(If you're wondering, Huckabee celebrated Thursday's results with a Diet Pepsi.)
by Jason George
MANCHESTER, N. H. – Last night, just before Gov. Mike Huckabee walked onto a Des Moines stage to declare victory in the Iowa caucuses, his aides and advisers gave him a simple message: whatever you do, don't scream.
They feared that the governor – excited over handily beating Gov. Mitt Romney – would become too emotional on stage and replicate the public relations disaster of Howard Dean's 2004 meltdown in front of the television cameras. It was an event perceived by pundits and voters as a sign of Dean's instability, and his campaign never recovered after that speech.
What's so interesting about Huckabee staff's suggestion to the candidate is that they were finally in a position that they felt they had something to lose -- no longer were they the underdog. At this moment, they realized that they were standing atop a hill, and they now they faced a new worry of falling down from the top.
After taking the stage, Huckabee complied with his staff's wishes and delivered a measured speech, using about 11 minutes to thank Iowans, his supporters and note that it's a long way from Des Moines to the White House.
"We've got a long journey ahead of us," he said.
"If this was a marathon we would have only run half of it, but we've run it well."
Later, when speaking to reporters aboard his campaign plane as it flew to New Hampshire, Huckabee appeared more relaxed and relieved, even briefly performing a (humorous) rendition of the Dean Scream, as the speech is infamously known.
He kept mostly to sedate script though, saying he faced an uphill climb to finish in first place at next Tuesday's primary here. He pointed out that even he thinks his odds are long.
"I think it'd be a little bold to say we're going to win New Hampshire," he said.
It seems it had only taken a couple of hours or so for Huckabee to resume his underdog role – just the way he likes it.
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Comments
I am so happy to see Huckabee win in Iowa. To me he is the best choice for President.
Posted by: John Malikowski | January 4, 2008 7:48 AM
Best choice if you want to change the Whitehouse into a church.
Posted by: CCC | January 4, 2008 8:23 AM
The question is, how will N.H. react to the FairTax? I hope they see the need for good tax reform like Huck does.
Posted by: Mark M | January 4, 2008 8:29 AM
I am a Republican and was very happy to see Obama and Huckabee win Iowa. Hopefully, they will build off this and get the nods for their respective parties. If I had to vote right now for president I would vote for Obama. I feel he is best to put the "UNITED" back into the United States of America.
Posted by: Doug | January 4, 2008 9:19 AM
Huckabee won't have it easy from now on, no money, little organization. Romney and Giuliani will benefit from strong organizations and money.
Huckabee won't go far from Iowa. He is not a conservative and he is a taxer. McCain is too old to last much past New Hampshire--no lackluster here.Jerry White, Springfield, IL
Posted by: Jerry White | January 4, 2008 9:36 AM
This victory will be short lived. Only extremist, Christian Repulicans showed up to vote for their choice in Iowa. McCain and Guliani will become front and center soon. Huckabee does not have a clue about foreign policy. Also, Republicans look at Huckabee's tax record.
Posted by: Mike | January 4, 2008 9:36 AM
At least Huckabee has run a state and so has a record to examine. Obama was a minor player in the Illinois Senate, has never realy been responsible for management of anything. When people get to know him, they will be astonished at how really liberal he is. I don't agree with everything Huckabee has done, but he has also done some good things for Arkansas.
Posted by: Karen | January 4, 2008 10:20 AM
. I don't agree with everything Huckabee has done, but he has also done some good things for Arkansas.
Posted by: Karen | January 4, 2008 10:20 AM
Yes, he did do good things like fixing their schools and crumbling infrastructure by acting like a tax happy Democrat.
Posted by: jackson | January 4, 2008 11:29 AM
I'm so glad that Clinton didn't win. Her presidency would mean at least 4 more years of the extreme partisan bickering that has been going on way too long. Both of these guys, I think, would be a better choice.
Posted by: Steve | January 4, 2008 11:31 AM
Both Obama and Huckabee scare me. Huckabee because he is much too conservative and Obama because of his ties to Rezco, inexperience and shady deals. It looks to be another election of deciding who I am going to vote against...
