Mike Huckabee held another successful GOP presidential forum with the focus this time on jobs and the economy. Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum were each given an equal amount of time to answer questions by both professionals in the economic field and by local Wilmington Ohio residents. Criticism was rampant on twitter (#huckforum) for the first time regarding Huckabee's forum as supporters noted that candidates were not asked the same questions nor were they each given follow up questions.
Watch the videos yourself and decide if any candidate was given softball questions. My theory is that for those candidates that were given the tougher questions, it opened the door for them to reach voters with their thoughtful, well spoken answers. Without those more imploring questions, voters may not have realized their depth of knowledge on the issues.
Mike Huckabee will continue with his successful GOP Presidential Forums by hosting one on Saturday March 3rd, right before Super Tuesday, in Wilmington Ohio. GOP presidential candidates include Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum.
Guest debate moderators will be Elaine Chao, Charlie Gasparino, and Peter Schiff . The focus of this forum will be jobs, the economy and each candidate's economic platform.
This forum will be taped earlier in the day and air during an extended Huckabee Show from 8-10 pm ET.
Check back for more information regarding submission of questions and #hashtag for tweeting.
Update:#Huckforum is the twitter hashtag.
Here is a picture that the Huckabee Show tweeted regarding rehearsing with three local Ohioans for the forum:
For those of you who do not have cable tv, you can watch a livestream of the forum here
Mike Huckabee hosted another successful presidential forum that has received rave reviews throughout the twittersphere (#huckforum). Candidates were given questions by undecided voters of South Carolina. In their response they were asked not to mention other GOP candidates by name in any negative way. Instead they were to focus on their own records so voters could base their decisions on individual platforms rather than personal attacks.
Mitt Romney
Jon Huntsman
Newt Gingrich
Rick Santorum
Rick Perry
Final statements from all 5 GOP Presidential candidates
Mike Huckabee's analysis of his South Carolina GOP forum
Are you still undecided? Do you think that Mike Huckabee would have run a better campaign than those currently running? Do you think that any of these candidates can beat President Obama in November's general election?
Given the success of Mike Huckabee's first GOP Presidential Forum, he will host another similar forum on January 14th right before the South Carolina primary.
This time his guest debate moderator will be South Carolina Congressman, Tim Scott.
GOP Presidential Candidates will include Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum. Ron Paul is unable to attend.
The forum will be taped earlier in the day and then aired during the Huckabee show 8 pm ET
Here is a preview of what to expect from this South Carolina forum:
For those interested in submitting a question that will be posed to the candidates, e-mail Mike Huckabee at huckforum2@foxnews.com
On Wednesday, December 14th, Mike Huckabee will be host to Citizens United's new film The Gift of Life. Screening the film first before more than 1000 Iowans, Huckabee will then host a forum that focuses on the issue of Life. Life that begins at conception and contains all the DNA necessary to develop into a baby. This is the key issue that got Mike Huckabee involved in politics. It's where his heart is held captive when it comes to social issues.
So far only four Republican candidates are attending the forum: Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry and Rick Santorum. Huntsman, Paul and Romney were invited but have yet to RSVP with a yes.
The issue of keeping a pregnancy or ending it in abortion is not the key issue that plagues the hearts of those who have been unemployed for over 99 weeks or of small business owners who just don't have enough capital to consider hiring another employee in the new year. But that doesn't mean it is not a key issue for many voters who have worked hard to further the Pro-Life cause.
Mike Huckabee has an exemplary record of championing Pro-Life bills and getting them passed through a Democrat legislature in Arkansas. So I hope he asks each candidate what they have done either personally or professionally to help change the hearts and minds of those in the pro-choice camp.
Why are the other candidates not signed on to this forum? What does Jon Huntsman have to lose? He has bragged openly about being more pro-life than Mitt Romney. So why not take the time to sit down and discuss with those 1000 Iowans his record in Utah? His numbers in the polls could only go up.
Mitt Romney, who is not really trusted on this issue, could use this platform to cement the fact that he truly is a fighter for the pro-life cause. Yes he will open himself up to questions, but he has been running as a pro-life candidate for six years now so he should have some pretty darn good answers.
And finally Ron Paul, an OB/GYN who stated in 2007 “If you can’t protect life then how can you protect liberty?” should be at this forum highlighting his credentials in the Pro-Life fight.
This forum will give viewers insight on an issue that has hardly been discussed this election cycle. But with the true meaning of Christmas being about the birth of Christ, it seems like the perfect time of year to talk about the unborn. Mike Huckabee has prepared a seat for them at the forum, and they won't be turned away.
