Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee (born August 24, 1955) is an American politician who served as the
44th Governor of
ArkansasArkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the
2008 United States Republican presidential primariesThe 2008 Republican presidential primaries were the selection process by which voters of the Republican Party chose its nominee for President of the United States in the 2008 U.S. presidential election...
, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won (behind both
John McCainJohn Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
and
Mitt RomneyWillard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
). He won the
Iowa Republican caucusesThe 2008 Iowa Republican caucuses took place on January 4, 2008. The Iowa Republican caucuses are an unofficial primary, with the delegates to the state convention selected proportionally via a straw poll...
. Huckabee exited the race as McCain became the presumptive Republican nominee after winning the delegate winner-take-all states of Florida, California, and New York State.
Huckabee is the
authorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of several best selling books, an ordained Southern Baptist minister,
musicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and a public speaker. He is also an ABC Radio political commentator. He and his wife,
JanetJanet McCain Huckabee is the wife of former 2008 Republican presidential candidate and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee...
, have been married for 36 years and have three grown children: John Mark,
DavidDavid Huckabee is a mortgage broker and one of United States 2008 presidential candidate Mike Huckabee's two sons. David Huckabee's wife Lauren, an attorney, worked on Mike Huckabee's campaign for president, having registered Mike as a candidate and having served as "Ballot Access and Delegate...
, and Sarah. Janet Huckabee was an unsuccessful candidate for Arkansas Secretary of State in 2002.
Huckabee currently hosts the
Fox News ChannelFox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
talk show
HuckabeeHuckabee is a TV political commentary program on Fox News hosted by former Republican Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. It premiered September 27, 2008, at 8 PM EDT.- Schedule :...
.
Early life
Huckabee was born in
Hope, ArkansasHope is a small city in Hempstead County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2008 United States Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 10,378...
, to Mae Elder (1925–1999) and Dorsey Wiles Huckabee (1923–1996), conservative Southern Democrats. He has cited his working-class upbringing as the reason for his de-centralized populist conservative political views; his father worked as a fireman and mechanic, and his mother worked as a clerk at a gas company.
His first job, at 14, was working at a radio station where he read the news and weather. He was elected Governor of Arkansas by his chapter of the
American LegionThe American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
-sponsored Boys State program in 1972 and is a
Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership FoundationHugh O'Brian Youth Leadership is an organization dedicated to training and nurturing the young leaders of tomorrow. Its mission is to provide lifelong leadership development opportunities that empower youth to achieve their highest potential....
alumnus. He was student council vice president at
Hope High SchoolHope High School is a public school located in Hope, Arkansas, United States. There are roughly 740 students enrolled in courses....
during the 1971–72 school year. He was student council president at
Hope High SchoolHope High School is a public school located in Hope, Arkansas, United States. There are roughly 740 students enrolled in courses....
during the 1972–1973 school year. He has one sister, Mrs. Pat Harris, a middle school teacher.
Huckabee married his wife Janet on May 25, 1974. He graduated
magna cum laudeLatin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. This system is primarily used in the United States, Canada, and in many countries of continental Europe, though some institutions also use the English translation of these...
from
Ouachita Baptist UniversityOuachita Baptist University is a private, liberal arts, undergraduate institution located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, which is about 65 miles southwest of Little Rock. The university's name is taken from the Ouachita River, which forms the eastern campus boundary. It is affiliated with the Arkansas...
, completing his
bachelor's degreeA bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Religion in 2½ years before attending
Southwestern Baptist Theological SeminarySouthwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is a private, non-profit institution of higher education, associated with the Southern Baptist Convention...
in
Fort Worth, TexasFort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
. He dropped out of the seminary after one year in order to take a job in Christian broadcasting.
Pastoral career
At 21, Huckabee was a staffer for James Robison, a
television evangelistTelevangelism is the use of television to communicate the Christian faith. The word is a portmanteau of television and evangelism and was coined by Time magazine. A “televangelist” is a Christian minister who devotes a large portion of his ministry to television broadcasting...
.
Robison commented, "His convictions shape his character and his character will shape his policies. His whole life has been shaped by moral absolutes." Huckabee has stated, "Politics are totally directed by worldview. That's why when people say, 'We ought to
separate politics from religionThe concept of the separation of church and state refers to the distance in the relationship between organized religion and the nation state....
,' I say to separate the two is absolutely impossible".
Prior to his political career, Huckabee served as pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church in
Pine Bluff, ArkansasPine Bluff is the largest city and county seat of Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. It is also the principal city of the Pine Bluff Metropolitan Statistical Area and part of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Arkansas Combined Statistical Area...
from 1980 to 1986 and the Beech Street Baptist Church in
TexarkanaAs of the census of 2000, there were 26,448 people, 10,384 households, and 7,040 families residing in the city. The population density was 830.5 people per square mile . There were 11,721 housing units at an average density of 368.1 per square mile...
from 1986 to 1992. In both Texarkana and Pine Bluff Huckabee started 24-hour television stations "where he produced documentaries and hosted a program called
Positive Alternatives. He encouraged the all-white Immanuel Baptist Church to accept black members in the mid 1980s. He served as president of a religion-oriented television station. In 1989 Huckabee ran against the Rev. Dr.
