P2016 Home « Declared 2016 Presidential Candidate « Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, now of Florida

- suspended campaign Feb. 1, 2016 -

timeline C-SPAN organization visits to 3rdQ 15			independent... Mike Huckabee for America (facebook)
	mikehuckabee.com Huckabee for President mikehuckabee @govmikehuckabee ...announced candidacy on May 5, 2015.	www.pagpac.com Pursuing America's Greatness PursuingAmericasGreatness @pagpac ...super PAC filed with the FEC on Mar. 11, 2015.		opposition... www.truthqquad2016.com Truth Squad 2016 ...super PAC filed with FEC in early June 2015. website launched Aug. 19 Truth-Squad-2016
Democracy in Action: Huckabee for President (2008 campaign)
	www.huckpac.com Huck PAC Inc. HuckPac (FEC)	americatakesaction.com America Takes Action ...501(c)(4) formed in 2014.	www.learn-our-history.com Learn Our History ...Huckabee co-founded with Bradley Saft.	www.huckabeeexclusive.com The Mike Huckabee Exclusive

Conventional Wisdom
Strengths
- Starts off with a base of support from his 2007-08 campaign.
- Strong Christian faith and appeal to social conservatives.
- A great communicator, honed through his years as a pastor and a radio and TV host; his humble beginnings also help him connect with ordinary folk.
- More than a decade of experience as governor of Arkansas.
- Experience of having run before.
Weaknesses
- Religious faith raises red flags among voters who hold a more secular outlook.
- Different campaign than 2008: a new crop of candidates are vying for social conservative support.
- Different candidate than 2008: he's older, has gained some weight, and having run before, will likely have difficulty swaying those voters who are looking for someone/something new.

Notes, Coverage and Speeches

1. Click on photos for more.	2. To return here, click "Back" button on your browser.

Jan. 24, 2015 - Iowa Freedom Summit.	March 7, 2015 - Iowa Ag Summit.

Jan. 23, 2014 - Luncheon speech at the RNC 2014 Winter Meeting.	March 7, 2014 - CPAC.	Sept. 26, 2014 - Values Voter Summit.

- "From Hope to Higher Ground," announcement speech at Hempstead Hall in Hope, AR, May 5, 2015.
- Speech at the Iowa Freedom Summit at Hoyt Sherman Place in Des Moines, IA, Jan. 24, 2015.
- Speech at 2014 Conservative Political Action Conference at the Gaylord National in National Harbor, MD, March 7, 2014.

2016 - Despite campaigning extensively in Iowa, Huckabee finished a distant ninth in the Feb. 1 caucuses, and he suspended his campaign that very night.

2015 - Former Gov. Mike Huckabee announced his candidacy on May 5 in Hope, AR. In a speech titled "From Hope to Higher Ground" Huckabee pledged to make "government accountable to the people who pay for it (+)." Huckabee was quickly attacked for his record on taxes (+), but he set out clear views on taxes and other issues in a "Pledge to the People" he issued on May 14 (+).

Huckabee's backers pointed to his high favorable ratings (+), but he proved unable to rekindle the magic of his 2007-08 run. In that campaign his second place showing in the Aug. 11, 2007 Ames straw poll (+) provided a major boost. This cycle there was a whole new crop of candidates vying for support of social conservatives, including Dr. Ben Carson and Sen. Ted Cruz. Huckabee suffered from the "re-tread" effect," He had been out of office since Jan. 2007, although his stint at Fox kept him in people's minds. Huckabee did not seem as nimble or to have as broad appeal as in his initial run. (He did inspire an opposition super PAC, Truth Squad 2016, headed by erstwhile 2012 candidate Fred Karger. The super PAC's central message is that, "While governor of Arkansas, Huckabee let a record 1,033 prisoners out of prison. Some of those released felons went on to commit murders...") Huckabee was not able to distinguish himself from the rest of the Republican field. He appeared on the main stage for the first three presidential debates, but from the Nov. 10 debate in Milwaukee onward was relegated to the undercard grouping. In Iowa many of the social conservatives and faith leaders who might have supported his candidacy backed Cruz.

Huckabee opened the year announcing on Jan. 3 his departure from Fox News Channel, where he hosted "Huckabee" for six and a half years; he said he would make a decision about running in late Spring (+). Huckabee's book came out on Jan. 20, and he did a tour for that in the latter part of January and early February (+). Huckabee also continued his tour guide activities, leading a "Israel Experience With Mike Huckabee" tour from Feb. 14-24, 2015 (>). Huckabee was one of very few of the potential 2016 GOP candidates to skip the Conservative Political Action Conference. In March he resumed his visits to Pizza Ranches in Iowa. Huckabee pursued his activities as a potential candidate through a couple of organizations: America Takes ACTION, the 501(c)(4), and Prosperity for All Fund, a 527 organization formed in March 2015. On March 11, a pro-Huckabee super PAC, Pursuing America's Greatness, filed with the FEC.

