Absent from this debate will be fout of the five top-tier candidates: Mitt, Rudy, McCain, and Fred (or "Rudy McRomneyson" for short).

You can watch the debate here Don't miss it!

New Huckabee Campaign Materials Released!

I know I am a little late on this one but what the hey?

Over the weekend the Mike Huckabee campaign released materials for supporters to download, print, and distribute for the grass roots effort. There is a double -sided punch card and a door hanger so far and more materials will be released soon.

Go check it out!

What Was I Thinking?

I can't take the week off. Things are moving so fast with The Campagin I can't afford to fall behind. So forget and ignore that last post back there.

Taking My Birthday Week Off

This coming Wednesday is my 25th Birthday! I am going to take a week off *(unless there is something significant that happens). For all the latest Huckabee news and views please check out his Official website and blog, as well as, the other fantastic blogs for Huckabee down there in the "Bloggers For Huckabee" section.

Unless there is significant news I will be back next weekend. Thanks for reading my blog!

Top Tier Huckabee Challenge!

Check out this great post from K Street Mole For Huckabee and join the "Top Tier Huckabee Challenge" Great idea!

25 For 25 - 5 More Days Remaining

Awhile back I posted about a goal that i had set for myself - Starting on August 25th (25 days to my 25th Birthday) ride at least 25 minutes on my exercise bike. For each of the past 20 days I have succeeded to ride 25 minutes. I realize that I should have been doing this a long time ago. It's easier than I thought it would be in hindsight. I love watching sports and there is an event of note pretty much every day. So I have turned on the baseball game, football game, or NASCAR race and hopped on the bike and peddle away.

There are five more days left until I reach my goal. However I do not plan to stop on September 19th. From that point I am going to start increasing the amount of time I ride the bike each day. There is no reason for me to stop and rest on my laurels. I have no started a great healthy habit and I recommend that each of Y'all out there make a goal for yourselves and get in the habit of doing that for your health.

Romney's right....What?!

Yes. Romney's right. He is challenging the experience of the other candidates (read mostly Democrats). He's right. None of the Democrats have run a government of a city or state. The Top Dems are or were Senators. On the GOP side there are two former Governors and one former mayor of one of the largest cities in the world. Romney did not challenge the leadership ability of Senator John McCain. Instead Mitt praised him. Note -That makes three candidates who have sung the praises of John McCain. I am not sure what that all means but it might be trying to gain a possible endorsement later on in the game if McCain pulls out.

Latest items of Note

Here are some items of note from the past couple of days that are related to the Huckabee campaign:

- There was an ad taken out in the New York Times by the group moveon.org early this week smearing General Petraeous. Huckabee responds.

-Here are Mike Huckabee's comments on the 6th Anniversary of the September 11th tragedy.

Despite a letter to Fred Thompson cosigned by over 2,000 citizens, Fred refuses to debate Huck.

Polls: Iowa and Georgia. Notice in Georgia that Newt Gingrich who has not entered the comes in 3rd with 9 percent. Even if half of Newt's support went to Huckabee, Mike would come in 3rd today. That is pretty good for a state that Mike has only recently visited and one he is not focusing on at the moment.

Breaking The "Moment of Silence"

The last two days I have observed a "Moment of Silence" on this blog in observance of the 6th anniversary of 9/11. I know I didn't announce it but before I could I ran out of time before yesterday. Since this has become mainly a political blog I decided to rest my fingers because the last thing we need getting in the way of remembering the tragic events of six years ago and all of the innocent lives lost is politics.

Stay tuned for much more blogging today.

The Best Huckabee Campaign Video Out There! Huckabee: The Snoopy Candidate

Hooray - Post Number 50! And What A Post!

Kudos go out to Kevin of ktracy.com for making the best Mike Huckabee Campaing Video I've seen out there! You might recognize the song, "Snoopy For President" by the Royal Guardsmen.

This video is entitled, "Huckabee: The Snoopy Candidate" Enjoy! Way to go Kevin!

