There's Still Fight Left in the Dog

“I know of no such unquestionable badge and ensign of a sovereign mind as that of tenacity of purpose.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

I got home too late last night to watch the Republican debate. From the little I read about it early on this morning it appeared that it was a slugfest between John McCain and Mitt Romney. Upon reading the transcript, however, I saw that, while Romney and McCain were throwing bricks at one another, my candidate, Mike Huckabee, was actually outlining policy positions, connecting on a personal level with voters, exhibiting leadership, and demonstrating there’s still a lot of bite left in the dog from Hope.

I admire Governor Huckabee’s tenacity. I think the millions of Americans who have taken his message to heart admire his dogged persistence to get his message out in the face of the obstacles that have been thrown in his path.

I suppose his detractors might try to say that he’s like Don Quixote attacking windmills. All I can say in response is that there are a lot of windmills that need chasing in this country, and they’re not imaginary. While Mitt and John were squabbling about who said what about timelines, Tyson Foods here in Emporia permanently shut down its second shift, two weeks earlier than previously announced. Hundreds here are out of work today. While the federal government is getting ready to send out rebate checks, the value of Interstate Brands stock here in Emporia is hovering at between two and five pennies a share – another 800 Emporia jobs hanging precariously in the balance. While the other candidates are flying around in a 35,000 foot dogfight, Mike Huckabee is down here with hurting folks at ground level.

Windmills? Hardly! This is a fight well worth continuing and I admire Governor Huckabee for his willingness to press on. There’s still plenty of fight left in the dog, plenty of primaries ahead, plenty of voters to speak to. He’s come this far without much money and little or no support from the Republican powerful. The dogged determination that’s propelled his campaign from the beginning will see him, and us, through.