If Mike Huckabee wins in the January 19 primaries, Mike Huckabee would remain in strong contention for the nomination of the Republican Party to run for the White House. It is said it would not matter how Huckabee does in the Michigan primaries that comes first.
“He is tailor-made for South Carolina voters, better so than Bush in 2000,” according to former South Carolina governor David Beasley who backs Mike Huckabee.
Other US Republican presidential hopefuls such as Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson have won major endorsements in South Carolina. However, John McCain is trying to repair fences after a difficult experience in the 2000 South Carolina primary.
In South Carolina, Huckabee will rely on pastors to help get out the vote. Also, he has the support of Beasley who can provide him with organizational power that he didn’t have in the early voting states.
Huckabee’s background as a former pastor has some advantages.
“He’s had wonderful opportunities to talk to the ‘grasstops,’ these pastors who preach to hundreds of people, while not spending any money,” according to Oran Smith, who is the Palmetto Family Council’s executive director. This group is an anti-abortion group that has remained neutral in the presidential race.
Smith adds: “Being a Baptist minister and a candidate for president, no one would want to turn him away.”
The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press say that white Evangelicals make up a bit over half of South Carolina’s likely Republican voters.
In Huckabee’s case, he has the support of Republican Representative Bob Inglis, who represents the Bible Belt of South Carolina. However, there are some influential Southern Baptist ministers that speak warmly of Huckabee but have avoided endorsements.
Mitt Romney received the endorsement of Bob Jones III of the fundamentalist Bob Jones University. However, there are Evangelicals worried about Romney’s Mormon faith. He had also received an endorsement by Senator Jim DeMint who has influence in the Presbyterian Church in America.
Fred Thompson was endorsed by South Carolina Citizens for Life.
It is unknown about John McCain.
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