Illinois4Huckabee will stay!
Visit from time to time and send us a note at 4huckabee@gmail.com. It’s been an exciting year!
One of our videos was viewed over 6,500 times.
(The one with my Granddaughter!)
Thank you to all 20,000 of you who came by for information about Mike. I hope that we were able to encourage you about our great candidate.
The most rewarding part of this election was witnessing millions of Americans getting to know the man I have known for 15 years. America has a man from Hope who can give us hope. His name is Mike Huckabee! His message is one that resonates with most Americans; the rest of us who want an America we can remember but see slipping away from us.
I have been so proud of Mike, Janet, their family and the thousands of workers in this amazing grassroots effort.
I have also been greatly disappointed in many I once respected.
In much the same way that I can never again enjoy great movies in which actors like Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon, Barbara Streisand and many others appear. The Huckabee Campaign has brought to light great truth about many whom I have held in high esteem.
What has been so disappointing through this process is the observation of those who I thought stood for the things Mike speaks of. It has been apparent that most are only concerned about maintaining the status quo and making sure their sources of income and fame are preserved.
These political operatives fall into three categories, although those categories overlap to an extent. Three groups seemingly unrelated yet acting with the same motives and the same fears.
1. "So called" Christian Leaders who refused to support Mike. Most of us would think they would have immediately embraced "one of their own", but Mike is not one of them and thankfully so. They drain the pocketbooks of the unsuspecting with promises to fight for us. They do fight but just enough to keep the battle raging, the money flowing and power expanding. They not only refused to support Mike, many actively fought against him. At first some said if he had traction they would support, yet when he got traction they didn't support. If they had supported Mike from the start, we would still be on track to the White House. They are unprincipled.
2. Establishment Republicans need to maintain the status quo. Horizontal politics, as Mike calls it. Back scratching and rhetoric. Lots of perks and power. Mike is one of US. He would be a "peoples" President. This threatens the status quo. Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney are establishment Republicans who maliciously and dishonestly attacked Mike with misleading ads. A distortion of truth is a lie. They can never be trusted to lead. They are unprincipled.
3. The Radio Kings. Those telling us so called "truth"; tell us what we believe; they are the true preservers of "true conservatism"; "Anti liberals"; fighters of evil. Yet, they relentlessly attacked Mike with the same misinformation that Romney and Thompson had. They are unprincipled.
Why?
Why not Mike?
Because . . .Mike could have brought our nation back together.
He could have restored the Presidency to an office of integrity, action and decency.
He leads by example.
"We the people" could have finally had a voice.
These three unprincipled groups thrive
from a divided nation,
from the preservation of a deteriorating nation.
They need to be needed but they do not bring solutions.
I became a Republican in 1982 because I thought that Republicans stood for something.
I fear I may have another disappointment on its way.
Thank you Mike Huckabee for giving us a glimpse of a new day.
There will be another election in 2012. Gov. Huckabee has promised to keep up the mikehuckabee.com site for the 3.9 million people who have already voted for him and we hope you'll stay on board for the next 4 years...because we'll need you for the next round.
When you are ready to battle again, we will be with you!
One more thing (self promotion warning)
Please consider buying my book, My Story Your Story His Story
Mike Huckabee wrote the foreword.
Available everywhere but your best price is going to be at the book website
Thank you!
Larry Toller
Editor, Illinois4Huckabee
http://www.memoryjournaling.com/
http://www.secondwindresources.org/
http://www.larrytoller.com/
A Message to Huckabee Supporters from a Huckabee Supporter
For All Who Worked So Hard on the Huckabee Campaign: A Note from Mike and Janet
March 05, 2008 - 11:04 AM
Thank You
by Mike and Janet Huckabee
Dear Faithful Friends,
Last night was a tough one for all of us. While Janet and I stood on the stage, we felt as if we were surrounded by a much larger family than our immediate family. We have been surrounded throughout the process by a large and growing family of faithful friends whose efforts in the campaign have humbled and amazed us day after day. I regularly wept or choked back tears just reading comments on the blog when I realized the sacrifices that so many have made for the campaign.
We had held out hope that we would win enough delegates to keep the contest going, but had vowed that if Senator McCain actually got the 1191 delegates, we would accept the will of the voters. In the end, the relentless hammering of the media that we "couldn't win" influenced enough voters and while we campaigned long and hard in the final states, it simply wasn't enough. I congratulate Senator McCain and will do what I can to assist him and influence him to take strong stands for issues that we conservatives cherish.