Mike Huckabee, a former 2008 Presidential candidate himself, designed a forum that would give all candidates equal time, substantiative questions, and an opportunity to showcase their campaign for the American voter. There were no gotcha questions, no pitting one candidate against another, nor any silliness where a candidate has to raise his/her hand. As HotAir stated, it was Hucktastic.
Only one candidate declined the opportunity to answer the questions by Attorneys General: Pam Bondi, Ken Cuccinelli and Scott Pruitt--candidate Jon Huntsman. Mike Huckabee noted that Huntsman blew an opportunity that will definitely affect his campaign via GOP12
Don't forget to tune into an extended Huckabee Show Saturday night at 8 pm ET where Mike Huckabee will host the Republican Presidential Forum: #huckforum
"Just a reminder: This Saturday from 8-10pm ET, my show will have a 2 hour special featuring the GOP Presidential candidates---all of whom are going to be posed questions not by media "stars" but by GOP Attorneys General Scott Pruitt of Oklahoma, Pam Bondi of Florida, and Ken Cuccinelli of Virginia; I will moderate. The candidates all get the exact same amount of time; the order in which they answer questions is determined by a random drawing and not by arbitrary decisions of "king maker" moderators.
The candidates will appear singularly on stage and are not allowed to discuss or attack other candidates, but must stick to questions which will focus on the federal/state relations of immigration, education, jobs, Obamacare, etc. It will be a very unique format and substantive---no "gotcha" stuff. I encourage you to tune in and please let your friends and family know about the debate as well."
Mike Huckabee will hold a GOP Candidate Forum on December 3rd in the New York Fox News Studio. Attorney Generals Pam Bondi (FL), Ken Cuccinelli (VA), and Scott Pruitt (OK) will assist Huckabee in asking questions. The focus of the forum has not yet been revealed, but the format has been detailed according to the Caucus:
Our goal is to have a unique and intimate setting in which each candidate is given equal time.
· The forum will last approximately 90 minutes.
· Candidates will be individually questioned. At no point will candidates have on-air interaction with each other.
· The order in which candidates are questioned will be determined by a draw. Each candidate will have an 8-10 minute question and answer session. The exact amount of time will depend on commercial break structure.
· Candidates will be in the studio one-by-one for their Q&A. The remaining candidates will be watching the forum from their private work space provided by Fox News.
· At the end of the forum, each candidate will be given one-minute rebuttal/final thoughts. Candidates will be on separate cameras.
· There will be no studio audience.
So far 5 of 8 Republican candidates have agreed to attend the forum: Bachmann, Gingrich, Paul, Romney, and Santorum. Huckabee is still waiting to hear from Cain, Huntsman and Perry.
Will these candidates win over an endorsement from Gov Mike Huckabee should they answer the questions to his satisfaction? Huckabee has stated numerous times that he will not endorse during the primaries, but will enthusiastically get behind the eventual Republican nominee.
However, the questions that he asks will help shape the focus of the final weeks leading up to the Iowa Caucus. Huckabee is also scheduled to host a Pro-Life forum in Iowa on December 14th.
Mike Huckabee continues to lead on the issues that defined his campaign in 2008. On December 14th, he will host Republican candidates in a Pro-Life forum in Des Moines, Iowa.
This forum will feature a Pro-Life documentary, The Gift of Life, narrated by Governor Mike Huckabee and produced by Citizens United:
Eight of the Republican presidential candidates have been invited to discuss abortion and the Pro-Life cause 20 days before the Iowa Caucus. Will any of these candidates turn down the opportunity to speak to Iowa voters? And if they do, does this imply that the Pro-Life cause is not a value that they would further if they won the White House?
Politico reports: "Every conservative candidate for president will be fighting to come to this event," said David Bossie, Citizens United's president. "I think the campaigns see the value to be at a forum, in Iowa, three weeks before the caucus, standing next to Mike Huckabee. This is a unique opportunity."
Let's hope that all 8 invitees* reply yes and show the nation that while the key priority in America is JOBS, they all agree with Mike Huckabee that Every Life has Intrinsic Value and Worth.
* Invited but not confirmed: Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, and Rick Santorum.
The level of GOP dissatisfaction with the current crop of presidential candidates has created a window of opportunity for Mike Huckabee to enter the race for the Republican nomination.
If he chooses to do so:
Will opponents and their surrogates balk at Huckabee's change of heart? ("All the factors say go, but my heart says no.") Probably, but Mike Huckabee can turn it around by stating that their constant fighting on the debate stage and their lack of focus on reforms has given him heartburn.
