The Great Escape

Hats off to the Arkansas Razorbacks this evening. They really gave the boys in Orange and Blue a run for their money up at The Swamp this evening.

With just 7 seconds left on the clock, kicker Caleb Sturgis put the #1 Gators ahead 23-20, preventing the type of embarassment Mississippi State dealt them last season (much less the disaster that the guys from Little Rock dealt Auburn just last week).

This was a real nail-biter of a game, ye socks--especially if you were a Florida fan.

Coach Meyer's squad trailed by 10-3 at the half, and things were looking pretty grim.

Brandon Spikes was out after only the 2nd series with an injured hamstring. Tim Tebow was getting sacked left and right. And, the Gator O suffered fumble after fumble in the red zone.

Yours truly had to take a walk at half time to cool off, or risk serious damage to the television set.

Fortunately, the reigning national champions eventually got their collective act together.

Some will say a win is a win, even if it's ugly. Unfortunately, style points still count in some polls, and I think this lackluster performance will sway a few waivering votes toward the Crimson Tide. (Probably not enough to actually topple the Gators, though . . . )

On the other hand, our Heisman contender did pad his already outrageous resume tonight by surpassing the combined rushing/passing TD record of another Gator great: Danny Wuerffel. Tebow now can boast 123 in that stat column, just one shy of tying the all-time leading Herschel Walker. If . . . nay, WHEN . . . he racks-up 125, I don't think anyone could deny him the second Heisman trophy he so richly deserves.

Orange and Blue!

THE MIGHTY GATORS 51, lsu kitty-cats 21

How great did that victory in The Swamp feel for ye Gator fans tonight?!

After suffering the heart-breaking 1 point loss to Ole Miss and the lackluster follow-up against Arkansas, it seems the guys in Orange and Blue are back to their winning ways!

They shut down the #3 team in the nation in their most convincing performance since the '06 national championship game against Ohio State.

LSU's big "star" Charles Scott was held to only 35 yards in 12 carries. In fact, their total rushing only amounted to 80 yards.

The real heroes of the gridiron were the home team, especially:

1. Tim Tebow (of course), who threw for 210 yards including 3 touchdowns.

2. Jeff Demps, the pint-sized power-packed true freshman who accounted for 179 of the teams 265 rushing yards.

3. Brandon Spikes, who returned an interception for a 52-yard touchdown run.

Now, Urban Meyer's crew is headed into a bye week. We fans will be lost next Saturday with no worthwhile match-ups to watch. Hopefully, though, the ascendant Gators will use the break to chart out their path to the SEC championship . . . and beyond. It would seem they are once again the masters of their own destiny.

Another "Man from Hope"

As it was repeated ad nauseum back in the 90's, ye socks are surely aware that we have a former president from the lovely little hamlet of Hope, Arkansas.

More recently, folks outside of that little corner of heaven were made aware that it was also the hometown of the man who should be the Republican presidential nominee Mike Huckabee.

Now, we are learning of another "Man from Hope," though he doesn't appear to have what it takes to make it to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

We refer to the "gentleman" pictured here, Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Jim Gunter.

He was relieved to learn this week that his sister Janet Gibson is dropping all criminal charges against him stemming from an incident at a family reunion back on September 2nd of last year.

Apparently, the judge had loaned his sister a bunch of genealogy material and asked for her to return it at the reunion.

When she told him she wasn't done looking thru it, the judge went ballistic and backhanded her.

Now, wasn't that nice?

Seriously, though, don't come between this guy and his genealogy. If this is how he treats close family members, imagine what he'd do to the man on the street!

Rick Perry is getting nervous

For ye socks unfamiliar with Lone Star politics, Rick Perry is the Governor of Texas. He succeeded George W. Bush about the same time Mike Huckabee started cleaning-up all the Clinton debris in neighboring Arkansas.

Ye may also be unaware that Mr. Perry made the mistake of endorsing Rudy Giuliani for president several months ago. And, since the former New York City mayor withdrew from the race, Perry has sheepishly followed him into the McCain camp.

