Like We Care: Faux Republican Donald Trump Disappointed That RINO Mike Huckabee Isn't Running

Just what we were all dying to know once Mike Huckabee announced tonight on his show that he is not running for President:

What does Donald Trump think about this?



Now that God has talked some sense into Mike Huckabee, one can only pray He might also persuade Trump to stick with his current vocation.

Via Mediaite.

Cross-posted.

Time Travels With Mike Huckabee

This ought to go over well.

Are debt and disco the greatest evils in American history? Mike Huckabee apparently thinks so.

The former Arkansas governor and potential GOP presidential candidate on Wednesday announced the launch of a new education company that sells animated history videos for kids.

The "Learn our History" episodes have been produced to correct the "blame America first" attitude prevalent in today's classrooms, the website proclaims.

The first episode is aptly titled "The Reagan Revolution."

Well, nothing necessarily wrong with teaching kids about Ronald Reagan, but this video is so painful to watch one would think it's produced by someone out to sandbag Huckabee.

The part at the 0:25 mark with a knife-wielding black guy wearing a "Disco" wifebeater is an especially subtle touch. That's sure to go over well. Handing the left a club to pound over your head while calling you raaaaacist is sure to do wonders for your aspiring presidential campaign.

I get what he's trying to do. He might want to consider doing it a better way.

This Exists: The Huckabee Serenade

That sound you hear is cool people abandoning Mike Huckabee's 2012 campaign in droves.

Personally, I think they should have chosen something a little more peppy.



Via Hot Air headlines.

2012 GOP Non-Starter Mike Huckabee Hitches His Wagon to Michelle Obama's Caboose

Not a political strategy I'd recommend, but then again what do I know?

No wonder Joy Behar loves this goofball.

That's right, he's a goofball! [Read in the voice of Mark Levin for full effect].



Anyone else sensing a potential Huckabee/Bloomberg ticket here?

OK, maybe not - but I'm going to start hoarding M&M's just to be safe.

Via Radio Equalizer. Cross-posted.

Lucky Him: Mike Huckabee Snags the Coveted Joy Behar Endorsement

Stick a fork in him.



Via The Blaze. Cross-posted here.

Oh My: Huckabee Leads Obama in 2012 Poll

This one comes from PPP and let's give them some credit where due: They nailed the Scott Brown victory over Martha Coakley. As a result of that race Tuesday the air of invincibility surrounding Barack Obama has been shattered, perhaps irrevocably.

For the first time in one of our monthly polls looking ahead to the 2012 Presidential election Barack Obama trails one of his hypothetical opponents, albeit by the smallest of margins.

Mike Huckabee has a 45-44 advantage over Obama, aided largely by a 44-38 lead with independents. There continues to be no evidence of any negative fallout for Huckabee after murders of police officers committed by an ex-Arkansas inmate whose sentence he had commuted. His 35/29 favorability breakdown is actually slightly better than it was in November before that incident.

Mitt Romney does the next best, trailing Obama 44-42. His favorability is 36/32, and he's the most popular Republican among independents (41/32). Romney actually matches Huckabee with GOP voters this month and gets over 50%, ending a trend in his numbers that had seemed to spell difficulty for snagging a Republican nomination.

Sarah Palin trails Obama 49-41 largely because she loses 14% of the Republican vote to him, making her the only one of the GOP candidates we tested who Obama could get double digit crossover support against. At the same time Palin continues to be the most well liked potential GOP candidate within her party- at 71% favorability. Her problem appears to be that the Republicans who don't care for her will go so far as to vote for Obama instead of her.

Those 14% of Republicans who would vote for Obama over Palin no doubt are the pundits who slobber of his creased pants and others who think Palin is just so beneath them.

Whatever the case, independents have abandoned Obama in droves. He's shown no sign of even approaching the center and at the going rate is doomed to one term before he returns to his real calling as a community organizer. Just think: Less than a year from now we'll already have entered 2012 election cycle. It can't come soon enough.

Wonderful: Huckabee Pardoned Suspected Washington Cop Killer

Last week Mike Huckabee hinted he probably won't be running for President in 2012. Well, he can permanently shelve any further political aspirations.

The man whom police are seeking as a "person of interest" in the slaying of four police officers was released from an Arkansas prison nine years ago after a controversial decision by then-Gov. Mike Huckabee to commute his sentence.

