Sunday, December 17, 2006

Is Romney's Loss Huckabee's Gain?

Gov. Mitt Romney's early run for President had been running quite smoothly up until this week.

Call this the first bump in the road.

Reports surfaced that in 1994 Romney had essentially the same position on gay rights as Sen. Ted Kennedy. Romney even called the religious right "extremists." In Romney's U.S. Senate challenge to Kennedy, he had also run as supporter of abortion rights.

Romney has since changed his mind on such social issues. But conservatives are still demanding an explanation.

On ABC's This Week, political pundit E.J. Dionne said he believes the flare up over Romney will benefit outgoing Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, if he indeed decides to run.

"The person who this is good for is Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas," Dionne said on the Sunday morning program. "There is room on the right end of the Republican spectrum, not the far right . . . but I think Huckabee has some real potential as an evangelical Christian who speaks in kind of a warm and open way," Dionne said.

"If Romney falters as a result of this, I think it's an opening for Huckabee," Dionne added.

Huckabee tested his fundraising prowess this weekend in Little Rock.

Huckabee raised around $500,000 for his Hope for America PAC, which pulls in money for state and local candidates. Political observers said the event was a crucial test for whether he'll be able to raise enough money to run for president.

Huckabee said he won't announce his big decision until after leaving office in January.

Meanwhile, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told Tim Russert Sunday that he would wait until September 2007 to officially decide whether to get in.

5 comments:

Brad Belote said...

September 2007? That seems awfully late. Bill Clinton didn't enter the race until October, but with the primary schedule so front-loaded these days, time's a'wastin'.

Scott said...

Bear in mind, also that Huckabee raised that half-million in just one night, as a lame duck, in a heavily Democratic state. It is a very positive sign, indeed.

Scott said...

Please add the Huckabee blog to your list of candidate sites:
www.mikehuckabeepresident2008.blogspot.com
thanks!

Brad Belote said...

The presidential candidates listed on our site are those who have filed paperwork to declare and/or explore their candidacy.

Once Huckabee has done so, we'll put his name on the big board.

Brad Belote said...

The presidential candidates listed on our site are those who have filed paperwork to declare and/or explore their candidacy.

Once Huckabee has done so, we'll put his name on the big board.