Will pundits frame the entrance as too late citing Rick Perry's recent example of imploding on the debate stage? They will try but Mike Huckabee is best known for being an articulate, quick witted debater. While he has not been on the current debate stage, he has been on the hot seat-the HotSeat segment of his show-where he has debated liberals on economic, social, and foreign policy related issues. In addition, Huckabee has hosted conservative guests highlighting topics such as the debt ceiling, healthcare reform, job creation, Israeli/Palestinian conflict, and the FairTax.
Will his opponents place a target on his back like they did with Rick Perry in the last three debates? Hard to say. But given that Mike Huckabee had most of them on his show where they could highlight their platforms and set their records straight, it is highly unlikely that they would attack him right away.
Is there enough time for Huckabee to frame the debate? Yes, Mike Huckabee wrote in his book A Simple Government 12 chapters showcasing underlying principles and solutions to make America strong. All Huckabee has to do is provide additional detail on his reforms. That will allow voters to see that Huckabee's 10 1/2 years of managing a microcosm of the federal government has left him best prepared to take on the challenge.
Is there room for another GOP candidate-a late entry? Yes, the straw poll conducted in Florida is one such poll that shows dissatisfaction with Mitt Romney and Rick Perry--71% of the ballots cast were against the two front runners. Herman Cain won the straw poll earning more than Mitt Romney and Rick Perry combined.
Recent polling continues to show that undecided and not sure is still a preferred option amongst the voters.
Mike Huckabee went on Fox News Sunday and further explained his decision on why he will not be entering the race for the Republican nomination. What impressed me most about Huckabee's decision is that ego and vanity could have kept Mike Huckabee in the race. But humility and faith kept him out. I can live with that!
WALLACE: You had a good chance to win the Republican nomination. The fact that you've done nothing to promote your candidacy and you were either first or second in all the polls, didn't you want to be president?
HUCKABEE: Absolutely, Chris. And I think that I would have made a fine president. But it really came down for me to a very personal, a very intimate and -- as I explained last night in the announcement -- a spiritual decision. You know, you look at all the political possibilities. And, frankly, I don't think that I'll have a better chance, but I don't rule anything out for the long-term future. But I just somehow believe deep within me that it wasn't the right time and it wasn't to be. And whether it was a lack of sort of detailed preparation, it's not going to happen this time.
WALLACE: I'm a little curious when you say "spiritual decision." I mean, is it -- and I know you're a man of great faith. But are you saying that you didn't have the fire in your belly to go this time?
HUCKABEE: Well, I think, sometimes, people mistake fire in the belly for too much pepperoni pizza the night before. They make a great speech and people come up to them and tell them, "You could be president." And the next thing you know, they're running, not because they really ought to or have any shot at doing it, but because they have, you know, a handful of people that tell them they are looking at the next president.
For me, it was a little more introspective than that. You know, sometimes, people ask me does God speak to me in an audible voice. And the truth is, no. It's a lot louder than that.
But I do believe that for those of us who are believers, there is a sense of peace. And I'll put it this way, Chris -- last night, I laid my head on the pillow and had a very good night's sleep. And I was at peace with the decision. And I am today.
WALLACE: Will you endorse a candidate for president?
HUCKABEE: Not immediately. Frankly, my feelings and my whole emotions are still a little raw from the process, because up until just a few days ago, Chris, I honestly I thought I would be in it. And more and more, the signs were pointing that way, the objections were moved out of the way, and I could see a pathway to getting the money that I never thought perhaps I could. And, you know, things began to unfold.
But it was almost as if the more that all of the external things began to materialize, the less the internal things began to crystallize for me. So, I need to kind of process my own feelings.
There are some great candidates. Most of them are very dear friends of mine. That would have made it a little difficult in the primary, because I would have found it hard to challenge some of them in some maybe significant way personally. There may be a point in which I endorse, but right now, I'll see how the race unfolds and listen carefully to how they develop their message.
WALLACE: Well, since you are staying at Fox, I'm going to ask you to do your job as a political analyst. You're getting out of the race leaves a big hole, especially in Iowa, and especially among social conservatives. Who do you think fills that void? Who do you think benefits most from your staying out of the race?
HUCKABEE: Chris, I think there are a number of people who probably maybe jump for joy last night. I don't know. But I think there are a number of people who are similar to me in terms of point of view. Rick Santorum, for example, a strong social conservative, but he's also strong fiscal and I think defense conservative, and foreign policy conservative as well. Tim Pawlenty, another person. Newt Gingrich. Michele Bachmann.