Ronnie FloydRonnie Wayne Floyd is the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Springdale in Springdale, Arkansas, USA and of its second campus the The Church At Pinnacle Hills in Rogers, Arkansas, both "megachurches". On Jan...
of Springdale for the presidency of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. Huckabee won and served as president from 1989 to 1991.
Early political career
In 1992, in Huckabee's first political race, he lost to
incumbentThe incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Senator and
conservative DemocratIn American politics, a conservative Democrat is a Democratic Party member with conservative political views, or with views relatively conservative with respect to those of the national party...
Dale BumpersDale Leon Bumpers is an American politician who served as the 38th Governor of Arkansas from 1971 to 1975; and then in the United States Senate from 1975 until his retirement in January 1999. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Senator Bumpers is currently counsel at the Washington, D.C...
, receiving 40 percent of the vote in the
general electionIn a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
. That same election saw Arkansas Governor
Bill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
ascend to the Presidency, making Lieutenant Governor
Jim Guy TuckerJames "Jim" Guy Tucker, Jr. is an Arkansas political figure. He served as the 43rd Governor of Arkansas, the 11th Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas, Arkansas Attorney General, and U.S. Representative...
the new Governor. In 1993, Republican state chairman
Asa HutchinsonWilliam Asa Hutchinson is a former U.S. Attorney for the Fort Smith-based Western District of Arkansas, U.S. Congressman from the Third District of Arkansas, Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the first-ever Under Secretary for Border & Transportation Security at the U.S...
urged Huckabee to run in the special election for lieutenant governor held on July 27. Realizing his loss came among key conservative Democrats, Huckabee ran a decidedly conservative campaign appealing to several important conservative groups such as the
Council of Conservative CitizensThe Council of Conservative Citizens is an American political organization that supports a large variety of conservative and paleoconservative causes in addition to white nationalism, and white separatism...
(CofCC). In the subsequent general election, he defeated Nate Coulter, who had been Bumpers' campaign manager the previous year, 51–49 percent. Huckabee became only the second Republican since Reconstruction to serve as Arkansas lieutenant governor, the first having been
Maurice BrittMaurice Lee "Footsie" Britt, Jr. , was an American professional football player, World War II hero received the Medal of Honor, businessman, and Republican politician from Arkansas...
from 1967 to 1971.
In his autobiography
From Hope to Higher Ground, Huckabee recalled the chilly reception that he received from the Arkansas Democratic establishment on his election as lieutenant governor:
"The doors to my office were spitefully nailed shut from the inside, office furniture and equipment were removed, and the budget spent down to almost nothing prior to our arriving. After fifty-nine days of public outcry, the doors were finally opened for me to occupy the actual office I had been elected to hold two months earlier."
Dick MorrisDick Morris is an American political author and commentator who previously worked as a pollster, political campaign consultant, and general political consultant....
, who had previously worked for
Bill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, advised Huckabee on his races in 1993, 1994 and 1998. Huckabee commented that Morris was a "personal friend". A newspaper article reported on Huckabee's 1993 win: "Morris said the mistake Republicans always make is that they are too much of a country club set. What we wanted to do was run a
progressiveProgressivism in the United States is a broadly based reform movement that reached its height early in the 20th century and is generally considered to be middle class and reformist in nature. It arose as a response to the vast changes brought by modernization, such as the growth of large...
campaign that would appeal to all Arkansans.'"
Morris elaborated, "So we opened the campaign with ads that characterized Mike as more of a
moderateIn politics and religion, a moderate is an individual who is not extreme, partisan or radical. In recent years, political moderates has gained traction as a buzzword....
whose values were the same as those of other Arkansans." Consequently, he abandoned his earlier support for the CofCC when in April 1994 following an adverse media campaign against the CofCC, Huckabee withdrew from a speaking engagement before their national convention. He repeated the accusations made by various media and left-wing organizations such as the
Southern Poverty Law CenterThe Southern Poverty Law Center is an American nonprofit civil rights organization noted for its legal victories against white supremacist groups; legal representation for victims of hate groups; monitoring of alleged hate groups, militias and extremist organizations; and educational programs that...
recalling his past association with the CofCC saying, "I will not participate in any program that has
racistRacism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
overtones. I've spent a lifetime fighting [against] racism and
anti-SemitismAntisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
."