Mike Huckabee's Swing Through Georgia Yesterday

Mike Huckabee swung through the Metro Atlanta area of Georgia between a campaign fundraiser in Buckhead yesterday: Georgia For Huckabee, Cobb County Republican, Fox 5 WAGA (great video!), The Atlanta Journal Constitution, The AJC's Political Insider blog, The Gwinnett Daily Post, and The Marietta Daily-Journal, have the campaign stop all covered!

I was very impressed with the turmout, especially in Gwinnett where I wouldn't have been able to sit down if I had the chance to make it. Congrats Mike!

500 Plus Cosigners to Mike Huckabee's Letter to Fred Thompson - Please Add Your Voice!

Ever since Mike Huckabee, the former Governor from Arkansas and GOP Candidate for President, sent a letter to Senator Fred Thompson accepting Fred's challenge for a one-on-one Lincoln-Douglas style debate, the number of cosigners to the letter has grown.

This morning Mike appeared on CNN with Wolf Blitzer and the numbers have gone through the roof! As of this posting 508 peeople have added themselves to the list of people who support this idea. Please if you haven't done so yet, add your voice to the throng! If Fred accepts it will encourage candidates from all sides to debate in this fashion and the winner will be us, the American voter. Thanks!

Another Saturday Morning Huckabee Roundup

Happy Saturday everyone!

The blgosphere is buzzing over the Thompson vs Huckabee challenge. The letter faxed over to Fred from Mike can be read and co-signed here (There are 130 signatures already and counting). More commentary and analysis can be found at A Layman's Point of View, The Swamp, On What Matters, American Elephant Blog, Heels For Huckabee, Dream_Outside_The_Circle, Westmoreland GOP Blog, Wide Awakes, North Dakota Politics, Javno, and FullosseousFlap's.

Mike Huckabe '08 shares a transcript of a call and positive conversation about Mike Huckabee on the Rush Limbaugh show.

Who knew? Huckabee is a Guitar Hero!

I'm going to be adding more blogs to the roll today, especially to the Huckabee roll. Leave me a comment if you want a link to yours whether you are for Huckabee or not.

As much as I want to I can't get out to Duluth to see Huck today. A ride wasn't possible today. I know he'll be back soon and I will see him then. Georgia For Huckabee will have the scoop on everything that went down during Huck's travels through the Atlanta Metro today.

Have a great day Y'all!

Romney Thumbs His Nose To The Competition

Mitt Romney says that anyone competing against him will need to raise 20 million dollars. Is that so, "Mr. Money Bags?" Who is America going to listen to, you with K Street and Wall Street, or with someone else who actually knows how the common man experiences on a daily basis and speaks to them on their level, like Mike Huckabee (for instance). Your arrogance is unacceptable Mr. Romney!

Newt Gingrich chimes in on Thompson vs Huckabee..

Newt's blog is paying attention to the developments this afternoon and taking great pleasure in them.

Mike Huckabee Continues to show his Cross-Party Appeal, Appears Before AARP

According to his campaign, Former Arkansas Governor appeared at AARP National Member event this morning in Boston. He became the first GOP candidate to sign their "Divided We Fail" pledge. Mike Huckabee also pledge to appear at a nationally televisied GOP debate debate sponsored by the AARP and Iowa Public Television on October 25th in Sioux City, IA.

I am definitely not the biggest AARP fan in the world but yet again Mike Huckabee is crossing party lines and showing why people from all sides "Like Mike!" Way to Go Governor!

Thompson - "Let's Debate!" Huckabee - "You're On!"

What an interesting development this is and it might change the race for the White House as we know it!

According to the Huckabee campaign (I wasn't watching) Fred Thompson, while on Fox News Channel, embraced the Lincoln-Douglas debate style. Does anyone have video of this? Mike Huckabee, the only candidate ot eithe party to sign Newt Gingrich's "Nine Nineties in Nine" debate pledge faxed this letter to Fred Thompson accepting his offer for a "one-on-one" debate. Note - The link is a blog post from the Huckabee camp and is challenging Huckabee supporters to co-sign, which I have done.

