Here in Fortune Land we have never been quite so sanguine as the MSM has when it comes to picking dark horses and sticking with it. Here, from that very self-same MSM (The New York Times) we have a story of cum-upance to warm your heart. Pop open the rumble seat, this is starting to get interesting!

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, Nov. 8 — Mike Huckabee’s field staff had expected a modest crowd for a campaign event at a tiny rural community college near here on Wednesday. But as people began to cram into the shoe-box-size room, campaign organizers scurried to roll back a dividing wall and set up extra chairs.

To the Huckabee campaign, it was another small note in a recent trickle of encouraging moments. His fund-raising is up, the campaign just received its first major Christian conservative endorsement and most of all — to Mr. Huckabee’s obvious delight — opponents are beginning to take potshots at him.

From Back of G.O.P. Pack, Huckabee Is Stirring – New York Times

Huckabee has always hoped for this, to bloom too early would have killed his campaign, but now, less than two months out, is just about right. The Dems should be concerned, because Huckabee is the real deal, unlike his opponents, and his authenticity is the only real threat the Republicans have to face the Democrats with in less than a year from now (tick-tock)…