Not meaning to be glib here, but how exactly does a candidate "control" this? He severely condemned the activity in Iowa and admonished people ahead of time on his website about doing such things in South Carolina. They have stressed numerous times that this activity hurts the campaign and don't want it. I cannot fathom that this is being done with the blessing from atop the campaign.

I am a volunteer for the Huckabee campaign in Florida and can tell you this is one loosely-knit organization. Everyone in my area is a novice at campaigning and there is very little structure. There are only two actual campaign offices in the state and they are far away from us. Volunteers are largely on their own when making phone calls. If Huckabee had been independently wealthy or more successful with donations, he may have more organization down here, but that hasn't happened. This candidacy DEPENDS on these volunteers to do many structural tasks that are normally in the charge of paid staffers. I think the push-polling nonsense is a result of the campaign not being properly staffed with professionals. I strongly disagree with your contention that Huckabee is intentionally letting this go on.

Of all the candidates from both sides of the aisle, Dennis the menace Kuchinich and the Ronulans (Ron Paul) seemed to have the most whackos.

I notice that the Huckster seems to attract a cult-like following, too.

Of all the candidates, those three have the creepiest supporters.

I'm in Michigan and I received a number of those calls. Very annoying. Thank God that's over for now.

Although I did kinda enjoy saying "no" every time they'd ask, "Does this make you more likely to vote for Mike Huckabee?" after flinging a pile of mud, usually disingenuously, at the candidate I was supporting (Fred). :)

I think "creepy" is a bit disparaging, for Republicans at least. The Paul supporters are adamant about decreasing the outreach of their government. I think their isolationist foreign policy is fatally flawed, but the basic tenets of libertarianism are somewhat commendable. The Huckabee backers are largely God-fearing citizens who wish to preserve the Judeo-Christian principles upon which our nation was founded. For them, the sanctity of life and marriage are of paramount importance. I slso see a lot of Huckabee supporters drawn from his support of an overhaul of our tax system. There is nothing "creepy" about these positions.

Huckabuck is a creepy cultist.. I still have not heard His explanation for freeing felons to destroy other peoples lives?

So compassionate.

My parents got a creepy push-poll call from Huckabee supporters the night before the primary up there.

They said the caller ID came up as Virginia, for what it's worth.

"They said the caller ID came up as Virginia, for what its worth."

Pat Robertson??

I notice that the Huckster seems to attract a cult-like following, too.

Of all the candidates, those three have the creepiest supporters.

Alan, by 'creepy supporters' I mean many of the supporters themselves, not specifically all the reasons they have to support him.

I've noticed that these 3 groups of people seem to have the most vitriolic and unhinged postings on the various websites I haunt. Just an unscientific observation I've seen over the last few months. I think others have picked up this vibe, too.

FWIW, you don't seem to be the type of 'overenthusiastic' supporter I am talking about.

Hey, Wizzers, this is your man, campaigning in the true Rethuglican fashion of sliming the opponent. Clearly, the Huckster has secretly enlisted the services of Karl Rove and is channeling your greatest hero of slime campaigning, Lee Atwater.

A Orfi - "The Huckabee backers are largely God-fearing citizens who wish to preserve the Judeo-Christian principles"

"fearing" being struck down by lightening isn't creepy? Folding like a deck of wind-blown cards for "fear" of being sent to Hell for the slightest transgression?

"Fearing" being frowned upon for giving less than 10% of your earnings to one of the richest organizations in the world?

THAT's not creepy?

Whatever.

Look, this isn't some random group of unsupervised supporters acting on their own, or some unrelated Bozo with a telephone and time on his hands (like the anti-McCain calls in SC in 2000). This is a professional polling outfit. They don't work cheap.

Thousands of dollars have already been spent on these calls, in at least three states. Yes, Huckabee "condemned" them in Iowa, but it didn't stop them, did it? Now, if the man can't convince supporters who will spend large sums of money on his behalf to stop what they are doing, it means one of two things:

1. He really doesn't want them to stop, he only wants "plausible deniability" to escape being held accountable; or

2. He is a very ineffective leader who cannot even lead his own supporters (again, those willing to spend freely on his behalf), in which case a Democratic Congress will eat him alive.

Either way, it doesn't speak very well of him. When a pro-McCain 527 group began spending on McCain's behalf here last fall, McCain stopped it by simply publicly saying "I wish they would stop." Because the backers were supporters, they followed his wishes.

Meanwhile, Huckabee plays the victim when his record is brought to light. The self-portrait being painted here is not attractive.

"...this is one loosely-knit organization... Volunteers are largely on their own when making phone calls...
Man! The tomatoes I could grow with that kind of manure! Push polls are generally not the "do it yourself" variety.
"Strongly disagree" away! Huck's getting what he paid for!