Mike Huckabee of Arkansas

America's conservatives are in dire straits, and its presidential field in the primary season has generated only begrudging enthusiasm.

What would be pleasant about a viable Huckabee run would be not only the man as a candidate, but the blow against retail politics that such a campaign would represent.

clipped from www.nysun.com

BY NICHOLAS WAPSHOTT - Staff Reporter of the Sun
October 3, 2007
URL: http://www.nysun.com/article/63822

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Leaders of the Christian conservative movement who are

considering fielding a third-party candidate rather than

backing any of the top four contenders for the Republican

presidential nomination are overlooking a GOP hopeful who

is steadily gaining support in the run-up to the Iowa caucuses,

Mike Huckabee.

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A Baptist minister who opposes abortion and gay marriage,

Mr. Huckabee so far has failed to attract sufficient funds or

support to hike him into the top tier of Republican candidates

nationally. But growing evidence that conservatives are

concerned about the choice shaping up in the Republican

primary race, and his increasing popularity among voters

in caucus states, offers the former Arkansas governor

a rare opportunity to become a serious contender.

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Mr. Huckabee is the "only dark horse that's got any kind of

chance. … He's the best speaker they've got," Mr. Clinton,

a fellow former governor of Arkansas, told George

Stephanopoulos on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday. Mr. Gingrich

described the candidate on the same show as "very effective. …

If Huckabee can find money, he will be dramatically

competitive almost overnight. You have to like Mike."

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James Dobson, founder of one of the largest Christian

ministries, Focus on the Family; Tony Perkins of the

Family Research Council; a direct mail pioneer, Richard

Viguerie; and dozens of other prominent conservative

Christian activists issued a resolution declaring that

"if the Republican Party nominates a pro-abortion candidate,

we will consider running a third-party candidate."

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Mr. Dobson said in June: "I cannot, and will not, vote for

Rudy Giuliani in 2008. It is an irrevocable decision. If given

a Hobson's — Dobson's? — choice between him and Senators

Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, I will either cast my ballot

for an also-ran or if worse comes to worst not vote in a

presidential election for the first time in my adult life.

My conscience and my moral convictions will allow me to

do nothing else."