Huckabee Fights Off Rumor of Quitting Race
Mike Huckabee has seen better campaign days than in recent weeks. But the not easily discouraged Republican underdog is not ready to throw in the towel, and readily shoots down rumors that he will soon end his bid for the presidency.
"I am not a quitter," Huckabee emphasized, according to CBS News Friday. "I did not get to where I am in life by quitting."
"I was in it when nobody thought I could be. I stayed in it when nobody thought I could. I continue to march on even when the de-facto-absolutely-guaranteed-frontrunner-going-to-win -the-nomination-going-to-be the-next-president-kind of guys were so out in front of me that people didn't take me seriously."
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"But today, Rudy Giuliani is not in the race, Fred Thompson is not in the race…A bunch of folks have fallen to the wayside, and I'm still here. So, I plan to still be here," the former Arkansas governor stressed.
Huckabee – who has come in third or fourth in most of the contests after his acclaimed Iowa victory – vented his frustration with how the media had dismissed him as a serious Republican contender and depicted the GOP contest as a two man race between Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.
After winning Florida this week, McCain is currently the Republican frontrunner having previously won New Hampshire and South Carolina. In second place is Romney who claimed victory in Wyoming, Michigan and Nevada. Huckabee has so far won only one state – Iowa.
"I'm staying in the race because I still think I can win," a determined Huckabee retorted Thursday at the suggestion that he drop out of the race while speaking in San Francisco, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
"You'll have to beat me, because you're not going to discourage me," he added.
Huckabee argued that a candidate needed to have 1,191 delegates in order to be the nominee, but so far no one has even garnered 100 delegates.
"There's only eight percent of the delegates have yet been tabulated, and we're all fairly close to each other in the amount of delegates that any of the three of us have," the former Arkansas governor pointed out matter-of-factly to reporters.
He repeatedly emphasized that he is the only conservative Republican candidate and aggressively countered the idea that Romney should be considered a conservative given his past records and stance.
The cash-strapped Huckabee also highlighted that he raised $3.5 million in January and bashed Romney for spending "tens of millions of dollars" but having "the same market share as me."
On Feb. 5, better known as Super Tuesday, Huckabee will fight against the odds and compete against the two better financed and organized campaigns in 21 states.
