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Huckabee convinvced he can beat Hillary
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By FAITH SWYMER
Sunday News Correspondent
Sunday, Nov. 11, 2007
Seabrook – Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee believes Sen. Hillary Clinton winning the Democratic nomination is a near certainty, and, he said, he's the only Republican candidate who can be effective against her. As evidence, he cites his experience of beating back the "headwinds" of the Clinton's Arkansas influence in the 1990s.
"Every election I ever had in Arkansas I was running against the headwinds," Huckabee, who served as lieutenant governor after Bill Clinton's 1992 election and as governor from 1996 to 2006, said while campaigning on the Seacoast yesterday. "I'd like to do it one more time."
At Townlyne Grill in Exeter, the former governor offered three keys for the country to stay "free" and successful: it must be energy independent, be able to feed itself and manufacture its own defense.
"If we outsource that, we outsource our freedom," he said.
Huckabee also advocated his proposed abolishment of the Internal Revenue Service in favor of a sales tax and his views on several other domestic policies, during two meet-and-greet stops in front of packed crowds at Brown's Lobster Pound in Seabrook and Townlyne in Exeter yesterday.
Bruce Brown, owner and host at Brown's Lobster Pound, said the turnout for Huckabee was unseen so far in this year's primary campaign and could only be compared to a visit by Barbara Bush and President George W. Bush during the 2000 campaign.
The large turnout came as a surprise to Huckabee, who joked the only reason so many people would come to see him in Arkansas is if they learned he would be "hanged" in public.
"I'm amazed this many people are here," he said, but noted his "surge" in Iowa and second-place performance in a recent national poll were factors.
Despite his recent progress, Huckabee voiced concerns about getting out supporting voters for the primary and said his campaign would effectively be finished without winning the state.
"(The key to campaigning is doing what) puts us at the top at the right time ... which is when Election Day happens," he said in Exeter, later adding in Seabrook, "Quite frankly, if it doesn't happen in New Hampshire for me, it's not going to happen."
►Slideshow: Huckabee makes it official
►Marist College poll: Clinton's lead shrinks; Thompson falls behind Paul, Huckabee
►Boston Globe/UNH: Clinton, Romney leading
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YOUR COMMENTS
No offense, Jill, but Ron Paul is hardly a "Constitutionalist." The Constitution stands for a strong Federal government and clearly gives the Feds the right to impose taxes. It even allows (through the 16th Amendment) personal income taxes. Ron Paul believes NO federal taxes should be collected (based on his views stated in a rival newspaper) so he's an anarchist, not a Constitutionalist. He's also a 9/11 conspiracy theorist and is unelectable. Huckabee's common sense policies are going to win over NH. Ron Paul is an extremist.
- Stephen, Manchester
Huckabee has the apearence of being strong, but the fact remains that the onlu 100 percent pro constitutional candidate is still Ron Paul. Look at these people's voting records and not all the speeches they give. Check out these poll: http://OurVote.us/
- Jill Baker, Lancaster
Huckabee is really surging in NH, and it's because of his warmth, honesty and straightforwardness. It's really tiring to hear from people in Arkansas that they didn't like him as governor. They don't tell you that, like Massachusetts, the legisature he worked with for over 10 years was 85-90% Democrat-controlled. Huckabee got through what he could, and fought hard for his principles when he couldn't. Huckabee isn't an extremist or use extremist rhetoric, and perhaps that's why Kevin doesn't care for him. Instead, Huckabee is the one Bill Clinton fears the most, because he can bring social conservatives, moderates and independents into the voting booth.
- Stephen, Manchester
Quoting Mr. Huckabee, regarding the Clintons: "Every election I ever had in Arkansas I was running against the headwinds." He may have run against the Clintons' headwinds, but he governed on
their coattails. Hillary never dreamed that education in Arkansas could be seized so completely by the state Supreme Court and Governor, as it was under Gov. Huckabee.
As for his "hanged in public" comment, it's true: if the race were to be Huckabee vs. H.R.Clinton, Huck would win Arkansas. That's not an endorsement of Huckabee, it's an indictment of Hillary.
I grew up in Arkansas with Bill and Hillary Clinton as co-governors. I lived in Texarkana while Huck was governor. NH is my escape from such heavy-handed centralized politicians. I want local control. If you value local control of your school districts, Huckabee and Clinton are identical.
- Kevin, Lancaster
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