I don't see the long journey having reached its destination, but merely taking a detour. As my Marine friend Clebe McLary says, "I didn't lose--it's just that the game ended before I got finished playing."
In the immediate days ahead, we will be transitioning from campaign mode. For 14 months, there have been a lot of things put on hold in our lives. We have to join the many incredible people on our staff to figure out "what's next?" But this much I can tell you---we want to stay in touch and start now building a platform to continue addressing issues that brought us together in the first place.
Throughout my life, I've found that there are sometimes three possible answers to our prayers--"Yes," "No," or "Not Now."
I would like to think our prayers were answered with a "Not Now." We will keep our website up and as we transition, will want to create a way to keep in touch and continue the battle for our families, our freedom, and our future. We will also focus on assisting conservative Senate and House candidates, in places where we know our investment of time and energy can make a real difference. You can expect us to be active online as we do this and to regularly solicit your opinions and support. Too many big issues are at stake for us to sit on the sidelines.
In the immediate time, we have to make sure that we pay all the bills of the campaign and end in the black, help our staff find ways to earn a living, and make sure that we don't lose the momentum of the past 14 months, but instead follow the plan:
REFLECT, REST, RENEW, and RE-BOOT!
I really welcome your input and thoughts during these coming days. Pray for us as we seek wisdom as to what steps we take now. Despite what some have thought, we really didn't have a "Plan B' in the wings--we always thought we'd be in this until the inauguration in January of 2009!
God has been so good to us! We can never fully express our gratitude for all you have done and how you have touched and blessed our lives. I truly hope I didn't let you down. I promise to you that I gave it all I had to the last minute and left it "all on the field." What is more amazing is how you were willing to be "poured out" to the point of empty in order to be with us all the way. I stand amazed by it all and overwhelmed with gratitude.
We will dust off, pick ourselves up off the canvas, and answer the bell for the next round, whatever that may be. We love you all, and trust that the journey has just begun!
With tired bodies and grateful hearts,
Mike and Janet Huckabee
Dallas Cowboy Legend Endorses Mike Huckabee
Huckabee said: "I am truly excited to have Cliff Harris on my team and appreciate his support. It means a lot to have the greatest athlete in the history of my alma mater wearing my jersey."
Harris, who played in five Super Bowls and six Pro Bowls, said: "Mike Huckabee is a true conservative champion. I hope voters all across Texas will join me in rallying behind Mike on March 4th."
"Many told me I would never play in the NFL, let alone win a Super Bowl ring or two. Similar cynics may say the same thing about my friend, and fellow Ouachita alum Mike Huckabee, becoming President. Let me remind everyone: in America, anything is possible as long as you work hard and stand for the right things. The key to success is to always keep going and never quit. That is exactly what Mike Huckabee has done his entire life," said Harris.
Behind the Party Curtains: Why We Need Mike Huckabee!
This is one of the finest analysis of the election so far.
Why Huckabee Can't Drop Out
A funny graphic going around the Internet these days shows Senator John McCain and Governor Mike Huckabee in full debate mode. McCain says, "Since all of the moderates in the country have endorsed me, I think you should drop out of the race and let me fool the Democrats!" Huckabee replies, "Since all of the moderates in the country have endorsed you, I think conservatives should be able to vote for me."
This strikes at the heart of why Mike Huckabee seems to dig his heels in when operatives within McCain's campaign and the Commentocracy urge him to quit before voters in 20 other states have been heard. Huckabee clearly is not following any conventional political instincts in his decision to remain in the race until someone clinches the nomination. Instead, he's listening to the most vocal chorus of more than two million supporters who have yet to participate in the electoral process. Huckabee is the only means conservatives have of conveying a simple message to McCain: "If you want to be our nominee, earn it."
