Huckabee has the momentum

After winning Iowa, we all wondered how good Huckabee would do in New Hampshire. We all know, by now, that he finished third. Where does that leave Mike Huckabee as he moves onto the next primaries in Michigan and South Carolina? I believe he has the momentum and is in a wonderful position to secure the nomination. Real Clear Politics has an article that starts by saying:

Iowa was grand for former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, but New Hampshire was a bonanza. He cast his bread upon the waters there and though he finished a distant third, it was returned manifold. The one thing that Huckabee cannot afford, at this stage of the race, is head-to-head defeat. He needs at least two “strong” candidates in the field while he puts together the pieces of his Republican proletariat coalition.

What New Hampshire delivered last night was a revitalized Sen. John McCain, which makes Michigan a three-way race, which makes Gov. Huckabee’s campaign there viable. If ever there was an electorate that is ripe for Gov. Huckabee’s mix of economic populism and compassionate Christianity, it’s down-trodden Michigan Republican primary voters. McCain won there in 2000 with strong support from Independents and he will direct all of his efforts at getting those independents to double down, one last time. Romney will throw everything he has at Michigan, to avoid elimination. Given a McCain surge and a Romney splurge, it’s not hard to imagine a three-way split, with Huckabee doing surprisingly well in the collar counties around Detroit and drawing from the well of his base in the western and northwestern counties. Who knows, he might even win Michigan, which would set up South Carolina for a kill.

As I mentioned in my earlier articles, Huckabee is running neck and neck with Mitt Romney in Michigan and is leading in South Carolina. For someone who was written off months ago, he is doing pretty well. It looks as if Fred Thompson is making his last stand in South Carolina, one which I believe he will loose. Maybe I am being brash, but I don’t think he stands a chance against Mike Huckabee in South Carolina.

For those of you who think Huckabee is a candidate with support from only one group of voters, think again. Just sit back and watch what happens in Michigan and South Carolina. Michigan has a lot of voters who are feeling the pain of the political stalemate our country is in and while the population may not be overwhelmingly Christian, I believe Huckabee will do surprisingly well, if not win the primary. In South Carolina, the Christians are more numerous and I believe he will win handily. If I am wrong, I will say so, but let’s just wait and see what happens. I believe the momentum Huckabee has built up from his win in Iowa and from telling the people his message is going to be hard to stop.

That’s my take!

Larry