In 1994, Huckabee was re-elected to a full term as lieutenant governor, beating Democratic candidate Charlie Cole Chaffin with nearly 59 percent of the vote. However, the amount of money spent by Huckabee on the campaign gave cause to accusations of possible corruption. In subsequent investigations it was revealed that while Lieutenant Governor, Huckabee accepted $71,500 in speaking fees and traveling expenses from a nonprofit group, Action America. R. J. Reynolds was the group's largest contributor.
In October 1995,
David PryorDavid Hampton Pryor is a former Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives and United States Senator from the State of Arkansas. Pryor also served as 39th Governor of Arkansas from 1975 to 1979 and was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1960 to 1966...
announced that he was retiring from the
United States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. Huckabee then announced he was running for the open seat and moved well ahead in the polls. He won the Republican nomination unopposed.
During his campaign, Huckabee opposed in December then-Governor Tucker's plan for a constitutional convention. The plan was defeated by voters, 80–20 percent, in a special election. In January 1996, Huckabee campaigned in televised ads paid for by the
Republican National CommitteeThe Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
and the
Arkansas Republican PartyThe Republican Party of Arkansas is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in Arkansas.The party is led by state chairman Doyle Webb, who was re-elected to serve a second term in December 2010. Webb, an attorney, was once chief of staff for the late Lieutenant Governor Winthrop Paul...
against a highway referendum. Tucker supported the referendum, which included tax increases and a bond program, to improve 1300 miles (2,092.1 km) of highway. On the referendum, the bond question, which included a sales tax increase and a gas tax increase, lost 87–13 percent. A second question, a five-cent increase on diesel tax, lost 86–14 percent. Huckabee also opposed Tucker's plan for school consolidation.
In May 1996, Tucker, involved in the Whitewater scandal, was convicted "on one count of arranging nearly $3 million in fraudulent loans" and he promised to resign by July 15. Huckabee then announced he would quit the Senate race and instead fill the unexpired term of Tucker.
Governor of Arkansas
In 1996, incumbent
DemocraticThe Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
governor
Jim Guy TuckerJames "Jim" Guy Tucker, Jr. is an Arkansas political figure. He served as the 43rd Governor of Arkansas, the 11th Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas, Arkansas Attorney General, and U.S. Representative...
was convicted of fraud. The
Arkansas ConstitutionThe Constitution of the State of Arkansas is the governing document of the U.S. state of Arkansas. It was adopted in 1874, shortly after the Brooks-Baxter War replacing the 1868 constitution that had allowed Arkansas to rejoin the Union after the conclusion of the American Civil War; the new...
, like nearly all state constitutions in the United States, does not allow convicted felons to hold office, so Tucker was forced to resign. However, Tucker, insisting he had a strong case for
appealAn appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
, rescinded his resignation as Huckabee was preparing to be sworn in on July 16. Within a few hours, Tucker reinstated his resignation after Huckabee threatened to initiate
impeachmentImpeachment is a formal process in which an official is accused of unlawful activity, the outcome of which, depending on the country, may include the removal of that official from office as well as other punishment....
proceedings against Tucker. Huckabee was sworn in as Governor of Arkansas on July 15, 1996. In November 1998, Huckabee was elected to a full four-year term by defeating retired Colonel
Gene McVayGene McVay is a fifth generation resident of Arkansas, who had an extensive career in the Air Force and lost to Mike Huckabee in a bid to become governor of Arkansas in 1998....
in the primary and Jonesboro attorney Bill Bristow in the
general electionIn a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
, becoming the state's third elected Republican Governor since Reconstruction. In November 2002, Huckabee was reelected to his second four-year term by defeating State Treasurer
Jimmie Lou FisherJimmie Lou Fisher , grew up in Paragould, Arkansas. She attended school at Delaplaine School in Delaplaine, Arkansas. She, at a very early age, became interested in politics, and aspired to be successful...
, garnering 53 percent of the vote. By the end of his term, Huckabee owned the third-longest tenure of any Arkansas Governor. Only Democrats
Orval FaubusOrval Eugene Faubus was the 36th Governor of Arkansas, serving from 1955 to 1967. He is best known for his 1957 stand against the desegregation of Little Rock public schools during the Little Rock Crisis, in which he defied a unanimous decision of the United States Supreme Court by ordering the...
, who served six consecutive two-year terms (1955–1967), and
Bill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, who served 11 years, 11 months (1979–1981; 1983–1992), had longer tenures.
Huckabee said that his experience as a minister afforded him special insight in being governor:
"My experience dealing every day with real people who were genuinely affected by policies created by government gave me a deep understanding of the fragility of the human spirit and vulnerability of so many families who struggled from week to week. I was in the ICU at 2 a.m. with families faced with the decision to disconnect a respirator on their loved one; I counseled fifteen-year-old pregnant girls who were afraid to tell their parents about their condition; I spent hours hearing the grief of women who had been physically and emotionally clobbered by an abusive husband; I saw the anguish in the faces of an elderly couple when their declining health forced them to sell their home, give up their independence, and move into a long-term-care facility; I listened to countless young couples pour out their souls as they struggled to get their marriages into survival mode when confronted with overextended debt . . . "
2008 presidential election campaign
Huckabee announced his run for the White House on
Meet the Press on January 28, 2007.
