Crist campaign is toast

Our illustrious governor was twice burned yesterday.

And, that's not a tasteless reference to his famously perennial suntan.

Ye socks who have followed his inexplicable career to date have no doubt noticed his predilection for hitching his wagon to greater stars in the political universe.

Remember in the rosy days following the dawn of the ObamaNation how he gleefully embraced the disaster-in-waiting otherwise known as "the stimulus plan?!"

More recently, he's been pimping whatever conservative credentials he thought he had left by invoking the name of his supposed-mentor Connie Mack.

I can only imagine how he felt when his hug buddy paid a whopping 27 minutes of lip service to the future of Florida's Space Coast. It was painfully clear the real presidential focus was on getting away from Cape Canaveral as quickly as possible to attend a big Democratic fundraiser down in Miami. His announced policy shift essentially left the country's space program in shambles, and thousands more Floridians worrying about their jobs.

And, as for Mack, he walked away from Crist's senate campaign in the wake of his veto of the education bill.

Whispers abound this morning that Mitt Romney will soon be joining Mike Huckabee and Rudy Giuliani in endorsing Crist's primary opponent Marco Rubio.

Methinks in the past 24 hours or so that Charlie may have discovered just how few real allies he has.

So, could he seriously be considering a run as an independent?!

Stranger things have happened, I suppose. I mean, this IS Florida, after all!!

Like nails on a chalkboard

After seeing Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, Rudy Giuliani, and other stellar speakers at the GOP convention earlier this week, last night's presidential nomination acceptance speech by John McCain was something of a letdown.

Fortunately, what he lacks in charisma is more than made up by his integrity and leadership abilities.

Nevertheless, there was one point in his speech that really grated on the nerves of this genealogist:

"We believe everyone has something to contribute and deserves the opportunity to reach their God-given potential, from the boy whose DESCENDANTS arrived on the 'Mayflower' to the Latina daughter of migrant workers."

With all the money I'm sure the McCain campaign pays their speech writers, editors, vetters, media consultants, and handlers, I find it hard to believe that no one over there knows the definition of "descendants." For their edification:

descendants - (n) one's posterity, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc.

Any boy who had descendants on the Mayflower would have to be tremendously old, even older than John McCain's 96-year-old mother Roberta, and could hardly be described as a boy in the first place.

I'm 99% certain the word they were looking for (or, should have been) is

ancestors - (n) one's forebears, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc.

Maybe, the McCain campaign would like to hire a certain genealogical consultant to vet any future speeches.

Know your genealogy, ye socks!

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!

Sometimes, you just can't buy a vote . . .

Mitt Romney finally learned that lesson. Unfortunately, it was a lesson that cost him an estimated $87.6 million -- much of that his own money. But, I guess he could afford it.

As astronomical a figure as that may appear, it is still only slightly more than Barrack Hussein Obama ($85.2M) and Hillary Rob 'Em Clinton ($80.4M) have spent so far on their side of the aisle.

Still it is more than the combined total spent by John McCain ($48.8M) and his recently-withrdrawn buddy Rudy Giuliani ($39.1M).

And, it is many, many, many more dollars than our favorite candidate Mike Huckabee has had at his disposal. He's had to get out there and earn every vote and delegate, and is getting WAY more bang for his buck. So, ask yourselves, who do you want spending your tax dollars? Seems like Huck is the only one who knows how to stretch them!

Anyway, as nasty as Romney's campaign got out on the trail, I do offer him some grudging respect for knowing when to call it quits.

He says he's doing it for the party and for the country. In that order, which seems more than a little wrong. But, whatever.

According to Mitt, he needed to suspend his campaign to "forestall the launch of a national campaign" to prevent the Dems' from surrendering to the terrorists who want to destroy the civilized world. Fair logic.

But, note his use of the term "suspend." That's not the same as "end."

I'll bet you a dime to a donut he's going to hold on to his delegates until the convention on the off chance that something dramatic happens in the interim. And, even then, he will only release them to McCain or Huckabee when they can no longer be used as bargaining chips.

