Huckabee's Heft

The most significant circumstance at the Iowa Straw Poll held over the weekend was not that Mitt Romney won with 31% of the vote or that Fred Thompson garnered more support than frontrunner Rudy Guiliani who also sat this one out out, it was the the completely unexpected strength of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.

Huckabee has quietly been putting on strong performances at the debates, articulating his ideas well and showing surprising quickness on his feet. Unnoticed by many but obviously not by those who matter this conservative darkhorse has developed a following that heretofor has gone under the radar.

I personally have always liked Huckabee although thought as most that he had about as much chance of "breaking out" as all the other bottom tier candidates, none or slightly less than that. Well, I was dead wrong. That's the great thing about politics, there's always a few jaw droppers during the way and this is the first one we've seen so far.

I don't consider Iowa a bellweather this year especially this early in the game but regardless of the significance of this poll, Huckabee has separated himself from the ne're-do-wells at the bottom. He's given the big three warning to adjust their rear view mirrors to keep him in sight, especially Romney and Thompson. Whether or not this was the springboard to vault him into the top tier one thing for sure, his stock as a possible running mate for Romney or Guiliani has gone up 5 fold.