All of this must be pretty embarassing for the governor, and is doubtlessly eroding his support among his conservative fellow Texans.

If he believed more in the values that are most important to Texans instead of political opportunism, he wouldn't have to bounce around from one camp to another.

Today, we hear that he called Huckabee and practically begged him to suspend his campaign.

That took some nerve.

Rest assured, he didn't place that call out of any particular passion for John McCain.

He didn't do it for the best interests of the Republican party.

He didn't do it because he wants to necessarily defeat the Dumbocrats in November.

Rather, he acted out of fear and the instinct for self-preservation that are all too often the trademarks of most politicians. He can't afford to be seen as the supporter of TWO failed candidates. Think about it!

How much egg will Perry have on his face when Mike Huckabee wins Texas in March?!

Go, Mike, go!

It's finally starting to dawn on the media

If you don't believe me, check out Bill Kristol's op-ed piece in today's New York Times.

Like most folks in the "major media," he is not too thrilled about the rise of Mike Huckabee. But, at least he/they are finally forced to take notice. And, they're giving the former Arkansas governor grudging respect.

Kristol points out Huckabee's calm, measured response to a question posed at Saturday night's debate at St. Anselm's College up in New Hampshire. He was asked how he would contrast himself to Barack Obama if the two of them ended up being the two major parties' nominees. Without missing a beat, he gave three issues where they differ: guns, abortion, and same-sex marriage.

As Kristol put it, Huckabee's choice of these themes show he is in tune with the "work-hard-to-get-ahead strivers" that made up the core of Regan voters twenty-odd years ago.

This is how Republicans win national elections. You have to appeal to a broader base than Wall Street and Washington. You have to connect to Main Street. And, Huckabee is doing that.

Huck and Jay

In case ye socks have an early bedtime, let me re-cap Mike Huckabee's stellar performance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

These two guys have known each other for a while, ever since Leno began doing jokes about the governor's mansion in Arkansas when Huckabee was living there. The real mansion was undergoing renovations, so the Huckabee family was literally living in a mobile home.

Or, as Huck pointed out, it was a "manufactured home." And, come on, it was a triple wide, so it was high-dollar.

This self-deprecating humor makes the former Arkansas governor the most likeable candidate in the race. As Jay pointed out, people see him as "the guy they work with rather than the guy who laid them off!"

He even asked Huckabee if he thought his guitar playing skills were good enough to do a set with The Tonight Show Band.

"No," said the humble Huck. "But, I'd like to do it anyway!"

He's always been good with one-liners like that. And, that's probably why he was chosen as a guest during the writers strike. He comes up with his own great material!

The best one of the night, though, came when Leno asked him which Democrat he'd most like to go up against in the general election this November.

Huck's response, "I'd rather all of them drop out of the race and let me have a clear shot all the way to the White House!"

Gotta love him!

Go, Mike, go!

Mitt Romney: You can't buy the truth, you can't even rent it!

It is no secret that former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has been outspending Mike Huckabee by a margin of 20 to 1 in his efforts to buy the presidency by winning the Iowa caucuses.

And, rather than using all that money to tell the folks in Iowa why they should caucus FOR him, he's spending it all on spreading lies about Huckabee.

So, let's begin to set the record straight:

1. As Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee signed a bill in 1999 that doubled sentences for production and distribution of methamphetamines. In fact, they were FOUR TIMES longer than sentences imposed in Massachusetts under Romney's "leadership." Huckabee is tough on crime.

2. Arkansas' state budget did increase during Huckabee's 10+ years as governor, but that increase was less than 4%--a rate even the New York Times has acknowledged as astonishingly low.

3. Mike Huckabee actually CUT overall taxes in Arkansas. There were a few examples when court orders and a public referendum forced increases to improve education and infrastructure. But, Romney conveniently "forgets" the 94 other taxes that Huckabee cut, including: elimination of the marriage penalty, indexing for inflation, and doubling the childcare tax credit.

4. Romney actually RAISED the tax burden in Massachusetts. He did so by calling his increases "FEES" instead of "TAXES," merely a matter of semantics, perhaps. But, it cost his constituents an extra half-billion on top of what was already one of the highest rates of taxation in the country.