Posted by: drew | January 4, 2008 12:20 PM
Governor Mike Huckabee! A man of Faith, a man of Integrity, a Family man! One of us and for all of us. He may truly be the man who can take us back to the legacy of Ronald Reagan. Don't underestimate the "preacher" turned Governor, (10 1/2 years), and his understanding of foreign policy. He is a sleeper who knows more than any other Republican candidate about what we need to do about the problems in the middle east and particularly, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Just listen to what his foreign policy plans are and then you decide as I have who has the most knowledge on foreign affairs. Mike Huckabee will bring about change and he invites all of us to participate in this American endeavor to take back our country.
Posted by: Larkin G. Mead | January 4, 2008 12:31 PM
Real people can make a difference as shown by the success of Mike Hukabee last night. I am encouraged that "big money" didn't squelch the voice of Iowans. Go Mike!
Posted by: Derek | January 4, 2008 12:42 PM
I find it a little sad that that we now have to comment on every little thing like what type of drink he celebrated with...
Posted by: lochnessmonster | January 4, 2008 12:57 PM
What a great day for Democrats! I hope Mr. Huckabee keeps rolling, he is the most easily trouncable GOP candidate by miles. Romney, McCain and Giuliani all have the potential for crossover appeal, but the Earth-is-flat and 6,000 years old Huckabee?
I say bring him on, but sense that the GOP will eventually wake to the McGovernesque landslide they are setting themselves up for.
Posted by: Jones | January 4, 2008 1:22 PM
Jones, as I recalled, Democrats were saying similar things about G.W. Bush in 2000 because of his lack of "gravitas." And in 1992, Republicans were salivating over the prospect of a Clinton nomination. Remember? Surely the nation would never elect a governor from Arkansas... Any party who dismisses an opponent (other than Alan Keyes) does so at their own peril. (And now here's where you say something like, "I'm not worried, because the American people believe the teaching of evolution is the most critical issue of the day.")
Posted by: JB | January 4, 2008 3:45 PM
It's the Fair Tax. Yada, yada, yada Iraq. Yada, yada, yada immigration. Yada, yada, yada energy independent. Yada, yada, yada religion. Yada, yada, yada right to life...
People VOTE based on who they think will benefit/hurt their own pocketbook/wallet.
Huckabee's win is because FairTax supporters like me are voting for him
Posted by: Jeff | January 4, 2008 4:09 PM
Top 10 Reasons Huck Will Pick Chuck As His VP!
http://www.voterswrite.org/2008/01/top-10-reasons.html
Posted by: Nick Mockiavelli | January 4, 2008 4:53 PM
Mike Huckabee seems to think the "Dean scream" is funny. I disagree. 1. What I saw on C-SPAN didn't at all match what I saw all over the media in following days. It was a fake, dreamed up by some tape editor in the newsroom. Dean did nothing wrong or "crazy" This was an assassination perpetrated by the media. 2. When the media selects the Dem Party's nominee, that's not funny. How our electoral system is supposed to work: Voters do that.
Posted by: Sue Williams | January 5, 2008 9:54 AM
The Huckabee supporters are aware of the elite media and socialist liberal’s continual reference to Governor Huckabee as a “Baptist minister”, “preacher”, “ordained minister”, and other religious titles. They are trying to portray Huckabee as merely an evangelist or snake oil salesman rather than a prior Governor and Government Leader.
The elite media and most talk show hosts are highlighting Governor Huckabee’s faith in God to alienate large segments of Americans from Huckabee. For over forty (40) years the elite media and socialist liberals have attempted to remove Christianity from American life and replace it with a more socialist agenda. Rest assured they will not allow Huckabee to destroy their forty year investment of “dark-side” propaganda without a big fight.
Posted by: David - Oregon City | January 5, 2008 12:54 PM
"The Huckabee supporters are aware of the elite media and socialist liberal’s continual reference to Governor Huckabee as a “Baptist minister”, “preacher”, “ordained minister”, and other religious titles. They are trying to portray Huckabee as merely an evangelist or snake oil salesman rather than a prior Governor and Government Leader."
I agree! He's not asking for our vote because of his ministry, so let's listen to him tell us why we should vote for him, instead of writing him off as a "snake oil salesman!"
Is Hillary running as "former First Lady" or as an experienced Senator?
Posted by: Ashley | January 6, 2008 1:12 PM