I Heart Mike Huckabee

I refused to vote in the last election. I was tired of the options. I was tired of the political sleaze. So I was equally disappointed when it became clear who were the front republican and democratic runners for the 2008 election. I was disappointed until I was introduced to Mike Huckabee. I was still skeptical but definitely interested in him.

It wasn't simply what he stood for that grabbed my attention. His campaign strategy thrilled me. Conventional wisdom had always shown that those who raise massive amounts of money, dig up dirt on their opponents, and tell people what they want to hear regardless of whether they mean it, are the ones who get elected. But Huckabee was running a different campaign. His campaign was built on grassroots support and focused on real issues that concern our nation. I could see that Huckabee was authentic.

I had spread the word to all my friends about him. “We like him,” they said, “but he cannot win.” But they, like the rest of cynical America, underestimated the influence that the ordinary person has when they see a candidate who is authentic and serious about real issues.

The Huckaboom began with the Value Voters Summit and within three months Huckabee was leading many polls. For other candidates and the media, it seemed that he had come out of nowhere. His meteoric rise defied their conventional understanding of what it takes to be successful in politics.

Huckabee has run a brilliant campaign that has shot him to the top of the polls with very little money spent. When he wins, he is not simply going to redefine presidential politics, he is going to set a precedent that could change the way presidential campaigns are run.

I heart Huckabee for his character. He knows who he is, what he believes, and what he wants. That is why he is able to articulate himself so clearly on television and in debate. His thoughts pour out of him, not like something forced or rehearsed, but like a place he has been many times before because he is passion and conviction driven.

I heart Huckabee for his clear vision and strong stance on key issues. We need serious immigration reform. We need to stay the course in Iraq. We need to provide better care for our veterans. We need art and music reform in education. We need to value all aspects of human life. America is a dream realized. People need to know that they are limited not by their circumstances, but only by their vision. Huckabee understands this because he has lived the American dream.

I heart Huckabee because he will be our next President and when he is, he will not disappoint me.