Mitt is a businessman. He is shrewd in that regard. But, politics is a peculiar sort of business. And, he's not proven himself particularly adept at it.

It's a shame he had to spend so much money to find that out!

At least ye conservatives out there finally have one candidate you can support to thwart the McCain juggernaut: Mike Huckabee!

Go, Mike, go!

And, then there were 4

Or, more like 3.5 since Ron Paul is a Libertarian and should only count as half a candidate in what is SUPPOSEDLY a Republican field.

But, anyway, I'm giving credit where credit is due, and blame where blame is due for that matter. And, it looks like tonight's results are finally going to force "America's Mayor" out of the race.

You know, it is often said, probably because it is so true: Democrats fall in love with their candidates, while Republicans fall in line behind theirs.

And, that's what we saw tonight here in the Sunshine State.

John McCain had the momentum, and a lot of people jumped on his bandwagon--including Swell Mel Martinez and everybody's favorite political opportunist Charlie Crist.

As a Huckabee devotee, I was actually pleasantly surprised that he kept neck-and-neck with old Rudy Giuliani tonight. I mean, how many millions of dollars did the former NYC mayor spend down here? And, how much more time did he spend down here?! I'd like to see the $ per vote figures on that. I guarantee Huck gets more for his buck!

Seriously, though, it was also cool to see how the state fell into geographic camps. And, Mike Huckabee actually carried 4 of our 67 counties (Gilchrist, Holmes, Suwannee, and Washington). That's more than Rudy can claim!

Oh, well, on to Super Tuesday!

Stop with the phone calls, already!

The incessant ringing of the telephone around the chalet this weekend must mean we have a primary election coming up!! It used to be they'd just fill your snail mail box with brochures. Now, they want to call you up and talk to you.

Some of the campaigns are downright annoying, to the detriment of their candidates/causes:

1. Charlie Crist and his ilk can quit pimping their property tax "reform" plan. It's not going to fly.

2. The McCainiacs shouldn't be so proud of Crist's endorsements, for reasons only briefly alluded to in #1. Also, we remember Mel Martinez working with you and Ted Kennedy in the (thankfully unsuccessful) attempt to grant amnesty to 10 million illegal aliens. So, no surprise he's in your camp, too.

3. Love ya, Rudy. Really. But, FLA is not NYC . . . at least not that part of the peninsula beyond Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties.

4. Will someone tell John Edwards that I am not, nor will I ever be, a registered Democrat?! This is a closed primary. Registered Republicans can't vote for you on Tuesday.

5. Will someone tell Buddy Dyer I don't live in Orlando any more, so couldn't vote for him even if I wanted to?!

6. How many times do I have to ask all of you to remove my number from your calling list?!

I will be so glad on Tuesday evening when we can finally get a respite . . . but, November is only a few months away, and I imagine they'll be back in gear again real soon.

ARGGHHH!

Boca debate

In case you missed it, the Republican candidates for president met tonight down in Boca Raton for another debate. And, once again, Mike Huckabee put in a solid performance.

In light of recent event, it was no surprise that the primary topic was economics. And, Governor Huckabee reminded his rivals, the moderators, and the crowd, that he had raised red flags at a similar debate up in Dearborn, Michigan, several months ago. It's as true today as it was when he said it: we need(ed) to look at the totality of the economy, not just those who are (were) prospering.

The fact that everyone is now following his lead and discussing economic matters is not helpful to someone like John McCain, who admits he much prefers to discuss things like national defense and the War in Iraq. Sorry, Mr. Senator, the next president needs to be a little more multi-faceted. And, if you cannot even field an economic question tossed to you by that whack-job Ron Paul, you don't need to be making plans to move into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

It was almost embarassing to watch McCain as he flubbed his way thru his response to Paul, grasping for words, repeating phrases, even looking confused. Essentially, he claims he will turn over economic policy to a team of trusted advisors he has cultivated during his very long career in DC. Great. Just what we DON'T need, more inside-the-Beltway "solutions." I guess this is why McCain is every Democrat's favorite Republican . . .

