Huckabee Holds His Own

Fred, Rudy and Mike

by: Gilbert Purtee

It is unclear if voters are jumping into the Mike Huckabee camp because of his views and opinions or because of the undeniable decline in Fred Thompson’s and Rudy Giuliani’s popularity. Nevertheless, no one thought three months ago that we would see Huckabee in the thick of this presidential campaign just days before the Iowa caucus.

Thompson forced his supporters into an early, pre-campaign frenzy by delaying his public intentions to run for president. Many saw his apparent indecisiveness as a flaw in his character, questioning his will and desire to run for the White House. No matter the reasons, Thompson had damaged the campaign before it officially started.

Once he joined the race, again, Thompson’s encampment was disappointed by his ostensible drive in his campaign, his inability to rally the factions and this opened the door for conservatives to look elsewhere.

On the other hand, Giuliani came out with guns blazing. A true patriot, proven leader and tested under pressure, Rudy Giuliani has all the attributes needed to be president. However, Giuliani’s views and opinions on certain moral issues raised concerns that he is not a true conservative. These issues, abortion being the most prevalent, have many conservatives believing it impossible to vote in favor of Rudy Giuliani. Some, like myself, go so far as to say, if the only choice is Rudy Giuliani, they will not vote at all.

Mike Huckabee has gained notoriety by standing firm on issues, by being consistent, by defending his position with tact and by showing continuity in his convictions. As this journey continues, Huckabee is looking more and more like the conservatives conservative.

When all is said and done, it may boil down to this one important factor, who can defeat Hillary in 2008?