The political party bosses front loaded the nominating process to give moderates a better shot at bringing forth an early nominee from their ranks. Unfortunately, they didn't count on the presence of a strong and motivated conservative base this election cycle. Their hopes of repackaging Mitt Romney as a conservative fell flat -- none of his conservative views were realized before he opened his campaign headquarters. Romney is so prone to ideological fluidity that he originally endorsed Mike Huckabee, withdrew that endorsement so he could run, and then did a 180 kick-flip to grind his way into the McCain camp. Suddenly, McCain went from geriatric ultra-liberal to a national hero and man of substance. Such is the character of the people who occupy the highest rungs of the GOP ladder. While many conservatives were fooled into supporting Romney, thanks to an almost hysterical two-week rant from Talk Radio, a remnant of serious conservatives stood their ground, voting for Huckabee and for Fred Thompson. McCain's divide and conquer strategy proved more effective than Giuliani’s firewall in God's Waiting Room.
Even if the conservative remnant were foolish enough to fall for Romney's multiple personality disorder of a campaign, he didn't have a chance against McCain. Just before Romney dropped out, the math told the story: McCain at that point had 53% of delegates and everyone else combined had 47%. Pundits and historians will fiddle with facts for generations to come, but the bottom line is that the "Anybody but Romney" vote far outweighed the "Anybody but McCain" vote. The Establishment would have been happy with either man, since their objective is to have a moderate who can appeal to some Democrat constituency. They closed ranks behind the more liberal McCain as soon as he sowed traction. What better Republican to run against liberal Democrats than one who has supported them more often than his own party? If it was only about power and winning, this would be a slam dunk. Unfortunately, some of us still look for something intangible – like core convictions. Romney had none and McCain’s are fundamentally wrong for conservatives.
Huckabee, and to a lesser degree Fred Thompson, provided conservatives with an alternative "anti-Establishment" vehicle. The GOP Establishment and NeoLib conservatives had no way of anticipating that the conservative base had finally reached the tipping point of refusing to be the GOP's step 'n fetchers for yet another election cycle. The 2008 election cycle is proving to be a pivotal moment for traditional conservatives. Instead of staying home in droves as they did in 2006, conservatives may well bolt the party altogether if the rift is not healed soon. It cannot be healed by efforts to crush Huckabee's Quixotic insurgency. MEMO To McCain Camp: Huckabee's supporters aren't going to support you until the last delegate has voted at the convention. Even then, much rests in the person who will run with McCain. Without a real conservative on the ticket, all of the geotargeting in Huckabee's strong districts will not pursuade the political burn victims on the right.
Less than a month ago, GOP insiders were salivating over the possibility that a young and charismatic Democrat named Barack Obama would be crushed by the Clinton Machine in the most cynical and abusive way, putting a disillusioned African-American voting block up for grabs. The Perfect Storm of Bill Clinton's racial slurs and Obama's lack of gravitas did not come to fruition. Democrat Party bosses reined the former President in and many African-American leaders closed ranks behind Hillary -- for a few hours. In spite of his weakness as a potential leader of the free world, Obama's growing popularity is allowing him to ride a wave of feel-good 60's type Democratic politics -- possibly all the way to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
What it means.
The GOP needs their base back. Even if Hillary is the Democratic nominee, Al Gore and other party leaders are trying to make an amicable end to the Democratic Party's current nominating disaster. The Democratic nominee will be poised to wage a generational battle of their Young Liberal against the GOP's Old Moderate. Conservatives need not show up. McCain cannot be recast as a conservative with any more credibility than Romney was. Without the Get Out the Vote efforts of disenfranchised Social Conservatives, McCain cannot win. He would be a fool to pick Romney or any other moderate as his running mate. He may not be thinking of Huckabee with any warm fuzzy feelings right now, but he needs to make a credible overture to the new generation of Social Conservatives. Establishment "OnceCons" like Gary Bauer, Pat Robertson and Phyllis Schlafley have no credibility speaking to this constituency. Their endorsements of “any elephant”, including moderates, over the past twenty years has proven that their loyalty is with pragmatic politics and not movement conservatism.
Conventional wiseguys tell us this new Social Conservative movement is uniting around the impossible hope that Huckabee could emerge as a standard bearer in a brokered convention. They are short sighted and shallow in their analysis. What is happening is a united effort among SoCons to take their place at the table -- even if they have to scorch the tablecloth in the process. If conservatives are not given an opportunity to vote their conscience and the GOP loses in the Fall, the fault will not be their intransigence. It will be the end of their 40 year journey of discovery that people of principle can never throw in with people of power and expect to come out with a clear conscience. The last few primaries will be their final feeble attempt at conveying this message to the moderates who run the party. It can be a reunion song or a breakup song.
John McCain and his OnceCon apologists are calling the tune.
