The daily Rasmussen presidential tracking poll shows that Huckabee has zoomed past Giuliani to lead the Republican field. On the eve of the Republican YouTube debate, this is how the GOP leaders stood:
Giuliani 27%
Romney 14%
McCain 14%
Huckabee 12%
Thompson 10%
The Huck’s performance in the debate turned the standings upside down. As of today:
Huckabee 20%
Giuliani 17%
Romney 13%
McCail 13%
Thompson 10%
This isn’t Iowa, folks. This is national. A 15-point swing v. Rudy in one week. And he did it without spending any money, because he doesn’t have any money. It’s all word of mouth at the water cooler. Romney has outspent him in Iowa by 20 to 1. Huckabee’s cash on hand of $651,000 isn’t enough to win a tough legislative race in Texas. But he was the biggest beneficiary of the format of the YouTube debate. He just looked into that camera and spoke without guile and connected with ordinary Americans.