2014 - Huckabee formed a 501(c)(4) organization, America Takes ACTION, Inc.. Its first major event was a "Stand with Israel Rally" on October 5, which it co-sponsored with Concerned Women for America. While the Huckabee camp insists ATA is an advocacy group, critics say "its primary purpose is to aid Mike Huckabee's exploratory efforts for a 2016 presidential campaign." (+) Huckabee's HUCK PAC reported total receipts of $2.2 million and contributions to committees of $150,500. In November, in coordination with David Lane's American Renewal Project, Huckabee led a group of pastors and leaders from Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada on the 'Mike Huckabee's Reagan, Thatcher, Pope John Paul II Tour.'" The ten-day tour to Krakow, London and the Reagan Library was to "serve as a stark reminder of what can happen when people look the other way in the face of tyranny (+)" Also by November Huckabee was promoting his upcoming book, God, Guns, Grits, and Gravy, due out on Jan. 20, 2015. Still it is unclear is another presidential campaign will happen; Huckabee has put on considerable weight since his 2008 run (despite his 2005 book) and does not appear to be in campaign shape; life by the beach in Florida may also dissuade him from hard work of a campaign.

2013 - On Nov. 27 Huckabee announced he would end his nationally syndicated radio show, stating "...the contract was at a decision point for both Cumulus Media and me, and we mutually agreed to conclude." "The Mike Huckabee Show," which started in April 2012 and was broadcast on over 200 stations in 44 states, ran through Dec. 12. Days later Huckabee announced that in Jan. 2014 he would launch the "Huckabee Post" web site in partnership with Christian Media Corp.. Huckabee continues to host "Huckabee" which airs on FOX News on Saturday and Sunday evening. He continues to promote his various books, including the paperback reprint edition of his most recent book Dear Chandler, Dear Scarlett: A Grandfather's Thoughts on Faith, Family, and the Things That Matter Most (Nov. 2012) which came out in Oct. 2013. Huck PAC, which Huckabee formed in 2008, started endorsing candidates for 2014 in November. Huckabee has been a resident of Florida since 2010, and it seems unlikely he would foresake home at Blue Mountain Beach for the travails of another presidential campaign. He was not mentioned in presidential speculation until Dec. 2013. On Dec. 13 he told CBN's "The Brody File" "there's a new openness" to a 2016 presidential run. In a Dec. 22 appearance on "FOX News Sunday" he stated, "I would say maybe at this point it is 50-50. I don't know. I don't know that I can put a percentage on it."

	"The Huckabee Show" ran on the Fox News Channel from Sept. 27, 2008-Jan. 3, 2015; the one hour show aired Saturdays at 8 p.m. Eastern.	www.foxnews.com/on-air/ huckabee/
		...to Jan. 3, 2015 (+).

Readings

Mike Huckabee. Jan. 20, 2015. GOD, GUNS, GRITS AND GRAVY. New York: St. Martin's Press [MacMillan - Holtzbrinck Group].
"In Mike Huckabee’s new book God, Guns, Grits and Gravy, he asks the question, 'Have I been taken to a different planet than the one on which I grew up?' The New York Times bestselling author explores today’s American culture, drawing from his travels as a presidential candidate to present average, small-town people and families, and their optimistic resilience in the face of hard times; their stories, says Huckabee, 'will inspire readers to think about their own values and rediscover what makes America great.' At times lighthearted, at others bracingly realistic, Huckabee's brand of optimistic patriotism lends itself to discussing the reintroduction of fundamental American values, as well as a bright outlook for future generations."


Sept. 1997	June 1998	Oct. 2000	May 2005	Jan. 4, 2007	Nov. 18, 2008	Nov. 3, 2009	Feb. 22, 2011	Nov. 12, 2012

Mike Huckabee. Nov. 12, 2012. DEAR CHANDLER, DEAR SCARLETT: A Grandfather's Thoughts on Faith, Family, and the Things That Matter Most. New York: Sentinel [Penguin Group].
"I wrote these letters so that long after I’m gone, you’ll know that I loved you, had great hopes for you, and wanted to give you my best advice on living in this tough world. If I can’t be there with you, I hope my letters will act as a sort of reminder of me—as if I’m standing there beside you, whispering in your ear, and putting my arm around your shoulder.”

