Decided to start a clean thread on the tour to post reports and pictures of the book tour.

I just got home from today's Iowa stops: Davenport, Dubuque, and Waterloo.

Here is a quick rundown. May post some pics later, but have to get some sleep before tomorrow starts it all over again. We missed the bullet on all of the bad weather for the tour, timing was perfect. Great turnout, great day. Mike looked fantastic, well rested and totally happy to be on the road and sounded presidential in his interviews. David is traveling with him. The crowds were 99.99% in favor of Mike, wanting my 2012 buttons and shirt, anxious to get bumper stickers. Only one grumpy former Romney team member in Dubuque who wanted to spend more time with Mike and was not happy to be moved along in the line. She said he was rude along with some other words that we don't normally type on a HA post! Very obviously not a Huckabee supporter.

Guesstimate is approximately 300 at Davenport and Dubuque stops and 200-300 in Waterloo - not sure if anyone got a good count. Was good to see some younger people along with us middle-aged and seniors. Lots of questions if he was going to run - they want him to. Some very passionate comments regarding Mike's integrity and ability to lead this country. Very moving at times. Crowds anxious to sign up for email and some text updates and take Team Huck literature.

The tour is off to a great start!

After reading my comments, wanted to point out that the Romney supporter said he was rude to Iowans Rock after going through the line and seeing her Team Huck shirt, not directly to Mike. Also, weather looks great for travel tomorrow - all clear.

A total pleasure to meet you and your very mature and gorgeous granddaughter today, Granny T. Wish we could have had more time to talk. Was also fun to meet other Huckabee supporters from facebook, etc.

Also got to meet Shelly in person for the first time. She is a doll and hard worker. Mike is blessed to have her on his team!

Please post pictures when you get the chance. I'm looking forward to seeing them

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Crowds in Waterloo, Iowa. These are the people snaking in and out of the rows to get their books signed. Happy Iowans! Picture of the back of Iowans Rock working the crowd in Blue Team Huck shirt on right side.

On the Bus in Waterloo, Iowa.

These were the books stacked up as you came in the door. This picture was taken just before Mike entered and the people in the long line had already taken theirs.

This picture was also taken in Waterloo (sorry, I didn't take my camera into Dubuque or Davenport). His son David is on the left, (to Mike's right). David talked to us for a long time and he is as delightful to visit with as his dad. David is Mike and Janet's second child and his wife is expecting their first grandchild this summer.

Here is a close up of the book signing. David looks just like Mike, doesn't he?

Picture of Mike being interviewed by the media after the signing. At some stops (not sure if it is all), when the lines are finished, he will sign books for the store to keep in stock while at the same time talking to the media. I thought David said it was 100 books, but I may be wrong.

At the Iowa stops on Sunday we handed out Huckabee2012 bumper stickers. Everyone wanted one. Also Shelley had a few Hucksarmy business type cards and we also had a page of websites were supporters could go to network with other Huckabee supporters. Hucksarmy was listed on the handout.

It was great to see so many people from young to seasoned citizens at every stop. The Dubuque stop had people who had driven over from Wisconsin.

Mike looked very relaxed and it was easy to tell he was having fun. I thought there were lots of reporters/media at each stop. I was wearing my "I (heart) Huckabee" shirt with a button that said "I caucused for Mike Huckabee/2008" and a sticker that we had been handing out that said "Huck" and even my shirt was photographed. (Yikes!)

Iowa Hucksarmy will be at the 3 stops in Iowa today. !

It was GREAT to meet you and a few other Huck's Army buddies, too!
Domo (nickname for Dominique) is such a blessing to me. She was so excited about meeting Gov. Huckabee and her grandmother's Huck's Army/Team Huck/Facebook friends. She really enjoyed helping gather contact information for Team Huck and talking with so many fellow Huckabee supporters.

The most exciting thing for her was getting to spend a few minutes with the Governor and getting her picture taken with him after telling him she wanted him to run again so her very first vote could be for him. He told her that IF he does he's counting on her vote.