At the August 11 Iowa Straw Poll, Huckabee took second place with 2,587 votes, roughly 18 percent, splitting the conservative Republican party votes amongst other candidates. Huckabee spent $57.98 per vote in the Straw Poll, which is the lowest among the top three finishers. Huckabee drew attention with an unconventional ad featuring
Chuck NorrisCarlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do...
. In a later ad Huckabee wished voters a merry Christmas, and said that "what really matters is the celebration of the birth of Christ." In a replay of his past speeches to other conservative Christian organizations such as the CofCC, some critics accused him being right-wing Christian, and it appeared he might back-pedal as he did with the CofCC. However, rather than repudiate his speech he merely denied it was politically incorrect.
This lack of defense of his issues before conservative and Christian organizations caused several media outlets to pursue his past speeches. One such questioning asked Huckabee to deny or defend his position regarding America being a historically Christian Nation. According to the
Associated Press, on
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's
Meet The PressMeet the Press is a weekly American television news/interview program produced by NBC. It is the longest-running television series in American broadcasting history, despite bearing little resemblance to the original format of the program seen in its television debut on November 6, 1947. It has been...
on December 31, 2007, Huckabee "stood by" a 1998 comment in which he said, "I hope we answer the alarm clock and take this nation back for Christ." Huckabee told NBC that his comment was not politically incorrect and was "appropriate to be said to a gathering of Southern Baptists." Huckabee has credited God with some of his political success.
On January 3, 2008, Huckabee won the
Iowa Republican caucusesThe 2008 Iowa Republican caucuses took place on January 4, 2008. The Iowa Republican caucuses are an unofficial primary, with the delegates to the state convention selected proportionally via a straw poll...
, receiving 34% of the electorate and 17 delegates, compared to the 25% of
Mitt RomneyWillard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
who finished second, receiving 12 delegates, Fred Thompson who came in third place and received three delegates,
John McCainJohn Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
who came in fourth place and received three delegates and
Ron PaulRonald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
who came in fifth place and received two delegates.
On January 8, 2008, Huckabee finished in third place in the
New Hampshire primaryThe New Hampshire primary is the first in a series of nationwide political party primary elections held in the United States every four years , as part of the process of choosing the Democratic and Republican nominees for the presidential elections to be held the subsequent November.Although only a...
, behind
John McCainJohn Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
in first place, and
Mitt RomneyWillard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
who finished second, with Huckabee receiving one more delegate for a total of 18 delegates, gained via elections, and 21 total delegates, versus 30 total (24 via elections) for Romney, and 10 for McCain (all via elections).
On January 15, 2008, Huckabee finished in third place in the
Michigan Republican primary, 2008The 2008 Michigan Republican primary took place on January 15, 2008. Mitt Romney came in first with 39 percent of the vote, followed by John McCain with 30 percent and Mike Huckabee in third-place with 16 percent...
, behind
John McCainJohn Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
in second place,
Mitt RomneyWillard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
who finished first and ahead of
Ron PaulRonald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
who finished in fourth place.
On January 19, 2008, Huckabee finished in second place in the
South Carolina Republican primary, 2008The South Carolina Republican primary, 2008 was held on January 19, with 24 delegates at stake. The Republican National Committee took half of South Carolina's 47 delegates away from them because the state committee moved its Republican primary before February 5...
, behind
John McCainJohn Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
who finished first and ahead of Fred Thompson who finished third.
On January 29, 2008, Huckabee finished in fourth place in the Florida primary, behind
Rudy GiulianiRudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
in third,
Mitt RomneyWillard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
in second, and
John McCainJohn Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
in first place.
On February 5, 2008, Huckabee won the first contest of "
Super TuesdayIn the United States, Super Tuesday, in general, refers to the Tuesday in February or March of a presidential election year when the greatest number of states hold primary elections to select delegates to national conventions at which each party's presidential candidates are officially nominated...
", the
West VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
GOP state
conventionIn politics, a political convention is a meeting of a political party, typically to select party candidates.In the United States, a political convention usually refers to a presidential nominating convention, but it can also refer to state, county, or congressional district nominating conventions...
, but only after the McCain campaign provided their delegates thereby giving Huckabee 52% of the electorate to
Mitt RomneyWillard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
's 47%. Backers of rival
John McCainJohn Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
said they threw Huckabee their support to prevent Mitt Romney from capturing the winner-take-all GOP state convention vote. Subsequently, despite his past repudiation of the CofCC, in a nominee list which included liberal Republicans such as McCain and moderate Republicans such as Romney, Huckabee remained the most conservative nominee in the context. Consequently, he also registered victories in
AlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
,
ArkansasArkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
,
GeorgiaGeorgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and
TennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
on Super Tuesday, bringing his delegate count up to 156, compared to 689 for Republican party front-runner
John McCainJohn Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
.
