Huckabee’s efforts to thread the needle on education policy have been met with mixed reactions from his past Iowa supporters, says Vander Hart. While some are satisfied with his explanations and eager to rally around him once again, for others Huckabee “is still in the doghouse” on Common Core and will need to provide a clearer answer on what once attracted him to the program.
Most alarmingly of all for Huckabee, some activists in another crucial early-primary state have already closed the door on him. “Someone like Huckabee shouldn’t even bother,” says Jane Aitken, spokeswoman for the New Hampshire Tea Party Coalition. “People like Huckabee are so far removed that they should shut up about [Common Core].”
His wavering on Common Core signifies that he’s not in line with voters, she adds.
While the political landscape no longer looks the same as it did when Huckabee first ran almost eight years ago, he has the advantage of familiarity with conservatives who remember his previous run and watch his Fox News show. Common Core will prove to be one of Huckabee’s earliest hurdles: If he can persuade primary voters that he’s on their side of the issue, he could both stabilize his base and add to it. If not, Huckabee may learn that high viewership doesn’t translate into votes.
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