Huckabee overtakes Rudy, comes within 1 point of Hillary

[Ticket Man]

What is going on here?!:

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee has pulled to within a single percentage point of the Democratic frontrunner in a general election match-up. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows Senator Hillary Clinton earning 46% of the vote while Huckabee attracts 45%. Clinton leads by seven among women while Huckabee has a five-point advantage among men.

A month ago, Clinton enjoyed a three-point lead over the long-shot candidate who has shaken up the race for the Republican nomination. The former First Lady held an eight point lead over Huckabee in both August and September.

Huckabee has also gained ground on Senator Barack Obama over the past month. The Rasmussen Reports election poll shows Obama attracting 45% of the vote while Huckabee earns 41%. Last month, Obama enjoyed a nine-point advantage in that match-up. Obama had a twenty point advantage over Huckabee in March. That slipped to a nine point lead in both August and September.

 

[WeirdEyes]

I think it is because he has done so well in the debates.

 

[jimmiej]

{{{{}}}} for Huckabee!!!

 

[yasmina]

He's got a likeability factor, like GWB had. I would never vote for him as I am a proud progressive, and none of his positions on key issues agree with mine.

Good grief, I hope people in this country are more intelligent this time around than to vote for the person they would most like to have a beer with!

 

[NewJersey]

This country does not need another Christian Conservative like we had with Bush.

Huckabee has the likability factor but I hope people realize that after 8 years of Bush, voting for someone because they can have a beer with them, does not make them ready to be President.

 

[StrollPatrolMom]

Crap.

I'm seriously "torn" who to vote for...actually like Huckabee a lot, but had pretty much convinced myself not to vote for him because I have concerns over how he'd do against Hillary in the general. This kind of throws that for a loop.

Very interesting.

 

[StrollPatrolMom]

Huckabee has the likability factor but I hope people realize that after 8 years of Bush, voting for someone because they can have a beer with them, does not make them ready to be President.

wow, thats close minded. He has separated himself on tax policy from the rest of the pack, which to "fiscal conservatives" such as myself is important.

I'm an issues girl and I'm giving Huckabee serious consideration.....

 

[DawnCt1]

Crap.

I'm seriously "torn" who to vote for...actually like Huckabee a lot, but had pretty much convinced myself not to vote for him because I have concerns over how he'd do against Hillary in the general. This kind of throws that for a loop.

Very interesting.

While he may look good up against Hillary today, the main stream media hasn't had their wack at him yet. Consider if he can withstand the slings and arrows that will be sure to come his way. I am supporting Romney although I like Fred Thompson. I am disappointed in Fred's campaign however.

 

[Fitswimmer]

I just checked him out here: http://www.ontheissues.org/Mike_Huckabee.htm

I have to admit that I agree with revamping the IRS and the tax system, and I like his concern for the environment but most everywhere else he loses me.

This country can not and was never intended to be run according to the laws of the Christian church, or any other church for that matter. I find most of his opinions a little too denominational for my comfort.

And then there are these points:

Attack Iran's nukes even if Congress says no.

FactCheck: AR college bill accepted illegals after 3 years.

Better to make mistakes at Guantanamo to protect Americans

IMHO, it's not ok to attack without Congress, it's not OK to give illegals free college and it's not ok to "make mistakes" with POW's. Torture is never ok, and it's not just a mistake.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I am not surprised. I do like Huckabee even though I may not agree with all of his points.

I wish Bill Maher was on, Huckabee is a reg. vistor to his show.

 

[salmoneous]

He's new and hot. People haven't really looked too closely at him - they just see somebody different.

As people get to know him and his positions, his support will either stick around, or tank. We'll see.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

It must be a case of Christian conservatives realizing that he may be their closest alternative to the more moderate Guiliani. I've watched a couple of the debates and agree that he's done very well in them.

Plus, his support for the Fair Tax proposal appeals to fiscal conservatives who would love to abolish the IRS. Question is, will enough who are also social moderates overlook his more conservative social views?

It may not be long until the caucuses (cauci?) and primaries begin, but it's still almost a year until the general election. A lot can happen in that time.

 

[beattyfamily]

Go Huckabee!

He has two votes here!

 

[Camicar]

While he may look good up against Hillary today, the main stream media hasn't had their wack at him yet. Consider if he can withstand the slings and arrows that will be sure to come his way.

Yes, he's been flying more or less under the media gauntlet and wasn't enough of a threat to the opposition for them to dig up the dirt until now.