On February 9, 2008, Huckabee won the first election following Super Tuesday, by winning 60% of the vote in the
Kansas Republican CaucusesThe 2008 Kansas Republican caucuses took place on February 9, 2008.By the evening of February 9, Fox News and CNN projected Mike Huckabee as the winner of the Kansas Caucuses.The Associated Press also called the race for Mike Huckabee.- Results :...
.
This was also the first contest to be held without
Mitt RomneyMitt Romney was a Republican Party primary candidate in the 2008 United States presidential election. On January 3, 2007, two days before he stepped down as governor of Massachusetts, Romney filed to form a presidential exploratory committee with the Federal Election Commission...
, who was said to be splitting the conservative vote with Huckabee and some pundits suggested it was the reason for Huckabee's landslide victory. Huckabee also won the
Louisiana Republican PrimaryThe 2008 Louisiana Republican primary took place on February 9, 2008.Under Louisiana Republican Party rules, since no candidate received a majority of the vote, no delegates are pledged as a result of this primary. 21 delegates have already indirectly been assigned via the Louisiana Republican...
with 44% of the vote to John McCain's 43% in second. Although Huckabee won the primary he was not awarded any delegates, because of the state party rules that state a candidate must pass the 50% threshold to receive the state's pledged delegates.
On March 4, 2008, Huckabee withdrew from seeking the candidacy as it became apparent he would lose in Texas, where he had hoped to win and that
John McCainJohn Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
would get the 1191 delegates required to win the Republican nomination.
After the presidential campaign
Even though Huckabee had signed a television contract and a book deal with a pressing deadline, he was mentioned by most to be on then-presumptive Republican presidential nominee
John McCainJohn Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
's short list for his
Vice PresidentialThe Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
running mateA running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position but can also properly be used when referring to both candidates, such as "Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen were...
. Huckabee was eventually passed over for
Sarah PalinSarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
. The late pundit
Tim RussertTimothy John "Tim" Russert was an American television journalist and lawyer who appeared for more than 16 years as the longest-serving moderator of NBC's Meet the Press. He was a senior vice president at NBC News, Washington bureau chief and also hosted the eponymous CNBC/MSNBC weekend interview...
even referred to Huckabee as "Vice President Huckabee" several times when he appeared on
Meet The PressMeet the Press is a weekly American television news/interview program produced by NBC. It is the longest-running television series in American broadcasting history, despite bearing little resemblance to the original format of the program seen in its television debut on November 6, 1947. It has been...
on May 18, 2008.
Former President
Bill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
has praised Huckabee and stated that he is a rising star in the Republican Party. Clinton and Huckabee have collaborated on initiatives such as the fight against childhood obesity. Former Tennessee Republican Party Chairman and Huckabee's former campaign manager
Chip SaltsmanJohn "Chip" Saltsman, Jr. is an American politician who has served as chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party from 1999 to 2001, senior political advisor to former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, and manager of Mike Huckabee's 2008 presidential campaign...
has called governor Huckabee, "The most successful failed presidential candidate in the history of our country."
In December 2008, Huckabee became an Honorary Member of
Tau Kappa EpsilonTau Kappa Epsilon is a college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University with chapters in the United States, and Canada, and affiliation with a German fraternity system known as the Corps of the Weinheimer Senioren Convent...
fraternity.
Books
Since the campaign Huckabee has published,
Do The Right Thing: Inside the Movement That's Bringing Common Sense Back to America (released on November 18, 2008) which became a New York Times Best Seller and "A Simple Christmas" (November 3, 2009), a non-political book.
Commentator
On June 12, 2008,
Fox NewsFox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
announced it was hiring Huckabee as a political commentator and regular contributor to their
2008 American presidential electionThe United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
coverage, in their New York election headquarters.
Huckabee filled in for
Paul HarveyPaul Harvey Aurandt , better known as Paul Harvey, was an American radio broadcaster for the ABC Radio Networks. He broadcast News and Comment on weekday mornings and mid-days, and at noon on Saturdays, as well as his famous The Rest of the Story segments. His listening audience was estimated, at...
in July 2008. A few months later, he signed a deal with ABC Radio Networks to carry a daily commentary,
The Huckabee ReportThe Huckabee Report is a radio program hosted by former Republican governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee, that first aired in January 2009. The program broadcasts on Cumulus Media Networks , three times each day , and each commentary is approximately 4 minutes long.On March 23, 2009, The Huckabee...
, beginning in January 2009. After Harvey's death his show replaced Harvey's broadcasts.