Domo was able to run out front to open the door him as he was leaving. She was very impressed that he remembered her name and said, "Thank you, Domo." As he was getting on the bus she yelled, "I love you, Huckabee!" and he responded with, "I love you, too!" What an "amazing day" for an impressionable teenager.


She is such a blessing to the cause. Thank you, Shelley for all you do!

I've been trying to add some of the pictures we took and keep getting this message:

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Psalms 144:1 "Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:"

Some more coverage of the book tour:

http://www.kwwl.com/Global/story.asp?S=14152015 KWWL - Waterloo, Iowa Television Station - I like that they included this in the story:

http://race42012.com/2011/03/01/neither-home-mortgage-nor-fox-news-contract-will-keep-mike-huckabee-from-his-appointed-rounds/ Had the pleasure of having David with us on a few of the stops and having lunch with him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=248-hKXrXZs

http://www.dailyiowan.com/2011/03/01/Metro/21708.html This is basically an independent paper that is distributed widely to University of Iowa students and staff, as well as many other people in the community. Was heartwarming to see how many students showed up at the Iowa City stop on the University of Iowa campus. The area is extremely liberal.

From a Cedar Rapids TV Station:
http://iowacaucus.com/2011/02/27/huckabee-in-iowa-as-he-mulls-presidential-bid/

Does anyone know the names of all the guys that were with Mike in the tour bus? I'm assuming from the captions by the pictures that David is the tall guy with the shiny head. Who is the younger guy with glasses? And there was another younger guy, too. Who is he?

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Psalms 144:1 "Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:"

Great pictures. Thanks for sharing them.

Here are 42 photos my wife posted of the book signing in West Des Moines on Monday night with Governor Mike Huckabee and his new book, "A Simple Government"

After the link opens - you can click on the photos to enlarge them.

Thanks,
Randy

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=gro ... 2363203642

Although we heard a few negative comments during the Iowa leg of the book tour, the overwhelming majority of the comments were very positive - repeatedly words and phrases like:

genuine;
integrity;
real;
ability to speak on any subject without hesitation, off the top of his head, or a lot of "ummms";
solid conservative;
leader;
I like him;
we need him;
he's the only one....

One of my favorite parts of the tour was listening to people sing Mike's praises and realizing the deep support that he still has, not only in Iowa, but in the people who traveled for miles from Illinois, Wisconsin, Nebraska (a HA member whose husband was sporting a purple tie! - navyqueen), and Minnesota to see him.

On top of those supporters, there were many who came to see him because they watched his show. This is just the beginning for them. After encountering his genuine attention and gratitude for coming to the book signing, they will pay more attention as the year progresses, and become strong supporters. Many stood around and listened when he talked to reporters and saw first hand his level of knowledge and ease at discussing any topic while at the same time signing books.

I know it's off-topic, but thanks for writing all this, Granny T. We are adopting a young boy from Africa, and his name is Dominique. So I really enjoyed reading about your granddaughter

There was one young lady from the University of Iowa who was at the first book stop in Davenport interviewing us and others and then Mike at the media event he held at the end of each signing. She was such a sweetheart (an absolute doll - polite, mature, respectful), and since we spent a lot of time together at a few of the other stops, we Team Huck members had the opportunity to talk with her a great deal and enjoyed discussing the tour and Mike. She had chosen Mike to write a paper on for a project and admitted that as a registered Democrat, when she first started the project she didn't have a very high opinion of him. By the time we had reached the stop on the UI campus, she not only had changed her mind, but wanted to have her picture taken with him and told us and him that she would vote for him. It was fun to see the progression take place and see what many of us here have said many times; once people meet Mike, hear him talk and see who he really is versus what the media portrays him as, people can't help but like him and will eventually end up supporting him. We offered her any help we could give her with her project and she is going to send us a copy of her final report. Can't wait to read it!

I don't know but the book boys were cute.....

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"We fought, we dreamed, that dream is still with us."
Ronald Reagan, 1976

TEAM HUCK IOWA
http://www.facebook.com/TeamHuckIowa