Surevying the poltical landscape, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee jumped in on Tuesdays election results -- and set the stage for another possible presidential bid.
On Nov. 2 Americans overwhelmingly spoke with one voice, sending a message to Washington that we will not be ignored, said Huckabee who moved to Fort Walton Beach earlier in the year. The demise of the Republican Party predicted two years ago was obviously unfounded. But now is the time for all the new officeholders to hold true to their promises and bring about the type of change they promised and their constituents desire.
Huckabee, who ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and is considering running for it again in 2012, pledged to continue working for GOP candidates through Huck PAC, a leadership group he used to back Republican candidates throughout 2010.
Huck PAC will continue to support Republicans at all levels of government, and will continue fighting for conservative causes until we take back the Senate and ultimately the White House, said Huckabee. Well continue to grow Team Huck membership in all 50 states, adding to the thousands of volunteers who helped make [Tuesday's] victories a reality.
Huckabee insisted that while his backing was not decisive, his organization was able to help Republicans at the polls Tuesday.
Huckabee was active across the nation, supporting more than 125 candidates -- including Florida Republicans Marco Rubio, who ran for the U.S. Senate, and congressional candidates Dan Webster, Steve Southerland, David Rivera, Dennis Ross, Mike Prendergast and Rich Nugent. With the exception of Prendergast, all of those candidates won on Tuesday. Huckabee also backed candidates for the Legislature, including incoming Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, and Rep. Mike Horner, R-Kissimmee.
Endorsements dont win races, candidates do, said Huckabee. And Huck PAC tries to help candidates on the basis of their principles, not their press or polling favorability. We often purposely pick underdogs who are clearly behind, but clearly great and principled candidates because I know what its like to be written off by the elite punditry class without regard to issues. Huck PAC wants all of its candidates to win, but we are proud of each one weve endorsed and would do it again.
Gov. Huckabee was active in many races, headlining rallies and fund-raising events for candidates across the county, recording robo-calls, GOTV messages, not to mention radio and television ads, said Hogan Gidely, Huck PACs executive director. Much of what the governor did for candidates flew under the D.C. press radar, but the candidates who received the help sure appreciated it. In fact, toward the end of the election, Gov. Huckabee traveled to about 10 states a week working for our endorsed candidates.
While Huckabees role in the 2010 elections pointed to another run at the presidency, his backers can point to a poll of registered voters from CNN/Opinion Research that showed the former Arkansas governor beating President Barack Obama in 2012. The poll had Huckabee taking 52 percent while Obama stood at 44. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who also ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and is expected to run again in 2012, was ahead of Obama, 50 percent to 45 percent. Obama placed ahead of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in the poll, taking 52 percent to the Republicans 44 percent. The poll was taken between Oct. 27-30 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
