Former Gov. Mike Huckabee

The surge is working.

I said that when I was in Iraq for the second time. I also thought that this past week as I watched former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's GOP presidential popularity and political purse keep growing.

Signs of significant increase began a month ago when Huckabee took the top position in a straw poll conducted at the Values Voter Presidential Debate.

Another telltale sign came from the Rasmussen Reports, which reported last Friday, "for the first time ever – Mike Huckabee moving into the top four among those seeking the Republican presidential nomination."

I heard Sean Hannity and other pundits echo the very same thing last week, saying things like, "Mike has expanded the first-tier front-runners from four to five." The Huckabee surge has broken down the barrier of Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, John McCain and Mitt Romney.

When the saints come marching in

Mike's past week's popularity growth has been so significant that Alice Stewart, a spokeswoman for Mike, told WND, "It's going great! The good thing is the phones are ringing off the hook, and we can't even answer them all. The bad news is the phones are ringing off the hook, and we can't even answer them all."

The Huckabee surge is swelling. And why? Because, despite most of the media favoritism in air time and attention of more liberal candidates, Americans are privy to the ploys of preferred political posturing – not allowing their own oversight of the second tier of candidates. America is catching on to the reality that Mike is a well-rounded, real American patriot, who understands the plight of average citizens and has the experience and vision to lead America into the future.

Even the several books Mike has authored have shown his diversity of interests and commitments, from confronting the culture of violence to confronting bad health habits. His passion led him to not only be one of Time magazines top-rated governors in America, but prompted him to write texts on cutting taxes, maintaining constitutional pledges, being a person of character and integrity and restoring America's greatness.

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The urge to surge?

Speaking of surges, one of the questions that arises when I speak about Huckabee is, "Why does Mike take a tough and (with many) unpopular stand on staying the course with the Iraqi war?"

The first reason is Mike understands the real threat of terrorism. Sept. 11 wasn't just a bad dream – it was a nightmare reality. (We both think too many Americans have forgotten that.) Islamofascism is still a very real threat. And our war with it will not end in a draw. Extremists don't negotiate. They only want to annihilate. We will fight them overseas, or we will fight them on our streets.

So is another 9/11 possible? Mike gave WND his answer:

There's almost an inevitability, not just a possibility. It will happen again. And it'll happen because we face an enemy that is not a nation-state that can be contained within borders and boundaries, because their war is not about borders and boundaries. Islamofascism is rooted in a theocratic Islamic jihadism that seeks to destroy and annihilate every last one of us. It wants to establish a complete Islamic theocracy across the world, and for that to happen it means our culture has to be completely snuffed out. There's no peaceful co-existence, there's no accommodation, there's no na?ve nonsense that if we leave them alone they leave us alone. This is a war someone will win and someone will lose. Whoever perseveres and whoever has the strongest will, will in fact win, and that's why we can't give up.

Huckabee believes that we are currently engaged in a world war. That is why Mike takes a strong stand for staying the course in the Middle East. He doesn't believe the war in Iraq is an isolated battle primarily about oil, WMD or Saddam Hussein. As he says on on his website, "Iraq is a battle in our generational, ideological war on terror." Mike refuses to stick his head in the sand as some do, saying, "The Democrats deny that the war in Iraq is part of the war on terror even as we fight al-Qaida there."

And the military surge in Iraq is not just about us getting the upper hand of war, but, according to Mike, "The surge is a military means to achieve the political end of sectarian reconciliation among the Iraqis." And it's working – I witnessed the difference firsthand on two trips to Iraq in 2006 and 2007. Officers backed what we experienced with evidence in briefings. Areas that were hotbeds of artillery fire have become havens for military bases. And though our troops remain in harm's way, and many will still give their lives in the cause of freedom, they are progressively and strategically securing town by town across the country. I pray for their success every day.

And will success come? Mike believes so. So do I, and so do the troops I saw abroad. But it will not come if we set timetables. As Huckabee notes, "Setting a timetable for withdrawal is a mistake. This country has never declared war until 'a week from Wednesday.' We have always declared war until victory."

Can America ever have victory in war again?

It's unfortunate that it seems America can no longer fight a war it can't win in a minimal amount of time. We don't have the patience we used to. God forbid we get into a war that requires our perseverance before our preference to finish. Is that not where we are today with the war on terror?

As a commander in chief, Huckabee will persevere. Why? He explains, "Withdrawal would have serious strategic consequences for us and horrific humanitarian consequences for the Iraqis." And for Americans too, as our absence from the Middle East region will leave a vacuum for someone to fill – and the likely candidate to fill that hole will be an enemy of the state.

Huckabee promises to negotiate with other Middle East countries about partnering in security and peacetime measures. As he says, "I support a regional summit so that Iraq's neighbors become militarily and financially committed to stabilizing Iraq. … With a focus on renewed diplomacy and inclusion, we can accomplish the goals of our nation without having to go it alone."

Mike assures us, "As president, I will fight this war hard, but I will also fight it smart, using all our political, economic, diplomatic and intelligence weapons as well as our military might. "

That's where Mike Huckabee stands on national security and the war on terror – and I support him for it. One more reason why he's my choice for president. (I will address other Huckabee positions in future articles.)

Speaking of our service men and women, with Veteran's Day coming up Sunday, Nov. 11, I hope everyone will make plans to commemorate the heroes who have served our country and freedom by joining a church or civil service that esteems them and our troops.

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