Cause celebre: Chuck and Huck join forces

Suddenly, Huckabee became the presidential example of tough-guy cool. You thought Fred Thompson was going to be the law-and-order candidate? He was looking like a worn-out hound dog on Wednesday as Huckabee strode into the CNN-YouTube debate with the still-buffed-up 67-year-old Norris by his side.

8220;If you are going after those evildoers, you want Norris with you,8221; said longtime Democratic strategist Rick Taylor, only half-joking. 8220;That8217;s how I look at it. Norris for secretary of Defence. I feel safer already.8221;

To understand the Chuck Norris phenomenon and why it8217;s a factor in Huckabee8217;s popularity surge, you8217;ve got to be hip, Web-savvy or 13.

As strange as it may seem, the Norris cult seems to have begun in the generally liberal precincts of late-night television when NBC8217;s Conan O8217; Brien began satirising Norris8217; famous TV character, Walker, Texas Ranger, in 2004. The fad quickly spread to the Net, where sites were created extolling Norris as the ultimate alpha male and the international symbol of implacable macho.

Many of these sites revolve around satirical descriptions of the karate champion, who got his start in Hollywood in 1969 with a small part in the Dean Martin movie The Wrecking Crew. Some of the best lines about Norris on the Web:
8220;Chuck Norris doesn8217;t wear a watch; he decides what time it is.8221;
8220;When the boogeyman goes to bed, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.8221;
8220;Chuck Norris8217; tears cure cancer. Too bad he8217;s never cried. Ever.8221;
8220;Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.8221;
8220;There8217;s no chin behind Chuck Norris8217; beard. This is only another fist.8221;

Norris has responded to all the attention with good humour, poking fun at the phenomenon in columns he8217;s written for the conservative WorldNetDaily Internet site. In June, he released a satirical list of the things he would do as president. Among them: 8220;Increase jobs in America by sending ninja teams to steal them back from other countries8221; and 8220;Tattoo an American flag with the words, 8216;In God We Trust,8217; on the forehead of every atheist.8217;8221;

In October, Norris, a longtime Republican, decided to get serious and endorse a presidential candidate for real. He wrote in his column: 8220;Like most of you, over the summer and fall, I8217;ve been watching, listening, studying and praying about who could lead this country as our next president. 8220;I won8217;t leave you in suspense,8221; Norris said.

He endorsed Huckabee, an ordained Baptist minister who shares many of Norris8217; religious and social views. They both dispute the theory of evolution, for example.

Like Norris, the charming Huckabee is a social conservative with a sense of humour and an eye for the Internet8217;s influence. He parlayed Norris8217; endorsement into a YouTube campaign commercial in which the candidate recites the fictional Chuck Norris jokes and Norris gives his substantive reasons for supporting the former Arkansas governor.

Subsequently, Huckabee has surged in the polls, particularly in Iowa, and Norris has been with him every step of the way on the campaign trail. He sat in the second row at Wednesday8217;s debate and later gave glowing interviews about his candidate8217;s performance. The whole thing was posted on the Internet.

One of Norris8217; former reps found himself inundated this week with calls from reporters eager to speak with the legendary tough guy. 8220;Is he still working?8221; puzzled the public-relations man. Obviously he is. He8217;s got Google to prove it.
-Tina DauntLAT-WP