Polls in Iowa have shown dramatic gains for former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who has apparently taken the lead over longtime frontrunner Mitt Romney. Now Huckabee is making inroads here as well, another state where Romney has held an advantage.
New Hampshire Public Radio’s Jon Greenberg reports.
Mike Huckabee clearly feels the wind at his back. This past Friday, he was in the state capital for a chamber of commerce lunch. When Huckabee sat down to eat next to New Hampshire governor John Lynch, they were surrounded in a classic fish bowl of video cameras and mics on fish poles.
CUT What are all these cameras around//It’s a new day. It used to be I was lucky if I had one print guy from a weekly.// : 08
The next day, Huckabee was hosted at a house party in Bedford, one of the state’s wealthiest and most Republican towns. On the drive in, the only signs you saw were for Mitt Romney. But Huckabee has built his campaign on a solid foundation of social conservatives. One of his hosts on this morning is a well-known anti-abortion activist. A guest, Paul Preston, says, quote “ Huckabee is one of us.”
CUT We’re evangelical Christians and he believes as we do and he has the same values as we do; and he’s not going to say anything else to get votes. :09
But beyond this base of believers, a broader range of voters are discovering Huckabee.
CUT: I personally am a pro-choice person : :02
Jennifer Stitt is a Human Resource manager for a DC based software company. Before Huckabee spoke, her greatest concern was his position on choice.
CUT It’s very difficult for me to vote for a candidate that might have so many things that I believe in but there’s one or two that I believe strongly in that they don’t believe in. :10
Huckabee’s approach to conversation and issues would end up winning over Jennifer. On the stump, he is nothing if not casual. At one moment, a baby began to fuss and its mother, apologetically, got up and crossed in front of Huckabee.
CUT: That baby was not bothering me. Obviously, I was bothering that baby/laughter/I know some of you would like to be crying, you just haven’t felt how you could do that as an adult. :14
When it was time for questions, the issue of central concern to Jennifer came up. Huckabee was asked, was it his ultimate goal to make abortion illegal. He answered in terms of a constitutional amendment.
CUT I personally always have supported the human life amendment and I still do. I realize we may get there incrementally but I want to get there. :10
The human life amendment would ban abortion nationwide. But on this issue, Huckabee spent more time talking about intrinsic equal worth and equal opportunity.
Afterwards, Jennifer said that approach rang true.
CUT I feel good about his answer because he had to really explain why we are all equal. :09
Jennifer liked the other ideas he had on immigration and education. But more important than issues, Huckabee had connected with her.
CUT: Not only does he have a great sense of humor but he thinks on his feet and he’s processing what he’s hearing and he’s a good listener. And he makes great eye contact. I was really impressed with him. :12
Jennifer said she is 90% there in backing Huckabee.
The Arkansas governor is still not widely known in this state. But if he continues to succeed in these small settings, and he gets a big boost coming out of Iowa, he might peak at just the right time.
For NPR News, I’m Jon Greenberg.