Romney plays fast and loose with the truth, and not just when it comes to attacking Mike Huckabee. Notice his recent gaffe, in which he claimed his father had marched alongside Martin Luther King during the Civil Rights Era. What a whopper that was, and it was uncomfortable watching him try to squirm his way out of it when the media held him to account.

With everything going on in the world today, what America needs more than anything in its new president is someone they can trust. And, given Romney's pattern of lying to the folks in Iowa, I don't see how anyone could trust him in the Oval Office.

I am not alone in hoping caucus goers reject Romney's lies and, instead, choose to support the only candidate on either side of the aisle who has the executive experience to govern this country and the honesty we should demand from our leaders: Mike Huckabee.

Go, Mike, go!

Amplified Words

Quite a few folks on the campaign trail are learning the meaning behind the old adage, "Choose your words wisely." When you're on the national stage, everything you say is amplified.

The primary example is our favorite presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, who recently submitted to a interview with the unbiased folks over at the New York Times. During their long conversation, they tried to bait him into talking about rival Mitt Romney's religion. Fortunately, the former Arkansas governor is a little too savvy to be drawn into that kind of discussion. But, he did offhandedly ask a question that he should have kept to himself and googled it later: "Don't Mormon's believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?"

Well, the Times isn't planning on printing the entire interview until this Sunday's edition. But, they have been gleefully spreading Huckabee's out-of-context question all over the media. Fortunately, the governor had the opportunity during yesterday's final Iowa debate to cross the stage and apologize to Romney in person in advance for any offense.

My thing is it was a parenthetical question Huckabee was really asking himself. But, now that he's in the "big leagues," he needs to be more careful about his mutterings. The media (not to mention his adversaries) are going to be looking for ANY reason to pounce on him, and he shouldn't be giving them the opportunities. And, the upside of this (which I hope our Mormon friends will appreciate) is that it has given their church a higher national profile, and will result in a lot of non-Mormons doing some googling of their own to find out more about them. I would hope they would welcome people asking for more info.

Ok, that unpleasantness aside, there was an even more awesome example of amplified words out in Austin, Texas, yesterday!

It seems Governor Rick Perry, who made the mistake of endorsing Rudy Giuliani back in October, personally filed the former NYC mayor's papers to put him on the state's primary ballot. While doing this, a reporter asked him about the potential impact the next President of the United States will have on the Supreme Court. Here is his EXACT response:

"The issue becomes very, very clear to me from the standpoint of who I want to support, and it is MIKE HUCKABEE."

That's right! I think Governor Perry let his true preference slip! Officially, he is still somewhat obligated to back Rudy. But, in his heart of hearts, I think we know who he really supports!

Or, maybe, we should give him the benefit of the doubt . . . sometimes, folks just slip-up under the glaring media spotlight . . . nobody's perfect.

3 Reasons Why Mike Huckabee's Poll Numbers Are Rising

In case you missed the latest poll out of Des Moines, our favorite presidential candidate now leads the Republican field:

Mike Huckabee = 29%
Mitt Romney = 24%
Rudy Giuliani = 13%
Fred Thompson = 9%
John McCain = 7%
Ron Paul = 7%
Tom Tancredo = 6%
Undecided = 4%

"So, where did this guy come from?" That's what a lot of lost socks are asking nowadays, having apparently missed all the posts in this dryer over the last several months.

The momentum that put him on top has been building for quite some time, and it's due to three primary reasons, in my humble estimation:

1. He has a sense of humor. That's a rarity amongst politicos nowadays. I mean, can you even imagine someone like Hillary Clinton making jokes about herself?! So, the governor's self-effacing manner makes him stand out in the crowd.

2. He knows how to govern. He can speak in confidently and in clearly understood terms about how he made government work for the people of Arkansas while he was governor, and how he'd like to translate that to the federal level. More importantly, he approaches public policy problems from an optimists' viewpoint--something we haven't seen since (dare I invoke the name?!) Ronald Reagan.