Maurice Clemmons, 37, was identified late Sunday by the Pierce County Sheriff's Office as a man sought for questioning . Clemmons has pending charges in Pierce County Superior Court for second-degree child rape and third-degree assault for an attack on a police officer. He was released from custody in those cases after posting a $150,000 bond, according to the Lakewood Police Department.

Long before coming to Washington, Clemmons was serving a 35-year prison term in Arkansas for armed robbery but his sentence was commuted by then-Gov. Huckabee, who unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination in his 2008 presidential bid, according to the Arkansas Times Web site.

According to this report the suspect may now be dead. Best news I've read all morning.

Huckabee's second Willie Horton? Sure seems like it.

Update: The suspect was not in the house police searched and it's feared he could be somewhere around the University of Washington in Seattle.

When Running Unopposed McCain Enjoys a 50% Approval

I decided to go crunch some numbers--well because I could--to try and find some of rhyme or reason to this years political season. I like a universe that well ordered and works within a specific set of rules, and this year has been anything but that. I think the term "conventional wisdom" can now be thrown out the window.

When compiling some data in regards to the Republican primaries I began to notice a disturbing pattern. In the early portion of the primaries it was a slugfest with the only candidate getting double digit wins over his opponents being Romney. The percentages shown below show how far the margin of victory was between 1st and 2nd place.

I cannot explain the West Virginia vote. McCain got double digit margins of victory on the first Super Tuesday only in strongly Democrat states, like New York and New "The fix is in" Jersey. Romney was still enjoying decent double digit wins, hell the Maverick only won his home state of Arizona by a 13% margin over Romney.

Then people started dropping out. It was not until the March 4 primary in Vermont that McCain was able to get 58% of the vote, when for all intents and purposes he was basically running unopposed! All other primaries that day he was still below 50%.
After that he was able to get up into the 60% group, but still a Republican candidate running unopposed can only get 60 - 70% of his parties vote?

These are the numbers that should be causing sleepless nights for the McCain campaign. I think it is too late to try and make nice with conservatives. They have been sold out for the last time. But if you can only get 60 - 70% of your parties vote on a one person ticket how the hell are you going to win a general election? You had better hope that difference is made up with PUMA (Party Unity My Ass) voters coming over from the Dems, or Mav, you are going to crash and burn and their ain't no ejection seat this time.

STATE DATE OF PRIMARY WINNER MARGIN
IA 1/3/2008 HUCKABEE 9%
WY 1/5/2008 ROMNEY 41%
NH 1/8/2008 MCCAIN 6%
MI 1/15/2008 ROMNEY 9%
NV 1/19/2008 ROMNEY 37%
SC 1/19/2008 MCCAIN 4%
FL 1/29/2008 MCCAIN 5%
ME 2/1/2008 ROMNEY 30%
UT 2/5/2008 ROMNEY 84%
WV 2/5/2008 MCCAIN 66%
AR 2/5/2008 HUCKABEE 40%
CO 2/5/2008 ROMNEY 40%
NJ 2/5/2008 MCCAIN 27%
NY 2/5/2008 MCCAIN 24%
AK 2/5/2008 ROMNEY 23%
IL 2/5/2008 MCCAIN 19%
MN 2/5/2008 ROMNEY 19%
MT 2/5/2008 ROMNEY 14%
DE 2/5/2008 MCCAIN 13%
ND 2/5/2008 ROMNEY 13%
AZ 2/5/2008 MCCAIN 13%
MA 2/5/2008 ROMNEY 10%
CT 2/5/2008 MCCAIN 9%
CA 2/5/2008 MCCAIN 7%
AL 2/5/2008 HUCKABEE 3%
GA 2/5/2008 HUCKABEE 3%
TN 2/5/2008 HUCKABEE 3%
OK 2/5/2008 MCCAIN 3%
MO 2/5/2008 MCCAIN 2%
KS 2/9/2008 HUCKABEE 26%
LA 2/9/2008 HUCKABEE 2%
MD 2/12/2008 MCCAIN 26%
VA 2/12/2008 MCCAIN 10%
WA 2/19/2008 MCCAIN 27%
WI 2/19/2008 MCCAIN 18%
VT 3/4/2008 MCCAIN 58%
RI 3/4/2008 MCCAIN 43%
OH 3/4/2008 MCCAIN 29%
TX 3/4/2008 MCCAIN 14%
MS 3/11/2008 MCCAIN 66%
PA 4/22/2008 MCCAIN 57%
IN 5/6/2008 MCCAIN 67%
NC 5/6/2008 MCCAIN 61%
NE 5/13/2008
HI 5/18/2008
OR 5/20/2008 MCCAIN 69%
KY 5/20/2008 MCCAIN 64%
ID 5/27/2008 MCCAIN 46%
NM 6/3/2008 MCCAIN 71%
SD 6/3/2008 MCCAIN 54%

BTW: It would be nice to actually be able to import a spreadsheet into Blogger. Think you geeks can work on that?

