Posted on 05/14/2011 10:44:38 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Some of the statements released by various members of the 2012 GOP field related to former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabees decision not to run for President next year. This post will be updated as more candidates release their statements over the next day or so.
Jon Huntsman: Our country has been very fortunate to have Mike Huckabee as a leader and public servant. His commitment to this country and its core values life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is a model to which all elected officials should aspire. It is unfortunate that we will not have his voice or his bass guitar in the presidential debate, as our party would have benefited from his involvement. Yet Im confident that he will continue to be a positive force in the national conversation no matter his future endeavors, and I look forward to his continued friendship.
Tim Pawlenty: Mike Huckabee is a friend and colleague, and an important leader within the Republican Party. Mike and I agree our nation is facing big challenges and desperately needs new leadership, and I plan to work hard to earn the support of the millions of Americans who have supported him. Mary and I wish Mike and Janet all the best.
Rick Santorum via Twitter: So impressed with @mikehuckabee by putting the role of prayerfully following Gods will as the most important factor, because it is.
Newt Gingrich: Governor Mike Huckabee emerged in 2008 as a new star for the Republican Party and the conservative movement. Over the last 3 years he has used his gifts to create a popular Fox News TV show, produce an amazingly successful radio commentary, write best-selling books, and deliver thought provoking speeches. All have increased his stature and his influence. Had Governor Huckabee decided to run, there is no question he would have been a frontrunner in the 2012 campaign for president. He has achieved that prominence without a campaign simply based on his personal appeal and the attractiveness of his views and his character. His statement tonight emphasized the spiritual dimension of his life and his decision process. It is a wonderful example for all Americans of someone trying to do the right thing. Governor Huckabee will remain a major force for conservatism and he will play a major role in shaping Americas future. Callista and I wish him and his family a wonderful, happy, and successful future.
Donald Trump, appearing directly after Huckabees closing statement: This might be considered by some people not necessarily me bad news because he is a terrific guy and frankly I think hed be a terrific president. But a lot of people are very happy that he will not be running, especially the other candidates. So, Mike, enjoy the show, your ratings are terrific, youre making a lot of money, youre building a beautiful house in Florida, good luck.
No statement as of the time of this post from: Ron Paul, Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann, Gary Johnson, Mitt Romney, Fred Karger, John Bolton, Barack Obama, Sarah Palin.
Who stands to benefit the most from Huckabees departure?
I wasn’t a Huckabee supporter... but, I don’t get everyone who is saying that his likely voters don’t count or matter. He had 15-19% in polls. I’d assume that would mean hundreds of thousands [millions?] of votes now up for grabs. ZER0 might end up with some of them, sure. The rest will be (R) or (I). I’m hoping not a RINO or progressive-R. Those votes are going somewhere and they will matter.
LLS
Oh man reading these statments from these politicians can I simply say I have not seen this much pandering in a long time. this are the same people that yresterday was calling Huckabee a progressive now he “is a leader of the gop” Good god. Give me a truthful comment MR Newt. or Mr. huntsman. I am so tired of these idiots trying to pander to everyone under the sun.
And the Evangelicals seem to like that quality in their leaders and Pastors.
Thank you for posting that.Polymom has a problem with Palin and it shows up in her posts from time to time.
Right on !
Ouch. However; that certainly does seem to be the case in many instances...power corrupts.
You obviously missed the news that those facebook pages were fakes. Anyone who is even remotely known has at least a dozen fake facebook pages. It’s really a problem for some NCAA athletes.
Weird thing to say since the Evangelicals are the best, most conservative voters in America, and widely recognized as the most passionate, dedicated Christians on the whole.
If everyone voted Like Evangelicals then America would be a totally conservative nation like it used to be.
As an anti-Christian, your group is overwhelmingly left wing democrat voters, you have some serious house cleaning to do.
You don't like the way that Evangelicals vote??? You prefer the secular voter???
It is a small church and we all know each other and the Pastor knows us as a individual people and families, not a numbered bank accounts.
You say you don't recognize even one of the Evangelical Preachers listed? Each has been in the news and involved in some kind of major scandal involving money or sex. Could it be because you have a closed mind?
Don't pull your anti-Christian Krap on me!
I recognized a handful of the names but I don’t know their bios, they have nothing to do with me, just as your Methodist minister is unknown to me.
The Evangelicals are the best voters in America, and as a group, including the Methodist Evangelicals, the are the most passionate Christians dedicated to preserving a Christian, conservative, traditional America.
Your pastor seems to be teaching you to attack the up to 47% of Christian Americans that call themselves Evangelical, which of course the media and the left does constantly, your tone does not strike me as the most Christian, (or even conservative) tone that I have heard.
You really don’t like how Evangelicals vote???
My pastor teaches me about Christ not politics!
“Huckabees people do not like Romney. Cain, and Palin will gain the most.”
Maybe Backman as well. However don’t be surprized if, in the long run, Newt benefits as well. Sounds strange, but if he can talk the talk and convince Social Conservatives he has trully reformed this time...one never knows. I remember that James Dobson was somewhat friendly towards Newt in 2008.
Also, even though his personal life history is terrible, he does have gravitas. That is something the other candidates are lacking.
I wonder if his “negatives” in polling are as high as Palin’s?
Someone is making you angry and bigoted against Christian America, you have the same view of Evangelical Christians as the left wing and the media who hate them for their conservative values and the willingness to actually fight for America's Christian heritage and culture.
C4P caught ballot stuffing. Naughty, naughty!
Actually, Obama made gains with evangelicals over Kerry but he didn't do as well as Clinton had when he got 1/3 of the vote. In 2006, almost half voted for Democrats, ensuring the reign of Pelosi.
They're among the most fickle groups and don't seem to vote on their vaunted "values" at all.
They are the least fickle of groups and the most conservative voters in America.
The white Evangelical vote was about 83% Republican in 2004 and about 82% Republican in 2008.
In 2006 from race42012.com
Since the election, theres been a dirty little rumor floating about that Republicans lost because the religious portion of the base either stayed home or voted Democrat. Now, determining just exactly who defected is key to altering our formula and winning in 08, so if this is in fact what happened, it should be duly noted. This rumor is likely the result of the pre-election Cassandra-style warnings of liberals, who told us that Foley, Haggard, and the rest would break the GOP lock on the evangelical vote.
Well, guess what. Its just not true. Evangelicals did vote GOP in 2006. By a margin of 70 percent to 28 percent. Thats not a significant change from 2004. In other words, evangelicals now vote Republican when nobody else does.? And as I noted previously, the partisan breakdown of voters 38 percent Democrat and 36 percent Republican was also nearly identical to the 37/37 split we enjoyed in 2004.”
You really want to tell me that you don’t wish that all Americans voted like Evangelicals? Because if you don’t, then you are not a conservative and do not want our side to win the elections.
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