Huckabee hosts a weekend show,
HuckabeeHuckabee is a TV political commentary program on Fox News hosted by former Republican Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. It premiered September 27, 2008, at 8 PM EDT.- Schedule :...
, on Fox News Channel, which premiered Saturday September 27, 2008, at 8 PM EST.
Clemency controversies
As governor, Huckabee commuted and accepted recommendations for pardon for twice as many sentences as his three predecessors combined; in total: 1,033 prisoners. Twelve of those had previously been convicted of murder. Huckabee’s pardons and commutations became an issue during the
2008 Republican PrimaryThe 2008 Republican presidential primaries were the selection process by which voters of the Republican Party chose its nominee for President of the United States in the 2008 U.S. presidential election...
, with most of the controversy focusing on
Wayne DumondWayne Eugene DuMond was an American criminal convicted of murder and rape. He was born in De Witt, Arkansas, and is buried in the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery of Ethel, Arkansas.DuMond had six children and three wives...
. Huckabee's handling of clemency petitions received national attention in November 2009 with the case of
Maurice ClemmonsMaurice Clemmons was an American felon who was responsible for the November 29, 2009, murder of four police officers in Parkland, Washington...
. Clemmons had committed burglary without a weapon, and his 60-year sentence was commuted by Huckabee to 47 years, making him eligible for parole if approved by the parole board. The prosecuting attorney of Pulaski County, Arkansas vehemently objected to the commutation. As factors in his decision, Huckabee cited the unusually long sentence of 108 years for Clemmons, who was 17 at the time, that Clemmons had already served 11 years of jail time, the unanimous decision by the bipartisan state pardon board in Clemmons's favor, and the original trial judge's support for clemency. When Clemmons received the 60-year sentence, he already was serving 48 years on five felony convictions and facing up to 95 more years on charges of robbery, theft and possessing a handgun on school property. After his release in 2000 Clemmons was arrested a number of times for multiple offenses including child molestation and aggravated assault, but was released after prosecutors declined to file charges. On November 29, 2009, four police officers were murdered in
Lakewood, WashingtonLakewood is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 58,163 at the 2010 census.-History:Lakewood was officially incorporated on February 28, 1996. Historical names include Lakewood Center and Lakes District...
, and Clemmons was named by witnesses as the only suspect. After a two-day manhunt that spanned several cities in the
Puget Sound regionThe Puget Sound region is an inland area of the Pacific Northwest in Washington , including Puget Sound, the Puget Sound lowlands, and the surrounding region roughly west of the Cascade Range and east of the Olympic Mountains.- History :...
, the armed Clemmons was shot and killed by a
Seattle Police DepartmentThe Seattle Police Department is the principal law enforcement agency of the city of Seattle, Washington, except for the campus of the University of Washington, for which responsibility falls to the University of Washington Police Department...
officer in south Seattle after refusing police orders to stop charging the officer.
In 2003, Eugene Fields received a six year prison sentence after his fourth conviction of driving while intoxicated in five years. Gov. Huckabee granted clemency over the objections of the local prosecutor and sheriff, the Arkansas Prosecuting Attorneys Association and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). A spokeswoman for Mr. Huckabee, Charmaine Yoest, said that Mr. Fields’s political donations [to the Arkansas Republican Party] and connections played no role in his clemency. About two years after Mr. Fields’s sentence was cut to 11 months, he was arrested again for driving while intoxicated as his truck crossed the center line directly into the path of an oncoming police car.
Recent controversies
In comments made March 1, 2011, on The Steve Malzberg Show, Huckabee said of President
Barack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, "I would love to know more. What I know is troubling enough. And one thing that I do know is his having grown up in
KenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, his view of the Brits, for example, is very different than the average American." (This is a reference to the
Mau Mau UprisingThe Mau Mau Uprising was a military conflict that took place in Kenya between 1952 and 1960...
against the colonial rule of
Great BritainGreat Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
in 1952).
In comments made March 4, 2011, on the Michael Medved Show, Huckabee spoke about pregnant, unwed actress
Natalie PortmanNatalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel...
saying "...it's unfortunate we glorify and glamorize the idea of out of wedlock children." Huckabee denies he defamed Portman.
In April, he was criticized for a remark he made, "I almost wish that there would be a simultaneous telecast and all Americans would be forced, at gunpoint, to listen to every David Barton message," in praise of David Barton.
Possible 2012 presidential campaign
In a November 19, 2008, article by the
Associated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, Huckabee addressed the possibility of running for President in 2012. He said, "I'm not ruling anything out for the future, but I'm not making any specific plans".
Amid speculation about a future run for the Presidency, a
CNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
poll in December 2008 found Huckabee at the top of the list of 2012 GOP contenders, along with former
AlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
n
Governor Sarah PalinSarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
, fellow 2008 Presidential candidate
Mitt RomneyWillard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
, and former
Speaker of the HouseThe Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
Newt GingrichNewton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
.