This, my friends could totally change the status quo in the race for the GOP nomination and for the White House afterwards. Stay tuned. I'll have more later when I have some time to digest everything.

Huck Scores Additional New Hampshire Endorsements!

The endorsements keep rolling in for Mike Huckabee! Below is from the official Press Release

Manchester, NH – Former Governor and Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee, fresh from another strong debate performance in New Hampshire , announced today the endorsements of two key political leaders in Strafford County : Sheriff Wayne Estes of Milton and businessman and Republican activist, Dan Philbrick of Dover . "Dan Philbrick and Sheriff Wayne Estes have been vigorously courted by many of the presidential campaigns, and I am very honored that they chose my candidacy to support. Their leadership in Strafford County will be invaluable and I am pleased to have them part of my team," said Huckabee.

Sheriff Estes has been the high Sheriff of Strafford County for the past five years and has been in the Strafford County Sheriff's office for the past 29 years, rising from the ranks. He will join the New Hampshire Huckabee Leadership Committee and serve as a Co-Chair of Strafford County. "I have watched all the candidates for some time now, but there is only one candidate who has demonstrated that he understands the problems facing people every day. Mike Huckabee doesn't talk to us – he is one of us, and he is the leader we need for this country," said Estes.

Dan Philbrick has been the owner of Philbrick's Sports, which employs 35 people, for over 25 years. He is a former Strafford County Republican finance chair, county delegate, and former state senate candidate. Along with Estes, he will serve on the Huckabee Leadership Committee and serve as a Co-Chair of Strafford County. "Mike Huckabee is a man of conviction with long standing conservative principles, both fiscally and socially. He is a proven leader who also has the moral fiber to lead the country," said Philbrick.

Huckabee was in New Hampshire for the Republican Party Presidential Debate on September 5. He is making several campaign appearances in the state this week.

Thanks Everyone!

I wanted to take a little time this morning to thank everyone who came by yesterday. It was definitely a busy posting day. Yesterday, being right after the NH debate was so huge I put a lot of work into my blogging, especially the roundup post. The Roundup took about four hours to finish. It was so intensive I had to take a break in between. I posted what I had before I took a break so if have not checked since yesterday afternoon there are new items in the roundup to go look at. Just a fair warning I usually won't be as exhaustive. Why? Cause it was EXHAUSTING (Ha!)!

Thanks for all the comments yesterday. I am glad I was able to please y'all. Stay tuned. More blogging to come today.

Are You Ready? Post Debate Roundup Time!

(drumroll) Okay...now the moment you've all been waiting for! Strap yourselves in and get you popcorn ready...Cause it's time for the Post-Debate Roundup! Trust me you'll want a nice cold drink and maybe a snack. It's going to be quite a ride. It might take me a few hours to prepare this sucker! Ha!

To start us off, here is Mike Huckabee's very intelligent and dignified response to the "Iran Scenario"



Did you miss the debate? Well here is the whole thing in 11 parts.

There was a rally and Debate viewing party held in New Hampshire yesterday. Massachusetts For Huckabee was there and has the skinny and pictures to share with us!

The Huckabee camp, in a Press release, claims that "Huckabee Vaults to The Head of the Pack After Debate Performance!" I agree! So does Colorado For Huckabee and California Grass Roots.

eyeon08 shares videos of Mike Huckabee discussing things right after the debate from the "Spin Room."

Heels For Huckabee has more videos from last night.

America's Victory 08 and Oval Office 2008 discusses last nights debate. The Des Moines Register and Primary Monitor Blog also chime in. Right on The Right and Scottish Right has their say. There's My Two Cents...well...gives his two cents. The Carpetbagger Report, The Banana Republic of Arkansas, Dial F For Fay, Compassion In Politics, Jeff Ellis, Purple Wombats,and Tom Roeser analyze the debate. Miles Per Gallentine has a unique take on the debate as an Obama supporter with an awesome sense of humor. Also from the left side of the aisle is Reality Check. Mark Towner's spyglass also had his eye on the debate.

