As predicted here, two new Iowa polls show Mike Huckabee in position to upset Mitt Romney. Talk about standing on Superman's cape. Huckabee is doing it partially by taking votes Fred Thompson needs to have any hope of getting out of Iowa with a viable campaign. So Fred has a problem too. I'm sure many nasty minds are at work this a.m. pondering how to put a karate chop of their own on Huckabee's campaign. No surprise Huck just hired a rapid response guy; he's gonna need one.

Look for mail, ads, phones, and the like to pour down on Huckabee soon. Along with this will come a much tougher media examination. Reporters are taking a hard look at the jovial governor, and he's probably going to wish he was trapped in a back alley with an angry Chuck Norris once he gets a taste of how the media portrays candidates who question Darwin and take a hard-core position on social issues.

Can Huckabee actually win? Yes, but it is still a long shot. He'd have to win Iowa, bounce in to New Hampshire and win or place a close second there, then sweep South Carolina and Florida. Hard to do with no money, but he is a good performer. Huckabee will raise more now but, as he does better in the polls, elite party donors and leaders will start asking themselves, "What would happen if we actually nominate this guy?"

My guess is the general conclusion will be Huckabee would be a big anchor in the general election, especially when compared with the chances of a Rudy, McCain, or Romney. Elite checkbooks will not open for that. In fact, dark plotting will begin to slow Huckabee down.

Ol' Huck deserves credit for getting this far, but success brings much higher stakes. The Goober act will have to go back to Mayberry. If Mike Huckabee is serious about winning, he must begin running a serious-minded campaign. He should lose the stupid Chuck Norris cartoons and start acting like a president. Or at least a vice president.