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Evangelical group carries day for Huckabee Tuesday, Aug 14, 2007 By Aaron Sadler Stephens Washington Bureau WASHINGTON - A few hundred fervid evangelicals delivered for Mike Huckabee at the Iowa Straw Poll when his modest fundraising and scant organization could not, a founder of the event said Monday. Huckabee owes his surprising second-place finish in the nonbinding Republican vote Saturday to a last-minute push from dedicated supporters in central Iowa, said Roger Hughes, a Republican activist who helped organize the first straw poll in 1979. "There are some people in the Des Moines evangelical community who got fired up, said 'This is our guy,' and they began having meetings," Hughes said Monday. "It's hard to beat true believers who start volunteering and doing things, and that's what happened for Huckabee." Bill Clark, a board member of the Iowa Christian Alliance and a diehard Huckabee fan, said 300 or more people, all since late July, committed to cast ballots for the former Arkansas governor. "I just sort of spread the word and picked up commitments," said Clark, of Des Moines. "A lot you reach by Internet, a lot by other means. It was just mouth-to-mouth and person-to-person." Huckabee received 2,587 votes in the $35-per-ticket poll that's primarily a fundraiser for the Iowa GOP. His 18.1 percent of the vote was well behind first-place Mitt Romney at 32 percent. Huckabee was surprised himself by his showing, given that he spent about $150,000 in the state. In contrast, Romney spent an estimated $2 million in Iowa leading up to Saturday's event in Ames. Critics have argued the results are meaningless because three top GOP hopefuls did not participate and voter turnout was low. But Hughes said the event did exactly what it was created to do by forcing at least one candidate out of the crowded field. Tommy Thompson, the former Wisconsin governor, finished sixth and dropped out Sunday. "There are fewer people running after the straw poll and a few that probably should quit," Hughes said. "We don't pick the president; we just kind of weed them out." The symbolic straw poll is said to be a measure of organizational strength in advance of Iowa's presidential caucuses in January. But Huckabee was late to create a campaign presence in Iowa, which signals his finish indicates something different, said Tim Hagle a professor at the University of Iowa. Hagle said the dynamics of this year's event helped Huckabee. Only about 14,000 Iowans voted Saturday, compared to 23,000 who cast ballots eight years ago. "You got a lot of people who came on message," he said. "Huckabee was able to do very well and get his message out in Iowa. Iowa is about going hand-to-hand and he did a good job like that." The group Fair Tax had presence at the straw poll that may also have lifted Huckabee, though the organization's spokesman said no candidates were endorsed. Huckabee has been the most vocal candidate in support of the "fair tax," a comprehensive strategy to eliminate the Internal Revenue Service and institute a 23 percent federal consumption tax. Fair Tax chartered 10 buses to bring voters to the straw poll. Huckabee had none. "I think we probably were a factor in all of the candidates that embrace the fair tax," said spokesman Ken Hoagland. Eight Republicans are on record supporting the tax overhaul. "We never asked, 'Who do you support?' But I have little doubt there were supporters of every candidate, as well as undecideds, who rode to Ames on our buses." Huckabee spokeswoman Alice Stewart said the campaign and the Fair Tax group did not coordinate efforts. Huckabee must now capitalize on his strong showing by raising money and maintaining visibility in Iowa, Hughes said. Huckabee collected just over $1.3 million in the first six months of 2007. He pleaded for donors post-straw poll to recognize his momentum with contributions. Hughes said he must continue to generate grassroots support, especially among the evangelicals that boosted him Saturday. "He better grab those people who got fired up in Des Moines, welcome them in, and give them a free hand to go about converting people to his cause," Hughes said. Clark said he initially shared his zeal for Huckabee's candidacy with a few pastors at a Des Moines church, who later met Huckabee and joined the "low key" straw poll push. "I don't think there was a day in my 30 years in politics where I was so elated as when he came in second place," Clark said. "We figured somewhere between third and fourth would be good." Huckabee had competed with Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., for the votes of social conservatives and seemed to win that battle, Hughes and Hagle said. Hughes added that Huckabee put himself in the position to win the state's first-in-the-nation caucuses, currently scheduled for January. Or, rather, the evangelical contingent put him there. "Mike Huckabee can win the caucus," he said. "The first thing he has to do is be the evangelical candidate." |