Blog Link
Mike Huckabee is in to Win!
"I am seeking the Presidency because I care deeply about important issues facing America—Life, Marriage, the Fair Tax, the Second Amendment, American Border Security and Sovereignty. I am as committed to those issues as I ever was, and my campaigning around the country has convinced me that the majority of Republicans want me to continue to fight for these and other conservative causes. So I will.
I know all about the rumors swirling around. That's why I just went on national news show this afternoon, to knock those rumors down. I am still in this race. As I have said all along, I am in this race until someone gets to 1,191 delegates. That has not happened yet, and so I will keep campaigning for the Republican nomination. Period. That’s my ironclad commitment to my supporters."
- - Mike Huckabee
Conservative Icon Paul Weyrich Endorses Huckabee
Cofounder of the Heritage Foundation Endorses Huckabee
I believe that the voters in this Republican nomination contest—here in Virginia and across the country—deserve a real choice. And Governor Huckabee is clearly the conservative alternative. He is the best choice, and he is my choice. So I am voting for him on Tuesday, here in Virginia.
I don’t buy the idea that John McCain is a true conservative. Nor do I buy the idea that Mike Huckabee should get out of this contest. The people in the Potomac area—Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. In addition, we have many important states coming up, including my home state of Wisconsin. Folks in all those states deserve a choice a real choice.
I had been a supporter of Mitt Romney, but now I am very glad that Governor Huckabee has decided to stay in the race. I appreciate that he is staying in, just as I appreciate that Governor Huckabee and Senator McCain are not going at each other’s throats—a vigorous debate about important issues is the healthiest thing possible for the Republican Party.Governor Huckabee has articulated some very clear differences with Senator McCain: on immigration, on McCain Feingold, and also on the McCain Lieberman global warming scheme. Mike Huckabee is much more solid on the social issues, including right to life. Yes, Senator McCain says that he has a right to life record, but he can’t be supportive of embryonic stem cell research and have a clear right to life record, because the right to lifers, including me, want to protect all life, from conception of natural death.
Governor Huckabee is also good on marriage, insisting that it be limited to one man and one woman. Unfortunately, Senator McCain refused to vote for the marriage amendment.
These are important differences.
By voting for Governor Huckabee, people will be telling Senator McCain and the Republican Party establishment that they better accommodate these conservatives and their heartfelt beliefs, or else they the GOP will not be able to win the general election this November. Like Governor Huckabee, I have great respect for Senator McCain, but he and his Republican Party backers have to make sure that they accommodate the base of the Republican Party.
If they don’t, Senator McCain may find that the conservative grassroots won’t turn out to vote this November. I know my fellow conservatives. I have been active in the conservative movement since 1960. I was an early supporter of Barry Goldwater, and I was a delegate for Ronald Reagan in 1976 and 1980. And so I remind all the Washington DC-oriented political strategists that outside-the-beltway conservatives don’t have to vote for every candidate if they don’t want to. They can stay home, or they can skip over some candidates. That is a very real possibility this year. I have had hundreds of people that have contacted me, telling me, “I can’t vote for McCain.”
I hope that Senator McCain will accommodate those people, for the sake of the conservative movement, as well as the Republican Party. But to repeat: I am voting for Governor Huckabee.
The Republican Party must reach out to social conservatives, like me, and so Mike Huckabee is solid. But Mike Huckabee also appeals to working people. The Republican Party by and large ignores the concerns of these people, especially when they are hurting. Governor Huckabee is the only candidate who has consistently reached out, during this campaign, to those who are hurting. It’s great for the GOP hierarchy to say that the fundamentals of the economy are sound. But it’s even more important to concentrate on real people, and to look for sound conservative solutions. Mike Huckabee is one of them by his own background, and so naturally he listens to them. By voting for him, millions of ordinary Americans will make their voice heard, loud and clear.
I call upon all my fellow conservatives to get out and support Governor Huckabee. A big vote for him is the best way to send a message to Senator McCain and the Republican Establishment that this is an election, not a coronation.
###
Paul Weyrich is the Chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation. The opinions expressed here are his own.
Vote for Mike Huckabee at Hannity.com
Just wanted to encourage you all to go to www.hannity.com
There is a poll there that asks if Huckabee has a chance at pulling this off.
Please go vote.
Let's show Mr Hannity and the other Status Quo Folks that we are a movement to be taken seriously.