I think all of these folks, very clearly might benefit from it. Sarah Palin, should she decide to get in. And, you know, I think people are awaiting her decision like they were mine.
But those are some folks immediately, because of their strong positions on issues like life and traditional marriage, as well as fiscal conservativism. The truth is, most fiscal -- in fact, all social conservatives I know are also fiscal conservatives. Not necessarily the other way around.
WALLACE: Now, you didn't mention Mitt Romney.
HUCKABEE: No, but let me tell you something. I've got a wonderful voice mail from Mitt Romney last night, which I thought was gracious on his part. You know, there has been a lot of talk about Mitt Romney and me. And we don't socialize together. We're not close, you know, in personal ways.
But I want to make it very clear today, if Mitt Romney is the nominee for our party, I will support him because I believe that Mitt Romney would be better president of the United States than Barack Obama on any day. And whether he is my first choice, I will support him if he is our nominee. And he very well may be.
WALLACE: Now, immediately after your statement last night, Donald Trump suddenly appears. It was kind of funny. But could you support him for president?
HUCKABEE: You know, I'm going to support the Republican nominee. I'm a Republican. And unless a person is way out there and is not clear on issues that to me are non-negotiable like the sanctity of life. I believe Donald Trump would be better for America than Barack Obama, because he understands business. Donald Trump has taken a pro- life position. He believes that we're getting shanghaied by China, which I agree with.
By the way, a little insight here. Donald Trump takes two versions of the sort of end of the show -- one that I was running, one that I wasn't. And Donald Trump did not know which one would be used, nor did my executive producer, nor did my staff, right up until the moments before the show when I finally, of course, had to tell them.
WALLACE: Well, that's interesting. It's good they ran the right tape.
Governor Huckabee, we're going to miss you on the campaign trail. But I'm delighted you will remain our colleague at Fox News. Thank you, Governor.
The spring weather saying, In like a Lion out like a Lamb, can also be said of Donald Trump's emergence onto the national stage of potential Republican candidates. Trump quickly rose to the top and is now fading away. Meanwhile, Mike Huckabee holds steady as the lead candidate for the 2012 Republican nomination.
If the Republican candidates for President in 2012 were Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, Ron Paul, Tim Pawlenty, Mitt Romney, and Donald Trump, who would you vote for?
* Mike Huckabee 19% {17%}
* Mitt Romney 18% {15%}
* Newt Gingrich 13% {11%}
* Sarah Palin 12% {8%}
* Ron Paul 8% {5%}
* Donald Trump 8% {26%}
* Michele Bachmann 7% {4%}
* Tim Pawlenty 5% {4%}
Survey of 610 usual Republican primary voters was conducted May 5-8, 2011. The margin of error is +/-4.0 percentage points. Results from the poll conducted April 7-10, 2011 are in curly brackets.
Republican voters will be looking to elect a candidate who can win across a broad spectrum of categories. Mike Huckabee is that candidate as he leads amongst Men, Women, Conservatives, Middle Income, Non-College Educated, Youth, Middle Age, Midwest, and the South.
Results are based on telephone interviews conducted as part of Gallup Daily tracking April 15-20, March 18-22, and Feb. 18-20, 2011, with a random sample of at least 1,000 Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, at each of these time periods.
For results based on the total aggregate sample of 3,304 Republicans, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±2 percentage points.
Mike Huckabee was not at the first Republican debate in South Carolina because he has not made a final decision on a run. Newt Gingrich who announced he was testing the waters declined the debate invitation even though word has it that he will announce next week. Mitt Romney has formed an exploratory committee but was not ready to take the debate stage. That left former governor Tim Pawlenty with the opportunity to light up the stage. And he did by stating "I Love the Huck!"
Mike Huckabee sits down with Bill Hemmer and talks about the debate, Afghanistan, Ronald Reagan, and a possible run for the Republican nomination.
Mike Huckabee continues to lead the CNN Republican Nomination Survey. As CNN indicated in their write up, the eventual GOP winner was leading the polls taken in April of the previous year. For the third month in a row, Mike Huckabee has led the CNN polling no matter which other potential candidates are added into the mix.
The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted April 29-May 1, with 1,034 adult Americans questioned by telephone. All interviews were completed before the president announced that bin Laden, the founder and leader of the al Qaeda terrorist network and the man responsible for the 9/11 terrorist attacks, was killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan. The survey’s overall sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points.
GOP primary match-ups are another matter – since the modern era of presidential primaries began in 1972, there have been six times when the GOP nomination was up for grabs. In five of those six election cycles, the eventual GOP winner was leading the polls taken in April of the previous year.
