I’ve been asked why Arkansas governor Mick Huckabee has stayed in the presidential race even though it is quite clear that he cannot win the nomination based on delegate count. I have some speculative reasons why he would continue the race:
1. The more delegates he has, the more influence he can have at the convention in matters like platform votes or discussions. I think Huckabee would stand firmly for the pro-life plank of the Republican platform and it will be important to have people who are willing to fight against legalizing stem cell research in the Republican platform.
2. I think he wants to be able to say that he came in second in the presidential primary season rather than third or fourth if there is another opportunity to run in four or eight years.
3. This is politics—you never know what might happen. What if, heaven forbid, McCain has a heart attack or a stroke before the convention? The more delegates Huckabee has committed to him at the convention, the more likely he might be able to salvage a nomination in the event of an unforeseeable crisis or emergency.
4. I think he likes running for president. People really enjoy traveling and making speeches, etc.
5. This is probably designed to help him be in a better position for a presidential run in four or eight years vis á vis people knowing him, understanding him, and having a campaign machine available to him. I’m not conversant enough on the current incarnation of the campaign finance laws to know whether it would be legal or not, but I imagine he can maintain a campaign war chest for the next time around with whatever money he is able to raise this time. In fact, he may need more money to pay off debts from this campaign.
So, those are my speculations about why he continues to run.
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Historical precedents: Readers may be interested to know that Abraham Lincoln gained the Republican nomination as the result of a brokered convention in 1860, even though he was not the frontrunner. Also, in 1976 Gerald Ford defeated Ronald Reagan on the first ballot during a brokered convention.In the meantime, anything can happen.
It is possible for Huckabee to still win. If he can keep John Mccain from getting the needed delegates to be the nominee he still has a chance at convention.
Oboma has been given a get out of ligitiment negitive media pass for free, while Huckabee has recieved minimal coverage from the media.(negative or positive) During a report on the Situation Room today when talking about the lack of excuative exsperience of the 3 front runners - no one even mentioned that Mike Huckabee does have to offer what they don't - excutive exp. Why was it not mentioned - it would have only been natural for this to have been included in the report - If Mike huckabee had been given the same amount of air time as Mccain has been granted - the raise would be the same if not better than the one between Oboma and Hillary.
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