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2008 Presidential for February 25, 2007
Huckabee in Tennessee
I had the great fortune of hearing Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee this weekend at an event in Nashville. Huckabee spoke to an intimate group of around 30 Republican leaders concerning his campaign for President in 2008. After speaking to our small group, he headed off to speak to the National Convention of Turkey Hunters.
Strikingly, Huckabee has a unique folksiness that makes him one of the most personable politicans I have seen in a long time. To be sure, Huckabee's personability isn't the same brand of personability as Barack Obama or even Bill Frist - where there is still an air of untouchability. Instead, Huckabee's personality and banter is almost next door neighborly. I can quite easily imagine looking over the hedge only to be greeted by Mike Huckabee's "Hey there, neighbor." That mental picture wasn't difficult throughout Huckabee's remarks where he characterized Tennessee as neighbors who had just won the backyard basketball game that day against his Razorbacks.
Decidedly and refreshingly so, Huckabee's remarks were almost like he wasn't running for President and more like he just wanted to explain what he was all about - and what he believed. I look at what he was wearing - not a suit, just a sportscoat. Not the Northeastern GQ of Mitt Romney - no tie. It could be Mike Huckabee's come-from-nothing past or it could be the calmness from pastoral counciling or it could be conjured images of Huckabee jamming out on bass guitar-- but there was something quite different about Mike Huckabee, first at the Southern Republican Leadership Caucus and now at this event.
Not to say Huckabee is a savior. The issues he likes to talk about don't yet command the intellect, but they are good, simple market-driven ideas and it is true, Huckabee is a social conservative. Huckabee talked openly about his pro-life position on abortion and even slid in his former role with the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. And that is key. But, in that regard, let's not kid ourselves, Huckabee has a ways to go before he could be considered a top-tier candidate. But I am convinced he might have brought on enough Tennessee boys to get his balloon off the ground.
That starts with Chip Saltsman. Chip is a quite a political consultant. Before Bill Frist announced he would forego a Presidential race, Chip was making key connections in Iowa. But, before that Chip was the youngest ever Chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party - in the critical year of 2000. That's the year that Tennessee politics changed direction. It cast its 11 electoral votes for George W. Bush instead of for the man whose national campaign headquarters was in Nashville - and Chip was instrumental in that effort. Saltsman can also raise money - and while Huckabee will definitely trail McCain and Romney in the moneyline, he has something else up his sleeve.
I noticed more than one Ed Bryant volunteer staffing the Huckabee event - yes the same Bryant campaign that won the Tennessee Politics Blog's Campaign of the Year for 2006 based largely on its grassroots efforts. Huckabee will need to run a Bryantesque campaign - only nationally. Just thinking of it in those terms seems daunting. Bryant lost because of relentless mass media that he simply couldn't afford to match - and there is no doubt that Huckabee will face the same challenges from his primary challengers. But, the people in New Hampshire are used to following politics early and they resent the mass media campaign. What they greatly prefer is Huckabee's huckster tactics - moving about selling himself from place to place.
Hukabee has a real shot if he can get to the debates, get in front of people and pick up some free press along the way. Tennessee Politics Blog looks forward to following Huckabee and all the Presidential candidates in the coming months, especially pointing out their Tennessee connections.
After talking with Lt. Gov. Ramsey's Chief of Staff Matt King, it seems there is bipartisan support for moving forward with a bill before the State Legislature that would move Tennessee's Presidential Primary to February 5 - just 4 days after the New Hampshire primary. If that bill becomes a reality, Tennessee could be a much more interesting state to watch in 2008.
