Mike Huckabee is the first candidate to announce who has also served as a Governor. He held his announcement on May 5 in his home town of Hope, Arkansas. The theme of the event was titled, “From Hope to Higher Ground.” It was not only a reference to humble beginnings in small town America but also a platform to contrast the false hope of Obama to real hope. The entire event lasted a little over an hour with his speech lasting about 30 minutes.
He began his speech with remembrances of growing up in Hope, Arkansas. He made reference to the American dream by saying that he was “raised to believe that where a person started didn’t mean that is where he had to stop.”