On December 3, 2008, local
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
news station WLWT asked Huckabee about the prospect of running, to which he said, "I'm pretty sure I'll be out there. Whether it's for myself or somebody else I may decide will be a better standard bearer, that remains to be seen."
A June 2009
CNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
/
Opinion Research CorporationOpinion Research Corporation, based in Princeton, New Jersey, is a demographic, health, and market research company. It was founded in 1938 by Claude Robinson and George Gallup, although Gallup quickly left the firm in 1939....
national poll showed Huckabee as the 2012 presidential co-favorite of the Republican electorate along with Palin and Romney. An October 2009 poll of Republicans by
Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports is an American media company that publishes and distributes information based on public opinion polling. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen in 2003, the company updates daily indexes including the President's job approval rating, and provides public opinion data, analysis, and...
put Huckabee in the lead with 29%, followed by Romney on 24% and Palin on 18%.
In a November 2009
GallupThe Gallup Organization, is primarily a research-based performance-management consulting company. Some of Gallup's key practice areas are - Employee Engagement, Customer Engagement and Well-Being. Gallup has over 40 offices in 27 countries. World headquarters are in Washington, D.C. Operational...
poll, Huckabee was shown as the leading Republican contender for 2012.
In November 2010
CNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
projected in a poll that Huckabee would defeat Barack Obama in a hypothetical 2012 contest.
In a Rasmussen poll taken January 11–14, 2011, Huckabee was even with Obama: 43% – 43%.
On May 14, 2011, Huckabee announced on his Fox News television show that he would not be a candidate for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012. Despite his high national poll numbers and being seen by many as the front runner, Huckabee declined to run, saying, "All the factors say 'go', but my heart says 'no'."
Weight loss and health advocacy
When elected governor of Arkansas, Huckabee was
obeseObesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
. In 2003, physicians diagnosed him with type 2 diabetes and informed him that he would not live more than 10 years if he did not lose weight. Huckabee acknowledges that he has weighed as much as 300 pounds (135 kg). Prompted by this diagnosis (as well as the subsequent death of former Governor
Frank D. WhiteFrank Durward White was the 41st Governor of the U.S. state of Arkansas since Reconstruction. He served a single two-year term from 1981 to 1983. He is one of only two people to have defeated President Bill Clinton in an election. Frank Durward White (June 4, 1933 – May 21, 2003) was...
, whose obesity contributed to a fatal
heart attackMyocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
), Huckabee began eating a healthier diet and exercising. He subsequently lost over 110 pounds (50 kg).
The
New York Times called the weight loss so rapid that "it was as if he simply unzipped a fat suit and stepped out."
Although Huckabee has stated that he never smoked nor drank,
he declared himself a "recovering foodaholic". Huckabee has publicly recounted his previous burdens as an obese man: the steps of the Arkansas capitol from the entrance of the building up to the Governor's office were so long and steep that he would be out of breath and exhausted by the time he reached the top of the stairs. He once joked that he would be interviewed by media at the top of the steps, and that he would be too out of breath to respond.
Huckabee has discussed his weight loss and used
health careHealth care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
reform as a major focus of his governorship.
At an August 2007 forum on cancer hosted by
Lance ArmstrongLance Edward Armstrong is an American former professional road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support...
, Huckabee said he would support a federal smoking ban, but has stated that he believes the issue is best addressed by state and local governments.
Huckabee has completed several marathons: the 2005
Marine Corps MarathonThe Marine Corps Marathon is an annual marathon held in Arlington, Virginia and Washington, DC. The mission of the MCM is to promote physical fitness, generate community goodwill and showcase the organizational skills of the United States Marine Corps....
, the 2005 and 2006
Little Rock MarathonThe Little Rock Marathon, started in 2003, is an annual marathon held in Little Rock, Arkansas. The event is intended to encourage better health and fitness and to raise funds for Little Rock Parks & Recreation...
and the 2006
New York City MarathonThe New York City Marathon is a major annual marathon that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is one of the largest marathons in the world, with 45,103 finishers in 2010...
.
The 2005 Little Rock Marathon featured an impromptu challenge between Huckabee and
IowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
Governor
Tom VilsackThomas James "Tom" Vilsack is an American politician, a member of the Democratic Party, and presently the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. He served as the 40th Governor of the state of Iowa. He was first elected in 1998 and re-elected to a second four-year term in 2002...
. Huckabee completed the marathon in 4:38:31, defeating Vilsack by 50 minutes. He wrote a book chronicling his weight-loss experience,
Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and ForkQuit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork , subtitled "A 12-Step Program to End Bad Habits and Begin a Healthy Lifestyle", is a book by former Arkansas governor and 2008 United States Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. It is based on his health experience of being overweight and...
