BREAKING
November 2, 2009

by Michael Patrick Leahy

8:10 pm est

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee had been on a roll, but he's stumbled badly in his very very late endorsement of Conservative Doug Hoffman in NY 23. After a series of very savvy moves over the last year, the most recent 2012 Presidential horse race poll had Huckabee in first place over rivals Palin, Romney, and Pawlenty. From his weekend Fox TV show to his aw-shucks well received daily radio updates, Huckabee had been doing all the right things.

Until NY 23.

While Sarah Palin was the first major Presidential candidate to endorse Hoffman, Huck held his endorsement back until after Scozzafava withdrew on Saturday. Her subsequent treachery and endorsement of the Democrat in the race makes Palin look like the brave visionary, and Huckabee and Romney look like....well, Huckabee and Romney.

To compound matters, today in the email in-box comes this little gift from Huckabee:

Today I am emailing to ask if you will take a moment now to make phone calls to voters. We have set up phone banks for Bob McDonnell, Doug Hoffman and David Harmer and you can begin calling voters immediately. Even if you can only make a call or two, you will help make a positive difference in the final hours before votes are cast TOMORROW. Also, if you know friends or family who will have a chance to vote on Tuesday for one of these candidates please make sure they do. Huck PAC volunteers have already made over 20,000 calls in Virginia and helped Bob immensely. I know if we make these final calls today we can do more of the same.

Mike Huckabee

It's unlikely this political tactic has been coordinated with the Hoffman Campaign. Word on the ground from every local Hoffman coordinator and Republican County chairmen (A11 eleven are now backing Hoffman) is that the locals are sick and tired of outside phone calls. What the Hoffman Campaign needs right now is boots on the ground who can go door to door tomorrow.

One third party group tested voter responses to these Get-out-the-vote calls in NY 23 and discovered that the locals saw them as a wash at best, with a slight majority reacting negatively to receiving more calls.

It would make too much sense, apparently, for Governor Huckabee to actually double check with the Hoffman Campaign and see if his Johnny-come-lately efforts are actually helpful.



Michael Patrick Leahy is the Publisher of The TCOT Report and the author of Rules for Conservative Radicals

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