Huckabee Bows Out Of Presidential Race
Posted by Daniel Antolin on May 15, 2011 - 12:27:52 AM
Photo still of Mike Huckabee on his Fox News Channel talk show.
NEW YORK—On Saturday, May 14, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee announced during his weekend cable talk show that he will not be seeking the Republican Party's nomination for the presidency this year.
Huckabee's decision comes after he was leading or placing second in early national polls gauging who the GOP presidential nominee might be and whose appeal as a former Baptist minister to conservative Christians helped him win the Iowa caucuses while pursuing his party's nomination there in January 2008.
Also supportive of Huckabee's potential decision to run were his wife Janet and adult children John Mark, David and Sarah.
Despite favorable poll numbers and hints of strong financial support, Huckabee said, “All the factors say go, but my heart says no” on his Fox News Channel show "Huckabee," which is prerecorded in New York City and later broadcast at 8 p.m. ET.
"Under the best of circumstances, being president is a job that takes one to the limit of his or her human capacity," Huckabee said during the last 10 minutes of his hour-long talk show, after interviewing "Extra" host Mario Lopez and playing bass guitar while Ted Nugent sang "Cat Scratch Fever."
"For me to do it apart from an inner confidence that I was undertaking it with God’s full blessing is simply unthinkable," Huckabee said. "I don’t expect everyone to understand this, but I’m a believer and follower of Jesus Christ. That relationship is far more important to me than any political office. For me, the decision is ultimately not a political one, a financial one, or even a practical one — it’s a spiritual one."
During the statement, Huckabee specifically said that he will not run for president "this year" and that he will provide his supporters with more details about his decision in due time. Huckabee said that he earlier believed that he would be in the race.
What might have affected Huckabee's decision are his jobs as a host of the Fox News Channel talk show and of a nationally syndicated radio program, Huckabee Report, both of which he said he truly loves. In past interviews, Huckabee indicated that the cable show, for which he is reportedly paid $500,000 a year to host, would be an important factor in his decision.
At the moment, Huckabee is reportedly having a multi-million dollar home built in Florida.
Photo still of Donald Trump on Fox News Channel.
Immediately after the announcement, Donald Trump, who has expressed interest in running for president, appeared on Fox News Channel as part of what he called a special announcement regarding Huckabee's exit.
"This might be considered by some people, not necessarily me, bad news because he is a terrific guy — and frankly I think he would be a terrific president," Trump said. "But a lot of people are very happy that he will not be running, especially other candidates. So, Mike, enjoy the show. Your ratings are terrific. You’re making a lot of money. You’re building a beautiful house in Florida. Good luck.”
Before the announcement, Huckabee said, nothing had been in the works in terms of setting up a campaign organization or seeking out contributors because his time was filled with hosting and radio commentary duties, speaking engagements and campaigning for fellow conservative, pro-life republicans running for political office. And this is what Huckabee says he will continue to do in the near future.
Though media pundits speculated that Huckabee would run, the cable talk show host said the decision to bow out of the race was not made until late in the past week, after months of personal reflection, and his closest aides who said he would not run reportedly did not know their boss's decision as late as Saturday afternoon. Not even the producer of Huckabee's cable show knew his decision, he said earlier that day.
Early national polls indicated that Huckabee had enough support to win Republican Party nomination contests in Pennsylvania, Maine and New Jersey in 2012, which in part dismissed the notion that he was only popular in southern states and among social conservatives. And a January Rasmussen poll had Huckabee even with President Barack Obama at 43 percent.
The exit of Huckabee from the 2012 White House race is expected to leave an opportunity open for other GOP presidential hopefuls who might be able to cater to his socially conservative voter base.
Amy Posey Walker posted on the Alaskans for Huck PAC Facebook page, "Even though we are so sad you will not be running, we know GOD is saying to you, 'Well Done, Good Faithful Servant.'"
Jamie Love tweeted, "Mike Huckabee's decision to not run in 2012 is welcome, in light of his assertion Obama grew up in Kenya, and other pandering to fringe."
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