Ironically, he thought he'd try to play hard ball with Huckabee, by grilling him on the Fair Tax. What a mistake that was. The governor is so well-versed on that topic, he could recite all the nuts and bolts in his sleep. And, his expertise only highlighted McCain's shortcomings on economic subjects.

Bottom line, I give the candidates the following grades in the order they appeared on stage (left to right):

- Romney: C-, he had no major gaffes, but appeared plastic as usual and was disturbingly evasive when questioned about how much of his personal money he's using in his attempt to buy the nomination.

- McCain: D+ for doddering, his only saving grace was his rebuke of the New York Times and its savage attack on Rudy Giuliani.

- Giuliani: I for incomplete, he failed to close the deal with Florida voters, but he didn't completely blow it. He better do something on the campaign trail, or he's out of the race after Tuesday.

- Paul: F, this guy isn't even a Republican. He even admitted having been the Libertarian party's presidential nominee in the last election.

- Huckabee: B+, he appeared both knowledgeable and affable, and would have earned an A if he hadn't distanced himself from Chuck Norris! (Although, the ensuing exchange with McCain was without a doubt the most humorous moment in an otherwise dull forum.)

Michigan Smishigan

Was anyone really sitting on the edge of their seats yesterday, waiting with baited breath to find out who was going to win the Michigan primaries?

No.

Not on either side of the political aisle.

On the Democrat side, old Hillary was the only top tier candidate to even have her name on the ballot. (And, even then, 45% decided to send delegates to their national convention who were NOT COMMITTED to her.)

In the GOP, it was a foregone conclusion that native son Mitt Romney, whose dad was a three term governor of Michigan, would get the most votes. It turned out to be a "whopping" 39%.

Yawn.

What is exciting, however, is that both fields are still wide open, and we face the prospect of two brokered conventions.

Now, ye socks, turn your attention to South Carolina, where on Saturday only the Republicans will be voting. (The Dems take their turn a week later.) My prediction is Mike Huckabee wins. Handily. And, Fred Thompson will be forced out of the race.

What we're going to have is a delegate "round robin" going on, in which candidates have regional appeal. Huckabee in the Bible Belt. Romney in the country club states. McCain in places with lots of Independent voters. And, Giuliani . . . MAYBE . . . in the big urban centers.

That's a 3 or 4 candidate stew, whereby nobody is going to secure a majority of delegates to claim the nomination outright. And, they'll have to resort to some "horse trading."

But, that's just me. Draw your own conclusions.

SC Republican Debate Re-cap

For ye socks who couldn't stay up late enough to watch last night's Republican debate up in South Carolina, yours truly sacrificed precious hours of sleep to provide you with the following observations--sorted by candidate:

1. Ron Paul - Why is this guy even on the stage? He's not a Republican. He's a Libertarian. And, a kooky one at that.

2. Mitt Romney - Poor guy. He spent all that money for nothing, and apparently he's lost all the fire in his belly. He barely showed up for the debate. If he doesn't win his native Michigan next week, look for him to pull out of the race altogether.

3. Rudy Giuliani - By sitting on the sidelines so long, he has rendered himself irrelevant. Pinning his hopes on Florida, where we don't even vote until 1/29, was a foolish plan. He keeps dropping in the polls down here, precipitously. He'll be gone by the end of the month.

4. Fred Thompson - Wow, can you smell the desperation?! He came out with both guns a-blazin'! But, he just came off as cantankerous and mean. Plus, it's awfully easy for someone like him who has NO EXECUTIVE EXPERIENCE to criticize those who do . . .

5. John McCain - American hero, I agree. Best adjective for him: venerable. He deserves all of our thanks and admiration. But, his time is long past. He appeared so disoriented at times, even muttering to moderator Brit Hume about the confusing lights on the stage . . .