3. He is a unifyer. I know that sounds somewhat trite. But, he's not campaigning to simply beat-up on the other guys. Rather, he's trying to rally folks to his message of coming together to tackle the myriad challenges that face all Americans, regardless of partisan stripe.

The bottom line is, you don't have to be a Republican to like Mike. I've given you the three big reasons, as I see them. But, I'm sure if you stack him up against "the other guys," you'll come up with a few dozen more yourselves. So, give him a look, ye socks. A lot of folks in Iowa already are . . . if you believe the polls!

Webster endorses Huckabee

In case you missed it, our favorite presidential candidate Mike Huckabee was in Orlando last night.

Not only did he attend a fundraiser downtown, he also picked up the endorsement of Florida's Senate Majority Leader Daniel Webster.

Momentum is building for the Huckabee campaign here in the Sunshine State, as it is across the nation.

Look for another outstanding performance from the former Arkansas governor at tonight's CNN/YouTube debate down in St. Petersburg. Coverage starts at 8pm.

The Huckabee Name

O'Reilly owes Dick Morris a steak dinner!

Earlier this year, Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly pooh-poohed Dick Morris when he was singing the praises of my favorite presidential candidate, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee.

O'Reilly even went so far as to say if Huckabee ever broke 10% in a national Rasmussen poll, that he'd take Morris out for a steak dinner.

Well, guess what happened today?!

I'm asking all you socks in the dryer to hold O'Reilly to his pledge by sending him an email at:

oreilly@foxnews.com

Tell him he owes Dick Morris a steak dinner, and he (and the rest of the media) need to start paying some serious attention to the Huckabee campaign!

With Walker Texas Ranger on board, Huckabee is unbeatable!

That's right, Chuck Norris (the martial arts master and actor perhaps known best for his role in “Walker, Texas Ranger”) has endorsed former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee for President on his blog.

Norris stated, after considerable contemplation, he believes the “only one who has all of the characteristics to lead America forward into the future is ex-Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.”

“Part of our backward culture is reflected in the fact that we measure and value people by what they do, instead of first who they are. As a result, we nominate charisma, cast votes for articulation and repeatedly elect too many paper-thin corrupt politicians. Of course, I want a president who gets things done, but I first want one who has lived a life of integrity, commitment, truthfulness and respect. Mike is that man."

He continued, “It’s not a coincidence that four out of the last five presidents we’ve had were governors because they proved their abilities, perseverance and heart for running our country by serving in those state capacities."

“His proven ability to cast a compelling vision, as he did while governor, that transcends party, ideology and class might enable America to unite and begin to heal, an especially important goal at this point in our history,” he writes.

Norris concluded by urging “people to get off the bench and onto the playing field. If we are going to see a man like Mike Huckabee elected, it’s time to rally behind him, support him financially, pray for him daily and spread the word of his character, platform and experience.”

In addition to his works in the martial arts and acting, Norris is also a best-selling author and a spokesman for the United Way and the Veterans Administration.

So, why do YOU like Mike Huckabee?!

OK, socks, I've been singing Mike Huckabee 's praises in this forum and elsewhere for quite some time.

So, now it's your turn to tell the world why YOU like the former Arkansas governor. Tell us why he should be the next President of the United States!

Chris Maiorana of LCM Strategies, a consulting firm helping the Huckabee campaign, is asking you blog-o-philes to email him a post on the topic "Why you like Governor Huckabee." The address is:

chris@lcmstrategies.com

The top 10 posts will appear on Huckabee's campaign blog during the week of 9/24 thru 9/30. And, Chris assures me they won't necessarily be the "best" posts, but ones that are "most unique." A focus on a particular issue (or issues) and a discussion of Huckabee 's position is welcome, as are video posts. But, try to be concise!

The deadline is tomorrow, 9/18/07. So, get cracking! (I've already sent off my submission!)

Oh, and even if my literary masterpiece isn't selected, you faithful socks may rest assured that it WILL still appear here in your beloved blogo-dryer.

Happy Birthday, Mike Huckabee!

