Gov. Mike Huckabee’s surge in the polls and how he can keep surging
Zekarias Ezra
December 12, 2007
Mike Huckabee has been surging in national polls and has overtaken former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in recent Iowa surveys to the astonishment of friends, foes, and even the candidate himself.
I was perplexed by the mind set of the American electorate. Mike Hukebee has really demonstrated, at least for me, and I dare to argue for any reasonable person, he is an articulate, polished, and knowledgeable politician on par with all the rest of hitherto frontrunners. Yet, this observation was not reflected in the polls until recently. And, this I have never understood except to say that it is the media’s bad side that has a role in the surge of mediocre candidates and in the ‘burial’ of stellar candidates. Why would the media do this? This is the big question for which I have no answer yet.
Be that as it may, let me offer my two cents suggestions to Gov. Huckabee’s campaign on how to keep surging in the polls or maintain their lead and win the nomination.
First, the candidate must continue to do what he has been doing to date, that is, being himself.
Second, Gov. Huckabee must lay out his ideas on the Iraq issue, on the broader war on terrorism, and on domestic and social policies in such a way as to differentiate him from not only the democrats but also from the Bush administration.
Third, Gov. Huckabee must not shrink from defending his record as Governor or as a preacher. Defending one’s record, however, must also include, when appropriate, admitting mistakes.
With the surge in the polls comes scrutiny of past records and attacks both well-founded and not so well-founded. So far Gov. Huckabee is being attacked on three major issues:
1) He is soft on crimes
2) He is a tax liberal
3) He is soft on immigration
Huckabee should find effective responses wrapped in less than a minute segment each and fire them every time an attack is launched based on those allegations.
Soft on Crime:
Gov. Huckabee need only explain what he has done as governor to combat crime. And, just pose a rhetorical statement along this line: If signing on 16 death sentences as a Baptist Minister turned a Governor does not make one tough on crimes, I really don’t know what.
Tax liberal:
Refute the idea that conservatism does always mean tax cut. The way to do that is just explain what you have done as Governor as far as tax is concerned.
Soft on Immigration:
Argue forcefully that this great country, America needs to get its acts together when it comes to immigration. Advocate for border security and an effective way of dealing with the millions of illegal immigrants that are already here. Also, argue forcefully that this great country, America, is still better off when it refrains from treating harshly the children of illegal immigrants. Are we really a better nation for having millions of children who are illiterate?
I was perplexed by the mind set of the American electorate. Mike Hukebee has really demonstrated, at least for me, and I dare to argue for any reasonable person, he is an articulate, polished, and knowledgeable politician on par with all the rest of hitherto frontrunners. Yet, this observation was not reflected in the polls until recently. And, this I have never understood except to say that it is the media’s bad side that has a role in the surge of mediocre candidates and in the ‘burial’ of stellar candidates. Why would the media do this? This is the big question for which I have no answer yet.
Be that as it may, let me offer my two cents suggestions to Gov. Huckabee’s campaign on how to keep surging in the polls or maintain their lead and win the nomination.
First, the candidate must continue to do what he has been doing to date, that is, being himself.
Second, Gov. Huckabee must lay out his ideas on the Iraq issue, on the broader war on terrorism, and on domestic and social policies in such a way as to differentiate him from not only the democrats but also from the Bush administration.
Third, Gov. Huckabee must not shrink from defending his record as Governor or as a preacher. Defending one’s record, however, must also include, when appropriate, admitting mistakes.
With the surge in the polls comes scrutiny of past records and attacks both well-founded and not so well-founded. So far Gov. Huckabee is being attacked on three major issues:
1) He is soft on crimes
2) He is a tax liberal
3) He is soft on immigration
Huckabee should find effective responses wrapped in less than a minute segment each and fire them every time an attack is launched based on those allegations.
Soft on Crime:
Gov. Huckabee need only explain what he has done as governor to combat crime. And, just pose a rhetorical statement along this line: If signing on 16 death sentences as a Baptist Minister turned a Governor does not make one tough on crimes, I really don’t know what.
Tax liberal:
Refute the idea that conservatism does always mean tax cut. The way to do that is just explain what you have done as Governor as far as tax is concerned.
Soft on Immigration:
Argue forcefully that this great country, America needs to get its acts together when it comes to immigration. Advocate for border security and an effective way of dealing with the millions of illegal immigrants that are already here. Also, argue forcefully that this great country, America, is still better off when it refrains from treating harshly the children of illegal immigrants. Are we really a better nation for having millions of children who are illiterate?
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