This indicator is another good reason for Mike Huckabee to jump into the race this summer.
Mike Huckabee continues to be the Republicans best bet to beat President Obama in 2012 and flip Iowa back into a Red state. PPP released their latest data showing Mike Huckabee tieing President Obama in Iowa. Huckabee's polling numbers have risen while Obama's have declined.
* Mike Huckabee 45% (43%)
* Barack Obama 45% (47%)
* Barack Obama 45% (47%)
* Mitt Romney 41% (41%)
* Barack Obama 50% (51%)
* Newt Gingrich 39% (38%)
* Barack Obama 51%
* Donald Trump 35%
* Barack Obama 53% (53%)
* Sarah Palin 36% (37%)
Among Independents
* Mike Huckabee 44% (42%)
* Barack Obama 40% (41%)
* Barack Obama 41% (40%)
* Mitt Romney 37% (38%)
* Barack Obama 47% (49%)
* Newt Gingrich 34% (34%)
* Barack Obama 54%
* Donald Trump 35%
* Barack Obama 52% (49%)
* Sarah Palin 33% (38%)
Among Republicans
* Mike Huckabee 88% (79%)
* Barack Obama 5% (10%)
* Mitt Romney 81% (76%)
* Barack Obama 6% (11%)
* Newt Gingrich 79% (73%)
* Barack Obama 9% (13%)
* Sarah Palin 73% (67%)
* Barack Obama 10% (17%)
* Donald Trump 66%
* Barack Obama 9%
Survey of 1,109 Iowa voters was conducted April 15-17, 2011. The margin of error is +/- 2.9 percentage points. Party ID breakdown: 38% (37%) Democrat; 33% (37%) Republican; 29% (25%) Independent/Other. Political ideology: 30% Moderate; 22% Somewhat conservative; 20% Very conservative; 19% Somewhat liberal; 8% Very liberal. Results from the poll conducted January 7-9, 2011 are in parentheses.
Obama is now knotted at 45% with Mike Huckabee, winner of the 2008 caucuses and current leader of the early 2012 delegate race, per Tuesday’s release. In January, Obama led, 47-43.
If Trump were to lose the GOP nomination and launch an independent bid, he would eat severely into Romney’s support and essentially none into Obama’s. Obama would lead a three-way race with 43% over Romney’s 27% and Trump’s 21%. Trump brings Romney down from 81% to only 56% of the GOP and from 37% of independents to only 22%.
“Obama could have a much harder time of it in Iowa next year than he did in 2008- unless the Republicans bail him out with a Trump or Palin like nominee,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling.
Gallup released their latest polling showing Mike Huckabee maintaining his lead with the strongest positive intensity amongst Republicans. This same data shows Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Mitch Daniels and Herman Cain losing ground.
"Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who Monday announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee, is among the most recognized Republicans who are thought to be most likely to run for president in 2012. At the same time, his Positive Intensity Score among Republicans nationwide does not stand out."
"Meanwhile, Republicans continue to feel most positive about Mike Huckabee, despite the fact that he has no exploratory committee and has avoided any statements suggesting that he is going to run for the presidency."
Rasmussen has posted their latest Presidential poll showing Mike Huckabee as the only candidate tieing President Obama. All other GOP candidates trail Obama by five or more. Mitt Romney lost four points and Newt Gingrich lost two points since the last Rasmussen survey in February.
The match-up surveys of 2,000 or 1,000 Likely Voters were conducted from March 6 - March 31, 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error for surveys of 2,000 is +/- 2% with a 95% level of confidence; the margin of sampling error for surveys of 1,000 is +/- 3% with a 95% level of confidence.
President Obama has lost considerable Independent support in the sunshine state with 56% of voters showing disapproval of his poliices. Mike Huckabee, on the other hand, has used his Cable/Radio platform to reach out directly to these voters to show how his policies would differ with Obama's. Looks like Mike Huckabee's efforts are paying off as Huckabee beats Obama by five.
Mike Huckabee just won the straw poll in York County, South Carolina. As one of the first four early voting states, South Carolina has historically picked the GOP nominee. Looks like Mike Huckabee has a great start to 2012.
Mike Huckabee 23%
Newt Gingrich 11%
Michele Bachmann 10%
Mitt Romney 8%
Tim Pawlenty 7%
Donald Trump 7%
According to CNN, the straw poll took place at the York County Republican Party convention. York encompasses parts of the Charlotte, North Carolina suburbs and is one of the most populous counties in South Carolina. 152 ballots were cast.