The New York Observer is impressed by Huckabee's debate performance yet again. Ditto for Wendell Robinson.

It is quite obvious that the showdown between Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul was the highlight of last night's debate. Therefore the Blogosphere is buzzing about it from all sides. You can read reaction to the smackdown from Partisan Free Politics, Sharon Hughes, The UnCapitalist Journal, The Chief, Wyatt McIntyre, In The Agora, Western Writer, TalkWisdom, The Plank, Nick Carnes, The Philes, Sharon Cobb, The Podium, and darbyDarnit,

The Everyday Republican has the scoop on something we didn't see last night. During the commercial break that followed the exchange between Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee, the former Governor of Arkansas continued to show his class and grace by walking over to Dr. Paul and shaking his hand.

Michigan Redneck has the scoop on Huck's appearance this morning on "Fox & Friends."

The Political Junction thinks that Huckabee could sweep in 2008.

Oops. Remember Mike's "No Show George" remark about Fred Thompson last night. He got the reference wrong. The Junkyard Blawg has the 411.

Remember that Blogger's Conference Call with Mike I talked about this morning? Georgia For Huckabee and Mike Huckabee And Arts Education have more.

K Street Mole For Huckabee pleads "It's The Economy Too, Stupid!"

Huckabee in double digits in Texas!

Mike Huckabee Claims Authentic Conservative Title Over Thompson Doug Thompson of the Fayetteville Free Weekly agrees. David Kuo at Beliefnet got an E-mail this morning and writes that "Christians are for Huckabee, not for Fred."

Get ready folks, Alan Keyes is on his way in. At least the Democrats won't be able to call the GOP field "not diverse" anymore.

Huckabee definitely won over people and made converts last night. Two Cab Gab, Chirky, and Bounded Irrationality are three of them.

Well there you have it. the roundup is finally done! I'm going to sleep well tonight! Can't rest too long though - I have to get out to see Huck on Saturday afternoon!

The Meter Hearts Huckabee!

Ok one more thing before we strap ourselves in for the round up. While the people being tested with meters were unimpressed with the debate there was one exception when the meters went off the charts....

More Post-Debate Thoughts

Last night I had preliminary thoughts on the debate. Now that we are over 12 hours since it all went down I have some more thoughts.

1. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH ON IRAQ - At least half of the debate last night and most other debates thus far has been on topics about Iraq and the War on Terror. Enough already! There has been not one question on Education. The American public wants to know much more about things like the economy, jobs, health care, things that matter to the average John Q. Public here in America. Mike Huckabee, in his call with the bloggers, let us know in no uncertain terms that he is disgruntled about the lack of questions about the homefront and what matters to us all. How about some more questions on those topics next time?

2. The winners and losers: Winners were definitely McCain, Huckabee, and Paul. All three of them were strong on their issues. Losers: Rudy yo uwere a great mayor but I don't care too much about what happens in New York City. I've never been there. That doesn't mean I don't care about the people there but I've heard enough about New York City at this point. Mitt got battered and beaten with questions and looked like a deer in headlights. Everyone else - Thanks for playing we have some nice parting gifts for you. However the biggest loser is Fred Thompson for being too yellow to show up and debate the issues with the rest of the field. Not only that but you ran your ad at the wrong time. It did not run during the debate at all you blockhead!

3. One more comment on the Ron Paul/Mike Huckabee smackdown - Huckabee's argument to Ron Paul reminds me of the argument made by Zell "Give 'em Hell" Miller at the keynote address of the 2004 GOP Convention. It is far more important to do what is right for our country instead of what is politically expedient for you or your party. Right on Mike! Speaking of Zell I wonder if he was watching. Man I would love to hear he supports Mike. That would make me so happy!

4. I think I'm going to sleep well tonight. I only got 4 hours of sleep last night. Why? the debate got me all ramped up. Maybe i should take a nap.

Well next up this afternoon is a Roundup of Post-Debate analysis and smack talk. Stay tuned...

Ron Paul vs Mike Huckabee - The Winner Is.....

