Huckabee ends N.H. visit hoping to boost chances
NASHUA -- Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas governor, wrapped up a four-day visit to New Hampshire yesterday, in the midst of what might be his last, best shot to become a real contender for the Republican presidential nomination.
For the past year Huckabee has been charming audiences in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina with his jokes, down-home personality, and résumé. Unfortunately for him, all he got for his efforts were poor fund-raising and poll results placing him firmly in the bottom tier of candidates. His fortunes changed on Aug. 11 when he beat expectations and finished second in the Iowa straw poll. But now the question is whether he can build on that showing to become the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor, and Rudy Giuliani, former New York mayor.
"The next 45 days are going to be pretty important to see if Huckabee will become one of the top-tier candidates or just not a credible choice," said Mayor Frank Guinta of Manchester, a Republican. "But it is pretty apparent that people are willing to give him a second look."
If crowd sizes are any indication, many took the opportunity over the weekend to give Huckabee a second look. Nearly 100 to 150 people came out to see him at several stops, about twice to three times his usual draw.
Huckabee said yesterday that his success in Ames "changed the whole process for us."
"Up until now the national media has sort of dubbed three people or so to say these people are in the top tier. Now what made them in the top tier? Money. It wasn't their message, because when Republicans were polled they said they really aren't satisfied with any of the candidates," Huckabee told reporters. "A recent poll showed that these voters actually preferred 'none of the above' to any of their choices. And now they are finding out that the 'none of the above' is Mike Huckabee."
But he still must do better in the polls and in fund-raising to keep the momentum going, said Charlie Arlinghaus, a former New Hampshire Republican strategist and currently the head of a conservative think tank in Concord.
"In Huckabee's case I think there is a great deal of being in the right place at the right time," Arlinghaus said. "There is a big segment of the party that wants a candidate who can articulately -- and in a nice way -- share the conservative vision. He can do this in ways no major candidate is right now. He had a good showing in Iowa, but if he can't sustain this over the next few weeks, someone else could fill that void."
Even Cliff Hurst, one of Huckabee's campaign cochairmen in New Hampshire, remembers the previous minisurges of the past year that were supposed to propel Huckabee into the top tier, but never did.
"The question for the past year with Huckabee has been if he picks up any momentum will he have the organization to take advantage of it," said Dante Scala, an associate professor of political science at the University of New Hampshire. "Anything is possible, but this is probably his last, best shot for his campaign to do it." 