Huckabee: A 2012 run is "less than likely"

On "Fox News Sunday" with Chris Wallace today, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee said it is "less than likely" he will run for President in 2012:



Des Moines Conservative Examiner Kevin Hall says that if Huckabee, who won the 2008 Iowa Caucus, doesn't enter the GOP presidential race, Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney will become the immediate front runners. From our perspective, former Governor Palin would gain more from a Huckabee decision to stay out of the fray. Most of Iowa's social conservatives would then support Palin in the state's GOP caucuses.

But Hall thinks Huckabee may just be acting coy. He believes the FOX News talk show host will indeed throw his hat into the ring, regardless of Huckabee's comments to the contrary:

Huckabee is wildly popular with social conservatives in Iowa. He is viewed favorably by 70 percent of Iowa Republicans, according to a Des Moines Register poll released last weekend. Only Sarah Palin comes close to Huckabee's popularity in the Hawkeye State. The former Arkansas governor is also the leader in a nationwide Gallup poll.

Still, there are a number of conservatives who wouldn't be on board with Huckabee if he does decide to run, as Hall points out:

Despite his popularity, there is a large group of conservatives who view Huckabee as RINO. His history of raising taxes, subsidizing illegal immigrants, and soft foreign policy stances seem more in line with Democrats. Also, if Palin runs, she would cut deeply into Huckabee's base.

With conservatives split on Huckabee and the possibility of Sarah Palin entering the race, it doesn't appear that he will be able to get Republicans to unite behind him, something he cites as a precondition for getting involved in the race. Only time will tell if Mike Huckabee will change his tune once the campaign begins to ramp up. It's still early yet.

Update: Hall may change his mind about Huckabee running again after reading this by Michelle Malkin.

- JP