Good morning! I am hoping that the title of this post got your attention. In fact I am hoping that I have hundreds of new readers this morning thanks to this post.

Last night we had Debate Number 5 for the GOP presidential candidates. By far, the most exciting moment was the debate between Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee on the Iraq War. I will have much more on the debate and related matters later today so please check back.


For the new readers around here I am an Independent voter. The first time I went to the ballot box in November of 2000 I proudly voted for Libertarian presidential candidate Harry Browne and for Democratic Senator Zell Miller. I don't vote down party lines. I vote based on the issues and the candidate.

The video that I have shared with you features the two GOP candidates that I admire and respect the most. Both Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee have the most honest and genuine opinions on the issues of the day. Neither of them will change their opinions based on polls, whatever anyone else says about them , or because the political winds change direction. There are no other candidates in the field that can claim that at all.

So who wins?

First up is the issue of the war on Terrorism by Islamic Fascists. This is where I differ with Ron Paul and agree with Mike Huckabee. I respect Congressmen Paul's answer but believe the issue in question trumps all. Thus I support Mike Huckabee.

Next is the 2nd important issue to me, the FairTax. Both candidates support the initiative (and there are others). However Mike Huckabee is the candidate that has raised the banner for the movement higher than anyone else and has given the movement much more publicity.

To the "Ron Paul Revolution", I did like Paul's answer to the question on Iran. Based on Iraq alone we have learned that a preemptive strike was a mistake. If Great Britain had bombed Nazi Germany to the stone age on August 31st, 1939 they would have gotten the same blacklash that we have, no matter how many lives would have been saved and no matter how evil Hitler was.. Israel has the ability to blow Iran to Kingdom Come tomorrow. Maybe we should just sit back, make some popcorn, and watch the fireworks from the sidelines while doing things at home against them and our other enemies in the Middle East like Mike Huckabee's challenge to become Energy Independent in 10 years.

In my book Mike Huckabee wins hands down. But there is no doubt that both Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul are the most sincere, have the most integrity, and are the most eloquent candidates in either field.

Thoughts On The Debate Tonight

It's very early and just minutes after the debate tonight but here are some thoughts of mine:

1. There is no doubt in my mind that there is no other network that does as well in putting on a debate than Fox News. They are the most professional and the most fair. Each candidate got tough questions. That would never happen from any other network, Fox News has made mincemeat out of every other network.

2. There is no doubt that this was the most spirited debate compared to the previous four. The exchanges between the candidates and Ron Paul over Iraq were priceless. This was the most passionate and emotional of the debates thus far.

3. I have a question for Rudy. Every time you answer a question you take off your glasses. I understand you have lowered vision. I don't understand why you take off your glasses. I am legally blind. The message you send me as a visually impaired person is that you are embarrassed of your lowered vision. Why? You should be proud of the way God has created you to be at your age.

4. John McCain is being underestimated. He was very strong tonight and the strongest of the "Rudy McRonmey" crew. Do I sense that both Rudy and Mike Huckabee were courting him for an endorsement if he was knocked out of the race? I don't think that was a wise choice at this point.

5. Is it just me or does Mitt Romney's voice sound too much like Tom Brokaw's?

6. Fred? The ad appeared in the last break before the end of Bill O'Reiley. If you tuned in for the debate itself you missed it altogether. What a mistake and blunder for the Thompson campaign!

7. There was a hypothetical scenario involving Iran at the end of the debate there were two answers that intrigued me and that I was impressed with. Ron Paul's and Mike Huckabee's. Ron Paul said talked about a non violent solution and even implied that Israel should take care of the job. On the other hand Mike Huckabee argued that the scenario was too complex to lay out in sixty seconds and argued on how a president and how he would handle tough situations by defending the constitution, listening to the advice of smartly hired experts, praying about it to God, and doing what is best for the people and the security of our nation.

8. Texting for a reaction poll? So you are going to make me pay to give my opine and to weigh in? That is the only thing you are doing wrong tonight Fox News.

