Iowa ad gambit may dent Huckabee's populist image

By Ed Stoddard

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (Reuters) - A political gambit over a negative campaign ad may hurt presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee's populist image just as he tops Iowa's polls in the race for the White House.

On Monday, three days before Iowa holds the first state nominating contest for the November 2008 election, the 52-year-old Huckabee told a packed news conference he had decided not to run a scathing TV commercial countering rival Mitt Romney's attacks on his record.

Then Huckabee proceeded to show reporters the commercial, which ensured that TV cable and network news channels would broadcast parts of it for free.

The advertisement took issue with Romney, a 60-year-old former Republican governor of Massachusetts, on a range of subjects from fiscal policy to abortion and accused him of being dishonest.

A Baptist preacher, Huckabee told reporters he had changed his mind about the ad because he wanted to run a positive campaign. But critics said that by showing it to the media, he made sure his attacks on Romney would be seen and heard.

Analysts saw political calculation in the act. Some said the incident was the latest of several gaffes that ultimately would burst Huckabee's surprise bubble at a critical moment in the lengthy presidential campaign.

"It looks slippery and starts to suggest he's not ready for prime time," said Stephen Hess, an expert on presidential politics at the private Brookings Institution in Washington.

Hess said a political blooper right before the Iowa caucuses can make a difference "because so many make up their mind at the last minute."

Huckabee's campaign said the decision was made in the heat of the campaign but that it showed he was a man of principle.

"We are hearing from lots of supporters who were energized by the decision," said Charmaine Yoest, a senior advisor to the Huckabee campaign.

Romney, speaking at a press conference after a house party in Johnston, Iowa, said Huckabee's approach to the campaign had been "anything but positive."

Doug Forret, a 45-year-old Huckabee supporter in the east Iowa city of Cedar Rapids, said the former Arkansas governor made the right decision to pull the ad.

"I think he said I don't want to go there and that's good. I'm not big on negative ads," he said just before Huckabee took the stage to play bass with a local band at an Elk's Lodge.

LEADS IN POLL

A Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Tuesday showed Huckabee widening his lead over Romney among Iowa Republicans to 29 percent to 25 percent ahead of Thursday's Iowa caucuses.