Romney fell short, Huckabee broke, Paul impressive.
Huckabee, Iowa Poll’s Real Winner?
AMES, Iowa — The biggest winner of Iowa Republicans’ weekend straw poll of 11 presidential rivals may well turn out to be not Mitt Romney, whose first-place finish here was expected, but surprise runner-up Mike Huckabee, the guitar-picking former governor of Arkansas.
Should Mr. Huckabee capitalize on his second-place showing here Saturday to get a second look from demoralized Republicans unhappy with their choices — and to get much-needed funding — the repercussions could reshuffle the party’s contest for its 2008 nomination. Social conservatives, who have come to dominate the Republican party, could decide the candidate they have been looking for has been in the race the whole time, languishing at the back of the pack with little money to promote himself.
That wouldn’t be good news for Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, who likewise has struggled to be that candidate, or for actor and former senator Fred Thompson of Tennessee. Mr. Thompson’s still-undeclared candidacy has been propelled by the argument that he could fill the perceived void of a true conservative, and a Southerner, among the field’s front-runners of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Arizona Sen. John McCain and Mr. Romney, the former socially liberal Massachusetts governor now running as a social conservative. But Mr. Thompson has delayed entering the race, to some supporters’ chagrin, and didn’t compete in Saturday’s straw poll.
5:58 pm on August 13, 2007
