The MSM has noticed Mike Huckabee but barely, only that he has scored big in recent polls. An AP story about the GOP race mentions him exactly twice - both times simply quoting his standing in a poll of Iowa voters. They devote paragraphs to Rudy and John and especially Mitt.
Obviously the MSM doesn't know what to make of Mike, he wasn't someone they have been touting to their mindless readers and therefore they don't know how he is surging. He hasn't raised lots of money or contributed lots of his own money to get his message out. He hasn't benefited from tons of publicity over the past decade like Mitt, Rudy and John. He was Governor of a flyover state, not a big northeastern state, wasn't Mayor of the nation's largest city, hasn't been visibly running for President since the last millennium in the Senate.
No, Huckabee has done his thing quietly, consistently and - horrors, in the MSM's view - in the old fashioned retail politics way. He has appealed to individual voters, he has presented his views, his issues, his positions in a steady and believable way. When his record is criticized he answers is a calm and reasonable way - he points out what he sees as distortions of his record as Governor, he fleshes out his own view of the criticisms.
The MSM also doesn't understand how he doesn't take them up on opportunities to say really negative things about his opponents. When asked if he has misgivings about Romney's Mormon faith he changes the subject, he talks about his own faith. When someone outside his campaign uses negative push polling on his behalf, he denounces them for doing it and calls on them to stop.
A source I rarely cite, the NH Concord Monitor, has a piece on Mike saying:
Huckabee's best shot, of course, is just to keep being himself and meeting as many voters as possible.
If he schedules town meetings during the next several weeks, he'll be surprised at the crowds he'll draw.
And the crowds will give him a listen. Considering the polarized atmosphere of national politics, voters may be ready for an experienced chief executive who wants to narrow the partisan gap and take on the country's challenges with a can-do attitude...
The three most appealing things about Mike Huckabee are a self-effacing sense of humor, a pragmatic view of government and an impulse to depolarize politics. In other words, he can laugh at himself, and he thinks the public would prefer that leaders solve problems rather than play gotcha with the other party.
And here's a fourth appealing quality: Huckabee is a communicator. He speaks clearly, confidently and knowledgeably, and he exudes optimism.
Can Mike Huckabee keep climbing and actually win the NH Primary and eventually the Presidency? Only time will tell but I do know the methods he is using, the old style retail politics of having a good solid message and communicating it to the voters not by massive TV ad buys but with a grassroots effort, are the methods that have proved successful before and there is no reason that they cannot again!
Cross posted at RobBoyce
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