. Huckabee was one of 10 recipients of a 2006
AARPAARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, is the United States-based non-governmental organization and interest group, founded in 1958 by Ethel Percy Andrus, PhD, a retired educator from California, and based in Washington, D.C. According to its mission statement, it is "a...
Impact Award acknowledging his work as a "health crusader."
In 2009 Huckabee acknowledged that he had gained back a fourth of his weight due to a foot condition that prevented him from running.
Capitol Offense (rock band)
Huckabee's band,
Capitol OffenseCapitol Offense is an American rock band. It is most notable for its bassist, Mike Huckabee, who is the former Governor of Arkansas and former 2008 Republican candidate for President of the United States.-Early years :...
, has played for political events and parties, including entertaining at unofficial inaugural balls in Washington, D.C. in January 2001 and later again 2005, both organized and promoted by the conservative website
Free RepublicFree Republic is a moderated Internet forum for activists, and chat site for self-described conservatives, primarily within the United States. It presents articles and comments posted pseudonymously by registered members, known as "Freepers", using screen names...
as well as the 2004 GOP Convention.
Organizations
Huckabee was made the chair of the Southern Governors' Association in 1999 and served in capacity through 2000. He has chaired the Southern Growth Policies Board, the Southern Region Education Board, the Southern Technology Council, the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, and the
Education Commission of the StatesThe Education Commission of the States was founded as a result of the creation of the Compact for Education, an interstate compact approved by Congress in 1965 and currently entered by 49 U.S...
. He is also a member of the
Republican Governors AssociationThe Republican Governors Association is a Washington, D.C.-based 527 organization founded in 1963, consisting of U.S. state and territorial governors affiliated with the Republican Party.Its Democratic Party counterpart is the Democratic Governors Association...
and former chairman of the
National Governors AssociationThe National Governors Association , founded in 1908 as the National Governors' Conference, is funded primarily by state dues, federal grants and contracts and private contributions. NGA represents the governors of the fifty U.S. states and five U.S. territories The National Governors Association...
. Huckabee is presently the chairman of conservative
PACsIn the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
called the
Vertical Politics InstituteThe Vertical Politics Institute is a conservative Political Action Committee in the United States. Their mission statement is that "The Vertical Politics Institute is dedicated to finding solutions to the many challenges our nation faces today...
and
Huck PACHuck PAC is the political action committee of former Arkansas Governor, Mike Huckabee. It was founded in April 2008 by Huckabee, during the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries...
.
Honors
Huckabee received two honorary doctoral degrees: a Doctor of Humane Letters, received from
John Brown UniversityThe main campus in Northwest Arkansas has been the site of the university since it was founded in 1919. JBU has 2,183 students as of the 2011-2012 school year, 1,279 of which are traditional undergraduates. Of these, 878 live on campus. The Graduate School has 468 students...
in 1991, and a Doctor of Laws from Ouachita Baptist University in 1992.
In July 2010, Huckabee became a fundraiser on behalf of for-profit Victory College in Memphis Tennessee and was designated Chancellor of the Victory University Foundation, although he did not take up residence in Memphis.
Books
Huckabee has written or co-authored several books:
- Character is the Issue: How People With Integrity Can Revolutionize America (1997), a memoir (inspired by the crisis surrounding the incidents prior to his taking office as governor)
- Kids Who Kill
Kids Who Kill: Confronting Our Culture of Violence is a 1998 non-fiction book by former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and Evangelical Christian author and pastor George Grant....
(1998), a book about juvenile violence (inspired by the Jonesboro massacre, which took place during his tenure as governor)
- Living Beyond Your Lifetime (2000), a guide for leaving a personal legacy
- Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork
Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork , subtitled "A 12-Step Program to End Bad Habits and Begin a Healthy Lifestyle", is a book by former Arkansas governor and 2008 United States Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. It is based on his health experience of being overweight and...
(2005), a health and exercise inspirational guide (based on his personal health experience) Publisher: Center Street
- From Hope to Higher Ground: 12 Steps to Restoring America's Greatness (2007) Publisher: Center Street
- "De-Marketing Obesity" in the California Management Review, (with Brian Wansink
Brian Wansink is an American professor in the fields of consumer behavior and nutritional science. He is a former Executive Director of the USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion ....
), 47:4 (Summer 2005), 6–18.
- Huckabee also wrote the foreword to My Story Your Story His Story (2006) by Larry Toller
- Character Makes a Difference: Where I'm From, Where I've Been, and What I Believe, by Mike Huckabee (2007)
- Do the Right Thing: Inside the Movement That's Bringing Common Sense Back to America, by Mike Huckabee (2008)
- A Simple Christmas: Twelve Stories that Celebrate the True Holiday Spirit, by Mike Huckabee (2009)
External links