Posted on 02/20/2008 2:04:57 AM PST by Kurt Evans
Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee vowed Tuesday to continue his campaign for the White House despite another loss to presumptive nominee Arizona Sen. John McCain in the Wisconsin GOP primary.
"It's not about ego," Huckabee told reporters at the Peabody Hotel after he telephoned McCain to congratulate him on winning the Wisconsin primary.
"Let me assure you that my ego doesn't enjoy these kind of evenings where we don't win the primary election," he said, adding there are several issues, such as pro-life and taxes, he wants to continue to speak out on and hopes to do so at the Republican National Convention in September.
"It's about convictions, it's about principles that I dearly, dearly believe in," he said.
Huckabee is running a distant second to McCain, who has won a series of state primaries since the Jan. 8 New Hampshire primary and holds what experts call an almost insurmountable lead in delegates race. A candidate needs 1,191 delegates to clinch the Republican nomination.
McCain also has been endorsed by former Republican rival Mitt Romney and former President George H.W. Bush.
"Clearly I'm disappointed with the results in Wisconsin," Huckabee said, adding he will remain in the race until either he or McCain secures the necessary delegates to win the nomination.
"We're really going against an incredible headwind every day, and what I have to remind individual voters is that their voice and their vote still count," he said.
Huckabee said he plans to campaign in Texas today and is optimistic he can win that state, which along with Ohio, holds its primary March 4.
"We're going to be working hard to try to get to as many voters as we can," he said, adding he hopes to force a brokered convention, meaning neither he nor McCain will have the necessary delegates before the September convention, and it will be up to the delegates at the convention to elect the nominee.
"We're going to keep marching on," he said. "There are millions of Republicans across the country who have yet to be heard from. Ending this race prematurely means they don't get a voice and they don't have a choice."
"I know there are those who say 'let's just get this over with,' but folks, elections can be messy."
“The longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: that God governs the affairs of man [Romans 8:28]. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice [Matthew 10:29], is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured in the Sacred Writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it [Psalms 127:1]. I firmly believe this. I also believe that, without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel [Genesis 11:1-9].”
—Benjamin Franklin, arguing the need for prayer at the Constitutional Convention
...just before one of them got his eye poked out by Huckabee's elongating nose.
Governor Huckabee on immigration:
http://mikehuckabee.com/?FuseAction=Issues.View&Issue_id=4
The Secure America Plan:
http://mikehuckabee.com/?FuseAction=Issues.View&Issue_id=26
Other issues:
http://mikehuckabee.com/?FuseAction=Issues.Home
I’m not sure what Huckabee’s trying to prove. McCain won’t pick him for VP, he won’t win the nomination (unless McCain falls ill and can’t continue.) That’s the only scenario where I see that it helps him to stay in the race and keep spending money.
He was huge until fairly recently. His stomach probably has more staples than an office supply store.
I don’t think the Huckster can pull it off. There was a chance at one time, but I think that time has since passed. I was hoping to see it go to convention, but the GOP seems to like McCain a whole lot more than they let on.
As it stands now, Huck probably won’t get invited to the 1st annual Fred-Myth cotillion. That would be a shame, it’s a magical event where even NE converted liberals and Howie Baker proteges are Conservatives. At least Huck stayed in and gave it a shot.
Oh, wait...
"It clashes with the stance Huckabee has taken during his race for the White House and with his record as governor of Arkansas, when he signed into law a measure prohibiting smoking in most indoor public places."
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/huckabee-about-face-on-smoking-2008-01-16.html
NOT a flip-flop, though! Because, well...because.
A man and his ego are not easily parted.
He is impressing upon McCain that there is still a large segment of the party that is not happy with his policy stances. If McCain has any desire at all to woo conservatives, Huckabee’s numbers are showing him that he still has a ways to go. That is a big IF, however. I suspect that McCain believes that he can win without conservatives at all. He is positioning himself as an independent with an R after his name. He will replace the conservative clout with independents and disaffected Dems. If he is capable of doing so, expect no quarter from him after he is elected.
Maybe Huck is staying in so that people that still haven’t had primaries don’t get too upset because they have no voice.
It also keeps a little focus on the foolish GOP...uh..race.
Actually that, to me, is the scariest part of the “I won’t vote for McCain” strategy. If he gets elected, knowing that he did it without the support of the conservatives, then the conservative wing of the party has made themselves irrelevant (at least to the GOP) and future RINOs will know they can be elected w/out conservatives.
As far as Huckabee reminding McCain there are conservatives out there, I don’t consider Huckabee to be much more conservative than McCain...they’re both pro-life. McCain is a Washington insider true and has poked his finger in the eye of conservatives, but Huckabee has had his moments too. IMHO, Huckabee doesn’t have a clue when it comes to the WOT. I’m no McCain fan, but when I hear him speak about foreign affairs, I do believe the man has a grasp on the issues (with the exception of the Gitmo/torture issue.)
This slimeball is dragging the Right to Life movent and social conservatives down the drain. In the future when an honorable man/woman takes a stand for RTL and other conservative issues he/she will be unfairly compared to the huckster.
Followers of this con artist are committing political suicide.
He already said it was about money. He said he is the only candidate without a job. “Televangelists for money!” what a concept.
The conservative wing of the party is irrelevant. The are irrelevant if McCain wins without them, and they are irrelevant if they back a candidate that despises them. There is no plus side to this. Worse, if McCain follows through with his amnesty for 12-20 million, the conservative vote in future elections will forever be irrelevant.
Somewhere along the way, McCain has to be convinced to deal with conservatives for their support, but I don’t see how that is going to happen. Do you think McCain would make a pledge to drop amnesty in return for conservative support?
It is interesting to hear the pundits claim that Huckabee is a conservative.
The difference between Tax Hike Mike and Ron Paul is that one of them is sufficiently connected to reality to know that he isn’t going to be the nominee.
Yep! It's all about MONEY and his inability to earn any after he leaves the race. I made this statement earlier and was informed that he got $30,000 for making a speech, That's all great but as soon as he leaves the race, no one will pay him a dime to "speak". His Cayman speech will at least allow him to buy that used double-wide in Arkansas next to the little church he will pastor when fools stop sending him money. Of course, some publisher will give him a substantial advance for his up coming book "On The Campaign Trail with God", hehehehehe
Supporters are in complete denial and he is an ego driven publicity hog. He knows, though, that campaign donations and "speaking" engagements will dry up when McCain has 1191 delegates.
He was a candidate for the Republican nomination to the presidency. He is nothing more than an embarrassment now - a side show for the media.
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