Posted on 02/22/2008 11:42:36 PM PST by Kurt Evans
Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee met with conservative Christian leader James Dobson Friday as he vied to pick up the Colorado delegates pledged to Mitt Romney, who dropped out of the race. Huckabee's visit comes two weeks after Dobson endorsed him for president.
"Personally it was a great encouragement," Huckabee said of the endorsement. "I think it also was an extraordinary boost for our campaign because Dr. Dobson is seen as such a true national leader when it comes to issues of life, marriage and family."
Huckabee is an ordained Baptist minister and a former governor of Arkansas. His campaign has been kept alive in part by support from conservative Christians who don't want to back Arizona Sen. John McCain.
Appearing without Dobson at a podium on a lawn outside the campus of Focus on the Family, Huckabee declined to describe what he and his friend of 14 years discussed.
Huckabee, who was in Colorado Springs to speak Friday night to the conservative group, Leadership Program of the Rockies, said the meeting was "personal" in nature and "not a meeting that I was having with him in his capacity as the leader of Focus on the Family."
Although Huckabee said Dobson's backing has helped him, he doubts the Focus on the Family founder will be campaigning for him.
"I think it would be very difficult for him to go on the campaign trail," Huckabee said. "I did not ask for that, and I would not expect that."
Through a spokesman, Dobson also declined to describe the conversation and cautioned against reading into why he didn't appear with Huckabee.
"This was a long-planned private conversation between two friends and Dr. Dobson wanted to keep it that way," said Gary Schneeberger, a Dobson spokesman. "It's certainly not meant to temper his support of the governor."
He said Dobson would not comment on a private meeting. Schneeberger also said Dobson was sensitive to IRS rules that restrict tax-exempt groups like Focus on the Family from getting involved in politics. When Dobson endorses political candidates, he emphasizes he is speaking as an individual and not for the group.
Many political observers believe Huckabee, with 254 delegates, doesn't have a chance of catching McCain, who has 958 delegates of the 1,191 needed to win the nomination. Romney, who dropped out of the race earlier this month after picking up 280 delegates, has endorsed McCain.
That hasn't discouraged Huckabee.
"There's 46 delegates at stake in Colorado that could be mine," Huckabee told dozens of cheering supporters.
Dick Wadhams, Colorado chair of the Republican Party, said that that the Feb. 5 caucus—where Huckabee came in third after Romney and McCain—was a "preference poll" and that delegates are still up for grabs.
Huckabee also commented about a New York Times article Thursday alleging that McCain's staffers were concerned about a relationship with a female lobbyist during his first presidential run eight years ago. McCain and the lobbyist, Vicki Iseman, have denied they had a romantic relationship.
"My only experience with (McCain) as a fellow candidate the past 14 months is a positive one," Huckabee said. "I see him as a man of integrity. He's denied the allegations in the New York Times article. I have no reason to doubt him."
Mimi Hailes, 50, of Colorado Springs has been working on Huckabee's campaign in Colorado and it was thrill to meet him and see him person.
"I told him that I've been praying for him and that I pray for him every day," Hailes said. "I'm very hopeful that he's still going to be our candidate."
The cheerful, lighthearted Huckabee cracked some jokes with his supporters and talked about his upcoming guest appearance on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" on Saturday, saying that if he couldn't make it they might get Brad Pitt to portray him.
If I was a Romney delegate, Hucksterbee would be the last candidate I would pledge my vote to after the Mormon smears.
Governor Huckabee didn’t smear Mormons. The New York Times smeared Governor Huckabee by suggesting he was trying to do so. You’ve been brainwashed.
You have been brainwashed by thinking that modern day Elmer Gantry is going to usher in the Department of the Rapture.
This guy can never be straight with the public.
And to you Mr Evans: Huckabee still sucks.
Huckabee never smeared Mormons that I am aware of, what happened?
You are a blatant LIAR. Huckabee is responsible for pretending to wonder about the beliefs of Mormons. It was a rhetorical question and he played it to anyone scared of/prejudiced against Mormons. It's so blatant a lie to say otherwise.
And if he really wanted to win then maybe he would start taking on McCain on the issues. He NEVER does. All he wants to do is to sweep all the anti-McCain vote which takes no talent since only he and Paul are still in. The MSM is giving him a complete free ride, not the least of which is his appearance on SNL tomorrow.
Huckabee changes the goal post as he goes. He does not show any core desire to consider his party-just himself.
identity politics trumps conservative principles again
Just curious - Do you live in Berlin?
“Hucksterbee’s whole campaign was geared towards taking down Romney. “
Yet Romney has lost and is gone, the republican primary is being fought out between two candidates, one of those men is Governor Huckabee.
You are too easy on the huckster. As a backer of the Right to Life and social conservative groups there is no way I could back Huckabee. Romney, tho not my choice, is a fine family man and successful bus. man. He suspendeded his campaign with dignity and class.
The huckster and his worshippers need to think of relocating to a new zip code....Hucksterville, Guyana comes to mind.
“Huckabee is responsible for pretending to wonder about the beliefs of Mormons. It was a rhetorical question and he played it to anyone scared of/prejudiced against Mormons. It’s so blatant a lie to say otherwise”
Governor Huckabee is not a Mormon expert, in the course of a very long interview, while on a two hour drive with a journalist that was something of a religious expert, in fact that had just published his own book about the relationship between Evangelical Christians and Jews, he asked a simple question, the rest is liberal smear trivia.
Yeah, whatever. If that was even remotely true then he is not presidential material because he has to be sensible about such things. Mike Huckabee was well aware that within a two hour interview only so much will be used for a story. He said his "question" knowing full well it would get top billing. It's a cheap trick to wonder out loud to a reporter about another's religion and then play it off as an honest inquiry. Interviews for presidential candidates are not the forum to "inquire" about other faiths but to reaffirm ones own and reach out to others. I've lost alot of respect for the Baptist Church for their silence. I wonder if they'll go to Salt Lake City again for a national conference and repeat their religious mooning of the Mormon Church on their turf. Baptists and Christian charity - yeah right!
“You have been brainwashed by thinking that modern day Elmer Gantry is going to usher in the Department of the Rapture.”
Well said.
You are wasting your time. They can’t hear you. It’s ironic though because Huckabee and Ron Paul could be their guy’s second chance.
I couldn't remember if that was when he was the keynote speaker. Thanks. And makes my point even better.
Its crazy how many alleged conservatives hate Huckabee for committing the sin of being conservative and a Christian. They make up all kinds of lies and distortions to try to justify their hatred. The saddest thing is when honest conservatives are fooled by the liars on Talking Points Radio who speak like conservatives but live like Dims and supported the most liberal person to ever run for president with an R by his name.
I was fooled for a short while about Huckabee but soon realized that his greatest critics were either engaged in Christian bashing or anti southern bigotry.
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