The former governor of Arkansas is more genuinely congenial than any other Republican candidate, with the possible exception of Fred Thompson. When Huckabee smiles — as he often does both on stage and in talking to voters one-on-one — the smiles are authentic, appearing and fading away naturally. They're not pushed onto the face or suddenly dropped, like a fake social smile will be. Even when he's not being his usual upbeat self, his face is animated, such as when he gathers his eyebrows together in a sign of concern while talking about oil dependence or dislike for the current tax system.