Republican Mike Huckabee is now in his final year as Governor of Arkansas. He hails from Hope, Arkansas - the same home town as former President and Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton. The ordained Baptist minister and former televangelist made his political debut by winning a special election for lieutenant governor in 1993. He was subsequently elected to a full four-year term as lieutenant governor in 1994. He was elevated to governor in 1996 when Democratic Governor Jim Guy Tucker resigned in a plea deal connected with the Whitewater scandal. In 1998, Huckabee was elected to his first full term as governor and then re-elected in 2002. He was elected to a one-year term as chairman of the National Governors Association last July.

Unlike some of his potential rivals for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination, Huckabee is both a fiscal conservative and a social conservative. This, combined with the fact that he is a fellow southerner, could make him an attractive choice for southern primary voters. That is, of course, if he can survive Iowa and New Hampshire. Survival for him will probably mean finishing in the top three in Iowa and the top two in New Hampshire. Coming out of those two states as the only surviving southerner in the nomination fight would be a major plus.

Formerly obese, Huckabee has waged a public battle with weight problems over the past several years, during which he has managed to lose a whopping 110 pounds. If he decides to run for president in 2008, one of his campaign slogans will likely be " I [heart symbol] Huckabee!"

Terry Mitchell

Terry Mitchell is a software engineer, freelance writer, blogger, and amateur political analyst from Hopewell, VA. He's been in the software development/engineering line of work for over 24 years.

He blogs and writes about various subjects such as current events, politics, cultural and social issues, health and well-being, personal finance, religion, technology, media issues, law, government, sports, humor, and trivia.

Through the BlogBurst network, his blog entries are often carried on the Website of the Houston Chronicle, one of the top newspapers in America. In addition, his columns and essays regularly appear on American Chronicle's network of 21 online magazines. They have also appeared online on American Daily, Media Monitors International, Opinion Editorials, The Washington Dispatch, Arrivenet, and hundreds of additional websites.

Terry never misses an opportunity to assail political correctness and take pot shots at the conventional foolishness. He's not a bandwagon jumper - he writes stuff that others should be writing, but are not. He thinks of himself as a kind of modern American philosopher. His blog offers commentary from a unique point of view that is not often found in mainstream media.

Terry would love to have his blog picked up and syndicated by a major news or web organization. He also plans to write a book based on his blog. But, for now, he mainly writes for free as a hobby and enjoys having his aritcles posted on as many websites, ezines, news letters, newspapers, and magazines as possible.