Trust me, that data looks really good in a spreadsheet

Huckabee: Diabetes Bigger Threat Than Terrorism

I'd venture and guess that it may be a greater threat than the global warming hoax, but a bigger threat than terrorism? Good grief.

Earth to Mike Huckabee, please come in.

He's sounding crazier than Ron Paul.

An advocate for better health since his diabetes diagnosis five years ago, Mike Huckabee warned Wednesday that the illness may pose a greater threat than terrorism to the United States.

Nearly 59 million Americans are at risk for type 2 diabetes. The former Arkansas governor said the epidemic would be “the lead story” across the country if tens of millions were in danger of terrorist attacks.

“The greatest challenge to America may not be something from without, it may be something from within,” Huckabee said. “It’s our own unhealthy habits.”

Not to downplay the health risks posed by diabetes, but making such an absurd comparison should permanently disqualify the man for any discussion for higher office.

Thanks to Ed Morrissey for the link!

McCain's Cabinet Possibilities

Well, since the GOP is resigned to having John McCain as the standard bearer come November, it's never too early to begin speculating what his cabinet would look like.

We've already heard the rumblings about Tim Pawlenty as VP, and I have to admit that's not a bad selection. From a possibly winnable blue state, young, relatively conservative and apparently no baggage, though I'm sure the Democrats will rifle through his writings from as far back as third grade to find some dirt.

Maybe they'll pin the Minneapolis bridge collapse on him.

So now I see this item on possible members of a McCain cabinet, and like a few of the possibilities.

Of course, the names floated are white men, which is sure to anger certain people who've never had anything to be happy about, apparently.

At this early stage, the names and faces that would flesh out a McCain White House remain pure speculation. After all, McCain insists he hasn't started seriously thinking about a running mate yet. And there's still a general election to win against a yet-to-be-determined Democratic opponent. But political experts and analysts already are contemplating what a McCain Cabinet might look like.

Some common guesses include well-known McCain allies and even past rivals in key positions:

• Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., in a prominent job, possibly even secretary of state.

• Former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., as attorney general.

• Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani as homeland security secretary.

• Former Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas as treasury secretary.

• Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as health and human services secretary.

For his part, McCain last week said he'd be looking for Cabinet members who "just share my conservative philosophy and views: less government, less regulation, lower taxes." But he also volunteered that conservationism would be a priority, saying he would hope "to preserve the great natural treasures of the West and our state and do whatever we can to protect our environment."

"I return to kind of the Teddy Roosevelt outlook toward things," McCain said.

Lieberman as secretary of state is intriguing. It's safe to say he'd be more a friend of Israel than his predecessor, which is comforting.

Fred Thompson as AG and Rudy Giuliani as DHS are certainly choices I could live with as well.

As for Huckabee, he may have a chance if he gives up on his impossible bid for the nomination.

Read the rest.

One thing I have a major problem with, however, is the idea of closing down Guantanamo Bay. That's opening up a huge can of worms a President McCain can live without. Still needing to bring conservatives back into the fold, such an idea will not go over well in the least.

Huckabee calls his base "Shiite Republicans"

Well at least he did back in 2001 when he was attempting to discredit them while governor of Arkansas.
Look I can't do justice to this topic and Bryan over at Hot Air has an excellent piece on this explaining it.
Go read it and let the realization of those supporters whom the press and the Huckster consider his base today were nothing more then a group to be ridiculed and put down a few short years ago when he was governor.

Fred in SC and Dems endorse the Huckster

Do you remember DOG (acronym for Detroiters Out to Get John Engler), the small but noisy group of Detroit Democrats who supported John McCain in the 2000 Michigan Republican presidential primary?

Probably not. But if you do, it will come as no surprise that DOG's ringleader, the irrepressible former state Rep. LaMar Lemmons III, D-Detroit, is behind a new group for the 2008 presidential cycle: Democrats for Huckabee.