6. Mike Huckabee - He bore Thompson's attacks like a gentleman, and defended his 10.5 years as a governor with statesmanlike efficiency. I was also glad to see him rebuke Ron Paul, something nobody else on the stage had the guts to do. In a word: presidential.

I hope this analysis will help ye socks in making up your primary choices, particularly those of you in the Palmetto State . . . and you know who you are!!

Florida Loves Huckabee!

That is according to the latest Rasmussen Poll which found GOP voters in the state support the following candidates in the 1/29/08 primary:

27% Huckabee (+18% since November's poll)
23% Romney (+4%)
19% Giuliani (-8%)
9% Thompson (-7%)
6% McCain (-4%)

So, what do these numbers tell us? Is McCain losing people to Romney? Is Huckabee drawing support away from everyone else? Who knows?

What the numbers do tell us is the momentum each candidate enjoys (or doesn't) in the Sunshine State. And, clearly, Mike Huckabee is outshining everyone else. Keep in mind, he was only registering 3% support down here as recently as September. So, for him to rise to the top of the pack in just three months is truly an amazing statement about his campaign. And, I'd like to think this little corner of the blogosphere contributed a little bit to the trajectory.

The other piece of news out of the Huckabee camp today was Ed Rollins is joining the team as National Director. Political junkies will remember that name as belonging to the man who orchestrated the most successful presidential campaign EVER back in 1984, when his strategies earned Ronald Reagan the electoral votes of 49 states. (Only his never-to-be-mentioned opponent's home state of Minnesota and the wayward District of Columbia fell to the Dems that year.)

Expect both the poll numbers and Ed Rollins to be discussed tonight when Huckabee and his buddy Chuck Norris appear on The O'Reilly Factor. (8pm on FoxNews, replayed at 11pm.)

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.

Les gustan Huckabee en Miami

For ye non-Cuban socks in the dryer, that means "They like Huckabee in Miami."

This statement is made following last night's GOP debate broadcast on Spanish language station Univision, at which former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee once again wowed the crowd.

If you need further proof, note who joined the governor for breakfast this morning at La Carreta Restaurant in Miami:

Marco Rubio, Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives

and

David Rivera, chairman of the Rules Committee in the state legislature.

These two gentlemen are arguably the two most influential Hispanics in Florida state government.

And, they both formally endorsed Mike Huckabee in his campaign to become the next President of the United States.

He won them over not only with his stellar performance on Univision last night, but also because he shares their pro-family persepectives and demonstrated his commitment to freeing nearby Cuba from the shackles of Castro-style communism.

If the momentum continues in this direction, watch Rudy Giuliani's numbers here in the Sunshine State continue to fall as folks flock to Huckabee.

Oh, and try to catch Mike on Hannity & Colmes tonight at 9pm.

Go, Mike, go!

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!

Huckabee wins St. Petersburg debate!

Apparently, I was not alone in that assessment. The Florida Chamber of Commerce polled the audience last night, and came up with the following figures when they asked who won:

MIKE HUCKABEE - 44%
Rudy Giuliani - 18%
Mitt Romney - 13%
John McCain - 10%
Fred Thompson - 5%
Ron Paul - 4%
Duncan Hunter - 1%
Tom Tancredo - 1%
Undecided - 4%

The most fun to be had, though, was observing the political pundits' response to Huck's great performance.

Andrew Sullivan over at The Atlantic apparently couldn't understand how someone could be so comfortable talking about his faith in public, and arrogantly dismissed it as "religious schtick."

CNN's analyst Jeffrey Toobin gave Huck credit for being the best debater, but went on to say he "lacked seriousness" for pledging to abolish the IRS. Well, Mr. Toobin, he is indeed serious about that. It's called "The Fair Tax." Look into it.

Anyway, if you want to get an unfiltered view of the debate, you can watch our favorite presidential candidate as he makes his rounds on the cable news networks tonight:

4:15pm - CNN - "The Situation Room," with Wolf Blitzer.
5:00pm - MSNBC - "Hardball," with Chris Matthews.
10:00pm - FoxNews - "On the Record," with Greta van Susteren.

