Runner-up Huckabee Big Winner in Iowa

Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee was a surprise winner in Iowa's straw poll yesterday when he came in a strong second, which may have catapulted him into the top tier. He pulled 18.1% of the vote to Mitt Romney’s 31.5%. Huckabee's performance is particularly impressive given that he spent almost no money on the race, report's Politico's Roger Simon.

Huckabee, who’d said he’d drop his candidacy without a strong third-place finish, took aim at what he characterized as Romney’s candy coating of the issues. He'll likely find himself in the money now, because the “silver medal is more important than the gold," said Salon’s Michael Scherer. (More Mike Huckabee stories.)