Huckabee plames media for lack of attention to Michigan primary

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BY QUAD-CITY TIMES | Monday, November 26, 2007 11:39 PM CST | () comments

Huckabee blames media

Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee said Monday that Michigan may have hurt its presidential primary by moving it up to Jan. 15.

Speaking in a conference call with bloggers, Huckabee said the media should get the blame for the lack of attention on Michigan.

“Even though Michigan moved up, the media’s perception of Michigan hasn’t moved up to the same level as Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina,” he said.

He thinks campaigns are responding to the lack of media attention by not investing much time or money in the state.

Huckabee said Michigan would have gotten more attention if its move to Jan. 15 had not been so sudden. Iowa and New Hampshire moved up the dates of their nominating contests, partly in response to Michigan. The Iowa caucuses will be Jan. 3, and the New Hampshire primary will be Jan. 8.

“Michigan pushed up so quick, so early, against the traditional states of New Hampshire and Iowa, that they may have done themselves a disservice rather than a service,” he said.

Michigan lawmakers approved the new primary date earlier this year, but the date wasn’t settled until this month when a legal challenge was resolved.