Feb. 12, 2008
Despite Pressure, Huckabee Stays In Race
Washington Post: Conservatives Rally Around McCain, But Rival Says He Won't Drop Out
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Will Huckabee Stay In Race?
GOP presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee has the odds against him in gaining the nomination. Will he stay in the race to the White House? Huckabee discusses his campaign plans with Bob Schieffer.
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Can Mike Huckabee Win?
Mike Huckabee is not bowing out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination even though John McCain has an overwhelming lead in the delegate count. Randall Pinkston reports.
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Karl Rove On Campaign '08
Republican strategist Karl Rove tells Bob Schieffer that GOP presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee should stay in the race, despite the overwhelming lead of candidate John McCain.
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Republican presidential hopeful, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, speaks to students and supporters at the University of Maryland in College Park, Md. on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2008. Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia hold primary elections Tuesday. (AP)
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Mike Huckabee
A look at the life and times of Mike Huckabee.
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At a private meeting of conservatives in the House of Representatives last month, Rep. Patrick T. McHenry (N.C.) ridiculed Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), asking why his fellow right-wing activists "shouldn't be physically ill at the prospects of a President McCain."
On Monday, McHenry -- apparently feeling fine -- joined the chorus of voices calling for conservatives to unify around McCain as the likely Republican nominee, and he accused former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee of waging a pointless nomination battle because he is "in there for himself."
The Republican establishment has already begun to embrace McCain, who has built an enormous lead among delegates and whose staff has taken to calling him the "presumptive nominee." McCain on Monday won the support of former Florida governor Jeb Bush and Gary Bauer, a onetime presidential candidate and former head of the Family Research Council. The previous day, President Bush offered to defend McCain against charges that he is no friend to conservatives.
And yet Huckabee shows no interest in stepping aside after his surprising strength in the South and Midwest powered him to eight victories in the past week. Polling shows him trailing in Tuesday's "Potomac Primary" voting in Virginia, Maryland and D.C. But he insists that he will not drop out until McCain has gathered the delegates needed to claim the Republican nomination -- a process that could take weeks.
Speaking to hundreds in Virginia Beach, Huckabee mocked the "national media" and "party bosses" for pushing a "coronation" of McCain.
"By the way, since it's all over, it's an interesting thing someone didn't tell the people in Kansas and somebody forget to tell the folks in Louisiana," he told the crowd, referring to his defeat of McCain in those two states over the weekend. "We are in this race for you and every other conservative American."
Huckabee's refusal to bow to the pressure of almost hourly McCain endorsements has made him the target of some in the GOP, who fear that an ongoing string of embarrassing defeats for the senator could hurt fundraising and delay efforts to refocus the battle on the Democrats.
Rep. Jeb Hensarling (Tex.), who heads a group of 100 conservatives in the House, on Monday urged his colleagues to "enthusiastically support" McCain, sending a not-so-subtle message in a statement that "the primary is all but over whether we like it or not -- no disrespect to Governor Huckabee."
McCain has refused to publicly join in the pressure campaign, saying only that "we have close to 800 delegates," and "last time I checked, Governor Huckabee had very few, so I think I'm happy with the situation I'm in." As of Monday night, McCain had 729 delegates of the 1,191 needed to win the nomination, while Huckabee had 241, according to an Associated Press tally.
Aides said McCain wants to respect the process. "There's an etiquette that takes place," senior adviser Steve Schmidt said. "The McCain campaign respects Governor Huckabee's right to participate for as long as he wishes to."
The string of losses is forcing McCain to do more to reach out to conservatives, dropping campaign literature in Virginia churches and contacting Catholic leaders about the senator's antiabortion record.
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), a onetime rival who is working to set up meetings between McCain and evangelical leaders, said McCain will start doing better among religious voters once he gets to know their leaders personally. "John's got to get to know them," he said.
But McCain's campaign strategists do not believe Huckabee's presence will create the kind of damage that Ronald Reagan did when he challenged President Gerald R. Ford in 1976 or that Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) did to President Jimmy Carter four years later. Both incumbents were weakened by protracted nomination battles and lost in the general election.
By contrast, McCain's losses in conservative areas now could make him more palatable to some moderates in the general election, aides argue. And the continued focus on Huckabee gives McCain time to build his national organization out of the spotlight, one aide said.
"I don't mind having the time that comes with this," an aide said. "It slows down the pace of the game."
Huckabee aides aren't optimistic about winning any of the states in Tuesday's primaries, though they are competing hard in Virginia, and further losses make it closer to mathematically impossible for Huckabee to win the GOP nomination.
But Huckabee seems determined to compete until that is officially the case. His aides said while he has only about $1 million in cash on hand, he's raising about $150,000 a day, enough to continue running his campaign. A competition for Wisconsin comes Feb. 19, but the real focus is Texas on March 4.
In a series of television and campaign appearances Monday, Huckabee and his aides and supporters pushed back against the idea of an early departure. On Saturday, he joked that he planned to stay in because, "I have nowhere to go, right?"
"Even many McCain supporters have told us that they appreciate the constructive role that Governor Huckabee can play in the months to come, because a vigorous discussion will keep all the media 'oxygen' from migrating over to the Democratic contest," Huckabee chairman Ed Rollins and campaign manager Chip Saltsman wrote to supporters.
Rep. Bob Inglis (R-S.C.), one of five members of Congress to endorse Huckabee, said Monday that he has heard nothing from McCain backers about Huckabee dropping out. Nor, he said, should he.
Competition will help hone McCain's message and battle-test him for the general election, Inglis said, adding that Huckabee has energized a wing of the Republican Party and could be an attractive running mate.
