Why It Works In both cases, an obscure but successful (and surprisingly moderate) small-state governor shocks by galvanizing a crucial, impassioned constituency dissatisfied with its party’s better-known nominees. For Huck, that’s the religious right; for Dean, it was the antiwar left. The result: a near tripling in national polls from summer to fall.
Why It Doesn’t Dean was ahead nationally among Dems in December 2003; Huck still trails Rudy Giuliani by double digits. Huckabee’s tone is inclusive, Dean’s was furiously partisan. And Huck’s war chest (less than $5 million to date) is also much smaller. He’ll need more cash to help avoid the second thoughts that sank Dean.
