Will Huckabee Win In Iowa?

A report in the Washington Post suggests that former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee could be the surprising winner of Iowa's Republican caucus in January.

Huckabee has already pulled off one surprise in Iowa, finishing second behind Mitt Romney in the August straw poll. That poll was non-binding. The caucus in January won't be.

I have a friend in Arkansas who used to be a Democrat but now considers himself an independent. He has concluded -- as I have -- that experience as a governor (i.e., executive branch) is better, both for winning and for governing, than experience in the House or Senate (i.e., legislative branch).

It's hard to argue with that conclusion. Since 1960, we've had current and former vice presidents (Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush) and former governors (Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush) in the presidency, but only one sitting member of Congress (John F. Kennedy) has been elevated to the White House.