Mike Huckabee. Feb. 22, 2011. A SIMPLE GOVERNMENT: Twelve Things We Really Need from Washington (and a Trillion That We Don't). New York: Sentinel [Penguin Group].
"...a book that sums up the twelve things we really need from Washington to get the country back on the right track. These twelve essential truths will have you nodding in agreement, whether you're a Republican, an Independent, or even an open-minded Democrat. They can help us put aside our differences, tone down the partisan rancor, and return to the simple principles of the Founding Fathers: liberty, justice, personal freedom, and civic virtue."

Mike Huckabee. Nov. 3, 2009. A SIMPLE CHRISTMAS: Twelve Stories That Celebrate the True Holiday Spirit. New York: Sentinel [Penguin Group]. +
"Huckabee recounts twelve Christmas memories-often funny, sometimes deeply moving-that range from his childhood in Arkansas to his years as a young husband and father to his time as a governor and then a presidential candidate. These true stories will help you smile, take a deep breath, and maybe slow down your own holiday treadmill."

Mike Huckabee. Nov. 18, 2008. DO THE RIGHT THING: Inside the Movement That's Bringing Common Sense Back to America. New York: Sentinel [Penguin Group].
"Do The Right Thing is Huckabee’s amazing story, in his own words—from making commercials with Chuck Norris to meeting a Michigan woman who insisted on donating her wedding ring. But this is more than just a campaign memoir. It’s a vision for a smarter, fairer type of politics—“vertical politics”—that focuses on common sense solutions for education, health care, the economy, and many other issues. It’s not about right versus left; it’s about taking America up rather than down."

Mike Huckabee. Jan. 4, 2007. FROM HOPE TO HIGHER GROUND: 12 Stops to Restoring America's Greatness. Center Street [Time Warner].
"...Governor Huckabee presents his prescription for America in the form of the twelve key things we need to STOP doing in order to become a stronger nation. Covering a range of controversial issues, Huckabee speaks out on: immigration and the shifts in America's job market; the rising financial (and personal) costs of health care issues; the need for music and the arts as part of our children's core
education; and the mishandling of taxes."

Mike Huckabee. May 2005. QUIT DIGGING YOUR GRAVE WITH A KNIFE AND FORK. Center Street [Time Warner].
"Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee has walked the long and difficult road from an unhealthy lifestyle to forever fitness, and in QUIT DIGGING YOUR GRAVE WITH A KNIFE AND FORK he will share with you the twelve things he learned to stop doing in order to lose the weight that was severely affecting his health."

Mike Huckabee. Oct. 2000. LIVING BEYOND YOUR LIFETIME. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group.
"Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee expands on the "character is the issue" theme by exploring the legacy of character. Whether in politics, marriage, education, or even business, what matters most is what lasts beyond the immediate to the ultimate. The challenge for all who wish not only to have character but to live a life of integrity is to live for those things which will build a legacy that increases in
value over time. What matters most is what lasts beyond the immediate to the future."

Mike Huckabee with George Grant. June 1998. KIDS WHO KILL: Confronting Our Culture of Violence. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group.
"Mike Huckabee was governor of Arkansas when the tragic schoolyard shooting took place in Joneboro. In the heat of such an unforeseeable tragedy, many pundits offered explanations as to what could possibly have caused such an event. Unfortunately, as the governor wisely points out, many of these pundits only looked at one aspect of the problem but fail to dig deeply enough to reach it true roots."

Mike Huckabee. Sept. 15, 1997. CHARACTER IS THE ISSUE: How People With Integrity Can Revolutionize America. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group.
"As lieutenant governor of Arkansas in 1996, he was publicly cast between the ultimate rock and hard place when his boss, governor Jim Guy Tucker, refused to resign despite his felony convictions in the Whitewater scandal. Holding fast to the tenets of honor and faith, and his concern over what was best for the state’s people, Huckabee led the impeachment charge against his superior before a televised audience. That same day, Tucker resigned, and Huckabee would serve as governor of Arkansas until 2007, winning many national honors along the way. Character Makes a Difference is Mike Huckabee’s biographical account of how he handled that potentially major constitutional crisis and why he believes character is the key issue in everyone’s life..."
re-issued in 2007 as: Character Makes a Difference: Where I'm From, Where I've Been, and What I Believe

also-opposition:
American Bridge 21st Century PAC: Mike Huckabee

old site

MikeHuckabee.com

this page last revised March 15, 2015