This morning was the first time I saw his name at the top of a news website -- which was with an article about his urging as governor that a convicted rapist be released who went onto to kill a woman. To be honest, I barely knew who he was before I read that story. It was on ABCnews.com

As Arkansas governor, GOP presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee pushed for the parole of rapist Wayne Dumond despite chilling testimonies from other victims and their relatives that he was a dangerous criminal who would strike again.

Dumond, serving a life sentence for raping a 17-year-old girl, was released in 1999 following reported public and private efforts by Huckabee on his behalf.

Within a year of Dumond's release, he was accused of raping and murdering two more women. He was convicted of raping and murdering one of the women and returned to jail, where he died in 2005.

Huckabee now says he wished he "knew more" about the killer's dangerous tendencies before he advocated his release. But new documents published by the Huffington Post Web site show he did -- or should have.

Documentation of Dumond's dangerousness -- including graphic, emotional letters from his alleged victims and their family members -- was in Huckabee's gubernatorial files at the time he was advocating Dumond's release, the site reports.

After first denying the letters were genuine, a spokesperson for Huckabee now confirms at least one of these letters was received by his gubernatorial office.

The documents were provided to a reporter several years ago by a Huckabee aide, according to the Huffington Post Web site, which published them today.

In one, a woman tells of how Dumond raped her daughter, while her three-year-old grandchild looked on.

"I am also a rape victim of Dumond's," reads another heavily-underlined, bolded letter to Huckabee from the file. "Please reconsider your decision to release Dumond."

Huckabee even met with one victim, Ashley Stevens, whose rape had put Dumond behind bars in 1985.

Stevens said she put her face inches from Huckabee's and said, "This is how close I was to Wayne Dumond, and I will never forget his face, and you will never forget mine. He's the one that raped me."

Shortly afterward, in a closed-door session with the state parole board, Huckabee urged them to recommend Dumond be freed, according to the one member who voted against the then-governor.

"He said the case I want to talk to you about is Wayne Dumond, and this is a guy who may have grown up on the wrong side of the tracks and may have gotten a raw deal," Prof. Charles Chastain told ABC News.

Tuesday, Huckabee described the meeting differently.

"At their invitation I went to their meeting, someone brought up his case," he said. "Frankly it was simply part of a broader discussion. I did not ask them to do anything."

Some observers in Arkansas disagree.

"The record clearly shows now Mike Huckabee did advocate for Wayne Dumond's release," said David J. Sanders, a political columnist for Stephens Media. "I think there are real questions about whether he has been forthright on this issue."

 

[Jennifer S]

Crap.

I'm seriously "torn" who to vote for...actually like Huckabee a lot, but had pretty much convinced myself not to vote for him because I have concerns over how he'd do against Hillary in the general. This kind of throws that for a loop.

Very interesting.

Me too

 

[SwedishMeatball]

He seems nice enough, but I don't find him incredibly likeable, esp in comparison to other candidates. He's not my top choice, but I would vote for him if he got the nomination.

 

[babieemelly]

His views are FAR too Christian to even be considered constitutional in my book. I not only disagree with most of his views, but I find them incredibly offensive. The American government is supposed to be nondenominational and stay out of people's personal lives. I respect his views on life, but how dare he think he could impart his own personal views on the lives of other Americans? Yes it's been done before, but his views are incredibly extreme. That's a HUGE negative.

 

[NewJersey]

wow, thats close minded. He has separated himself on tax policy from the rest of the pack, which to "fiscal conservatives" such as myself is important.

I'm an issues girl and I'm giving Huckabee serious consideration.....

I heard too many times in 2000 that people liked Bush as a guy and feel they could have a beer with him, which went a long way for some people in the voting booth. It's like saying "Oprah endorsed Obama so he has my vote." Both are stupid reasons to vote for someone.

I like some of his stances but his Christian conservative agenda turns me off completely.

Once the media gets a hold of him and this 'newness' wears off, you'll see his numbers come back to reality, IMO.

 

[JoyG]

Huckabee huh? I had just about given up on the entire Republican party. I'll have to look into him and see what he's all about.

ETA: He had the decency to attend Tavis Smiley's debate. I like him already.

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

Well, well, well. After months of my wondering what the hell was up with the Conservative Christian movement, it appears that they've finally found their footing. Forget getting to the Clinton political machine to beat up on Huckabee, the Romney campaign's pretty tough in it's own right. My feeling is that Romney and Huckabee will split the Christian vote and Rudy will take the nomination standing on his head.