Republican Race Clear as Mud after Iowa

by Bobby Eberle, The Loft, GOPUSA: The results are in, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee was the big winner in the Iowa caucuses on Thursday. Garnering 34% of the vote, Huckabee outpaced all other Republican contenders, but rather than help clarify the race to the Republican presidential nomination, the win and the results of the other Republican candidates only helped muddy the field. Buoyed by overwhelming support from evangelicals, Huckabee scored the win that he needed. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney finished second with 25% of the vote, followed by Sen. John McCain and former Sen. Fred Thompson, each with 13%. Now, the candidates move to New Hampshire which will hold its primary on January 8. Following Iowa's results, the dynamics and expectations for New Hampshire have changed dramatically. Huckabee is definitely the surprise candidate of any Republican or Democrat in the race for the White House. . . .

As noted in the Washington Post, participation in the Iowa caucuses was at an all-time high. Over 125,000 caucusgoers participating, far out-distancing the previous record of 87,000 voters. According to the Post report, "Sixty percent of Republican caucusgoers described themselves as evangelicals, according to entrance polls. Those voters went for Huckabee over Romney by more than 2 to 1." The results are more than interesting, and they beg the question, "What are evangelicals looking for and why did they turn to Huckabee?" As I wrote yesterday, some of the most important issues for me and other conservatives are "smaller government, lower taxes, and secure borders." On these issues -- core issues for conservatives -- Huckabee simply does not warrant the support he has received. . . .

I sincerely hope that evangelicals are looking at more than the fact that Huckabee is Baptist minister, but the results in Iowa, given the well documented records of all the Republican candidates are surprising. But then again, it's hard to say how much of the record was really known. Huckabee has enjoyed being spared intense review of his record until just the past few weeks. . . . The race for the Republican nomination is still wide open. I continue to hope that once the process is complete, we will all rally around the nominee and help defeat the Democrat. I also hope that during the process, voters will review the records of the candidates and make decisions based on the facts. . . . [Read More]

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Tags: Bobby Eberle, GOPUSA, Iowa Caucus, Mike Huckabee To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!