There endorsement of Republican candidates in the past has been the kiss of death. Let's hope it continues to hold true. As if you needed anymore reasons to NOT vote for this guy.

The entire clip is about 4 1/2 minutes but all you need is the first 40 seconds.
"They were up there in New Hampshire freezing and I was down here in South Carolina enjoying the mild weather. Now who is smart enough to be president?"

Also they always talk about the military going for John "Amnesty" McCain. There may be a segment of older veterans who like him but among those of us not so long in the tooth Fred is our man.

Major Huckablunder

If you're now a top contender for the GOP nomination, the last man you want to alienate is Rush Limbaugh.

"Honestly, because Rush doesn’t think for himself. That’s not necessarily a slap because he’s not paid to be a thinker—he’s an entertainer. I can’t remember the last time that he has veered from the talking points from the DC/Manhattan chattering class. If they were praising Huckabee, he would be too."

I can't tell you who said this, but they obviously haven't been listening to Rush for some time.

More from The Campaign Spot at NRO.

Meanwhile, Ed Rollins says Huckabee will win Iowa.

UPDATE: More at Hot Air, Michelle Malkin, Riehl World View,

The Huckster and foreign policy

A more successful U.S. foreign policy needs to better explain Islamic jihadism to the American people. Given how Americans have thrived on diversity -- religious, ethnic, racial -- it takes an enormous leap of imagination to understand what Islamic terrorists are about, that they really do want to kill every last one of us and destroy civilization as we know it. If they are willing to kill their own children by letting them detonate suicide bombs, then they will also be willing to kill our children for their misguided cause. The Bush administration has never adequately explained the theology and ideology behind Islamic terrorism or convinced us of its ruthless fanaticism. The first rule of war is "know your enemy," and most Americans do not know theirs. To grasp the magnitude of the threat, we first have to understand what makes Islamic terrorists tick. Very few Americans are familiar with the writings of Sayyid Qutb, the Egyptian radical executed in 1966, or the Muslim Brotherhood, whose call to active jihad influenced Osama bin Laden and the rise of al Qaeda. Qutb raged against the decadence and sin he saw around him and sought to restore the "pure" Islam of the seventh century through a theocratic caliphate without national borders. He saw nothing decadent or sinful in murdering in order to achieve that end. America's culture of life stands in stark contrast to the jihadists' culture of death.

But then he says this

As president, my goal in the Arab and Muslim worlds will be to calibrate a course between maintaining stability and promoting democracy. It is self-defeating to attempt too much too soon: doing so could mean holding elections that the extremists would win. But it is also self-defeating to do nothing. We must first destroy existing terrorist groups and then attack the underlying conditions that breed them: the lack of basic sanitation, health care, education, jobs, a free press, fair courts -- which all translates into a lack of opportunity and hope. The United States' strategic interests as the world's most powerful country coincide with its moral obligations as the richest. If we do not do the right thing to improve life in the Muslim world, the terrorists will step in and do the wrong thing.

Hey Huckster the underlying conditions are those put forth in your first part not the sanitation, health care, education, etc, used in your second part. No single group gets more international money then the Palestinians and yet they still live in refugee camps and all of those underlying conditions continue to exist. He felt it necessary to throw in the "moral obligation" card. Why didn't he just go ahead and use another one of the liberals favorite lines about seizing the "moral high ground".
He continues to try and be everything to everybody. He is worst then a flip flopper he is a panderer. In this foreign policy statement he says something that everybody can find to like, and as history as shown when you try to please all you wind up pleasing none.
I am sorry folks, like Ann Coulter says he is the Republican Jimmy Carter with a dash of Bill Clinton thrown in.
There is more in his position paper such as growing the military. His proposal is to do it faster. Really? How are you going to do that Huckster when it is an all volunteer force. Folks don't volunteer you can't grow the military. There is an elite group in our society I call the Warrior Culture. Less then 1% of all Americans belong to this group.
His statements on why various tribes and sections of the population are joining our side of the fight are also flawed. The one thing that trumps everything else in the Islamic world is strength. They will side with whoever they think is the big dog in the fight and they will switch sides again just as easily. It is hard wired into them, developed over centuries having to survive in their world.
Anyway I have said enough about this. Republicans, whether you call yourself evangelical or atheist, you must quit drinking the kool aid being dispensed by this huckster. If the Clinton years taught us nothing else it should be that slick words do not a man make.
His whole paper is 5 pages in length and like I said he has something for everybody in it.
"Deeds not Words"

This is also being discussed over at Little Green Footballs and Hot Air.

