Huckabee: a one hit wonder

Well, Mike Huckabee won Iowa. This will provide him the momentum he needs to propel ahead and become more than just a one hit wonder, right? Finally, we have the little guy who will stick it to the political machine, the blueprint is written.

Well, not so fast.

In a state where some polls have him in fourth place, New Hampshire is being less kind to Huckabee than the more religiously minded Iowaegans. An Alan Keyes-like finish in New Hampshire could be the proverbial nail that pops the Huckabee balloon, his Howard Dean falling from grace moment.

True, Huckabee is fairing well in some of the primaries following New Hampshire--he is second in Michigan, Florida, California and leads in South Carolina.

However, Huckabee is likely to not only lose in New Hampshire, but get beat bad. He is over 20 points behind McCain and over 15 to Romney, New Hampshire residents have given him only $33,350, fifth among republican candidates. And in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire’s largest, the FEC lists only 14 total Huckabee contributors. Indications are that things aren’t going to be pretty.

And if the unprecedented does occur and a candidate finishes first in Iowa and fourth in New Hampshire, the media would be paying closer attention than Dennis Kucinich at a UFO convention. And with limited resources to combat the negative attention, the fallout from a New Hampshire drubbing would have a palpable impact on Huckabee.

Considering no eventual winner of the Republican nomination has ever finished worse than second in the Granite State, it is tough to buy an argument suggesting that Huckabee’s campaign could be the first. Fergus Cullen, New Hampshire's Republican Party Chairman, says that in his state Mitt Romney's organization is well orchestrated and doubts that Huckabee can win New Hampshire based on winning Iowa alone.

Even in South Carolina, Huckabee's cushion state, things are not as rosy as the poll numbers indicate. State party chairman, Katon Dawson, says it will be hard for Huckabee to win his state without money, something the Hucksters lack.

And with the Mitt machine beginning to churn out attack ads, Huckabee does not have the resources to mount any legitimate television counterattack. The momentum meter was pegged for Huckabee before Iowa, he won, but his poll numbers dipped leading up to the caucuses.

Huckabee does have the urban legend that is Chuck Norris in his corner, which could be good, after all his chief export is pain. But only time can tell if the flannel clad, blue jean wearing Norris will be able to help save the Huckabee campaign if his bubble bursts.