"One of the frustrations is that there is more attention on Britney Spears getting out of a car without underwear than there is about who is going to be the next president."
-- Mike Huckabee, quoted by CNN, complaining about the lack of media attention to his campaign.
Disclosure: I support Barack Obama.
Republicans
I went to Huckabee's website. It is the site for his exploritory committee (I thought he announced) and it is filled with little video clips from good Christians who want to see another good Christian in the White House. He it appears that he now has 400 volunteers. Way to go Mike.
Rudy Giuliani has a much more substantial campaign. In Orange County last week he attracted 1100 people to an event. Looking at his website, he stresses his endorsements and the nice things that people like George Will Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity say about him. He is a real contender, but it doesn't look like he has much of a campaign.
Mitt Romney has a substantial campaign to go after the white Christian vote. It's hard to see how he would extend past that, but he is raising lots of money and has quite a bit of activity. No numbers.
John McCain has a sad campaign. It is a shadow of the 2000 campaign. The people who admired him for standing up to the Christian Right are deeply disappointed that he now seeks their support. The Christian Right is deeply suspicious of McCain for having spit at them in 2000. Hasta la vista.
Democrats
Clinton has a strong national campaign. She drew 8,000 at a rally in Washington DC for her Club 44 event. She continues to build an impressive list of endorsements which are more important that endorsements for Republican candidates. According to Democratic rules, "super-delegates" or the party leaders and elected officials (PLEO) are seated at the convention. She could lose every single primary and still win the nomination due to these superdelegates.
Edwards also has an impressive national campaign. His One Corps grassroots campaign has some support throughout the nation. He never mentions the size of these groups, but rather stresses the key endorsements that he has won. (if someone has better information that this, please let me know)
Obama has, by far, the most impressive grass roots campaign today. Last weekend 10,000 of his volunteers walked in neighborhoods in every state and contacted 500,000 voters. His rallies draw tens of thousands. His fundraising stresses small donations from over 100,000 people. He has, by a long shot, the most impressive grass roots campaign.
I'm supporting Obama, but I don't think any of the Democrats are bad people and some of them would make fine presidents.
And, Gov. Huckabee, there is more attention paid to Britney Spears underwear than YOUR campaign, but not necessarily the Presidential campaign.