Huckabee beats Hillary

That could indeed be the headline you read in your local paper next November, if the most recent Zogby Poll is accurate.

They matched up all the Republican front runners agains the presumptive Democratic nominee and came up with the following responses.

John McCain beat her 42% to 38% - margin of 4%

Rudy Giuliani beat her 43% to 40% - margin of 3%

Mitt Romney beat her 43% to 40% - margin of 3%

Fred Thompson beat her 44% to 40% - margin of 4%

MIKE HUCKABEE BEAT HER 44% to 39% - MARGIN OF 5%

That's right, while all Republicans should be encouraged, it was the former Arkansas governor (and this dryer's favorite candidate) who did the best in a head-to-head match-up.

Shouldn't be too surprising to you socks from Arkansas. After all, Mike Huckabee has had to go up against the Clinton machine in every political campaign he's run. He knows how to beat them.

And, the polling data indicates he is our best shot to beat 'em again!

The Shining Star of Shingle Creek

In case you missed tonight's GOP debate here in Orlando, here's a re-cap.

Once again, Governor Mike Huckabee outdid everyone else in the crowded field, looking like the only adult on the stage.

As usual, the debate moderators started things off by focusing on Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani, almost encouraging them to begin their tired old personal attacks on one another. But, when they finally turned their focus to Governor Huckabee, he got thunderous applause and cheers for this line:

"I'm not interested in fighting these guys. I want to fight FOR the American people!"

He further elevated the tone of the debate by quoting the Declaration of Independence. He reminded the audience of the inalienable rights enumerated in that venerable document are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness . . . but, LIFE comes FIRST.

The one statement Huckabee made last night that is most likely to stick in folks' minds was his response to a question on health care. He argued that we do NOT have a health care "system," but rather a health care "crisis." He cited the fact that we spend 80% of our 2 Trillion health care dollars each year on chronic disease when we should be focusing more on prevention. And, he warned that more and more Boomers are enrolling in Medicaid/Medicare, adding to our costs.

He quipped, "When all the old hippies find out they get free drugs, wait to see what that costs us!"

Always quick with a good line, Huckabee became somber at one moment to remind Republicans there is one subject that just isn't funny. And, that is the possibility of Hillary Clinton becoming president. If that happens, he pointed out, our taxes would go up, our health care would be taken over by the federal government, and our military morale would plummet when we need them to continue to confront Islamofascism.

If, like me, you agree the prospect of another Clinton presidency is not funny, I encourage you to visit Mike Huckabee's website and support his campaign to make sure that bad joke doesn't become a reality:

http://www.mikehuckabee.com/

GOP debate in Michigan

I know it was hard to catch the big tete-a-tete up in Michigan today, because the boneheads who planned it evidently thought 4pm on a Tuesday was a convenient time for most Americans to be sitting in front of their tv's.

Fortunately, they are replaying it later tonight on MSNBC. But, for you socks whose schedules or lack of cable will prevent you from catching it the second time around, here's my very astute and much-sought-after analysis:

As usual, Mike Huckabee looked like the adult sitting at the kids' table during a family Christmas dinner. The rest of the crowded field . . .

Mitt Romney - he's the GOP version of John Kerry--suave, Massachusetts politician with more money than he knows how to spend. We can't let this guy buy the presidency any more than we could allow Kerry in '04.

Rudy Giuliani - come on. He was without a doubt a good mayor of New York City. But the rest of the country is not the Big Apple. And, arguing with Romney against the line-item veto is the best he's got to offer . . . fuh-gedda-bout-it!

Fred Thompson - too little, too late. He may be an actor, but the Gipper he is definitely not. Go back to the small screen and I'll promise to campaign for you to win an Emmy or something.

John McCain - old, tired, uninspiring. His time has already come and gone.

Ron Paul - it's okay to be a conservative, even a libertarian who dresses up like one. But, you don't have to be mad about EVERYTHING. Too shrill. Tone it down.