Yep, it was fifty-two years ago today that the NEXT president of the United States was born.

Ironically, it was in Hope, Arkansas.

Anyway, if you want to learn more about the greatest former Governor of Arkansas, check out:

http://www.mikehuckabee.com/

And, if you're inclined to present him with a gift on this momentous occasion, consider joining the growing number of his presidential campaign contributors.

I've even made it easy for you by adding the little "widget" at the bottom of this page.

So, go ahead! It'll make you feel good!

Ames Aims

I am heading out the door to do some weekend type running around, but a little event out in Iowa will be on my mind the whole time.

I'm talking about the straw poll in Ames.

There's a lot riding on it.

Mitt Romney, the former governor of the lovely little commonwealth of Taxachusetts, has invested an inordinately huge amount of money on this event. And, why shouldn't he? I mean, the man is obscenely wealthy.

So, if the result is a foregone conclusion, why the big interest?

Well, because, all the politicos are going to be focused on who comes in second.

And, my hope is it will be Mike Huckabee.

Stay tuned if my hopes are realized. The former Arkansas governor could get a big bounce out of this little straw poll despite his comparatively meager budget. Good numbers in Ames will show his campaign's organizational ability, not to mention his supporters' level of commitment.

Oh, and if you're going to be anywhere near Ames today, I'll spring for the $35 cover charge if you promise to cast your ballot for Mike. And, any wavering Romney reporters are welcome to change their minds at the last minute!

Keeping my fingers crossed as I head out the door . . .

Huckabee on Hardball

My favorite former Arkansas governor continues to wow the press. Tonight, it was Chris Matthews on MSNBC.

Matthews led in to Mike's segment with an interview of a retired steel worker named Steve Skvara who is having a tough time finding health insurance for his 56-year-old wife. He's covered by Medicare himself, but had been depending on his former employer's health care plan to cover her until she qualifies for federal assistance. Unfortunately, that former employer (LVT) had gone bankrupt, leaving no health care coverage in the aftermath and taking one-third of the employee pension funds.

Naturally, Matthews followed-up on this segment by asking the governor what he would do to fix problems like this.

And, Mike hit the ball out of the park.

He correctly pointed out that the Republican Party is not a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wall Street, and shouldn't act as such. We need to stand up to "sheer, unadulterated greed" that rewards high-level executives with hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses while asking front-line workers to accept deep pay cuts.

As to health care in this country, Mike reminded Matthews and his viewers that he has long been an advocate of a major paradigm shift. First, we need to discard the post-WWII mentality that tied coverage to a person's job. People don't work at the same place for 30 years anymore. So, their coverage should be tied directly to the person, not their employer. Keyword="portability." Secondly, we need to approach health care in terms of PREVENTION, not just intervention.

Finally, Matthews uncharacteristically threw Huckabee a softball, asking him how democratic the upcoming Ames Straw Poll really is since it costs $35 to vote in it. Obviously, it is not an exercise in democracy. Rather, as Mike reminded him, it will show both organizational strength/ability of the candidates AND (more importantly) the level of motivation of their supporters.

"Everybody likes you, Mike," Matthews concluded with a big grin.

"Like me on Saturday," was Huckabee's response, with an even bigger grin!

Go, Mike, go!

Snipers take aim at rock star

If you need any proof that my favorite GOP presidential contender is on the verge of becoming a "top tier" candidate, take note of the increased sniping he's been forced to endure lately.

I've already dismissed the "Club for Growth" and their idiotic assessment of Mike Huckabee's awesome tenure as Governor of Arkansas. But, they're still trying to label him as a tax-and-spend liberal. What a hoot! The truth is he made tax cuts of historic proportions while in office.

Now, it seems Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, who has presidential ambitions of his own, is trying to label the ordained Baptist minister as anti-Catholic. His accusations stem from an email sent by a fellow appropriately named Tim RUDE from Windsor Heights, Iowa, who claims to be a Huckabee supporter. But, I don't know how anyone could take Sammy B seriously, especially considering Huckabee's campaign manager Chris Saltsman is a Catholic, as are MANY of his pro-life supporters. In fact, there are quite a few who fall into that category right here in the Sunshine State!