9. I don't think he won the debate, but Mike Huckabee did another fine job tonight. He got his argument for the Fair Tax in. He made a strong statement that was impressive in response to Ron Paul on Iraq. He showed his compassion and care for people and all of America in his responses on Immigration and family values. He is a strong speaker and one that cares about us and cares about uniting our nation once again. When all is said and done I think McCain will have "Won" the debate but Huckabee proved that he belongs in the top tier.

TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT - A Pre-Debate Roundup

Coming to a TV near you it's the Fox News GOP Debate, tonight at 9 PM Eastern (6 PM Pacific). I can't wait to see how Mike Huckabee will dwarf everyone else and move on the momentum of the past few weeks and join the Top Tier tonight. He WILL win the debate tonight hands down! As of this posting there are 7 hours left before the big show - So here's a Roundup from the News and Blogosphere to tide you over.

Mike Huckabee President 2008 has Huck's recent appearance on CBN's 700 Club.

Meanwhile Death By 1000 Papercuts looks forward to a huge event in West Virginia on February 5th next year that may very well have a bearing on many others state primaries that day. After doing some research I'll definitely have more to say on this later.

Newsandpoilicy.com has a story about a debate two weeks down the road in Florida. So far Rudy, Mitt, Fred, and McCain are snubbing. It's the "Values Voters Debate" which should give you a clue who not to vote for (Hint - The candidates who snub this debate). I'll have more on this at a later date since the debate will be streaming over the web.

While there is a surge of momentum for Huckabee, things are looking bleak for the Brownback Campaign. Hey Sam! Isn't it time you throw in the towel and endorse Mike?

Back to the debate tonight, Kevin Tracy has a great rundown on what the keys are for tonight's debate. also chiming in with a great opine on the Debate and the Fred Thompson factor is Colorado For Huckabee. SC4Huckabee is also looking forward to Round 5 of the debates!

US News & World Report has an excellent write-up this week on Mike Huckabee.

Yet another straw poll shows us that Huckabee is in double-digits. Mike finishes tied for 4th with 13 percent in South Dakota.

Huckabee is still the only candidate from either party to sign Newt's "Nine Nineties in Nine" pledge. If another GOP candidate doesn't sign that pledge I think Newt will endorse Huckabee and it will be all over for the rest of the field.

Wide Awakes has what may be devastating news for Fred and excellent news for Huck!

Hooray! There's a mole on K Street for Huckabee!

Phew. Theres a whole lot more out there but my fingers are tired and now we have 6 hours to go (it's taken me one hour to compose this Roundup). I have to rest my fingers for after the debate and the fallout tomorrow. The blogosphere really buzzing, that's for sure!

I'm NOT With Fred - Because He Is A Coward!

Well it appears that the Former Senator from Tennessee, and actor, Fred Thompson is finally throwing his hat into the ring. How is he going to do it? Is he going to do so in a manner that is respectable to the process and to the electorate? The answer to that question IS clearly "NO!" Fred will be announcing his candadacy on Wednesday evening during "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno. Fred didn't you get the memo? There's a forum that is a much better place to announce your candidacy for President, the Fox News Debate at the University of New Hampshire, that same evening. If I had not made up my mind yet on who I support and who I am voting for Fred would be losing my vote by not participating in the debate.

By not showing up, Fred proves himself to be a coward. He is too "Chicken" to debate the major issues with his fellow GOP candidates. I am an American Citizen. I want to know where you stand on the issues compared to everyone else. You are denying me of that and you will pay at the ballot box because of it.

It does not matter where he stands on any issue, the fact that he won't debate them is unacceptable. Fred claims to be the next Ronald Regan. Regan would never skip a debate to announce his candidacy on a late-night talk show. With Fred's choice to do so he has slapped me in the face and shows his disrespect for me. Shame on him!

FRED - I AM NOT WITH YOU!

Kentucky Staw Poll has better news

First of all thanks to The Maritime Sentry for posting about this one:

Kentucky held a Presidential straw poll at their annual state fair. It was very unique as the poll was not limited to one party. So what were the results? Well you can find them here and the news is good for Mike Huckabee! Mike finished 3rd with 18.2 % barely behind Rudy (18.9 %) and trailing Mitt by only 3 percent!

