Huckabee exit opens up 2012 W House race

AFP/Washington

The field of Republicans seeking the White House firmed up considerably yesterday, after Christian right darling Mike Huckabee announced that he will not run and a host of conservative hopefuls jockeyed to fill the void. The US presidential race, which for weeks had had no declared Republican contenders, now has greater clarity following last week’s announcement by ex-House Speaker Newt Gingrich that he will run for the highest US office. The departure of Huckabee, who had been leading some recent conservative straw polls and who is a particular favorite of the religious right, provides an opportunity for other as-yet unannounced conservatives considering tossing their hats into the ring. “A lot of people are very happy that he will not be running, especially other candidates,” bombastic possible player Donald Trump commented wryly after Huckabee bowed out of the running late Saturday on his popular Fox News chat show.“All the factors say go, but my heart says no,” Huckabee said. “I’m going to continue doing what I do,” added Huckabee, who won the Iowa presidential caucus in early 2008 before later ceding the Republican presidential race to Senator John McCain. Trump, in a nod to his own White House potential, appeared later on the show and was happy to see him leave. “Your ratings are terrific, you’re making a lot of money, you’re building a beautiful house in Florida, good luck,” crowed the real estate tycoon. The move left a crowded field on the right, scrambling to soak up the powerful support of Huckabee’s evangelical Christians base that fueled his 2008 run. Among those likely to benefit from the yawning hole was former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty and Gingrich, who still is dogged by questions about his personal life, especially his two failed marriages and a history of infidelity. Gingrich on Sunday asked possible supporters to overlook those past peccadilloes. “I ask them to look at who I am today,” Gingrich told NBC’s Meet The Press.“I have made mistakes in my life. I have had to go to God for forgiveness and to seek reconciliation.” All told, the Republican field encompasses about a dozen hopefuls who have declared their intentions or are preparing to, among them Minnesota representative Michele Bachmann; former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum; Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, and ambassador to China Jon Huntsman. Also recently announcing a long-shot White House bid was US lawmaker Ron Paul, a libertarian with a small but spirited Republican following. Political observers were especially keen to know whether the newly-opened Republican race might prompt former Alaska governor and Republican heavyweight Sarah Palin to throw her hat into the ring. Palin for months has lambasted President Barack Obama and Democrats from the sidelines, but has yet to indicate whether she plans to stand. Huckabee was a frontrunner for early primary states such as Iowa, but the remaining possible contenders, including Gingrich, Palin and Trump, face potentially disastrous negative polling on their general electability.