Unfortunately, Saltsman has opened a new can of worms in responding to Senator Sam's ridiculous assertions. He inadvertently misspelled the name of the junior senator from Illinois in an email of his own, demonstrating Brownback's own supporters are blatantly demonstrating religious intolerance. He pointed out the "Baptists for Brownback" website and its claims that Hillary Clinton, Barack OSAMA, and Fred Thompson (among others) are "hell bound." Obviously, this was a typo. But, it's still causing something of a stir, and distracting attention from Saltsman's underlying point.

All of this would be regrettable, as it takes focus off Mike Huckabee's unique message that the Republican Party needs not only to hold tightly to its conservative roots but also to become better stewards of the environment and speak out against corporate corruption and greed.

But, I prefer to see the silver lining in all this: the snipers wouldn't be taking aim if Mike wasn't doing something right.

He had an awesome appearance with CBS's Jeff Greenfield on last night's news, coming off as the common man's candidate. They pointed out how his small budget forces him to fly coach on commercial flights while "top tier" candidates have private jets. The silver lining there is that he is in the trenches even when he travels, shaking hands and getting to know the people he wants to serve. And, who knows, maybe it will inspire him to do something about the onerous flight delays, etc., when he's in the White House.

That's right, I said WHEN he's in the White House (not if)!

Go, Mike, go!

Character Makes a Difference

That's the title of Mike Huckabee's awesome book. [ISBN 978-0-8054-4677-7] (Shameless plug: It's only slightly less-awesome than my own recent book.)

You may remember Mike not only for winning my ringing endorsement is several prior posts, but also for being the best governor Arkansas ever had. Bar none.

Anyway, I tossed-aside all the negative energy the financial markets have been trying to burden me with lately, and actually spent some of my hard-earned money to buy a copy.

And, I have not been disappointed.

I'm more than half way done with it already, page 135. And, the more I read his words, the more I'm convinced THIS MAN NEEDS TO BE OUR NEXT PRESIDENT!

This was reaffirmed during his appearance on Fox News this afternoon, and I'm sure will be again tomorrow afternoon when he appears on CNN's "Situation Room."

Go, Mike, go!

Huckabee on Cavuto

Well, Huckabee on Fox news anyway. Neil Cavuto was mysteriously absent this afternoon. But, his fill-in had a pretty good interview with my favorite presidential candidate.

They started off talking about why the Republican congress got fired last year: over-spending, corruption, and failure to adequately handle Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. But, the worst of the three, they agreed, was over-spending. The Huckster says one way the GOP can regain credibility is to get back to its roots and advocate much-needed spending cuts.

Pseudo-Cavuto (don't you like how that rhymes?!) tried to place some of the spending blame on President Bush, noting how Gerald Ford (of all presidential examples) managed to veto 7 GOP spending bills during his short term. And, he had a point. W hasn't vetoed any to date. But, Mike assured him El Presidente will indeed be "spilling some ink" on future bills, if the Democrats follow-thru on their much crazier spending projections.

Then, the fill-in tried to grill Huckabee for the "D" rating he received from the conservative Cato Institute for over-spending during his term as Governor of Arkansas. Mike came right back with an "F" for Cato's grading process. He says they try to apply a rigid template to all 50 states without taking into account that each government has its own spending procedures, especially as relate to federal mandates. If you go back and look at how Huckabee spent money over which he had actual power to exercise discretion, he deserved an "A."

Finally, the former governor made a pitch for the Fair Tax. Although he claimed a 7-year old running a lemonade stand could understand it, I'm still not sure about it myself. He says it will save $250 billion in current compliance costs, not to mention bringing back an estimated $10 trillion (yes, trillion with a "T") from offshore accounts. And, he's looking forward to the day when he (as president, of course!) will have the pleasure of hanging a "Going Out of Business" sign at the IRS.

All in all, a good appearance.

But, I would've preferred to see a tete-a-giant-tete between Mike and Neil . . .