Needless to say I am feeling a little better this afternoon.

A Missed Opportunity?

I'm not going to lie to y'all. Most everything related to Mike Huckabee in this blog is positive. However I must ask a big question tonight that I am concerned about.

Yesterday (as well as Friday) a straw poll event was held in Texas. The only viable GOP candidates to appear were Hunter and Paul. None of the major candidates showed up. I was very interested in finding out the results of a poll that Mike did not show up at. Well you get what you ask for I suppose:

Duncan Hunter: 534
Fred Thompson: 266
Ron Paul: 217
Mike Huckabee: 83
Rudy Giuliani: 78
Mitt Romney: 61
Ray McKinney: 28
John Cox: 10
John McCain: 8
Sam Brownback: 6
Tom Tancredo: 6
Hugh Cort: 3

The first thing I was looking for was where did Mike Huckabee place? He placed 4th. I suppose that can be a positive thing if I'm grasping at straws. Now that we know who won look above and see who did win. Hunter won and he deserved to since he showed up. Congratulations to Duncan. I respect him a lot. He is someone I'd actually consider voting for next November if it came to that.

I am really concerned that this was a missed opportunity for Mike. I understand what he was trying to accomplish this weekend in fundraising. I'd be a little less distressed if the winner was Rudy or Mitt. What we're looking at is a poll Mike could have won because of who did actually win. I think Mike could have won over at least half of Hunters votes, among others who finished lower in the field.

One one hand Texas is not as important in the GOP primary process because the state did not move its primary back to February like most others have done. However, at this point in the game I can't see any of the major nominees winning enough delegates to gain the GOP nomination. Texas has a ton of delegates (I don't know the exact number). We don't know today, but getting the GOP nomination might mean winning Texas. Of course I could be worrying for nothing but we just don't know at this point. Each region of the country right now seems to have its favored candidate or set of candidates. There is no consensus yet. Of course this is the evening before Labor Day. Things can really change. I just think that it would have been nice for Mike to be able to go down and spend a few hours there yesterday. However he's dealing with the same problems we do with traveling because he does not have enough money to travel anywhere in a quick manner. That's probably part of the reason why Mike did not make it down there this weekend.

What do you think folks? Am I worrying for nothing , or do I have a valid concern?

FLASH!!! Mike Huckabee's Schedule in the Atlanta Metro for Saturday, September 8th!!

The Mike Huckabee campaign has released the schedule for this coming week and it includes a full day in the Atlanta Metro Area next Saturday, September 8th! Here are the details from the Press Release:

Saturday, September 8, 2007

10:00 a.m. ET – Kennesaw, GA – Attends meet and greet with local GOP activists at McCollum Airport, Preferred Jet Center, 1800 Airport Rd. Contact: Alice Stewart, Tel: 501-658-1654

12:45 p.m. ET – McDonough, GA – Attends Operation Homefront event at Motorheads Bar and Grill, 650 Macon St. Contact: Alice Stewart, Tel: 501-658-1654.

2:30 p.m. ET – Duluth, GA – Attends meet and greet with local GOP activists and members of the business community, Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce Building, 6500 Sugarloaf Parkway. Contact: Alice Stewart, Tel: 501-658-1654.

5:00 p.m. ET – Buckhead, GA – Attends fundraiser at the private residence of Ron and Fran Terwilliger. (By invitation only; Closed Press) Note: There will be an informal media availability at 5:00 p.m. Contact: Alice Stewart, Tel: 501-658-1654.

7:45 p.m. ET – Kennesaw, GA – Speaks to crowd at the Kennesaw Concert Series, downtown Kennesaw next to Historic Train Depot. Contact: Alice Stewart, Tel: 501-658-1654.

I am going to try to attend the meet-and-greet in Duluth as it is really close to where I live. I will also try to have pictures as well but I can't promise anything in that regard. More updates as they become available. The full schedule for the week can be found here

Now back to your regularly scheduled Saturday afternoon full of College Football!