With the rapidly approaching Florida primary election, January 29th, and the even closer South Carolina contest, time is very short.  (Welcome to all of our new online friends in South Carolina!  – Bienvenidos a todos de nuestros nuevos amigos en linea  de Carolina del Sur!)  The news from Michigan tonight was no surprise; but considering that Romney outspent Mike 50 to 1 to win in his homestate, the results were not terribly discouraging, either.

Well, as many of us in Miami (a Latin fashion “Mecca”) know, there’s nothing like some new clothes and Café Cubano to pick up your spirits.  You’ll have to make your own coffee, but we can help with your new clothes — at least if you’re going to be at the Dade County Fair Grounds this weekend.  See our meetup page for more details.  You can take the graphics from our website to make your own iron-on t-shirts.

***Blog Editor’s Update***  Judging by the number of e-mail responses and questions about these t-shirts locally and from across the country; there is a lot of interest in this topic.  It is obvious that the initial estimate of “a couple of dozen” t-shirts for just our own Meetup group was a big underestimation of the interest in Mike Huckabee t-shirts.  Tonight my 11 year old daughter and I hope to put the final touches on the producion of these t-shirts so that we can increase our capacity.  We hope to perfect the process and maybe even post an instructional video.  If time permits Thursday, January 17th, we’ll head up to Rodney Roger’s Meetup Group gathering in Aventura.  Rodney is the Miami-Dade co-chair of Huckabee for President and he’ll be participating in our “caravan” and Dade County gun show activities this weekend.  Also, Huckabee field representative, Daniel Diaz, will be speaking Thursday about how we can help Mike become our next President.

Aunque está publicado por TIME, Inc. (”in partnership with CNN”); el articulo, “Huckabee looks to South Carolina,” explica el papel político de las elecciones primarias en el estado de Carolina del Sur y tiene mucha información importante para los que apoya al Gobernador Huckabee en otros estados.

Although it was published by TIME, Inc. (”in partnership with CNN”); the article, “Huckabee looks to South Carolina,” explains the political role of the South Carolina primary election and has a lot of important information for supporters of Governor Huckabee in other states.

Huckabee’s South Carolina chairman, the state’s former governor, David Beasley…argued that Huckabee could be an unstoppable force, marrying both an insurgent appeal and an establishment tie to the state as a fellow southern governor…In 2000, Beasley backed another southern governor, George W. Bush, in a triumph over McCain. Eight years later, he saw history repeating itself. “That’s why South Carolina is known as the firewall,” he said, smiling.

Las personas que apoyan a Huckabee (seculares y no seculares) lo hacen por muchas razones diversas. Ellas conectan con una persona que es como ellas, humano, imperfecto, con limitaciones, que se equivoca de vez en cuando pero que quiere lo mejor para el pueblo y que tiene una historia que lo prueba.

Los centros de poder lo odian a muerte por muchas razones:

a)No es uno de ellos.

b)No le debe nada a ellos (No es “chantageable”)

c)No tiene la prioridad de proteger sus intereses sino la del pueblo.

d)No es “controlable” porque salió del pueblo y no de ellos.

Por supuesto el pueblo le va a ganar a los centros de poder porque ese pueblo está hastiado de los abusos de poder de ellos que lleva décadas destruyendo la clase media para beneficio de sus bolsillos corrompidos.

La última encuesta pone a Huckabee con 21% y por arriba de los otros Republicanos y este número seguirá aumentando cuando el gane otros estados que tienen sus primarias en poco tiempo.

Today, all eyes are on Iowa. In little more than 48 hours the Iowa caucuses will begin. Governor Mike Huckabee, who was all but written off several weeks ago as a “second tier candidate,” is now in the fight of his political life to win against Mitt Romney who has outspent him 20 to 1. His success is even more remarkable more if you look at the combined expenditures of all of his well-financed opponents. If the current polls are any indication, Mike will finish first, or second.

Already, the highly paid political spin masters are making excuses for their candidates. They are trying to minimize Huckabee’s achievement. For example, “Huckabee’s strong showing in Iowa is understandable because of the many evangelical Christians in the state and the fact that Arkansas is a rural neighbor.” (These guys ought to check a map. Arkansas does not border Iowa.)

The “real test” for Mike will be in these next few weeks. New Hampshire, which does border Romney’s home state of Massachusetts, will be tough. We, as his supporters, MUST maintain an unwaivering, positive attitude. Any measure of success (3rd or even 4th place) in New Hampshire should be considered a victory. South Carolina is shaping up to be an excellent opportunity for Mike, but his limited finances are going to mean that grassroots organizing in that state will be crucial if he is to keep up that elusive political commodity known as “momentum” as he goes father south to Florida with its new early primary. Florida is being touted, by the Giuliani camp, as the first real test of a Republican candidate — a large state, with many electoral votes, that has a growing multicultural population in urban, suburban and rural areas.

Florida is the “lion’s den” for Mike. He’ll be walking into a multi-million dollar political ambush that has been prepared to finish off any opponent that stands between Rudy and the nomination. Even if the results of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina are interpreted as “successes” for Mike and result in a large influx of campaign cash; it may be too late for the Florida primary on January 29th. You cannot create a “conventional” campaign organization, much less successfully campaign, purchase media time slots (most of which will be already taken by Mike’s opponents), etc. in so little time.

The only way to succeed is by a massive grassroots effort that must begin immediately. We are already in the countdown to the final days leading up to the Florida primary. Every day is precious! Attend a meetup group in your area. (Link to “Get Involved” webpage) Put a bumper sticker on your vehicle. (You may have to print it your own computer and tape it to the inside of the window. They are that hard to come by!) Attend any Republican gathering, even if you’ve never gone before, and convince those present that Mike is the only candidate at this point that will mobilize the base in a way that will insure the voter turn out that will be necessary to win. It is up to us!