In the last couple of weeks, Iowans saw a new face atop the GOP polls, a dwindling campaign resurrected with the endorsement of Iowa’s largest newspaper, and one contender throwing in the towel while simultaneously endorsing the former frontrunner.

Welcome to the Iowa caucuses, where five months is a lifetime.

Just ask former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who, having recently usurped the position of former Massachussetts Gov. Mitt Romney, now leads the latest polls in Iowa. However, this was not the case the last time Huckabee visited Johnson County, Iowa’s Democratic stronghold, in July, when he delivered some good tongue-in-cheek news.

“A new AP poll shows I was actually the new leader in the entire race,” Huckabee told a crowd of 45 gathered at the North Liberty Pizza Ranch. “The poll says that the new leader is ‘none of the above.’ I am none of the above, since I’m not those guys at the top. What a great day for me. The dynamics of this race are beginning to change. Our campaign has been on an upward trajectory. Iowa has a great tradition of telling the national media that maybe they didn’t quite get it right and maybe their picks aren’t quite America’s picks.”

Prophetic? Maybe so. Huckabee returned to Johnson County Friday, only this time he was greeted by over 250 people crammed into a meeting room at the Marriott Hotel in Coralville. A large contingency of the crowd, roughly a third, was composed of younger people — college-aged and younger. This was not lost on two elderly gentlemen standing by the media pit. “Boy, there sure are a lot of young folks here,” one gentleman said to the other.Huckabee charmed the crowd with his populist message, disarming them with his sense of humor as he took on his opponents’ negative attacks, the ruling class, Congress, the IRS, and the Clinton machine. Pointing out a sign in the audience, “Chuck Norris Approved,” Huckabee noted that this can’t be done alone, and it helps to have Chuck Norris watching his back. (See pic of Hawkeyes for Huckabee holding signs, at left.)

Huckabee wasted no time appealing to Iowans and their coveted first-in-the-nation caucus responsibility by bucking the national polls and media in the process. “Despite being outspent 20 to 1 in Iowa, we’re seeing a tremendous amount of enthusiastic support across the state,” Huckabee said. “What this is saying is much more than Mike Huckabee. It’s saying something about the caucus process. It’s saying Iowans can’t be bought, or as I said after the Ames Straw Poll, `Iowans cannot be rented.’”

This message has appealed to University of Iowa student and Hawkeyes-for-Huckabee Chair Brad Brett: “Huckabee caught my attention awhile back, despite the fact he’s not a money candidate. Now he’s got everyone’s attention and people are starting to take him seriously.”

Alluding to recent criticisms launched against his campaign, more notably Romney’s recent attacks, Huckabee commended Iowans for their resistance to wholeheartedly accepting negative critiques, especially if the source is one of the candidate’s opponents. “Iowa gets the first bite of the apple,” Huckabee said. It’s best for the country that a candidate who wants to be president has to come to the middle of America and talk to folks who understand what it’s like to get the rent paid, put food on the table and struggle with things that people in the real world where you live do. Sometimes people get elected to office and they forget that they were elected to the serving class, not the ruling class. And the average person is the ruling class.”

Brett has been impressed by how Huckabee has handled criticisms from his rivals and has not gone to the negative side. “I hope this pays off at the caucuses,” Brett said. “I’m tired of all the mudslinging and personal attacks, when we should be focusing on the candidates’ substance and what they stand for.”

Maintaining a positive approach has also resonated well with Coralville resident and grassroots organizer Lindsey Helpser: “Best of all, Huckabee has chosen to stay positive. I realize that negative attacks are part of politics, but this is also why a lot of people don’t want to get involved.”

Huckabee set his sights on Congress, arguing that they are so completely paralyzed, because they are so polarized. “They can’t get anything done. The best thing they can do is go home. When they’re in business, they’re dangerous. When they go home, we at least have some relief for a little while.

“It doesn’t seem to matter whether it’s Republicans or Democrats in charge, they’re more interested in defeating the other side than they are in winning something that will help our lives. Americans are tired of this and want to see change.”

Huckabee took aim at the current tax system, which he contends is dysfunctional, to pitch his Fair Tax proposal. Citing a poll conducted by FOX News, Huckabee said, “The average American is more afraid of being audited than being mugged. This didn’t make sense at first, but when you think about it, it does make sense. When you get mugged it only lasts a few seconds. When the IRS comes after you, they don’t quit until they have every last dime and it could take years,” Huckabee quipped.

“I’m the only person running for president who has done something that might have to be done next year, and that’s run against and win against the incredibly, formidable force of the Clinton machine. I’ve done it four times, I’ve won four times, and I would like to round it out by doing it just one more time.”

Huckabee ended his stump speech by pitching for support at the caucuses and reminding Iowans that, “You can’t buy the White House — you’ll have to earn it the old-fashioned way.”

After Huckabee’s speech, the Iowa Independent caught up with former Iowa Rep. Danny Carroll of Grinnell, who is serving alongside Bob Vander Plaats as Huckabee’s state co-chair. Carroll touched on Huckabee’s latest surge and viability. “People across Iowa have responded to Huckabee’s sincerity and genuineness and we’re starting to see the press converge on his campaign. People are seeing that he’s a viable candidate,” Carroll said. “There’s always been a reservoir of willingness to support Huckabee in Iowa, but people were holding off their support to see if he would be viable.”

Pressed as to why this was the case, Carroll told the Iowa Independent, “Holding off before committing is typical for a lot of Iowans. They don’t want to commit to candidates early, knowing they may want or have to retract later for another candidate,” Carroll said. “Iowa voters are not easily swayed by the early polls and the lack of media coverage for some of the lesser-known candidates. Huckabee is the perfect example of the Iowa caucuses doing what they are supposed to be doing.”