Is Duncan Hunter the Republicans' last Hope

So Huckabee, former governor of AR running on the Republican ticket for president, doesn't like being considered the front runner in the polls in Iowa. Why is that? Is it because people start taking a close look at you now? This election cycle has not been so much about candidates rising in the polls as it has been candidates falling in the polls. This has been a season, for both parties, where the majority of the voters are simply not happy with their choices. So as someone moves to the fore front somebody finally gets off their duff and checks them out, and in todays age of 24 hour news channels, and the internet news spreads fast. One thing I have realised is that far more people read articles on the internet then comment on them, so even items on obscure web sites or blogs have the potential to leap to prominence.
For instance buried in this Washington Post article cited here is this nugget.

After the Iowa poll showed that Republican voters like him but found him much less "presidential" and "electable" than Romney, Huckabee sought to build his foreign policy credentials, meeting with a group of retired generals who are in Des Moines to urge the 2008 candidates to commit to opposing torture. After the meeting, Huckabee joined Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in declaring his opposition to the interrogation procedure known as "waterboarding," and said he would support closing the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba , a contrast with the other leading Republicans.

Doesn't sound like he will very tough on the terrorists now does it? At one time I thought Huck might be my man but in the last couple of weeks he has really shown his weaknesses. I am still holding onto Fred Thompson and I would like to learn more about Duncan Hunter. They may be the last chance of finding a conservative in this field of what appears to be RINO's (Republican In Name Only)

UPDATE: Link to Duncan Hunters bio and his campaign web site.

Is it inevitable that a liberal will win the White House?

Well I wrote some last week about some concerns I had about the former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee in regards to his policies on taxes and now there is more coming out bout his soft immigration stance while governor as well as other issues with ethics he had while governor. Mike this is what happens when you rise in the polls. It has been easy to beat up on Giulani and Romney since they have been the favored candidates but let's see how Mr Huckabee stands up to the scrutiny.

At one time I liked the guy even though he was from Arkansas and we all know what happened the last time we elected a former governor of Arkansas as president. It is the gift that keeps on giving. Of course being from Georgia I can't say a whole lot about former governors who make it to the White House since the stain of Jimmy Carter just won't go away either.

I am stuck in the unenviable position of having to watch the CNN/YouTube debate tonight, but I am looking for one thing. I want to see some fire come out of Fred Thompson. If he doesn't excite folks tonight then I think it is over for him. Huckabee, I am starting to think is trying to pull a Clinton on us and I am getting soft on my support for him.

It looks like this is going to come down to residents of New England running this country. If the other Republican candidates continue to falter we are going to be left with Guilani (NY), Clinton (NY), Romney (MA), and Obama (IL). It will be a shame since once again America will be in the hands of a liberal.

Is Huckabee for taxes before he was against them?

Mike Huckabee on Fox News Sunday talking about taxes and his support of the Fair Tax

WALLACE: Let's talk about your record as governor. The conservative Club for Growth says about you — and let's put it up on the screen — "Huckabee's substantial tax hikes far surpassed his modest tax cuts, with the average tax burden increasing by a whopping 47 percent over his tenure."

Governor, you raised taxes on gasoline. You raised them on cigarettes. You even raised them on nursing home patients.

HUCKABEE: Well, we didn't raise them on nursing home patients. That was a quality assurance fee that was supported by the industry. People can go to my website, MikeHuckabee.com, get the full details of that.

The first video segment on Fox's site contains his Q&A with Chris regarding this issue.

So I did. I couldn't find anything about this question on his web site. Maybe I didn't dig deep enough. On the other hand what is he trying to hide. Don't get me wrong, I am a big fan of the Fair Tax ever since Neal Boortz started talking about it, but knowing the way things move in Washington I don't hold out much hope that anything can be done on this issue anymore then there will be any change to the Social Security program as long as opponents continue to scare senior citizens and trot out the children to use as victims and as a shield to protect themselves from criticism. For my entire life every election cycle the specter of a failing Social Security system has been trotted out and only one president has tried to do something about and we saw what happened. The result we have another election with candidates playing the scare tactics again, but that is off the point.
Since I could find nothing on Huckabee's web site I had no choice but to go to the Club for Growth web site, the group which originally brought the issue of the governor and his taxes up.

