Media Ignores Mike Huckabee

The bias against Mike Huckabee is becoming more evident. After Mitt Romney bowed out of the Republican race, the media anointed John McCain as the presumptive winner of the party's nomination. They have ignored the fact that there are still two running, Huckabee and Ron Paul. Both are vowing to continue.

It takes 1,191 delegates to win the Republican nomination. Now, I can count as well as anyone, and it would be hard for Huckabee and impossible for Paul to overcome McCain's lead. However, this whole primary season has been one of surprises and reversals. According to the Green Papers website (http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P08/R-HS.phtml), the current delegate count is as of Friday, Feb. 8:

McCain: 683 pledged and 16 unpledged = 699
Huckabee: 156 pledged and 23 unpledged = 179
Romney: 118 pledged and 57 unpledged = 175
Paul: 5 pledged and 16 unpledged = 21

In the Super Tuesday vote, the conservative vote was split. "Twenty-eight percent of Republican voters said they were 'very conservative.' Of them, 45% voted for Mr. Romney and 30% for Mr. Huckabee. Mr. McCain took just 19% of these votes" (The Wall Street Journal, 02/07/08). McCain has not won that conservative base in any of the primaries thus far.

McCain has many issues that make conservative Republicans nervous and Senate votes to explain. Democrats will be able to accuse him of Kerry-style flip-flopping on the Bush tax cuts, judicial nominations, and immigration reform. McCain opposed Bush's tax cuts but now says he wants them made permanent. He says he will appoint only strict constructionist judges, yet McCain is one of the "Gang of 14" that denied several conservative judges floor votes on their appointments. McCain claims to be pro-life, but he opposes a constitutional amendment to quarantee the right to life to the unborn. Similarly, he opposes a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Most recently, McCain's support of comprehensive immigration reform with its amnesty provisions has turned many conservatives against him.

In his exit, Romney did not endorse McCain. Most of those Romney delegates will be up for grabs by the three remaining candidates. It is far more likely that a majority will be inclined to vote for Huckabee over either McCain or Paul. There are many states that have not held their primaries or caucuses, yet. As Huckabee keeps saying, "It's not over until it's over." David Keene, president of the American Conservative Union, said: "If either Romney or Huckabee wins more than their share [in coming states], McCain could end up in trouble." He cautioned, "You wouldn't want to mortgage your house and bet on that happening."