Look for leaders against Clinton, Mike Huckabee tells Iowans

Look for leaders against Clinton, Mike Huckabee tells Iowans

Republican and former governor talks caucuses, gridlock with New Hampton residents

It was just another “Huckabee Huddle” on the road to Iowa Caucus night for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who stopped by Klunder’s Kafe in New Hampton Tuesday morning. It was the first of five Iowa stops for Huckabee and his campaign. “Give me your vote on caucus night, Feb. 1. I can’t think of a better gift to receive this caucus,” Huckabee told the audience. It’s been a slow caucus season for the Republican nomination contender. The CNN Poll of Polls, a December aggregation of five national telephone polls, places the average campaign support for Huckabee at about 2 percent –– equal to contenders Carly Fiorina, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, and a far cry from poll front runner Donald Trump, who’s holding about 33 percent of the support.

In Iowa, Trump and Texas senator Ted Cruz have fought back-and-forth for voters’ front pages. The two have gained tight margins in the polls, with a Dec. 15 poll averaging 27 percent of state support for Cruz and 25 percent in favor of Trump.

“There’s a lot more candidates in the race, so it’s a little more confusing and complicated,” Huckabee said Tuesday. “There’s an intensity of frustration and anger on the part of the voters. They really feel like Washington is utterly beyond touch.”

The event itself felt less urgent and more folksy as Huckabee swapped anecdotes about his grandkids and campaign plane rides. Huckabee focused more on his record as a Republican leader in traditionally- blue state Arkansas –– the home territory of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton –– and only referenced to policies on tax reform, economic development and homeland security in passing.

“I realized that no other Republican had ever faced the Clinton political machine, repeatedly defeated it, and lived to tell about it except me … I know what we’d be facing. I don’t honestly know that anyone else is,” Huckabee said.

Huckabee saved most of his criticism for Clinton, remaining careful to avoid denouncing Trump in front of possible supporters. Huckabee did take a moment to call out Cruz’s resume indirectly. Cruz has been openly courting Trump supporters, avoiding many of the criticisms other contenders like Jeb Bush have piled on top of the Trump campaign.

“We’ve got some freshmen senators that are very akin to the kind of resume Barack Obama had. He’d been a one-term senator,” Huckabee said. “Making a speech is not leadership.”

With reporters, Huckabee praised Trump’s national outreach, saying he has “brilliantly played the media.”

“I think overall it’s been a good thing for the party, time. because he’s brought a lot of people out into the process that maybe haven’t been (in),” Huckabee said. “He’s touched the nerve of a lot of people. He has as much a right to run as anybody else, so I’m not one to think we need to get rid of Donald Trump.”

By Kate Hayden khayden@charlescitypres.com