Mike Huckabee retools

Mike Huckabee’s campaign for the Republican nomination has exceeded all reasonable expectations. However, he was never going to be the nominee, and the confirmation of that fact in South Carolina on Saturday apparently has hurt his fundraising and impaired his ability to compete in Florida. Thus, the Miami Herald reports that Huckabee is “skimping” on his Florida campaign. His present plan, according to this report, is to campaign in that state for a while on a shoestring budget and to pull out of Florida altogether if things don’t look promising.
But Huckabee certainly is not calling it quits. In fact, he says he plans to campaign in Georgia (where he was yesterday) and probably in Alabama, West Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma.
Huckabee has already demonstrated that, in certain states, he can make a good showing even while being substantially outspent. Networking by evangelicals and home-schoolers represents a substantial asset in this regard. Unless one candidate breaks away from the field, it makes sense for Huckabee to continue to seek delegates in states where he has strength, especially states that aren’t “winner take all.” This appraoch would make him a player in the event of an “open” convention. Even in that scenario, though, Huckabee will not be the Republican nominee for president.

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