Every political underdog who breaks through faces a choice: keep doing what worked for a long shot, or shift tactics in reaching for a victory that suddenly appears possible?
Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor and Baptist minister, faces that choice right now. His success among conservative Christians has made him the leader in Iowa -- and perhaps even a threat for the nomination itself.
For months, when there was little staff and less money, Huckabee got by on wits and charm. But aside from clever one-liners, one of the things that helped him stand out in Republican debates was the populist tinge to his discussion of economics.
In one memorable riff at the Reagan Library early this year, Huckabee called it “criminal” for corporate CEOs to take fat bonuses while shipping the jobs of ordinary workers overseas, adding “If Republicans don’t stop it, we don’t deserve to win in 2008.”