Now I can not fact check everything presented on the Club For Growth's web site they do include the sources for their statements. I am therefore stuck in a quandary. While I endorse the Fair Tax and I am glad that a politician on the national stage is embracing it I am left with doubts based on his record. I do believe questions regarding his stance on taxes need to be asked and we must not be satisfied with allowing him to skirt the issue in his answers.

Just for the record my household is leaning towards Huckabee or Thompson. I was the Huckabee supporter because of his supporting the Fair Tax but with him skirting the questions about his tax policies while governor I am leaning towards Thompson.
Oh yeah and Fred. Get off your butt and start acting like you want it or get out!

Oddball Crank Raises $5 Million

Well, when you live in your mother's basement, don't get out much since you're busy spamming Internet polls, and probably haven't had a date in years, if ever, then why not send your money to Ron Paul?

Just think, if you get to 3% in the polls, you've accomplished something.

Ron Paul raises $5 million for bid

WASHINGTON - Long-shot Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul raised a surprising $5 million during the past three months, capitalizing on his stance as the only anti-war contender in the GOP field.

Paul, a Texas congressman who once ran for president as a Libertarian, also will report having $5.3 million cash on hand, campaign spokesman Jesse Benton said.

The amount places Paul well ahead of all but the Republican front-runners in the race. His fundraising for the quarter almost matches what Sen. John McCain is expected to report. His total is half the amount that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is reported to have raised.

Paul barely registers in polls of Republican voters, a sign of low name recognition nationally. Since he entered the campaign, he has operated with little media attention, getting the spotlight only during debates. But that has been enough to attract an avid Internet following.

Benton said most of Paul's money has come from online contributions. He said the donations had placed a strain on the relatively small campaign staff, which was trying to keep up with the accounting challenge.

Meanwhile, Republican Mike Huckabee was expected to report raising about $1 million for the quarter, according to a Republican familiar with his fundraising. Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, had been considered the most likely candidate to emerge from the back of the Republican field because of his charismatic appeal. But his fundraising has been far less than expected. His third-quarter total would bring his overall fundraising for the year to about $2.3 million.

Paul, meanwhile, turned some heads at midyear when he reported having $2.3 million cash on hand. Since then, Benton said, the campaign has increased its staffing from 10 to 40 employees. "We're adding employees as we speak," he said.

It says little for Huckabee's hopes, not that he had much of a chance, though he'll easily outdistance Paul if they both get to the primaries.

As for Paul, maybe he envisions himself as the modern-day Ross Perot, sans personality. He may even grab 0.5% as a third party candidate come November 2008.

Mrs. Clinton should probably be the only one worried about losing the closet-case vote.

UPDATE: I see a lot of Ron Paul supporters are visiting. It occurs to me that not only are they delusional, they're also completely devoid of any semblance of a sense of humor. One idiot even claims that if Ron Paul were president on 9/11, then the WTC would still be standing.

Pathetic.

Iowa Straw Poll Results (Update: Romney Wins, Huckabee Second)

Well, it's still pending.

Drudge links this blog, which is drawing its share of Ron Paul kooks, saying the results are delayed.

AMES -- The announcement of tonight's straw poll results has been delayed due to what one informed source says was a voting machine malfunction. About 4,500 ballots had to be re-run. We are waiting....

Supposedly, results are to come at 9 ET.

Appears to be a very low turnout.

UPDATE: Partial recount. Some Paul chumps failed to get a judge to intervene Friday. A Diebold thing.

UPDATE II: Romney wins, Huckabee second.

Gov Mitt Romney won the 2007 Ames straw poll, receiving 4516 votes, or 31%.

In a surprise, Gov. Mike Huckabee finished second with 2587 votes at 18.1%

11. John Cox with 41 votes.
10. John McCain with 101 votes.
9. Duncan Hunter with 174 votes.
8. Rudy Giuliani with 183 votes.
7. Fred Thomson [sic] with 231 votes.
6. Tommy Thompson, 1,009 votes, 7.3%
5. Ron Paul with 1305 votes, and 9.1%
4. Tom Tancredo with 1961 votes, 13.7%.
3. Sen. Sam Brownback with 2192 votes and 15.3%

Iowa state auditor David Vaudt unofficially certified the results.

14,203 ballots were cast.

I'd call for John Cox to end his campaign, but I have no idea who the hell that is.

In a mild surprise, Ron Paul managed to scare up 1305 votes. Can't you just feel the momentum building?

I'm really beginning to warm to Mike Huckabee. A genuinely nice guy.