"He'd bring some excitement to the ticket and a dimension that seems to be in short supply in Republican circles -- the ability to talk about issues of the heart, to express emotions, passion and understanding for people of ordinary means," Inglis said. "That's what Mike Huckabee has in bucketfuls."
Rep. John Linder (R-Ga.), another Huckabee supporter, agreed. "John McCain went from being nowhere last August," Linder said. "He had the gumption to pull himself into this race all by himself. He's not going to be embarrassed by this."
But Huckabee still has a delicate job -- drawing distinctions with McCain on the stump while not going too far or attacking him by name. His stump speech now has a heavy emphasis on not allowing a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants and his support of constitutional bans on same-sex marriage and abortion -- positions that contrast with those of McCain.
"What has the Senate done lately, other than try to put before you an immigration bill you hated so much you burned and melted their phone lines until they finally got the message that they work for us, it's not the other way around?" he said to loud applause Monday.
By Perry Bacon Jr. and Jonathan Weisman
© 2008 The Washington Post Company
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See all 72 CommentsToo bad John you should have changed parties I would have voted for you but now I have too much fear you are just a neo con in sheeps clothing.
Fool me once (Nixon) shame on you, fool me twice (Bush) shame on me, fool me three times not a chance.
"F**k you! I know more about this than anyone in the room." - John McCain to fellow GOP Senator John Cornyn on the Senate floor on May 18 2007 when Cornyn had the audacity to oppose McCain''s bill granting amnesty to illegal immigrants.
McHenry and others like him point to the failure of American Democracy. Rather than let the people decide, they want to pervert the system.
Why are we trying to export democracy to Iraq when it''s not working here. The 40,000 plus registered lobbyist in Washington DC would be further evidence that the people no longer have a voice and that the "American experiment" has failed.
Although this is unsaid, I assume that Huckabee, like all politicos out there (with the exception of Ron Paul) is for continuing the failed War On Drugs. As far as endorsements go, I also dislike Chuck Norris, and his placement at Huckabee''s side makes him even less likeable.
McCain has already crowned himself the Republican prince. He is busy challenging the Democrats while over 47% of the Republican delegates have not been awarded. McCain has not heard your voice and wants to pack up his Republican nomination campaign and declare victory.
Despite what John McCain and the Republican establishment are now saying, the race is not over, and John McCain is not the right man to lead the Republican party into November.
Total Delegates: 2382 (1191 for nomination)
Delegates Awarded
McCain 719
Romney 282
Huckabee 234
Paul 14
Total 1249
Remaining Delegates 1133
Huckabee needs 957 delegates (84.4% of the remaining delegates), but McCain still needs 472 (41.6% of the remaining delegates). Huckabee would be an extreme long shot to get to 1191 before the convention, but with a mandate from the conservative wing of the Republican party, he can close the gap between himself and McCain and take this to the convention.
It''s not over, let''s get out there and support a true conservative who won''t align himself with the liberal congress. VOTE HUCKABEE!!
DON''T VOTE FOR THE DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS RUBBER STAMP!!!!!!!!!!
And the MSM isn''t calling them on it. Figures.
I predicted Romney''s departure before Super Tuesday, saying that Huckabee would do well in the South, better than most would give him credit for.I also said if this happens and Romney doesn''t win CA, than he would leave the race.I am going to predict again, that Huckabee may not win in MD or DC,but satnds a chance in VA.Yet, even if he loses all three, he will go on to win Texas and maybe even Ohio.However, watch the next debate at the end of February.Huckabee hasn''t been given equal time as of recent in these debates but now they will be forced to do so,and watch what happens. God Bless, I''m in MD I have to go VOTE....FOR MIKE HUCKABEE!!!
Do we give up at half time because we are behind? What happened to "It ain''t over till its over?" Plenty of teams have come back and won in the second half.
The primaries are half over. Of course it is very likely that McCain will win. But what in the world is wrong with playing the whole game? Why do people admire determination in a football game but ridicule a candidate who won''t give up at halftime?
Honestabe8, I don''t think there''s anything wrong with a "Preacher" running the country. I don''t think he trying to push his beliefs or faith on anyone. I wouldn''t expect him to belittle it either, just to get votes.
Neither does Huckabee. He is conservative only on social issues and moderate (sometimes liberal) on all the rest. His rise has never been about his policies, issues, or personality. His rise was due only to him being an alternative to Romney--who a significant amount of evangelicals were unwilling to support due to his religion.
In the early 1980%u2019s Baptists learned that 40% of Mormon converts were from their churches. They started an active campaign to defame Mormonism that was and is mostly dishonest and inflammatory. I would suggest that evangelicals study Mormonism from the Mormons prior to the next election so that the man who should be president gets the GOP nomination.
of course that is pushing their belief. congrats to your daughter about her straight A''s. there are plenty of people i know who see through theism, so where does that lead us?
The bigger picture is this, to me there''s no "perfect candidate". I find it hard to believe there''s anyone you would believe wholeheartedly with. You need to find that candidate that you relate to on issues the most. Fundamentally, i could never vote Democrat...why? because I would never vote for someone that was pro-choice.....end of discussion for me. Take care everyone, Vote Huckabee!
Pass the plate!
It is also in my view false to say that life in AMERICA today is solely determined by considerations of foreign policy, that the primacy of foreign policy governs today the whole of our domestic life. Certainly people can reach the point when foreign relations influence and determine completely its domestic life. But let no one say that such a CONDITION is from the first either natural or desirable. Rather the important thing is that people should CREATE the conditions for CHANGE in this state of affairs.
Answer
Hit-lers quote Jan 27 1932
will you please explain to me why christians say ''do what jesus would do'' but yet not except on sunday. oh, wait they go out to eat after church, so they do not even keep the sabbath holy. that has always confused me.
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