Posted by
Ryan Hawkins on Wednesday, February 27, 2008 11:59:58 AM
In a single, simple answer to the question as to why Huck hasn't dropped out of the race: Huck's presidential campaign is good for business.
Let's face it - Huck is in the speech-giving business. Mike Huckabee hides no secrets about making his living through speaking engagements in the church circuit. It is no secret that
he has a regular fee of $25,000 per speaking engagement...and while he may not necessarily stick to that fee for every speech he gives on the church circuit - his presidential campaign continues to help Huckabee tour the country and fill up his calendar with paid speech after paid speech...(
most recently in Colorado Springs.)
Honestly, I can't say I blame him. After all - the presidential campaign trail is hard work...and if a candidate has figured out a lucrative way to be paid during the course of his campaign, who can blame him for "priming the pump." As long as John McCain does not have 1,191 delegates he needs to secure the nomination, Huckabee can continue to line his pockets as he preaches for filthy lucre...and if I were him, I'd milk every last dime I could - because the calendar (and the speaking engagements) might dry up after McCain wins the nod.
Could this be why Mitt Romney foresaw the prudence of endorsing John McCain for the good of the party? Was Romney actually foreseeing Mike Huckabee's continued mockery of campaign finance laws and use of the "presidential publicity" to further Huckabee's personal fortune...at the expense of the GOP and its voters? Hmmmm...
I confess - I have under-estimated Huck's business sense. He is a better businessman than I thought.