CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee, who has been embraced by growing numbers of conservative voters and who is rising in several polls, appears to be getting some help from an unlikely source: rival and previous frontrunner Mitt Romney.
Several voters at a rally pointed to Romney’s negative advertisements and direct mailings as turning them off and pushing them fully into the Huckabee camp despite his lackluster fundraising and small operation.
Gerald Schindler, 62, who works at the Iowa City Veterans Hospital, said he had seen a television advertisement by the Romney campaign suggesting Huckabee would “tax like the Democrats”.
“I had been up to this point on board with Mitt Romney. I do not care for Mitt’s negative attacks on the governor and I was concerned about an ad I saw today,” he said. “I said I wanted to hear some clarification and he clarified it for me pretty well.”
Huckabee is a strong proponent of abolishing the Internal Revenue Service as well as all taxes on income while replacing it with a consumption tax.
Though Huckabee is not without his own slightly subtle attacks on Romney in his public appearances, pointing to the vast sums of money the former investment banker has spent on his campaign and his switch to oppose abortion rights from having previously supported them.
I understand what leadership means, it means that you’re understanding the job is that of a thermostat not a thermometer,” Huckabee told members of the Iowa Christian Alliance. “It’s not just saying ‘I’m going to be pro-life because that’s what everybody wants me to be this year’, it’s I’m pro-life because that’s what this nation needs to be.”
And his supporters are not too concerned about whether he can propel himself from a strong finish in Iowa to doing well in other early nominating states despite low fundraising dollars. Huckabee himself acknowledged being outspent 20 to 1.
“I think as more people are exposed to him and learn about him, I think the support will come and the money will eventually,” said supporter and postman Greg Januska.
The Romney campaign said the advertising and mailings were raising legitimate concerns about Huckabee’s record and positions on crime and and illegal immigrants.
“Governor Romney has a strong, pro-enforcement record on the immigration issue, while Mike Huckabee favors giving taxpayer dollars to illegal immigrants for tuition breaks at in-state colleges and universities,” Romney spokesman Kevin Madden said. ”Those are big differences on big issues and most voters want to have that information available before making a choice in a presidential contest.”
– Photo credit: Reuters/Jim Young
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4 comments so far
The consumption tax is a great idea. The IRS is totally broken. Huckabee is pro-life. Huckabee has moral, Christian values. He is conservative. He is wise, and funny. He has charisma. Huckabee has my vote.
- Posted by Nate ElartonIm a democrat, well was, now im a libertarian but I really like huckabee’s character. I hope edwards/obama, or mccain are the nominees but I would be ok with huckabee. He is funny he reminds me of a sweeter george “dubya” bush…dont know if thats a good or bad thing, although, he reminds me of clinton too…
- Posted by GhanjaMitt is way too negative and changes his position often. We would have no idea which position he would take to Washington. Mike reminds me of a sweeter Bush too. He is a people person like Clinton. But, I’m old enough that Mike reminds me most of Reagan. Mike and Obama both want to reunite our country, are great at communicating, are more on the issues, and less on negativity toward other candidates. A debate between them would be very interesting.
- Posted by GrannyTRomney’s ads are filled with LIES—and he is showing how easy it is for him to lie to the American people. It is about Romney’s dishonesty. If he can’t be honest in his commercials and interviews, how can we trust him with our country?
A politician who is willing to lie recklessly about minor matters is unlikely to hesitate when a lie would be useful in dealing with a major problem. Thus Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney’s dishonest claims about his status as “a hunter” are as troubling as they were stupid…and they were very stupid.
http://www.ethicsscoreboard.com/liars/07 04_romney.html
Romney is WEAK ON IMMIGRATION and hired illegal aliens himself twice, even though he is rich and could afford to hire American citizens.
Romney says he marched with his father in a Martin Luther King march, but now he says that wasn’t the truth. That he was endorsed by the NRA and he’s a lifelong hunter, but now he says, well he’s been hunting twice for rabbits and never received the NRA’s endorsement.
- Posted by monique