Sam Brownback, Duncan Hunter, and Tom Tancredo . . . uh, whatever. You are, collectively, the Republican version of Dennis Kucinich.

It's a crowded field, yes. But, I love seeing Huckabee standing shoulder to shoulder with these guys. It makes the choice even more clear, whether the media wants to continue to ignore it. Mike Huckabee needs to be our next president.

12 Action Steps to Stop Cheating our Children

Ok, I'm not even going to acknowledge what transpired in Baton Rouge last night. Rather, I am going to continue telling you socks how great Mike Huckabee is. Polls out today, show that he has finally broken into the "top tier" . . . at least in Iowa. He's edged past both John McCain and Rudy Giuliani in that state, and is definitely on a "vertical" trajectory!

Anyway, here are today's action steps for your socks with kids:

1. If you are a parent, attend PTA and parent-teacher conferences.

2. Never miss a musical performance or shool play your child is involved in.

3. Volunteer to help out in at least one school activity a year.

4. Attend a school board meeting, but be careful! You might be tempted to run for a seat on the board!!

5. Know how your child's school test scores compare to other schools in your community, state, and nation.

6. Know how much your district spends per pupil in education.

7. Know how much teachers, coaches, principals, and superintendents are paid.

8. Ask the local school district for a breakdown of the school budget: administration, athletics, academics, and the arts.

9. Find out how serious your school is about the arts.

10. Ask for test scores of a class over a five year period--stagnant, declining, or improving?

11. Visit a private/parochial school and ask how their expenditures compare to public school spending.

12. Talk to your state legislator and express your interst in their voting record on education.

Apple core! Baltimore! Who's your friend?!

Did you ever play that game as a child?

Anyway, if you were playing it in Baltimore tonight, the answer would NOT be Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Mitt Romney, or Fred Thompson.

Each of those supposed "top tier" candidates failed to appear at the PBS broadcast of debates hosted by Tavis Smiley in the Murphy Fine Arts Center at Morgan State University--an historically black school.

And, with justification, many in the black community are taking offense. As former Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele told his fellow Marylanders in the introduction, it has been far too long that the GOP and African Americans have "stood at arm's length." The divide needs to end. But, that's not going to happen if we follow the lead of the "top tier" guys.

I will point out that Mike Huckabee was in Baltimore to participate in the debate and addressed important issues to minority voters like unemployment, criminal justice, and health care.

Remember, he's the same guy who has spoken to groups as divergent as union conventioneers and values voters right here in the great State of Florida.

That's what we need to see MORE of in our "top tier" candidates: uniters, not dividers.

I hope I'm not alone in my disgust with the status quo. I yearn for the election of a president next year who is unafraid of speaking to ALL Americans--not just those whose special interests have traditionally supported his/her party with cash or votes.

So far, in my opinion, only Mike Huckabee fills that bill.

Authenticity, Sincerity, and Candor

Those are the three words former House Speaker Newt Gingrich used while speaking to the National Press Club in Washington today to describe Mike Huckabee's campaign to become our next president.

Newt gets it.

The national media does not. At least, not yet.

Witness Bill Sammon on FoxNews tonight, who framed the contest underway in Iowa in terms of Romney v Giuliani and implied that Huckabee is simply angling for a VP nod. Tripe!

What Huckabee IS doing is what people like Gingrich and millions of others across this country have been wanting to see for a long time: He's growing as a candidate with each passing day. He's speaking in terms of patriotism over partisanship. And, hopefully, he will (as Newt predicted) emerge as the most interesting dark horse candidate in American history.

Cynical reporters like Sammon assume that Huckabee steers away from attacks on the other candidates, because he is shooting for #2.

Clearly, Sammon doesn't know much about Mike Huckabee.

And, if last Sunday's debate in Des Moines is any barometer of true feelings in Iowa, Sammon won't be the only pundit with a surprised look on his face after the Ames straw poll.

Huckabee is better at communicating and connecting with an audience than any candidate out there--in either party. Those strengths should take him to the top of the GOP slate and on to the White House.