I Heart Huckabee

David Broder wrote an article on the presidential prospects for Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. He noted that Huckabee and Democrat Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack have consciously followed former President Bill Clinton's path to the White House, with Vilsack chairing the Democratic Leadership Council and Huckabee leading the Education Commission of the States and the National Governors Association next year.

Between his national leadership positions and his jokes about being "another man from Hope," Governor Huckabee is positioning himself as a serious candidate for 2008. Governors can easily portray themselves as outsiders to voters who are unhappy with the direction and speed, or lack thereof, in government action. Four of the last five presidents were governors. The last senator to move to the Oval Office was John F. Kennedy. Huckabee's book about his 100-pound weight loss won't hurt, either. It's one more thing that gives him positive national attention. Like Bill Clinton in 1992, he could come in as the unknown outsider (from Hope, Arkansas, no less) and surprise everyone.