CNN: Huckabee Support Not "Flashy"

CNN's Political Ticker blog provides a much-needed infusion of perspective on the Joe Miller race in Alaska. While acknowledging Palin's influence on the race in her home state, it identifies Huckabee under-the-radar (oft-ignored) support — particularly by unleashing the grassroots volunteers of Huck PAC:

While the media focused largely on Palin’s support for Miller, Mike Huckabee’s political organization was also playing a key role in turning out conservative voters.

The Palin endorsement was guaranteed to draw more attention, given the former governor’s influence among Republicans in her home state and Huckabee’s relatively late support for Miller. Palin came out for Miller in early June, while Huckabee did so on August 9.

But the former Arkansas governor and Fox News host quickly put his political action committee to work for Miller — another example, his aides say, of Huckabee’s underappreciated influence on races around the country.

“Gov. Huckabee not only endorsed Joe through Huck PAC, he made a radio spot that aired frequently as well as robocalls, blogging on his website and Facebook, and sending Twitter messages,” said Miller spokesman Randy DeSoto. Huck PAC also did three get-out-the-vote email blasts for Miller before the vote, along with a phone bank.

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UPDATE: Christian Heinze of GOP 12 posts some terrific analysis based on this article:

You're tired of hearing me say this, but it's often assumed that the favorites for the '12 nomination are 1) Romney 2) Palin and 3) Huck, with the idea that Huck is a poor man's Palin.

But Huck's dominated southern state-by-state polls this year, while according to the pollster PPP, Palin's failed to take the top spot in any state, in any region of the country (and the last week has proven PPP knows its stuff when it comes to measuring the current mood).

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