MANCHESTER – Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee worked yesterday to breathe more life into his campaign the New Hampshire way: Inviting a crowded living room to pepper him with questions.

Engaging in the retail politics for which the state is famous, Huckabee said the New Hampshire Primary would launch him from the second tier of candidates and relative obscurity on the national level.

The pastor turned politician continued to tout his success in the Iowa straw poll a week ago, a result his New Hampshire supporters said shows the leading Republican candidates do not have a lock on the race.

"Iowa shows he's got a good chance," said Holly Kessler, a supporter from Gonic.

Huckabee positions himself as a battle-tested candidate, one with the experience to capture the race. "My entire life has been that of the underdog," Huckabee said in Manchester. "We can turn some things around in New Hampshire just like what happened in Iowa. It rocked the whole earth as far as the way this race is beginning to shape up."

The campaign makeover was complete when Cliff Hurst, his New Hampshire co-chairman, called the Iowa straw poll a "win" rather than Huckabee placing second behind Mitt Romney. Though Rudy Giuliani and John McCain were absent, the second place was as good as a win, Hurst said.

Supporters and undecided voters listening to Huckabee yesterday considered it along the same lines because of the related boost in name recognition and fund-raising ability. Dan Pichette, an undecided Independent voter who hosted the house party in Manchester, said the Iowa poll is giving the candidate momentum and make the race more interesting.

"You never know," he said, citing Bill Clinton's rebound in New Hampshire in 1992.

Kessler said her friends previously asked her how she could support Huckabee, who even a month ago barely registered in state polls. But she said Huckabee's experience and integrity makes him stand out. She also likes that he is pro-life.

Huckabee underscored his pro-life beliefs yesterday in Manchester, positioning himself as the social conservative in the race. "I'm not pro-life because of politics. I got into politics because I'm very pro-life," he said.

Huckabee promised he would get tough on immigration, lessen U.S. demand on foreign oil, improve schools and reform the tax code. He peppered his living room talk with jokes and anecdotes of a modest upbringing.

State Rep. Jason Bedrick of Windham, who has endorsed Huckabee, said the former governor's skill at retail politics made him a strong candidate in New Hampshire, where voters expect personal interaction with those running for president.

State Sen. Robert Clegg, who is with the Huckabee campaign, said his candidate shines one-on-one with people. He calls Huckabee the most accessible candidate in the 2008 field, something that will help him out in New Hampshire.

"Iowa is the place where candidates fashion their message and New Hampshire is the place where the message gets tested," Clegg said.

The testing continues today. Huckabee campaigns in Manchester and Nashua before flying to South Carolina. The campaign said it planned to announce early this week the endorsement of two or three prominent New Hampshire Republicans.