Huckabee Gaining Ground?

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee appears to be gaining ground on two fronts. First, he seems to have cracked into the 'first tier' group of candidates by doing just enough to generate 'buzz' via his strong suit, pure oration. Huckabee's organization and staff are much smaller than the other major candidates, but his sheer likability (and ability) tend to shine in the debates. As such, the more people see of him, the more they seem to like him.

Second, he seems to be turning around a bit on illegal immigration, recently telling a group of social conservatives that "their freedom is threatened because of the country's broken borders."

While any sudden turnabout on critical issues at this point is suspect, at least he's listening to the base.

And, of course, he is in much the same position as a little-known Arkansas Governor named Bill Clinton in 1992, and look how that ended up.

Even so, Huckabee is still a long shot for the nomination. A much smarter play, however, might be to shoot for a Vice President spot. He would provide a strong base of social conservatism for a more liberal candidate like Giuliani or Romney, and would provide an extremely gifted orator to deliver the message of the administration.

Should be interesting to watch, especially since we have almost a year left.

There's my two cents.