By the way, I have sent my last dollar to any organization Gary Bauer is involved in. By endorsing McCain over Huckabee he revealled his true allegience.
VICTORY in Kansas!
With Huckabees victory in Kansas, voters send McCain a message
By STEVE KRASKE and JIM SULLINGER
The Kansas City Star
Mike Huckabee’s win Saturday in Kansas’ Republican presidential caucuses was complete, dominant and never in doubt.
In swamping presumptive GOP nominee John McCain 11,627 to 4,587 votes, or 60 percent to 24 percent, Huckabee swept 104 of the state’s 105 counties. In that final county, Trego in western Kansas, Huckabee and McCain tied at 15 votes each.
The win gave Huckabee all 36 delegates that were on the line for the GOP National Convention in Minneapolis this summer.
“It’s a big win for Huckabee,” said Bob Beatty, a political science professor at Washburn University in Topeka.
----
Matthew Pennell, Huckabee’s state coordinator, said he expected the former Arkansas governor to win Kansas, but not by the margin he rolled up.
“Personally, I didn’t think we would carry the 3rd District, but we did and pretty overwhelmingly,” he said.
Fred Logan, a former GOP state chairman and a KCTV-5 political analyst, said McCain’s crushing defeat amounted to a setback for U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, a Kansas Republican who endorsed McCain after ending his own presidential bid last year.
“I think this is less of a rebuke of McCain and more of an embarrassment to Sam Brownback,” Logan said, adding that Brownback had recorded an automated phone message for his Senate colleague.
A little more than 20,000 Republicans turned out for Saturday’s caucuses, a total that was either a few thousand above what was expected or a few thousand short, depending on which GOP official was citing numbers and whether the forecasts came before or after Romney exited.
Turnout in Johnson County surpassed expectations, with big crowds reported at several sites.
“So much for Republican voter apathy,” said Christian Morgan, Kansas GOP executive director.
Full Article
Get ready for a miracle! Huckabee Elecifies CPAC
“Miracle” Mike Huckabee Electrifies CPAC Crowd, Vows to Stay in Race
by Fin Gomez
Washington, DC-
On the flight from Kansas to Washington D.C. late last night Mike Huckabee was talking to members of his inner circle about the big expectations for his speech today at the Conservative Political Action Conference, the annual gathering of conservatives in the Nation’s Capitol.
“The pressure is on, ” Huckabee said to his staff, smiling. For the remainder of the flight ,he was left alone, as he worked on the text of the speech.
Huckabee was right, the expectations were astronomically high for his address. Mitt Romney, supported by many of the establishment conservatives at this meeting, had dropped out Thursday, and the GOP presumptive nominee, John McCain, is far from a favorite son for many at this conference, who still resent McCain’s defeated immigration reform bill . Not only did Huckabee have to convince those in attendance about meeting their conservative standards(that some like the Club for Growth had questioned) but he had to defend what many consider a quixotic attempt to continue campaigning even as McCain continues to amass delegates, 719 to Huckabee’s 198.
So as he stepped up to the podium today, the lingering question , hovering above the crowd, was could he do it?
If the loud audience reaction is an accurate indicator, then yes, Huckabee delivered today.
Hitting his mark, he emphasized the issues that resonated well with the several hundred cheering conservatives in the room:
Pro-traditional marriage, pro-life stance, border security, all Republican platform benchmarks, and with Huckabee’s argument for each, the audience roared with approval,and regular standing ovations.
Huckabee also took the opportunity to say that, despite McCain’s colossal lead in delegates, he had no plans to bow out.
“I know the pundits, and I know what they say, that the math doesn’t work out.Folks,I didn’t major in math,I majored in miracles, and I believe in those,” Huckabee said to cheers. “Am I quitting? Let’s get that settled right now. No, I’m not.” The crowd waved signs, and chanted: We like Mike… We like Mike.
Huckabee then concluded with a story from a supporter from Kentucky who had recently lost her house in the tornadoes that ravaged the South on Tuesday.
“Despite damage to her home there was one thing that was pretty remarkable,she had a Mike Huckabee yard sign..when the tornado had gone through,standing pristine, without a hint of damage, or even meaning,was that yard sign.”Huckabee continued, using the image asn an analogy for his campaign.”Across America, everywhere there is still a vote to be cast, I am still standing.”
