Mike Huckabee in Bow, NH

My baby girl and I went to Bow, NH this evening to see Gov. Huckabee at a meet and greet. She was very popular as we were waiting, but that’s not surprising:

… just look at her.

Anyway … we had a good time mingling before the governor’s  arrival. He showed up, and began greeting the various people in attendance — including recent gubernatorial candidate Jim Coburn, who also played with my little girl.

I’m sure that she’s going to wind up as a popular picture. One of the campaign workers helped usher us near the front so that we would meet Gov. Huckabee just before he began to speak. That was fun. He asked her name, and when I told her “Elizabeth,” he remarked that he loves that name and that he has a daughter named Sarah Elizabeth. He also mentioned that her name means “dedicated to God.” I thanked him for being a candidate that I want to support.

Then he began to speak.

He opened by thanking us all for coming, and remarking on how humbling it is to have so many people come out to support him. He had a couple humorous stories. He warned about some of the attacks that have come and would be coming — including an Arkansas reporter who is so resoundingly negative about him that (as he put it) if he walked across the river, the headline the next morning would be “Huckabee Can’t Swim.”

He talked about the need to reform taxes — again mentioning the Fair Tax, protect the environment, secure energy independence, research alternative energy, and encourage wellness instead of just paying for health care after the fact.

He also emphasized his message of vertical politics, which is breaking down the right/left, liberal/conservative, Democrat/Republican dynamics in favor of merging and working together cooperatively on principles.

When the floor opened for questions, he was asked about funding for HIV prevention in Africa, and he voiced his strong support for that. When pressed about dollar amounts, he noted that there are other ailments, as well. Right now, he supports doubling the money spent on the project. Before he commits to any more, he would need to see the situation and other diseases.

He was also asked about energy. Although I liked what I heard of that answer, I missed a lot of it because someone started getting uncomfortable and wanting to leave … I’m afraid that we didn’t get much after that.

The crowd was large, and very enthusiastic. It included a number of prominent figures from NH politics. Apparently, Gov. John Lynch (D) introduced Gov. Huckabee at the Chamber of Commerce meeting this afternoon. I wouldn’t read too much into that, though. His wife, Dr. Lynch, has endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton.

This group was enthusiastic and motivated, many said that they were meeting Gov. Huckabee for the first time or that this was their first campaign ever. That’s a positive thing for the Huckabee campaign, to be sure. Momentum is building. Strong showing in polls, enthusiastic and broad support, and a solid message are bringing us closer and closer to the Republican nomination.