by Jason George
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Huckabee has conceded, taking to the stage two and a half hours after polls closed and telling the crowd that he had just called McCain to congratulate him.
"Obviously tonight we wanted to come here and declare a South Carolina victory – we got awful close."
"I want to remind you politics, and in particular this year, is a process," he added.
"It is a process, and the process is far, far from over."
Speaking before a quarter-filed room at the Columbia Convention Center, Huckabee said in his five-minute remarks that he was leaving South Carolina with no regrets.
"Tonight is not a time to start asking 'what if?' it's a time to start asking 'what now?' I feel like in our effort here we gave everything we had. We left it all on the field," he said.
"We just finished one of the quarters of play."
Huckabee heads to Little Rock tonight and then to Texas for the Chuck Norris BBQ later in the day Sunday.
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Comments
Close, but no cigar. Thank God Huckabee is DONE!
He GONE!!!
Posted by: Logic Prisoner | January 19, 2008 10:25 PM
We need a Ronald Reagan type Republican to rise up for this nomination! I guess we have to wait for the convention this summer! Thompson would be the closest, but his heart is not into it! Huckabee is fine as a moral leader but as a commander in Chief... well,... let's not go there! McCain technically he can't be president because he was not born in this country! Romney... statehouse experience... but how about a national leader?....
Posted by: Jim Lykins | January 20, 2008 12:01 AM
No, thank God McCain finished only three points ahead--he will lose to Guiliani in Florida and to Huckabee and Romney in most of the Feb. 5 states.
Posted by: David Shipp | January 20, 2008 7:02 AM
"Huckabee heads to Little Rock tonight and then to Texas for the Chuck Norris BBQ later in the day Sunday."
What a loser. Time to put that weight back on right Upchuckabee. Republicans actually made the right choice yesterday. John McCain would prove to be an interesting adversary.
Posted by: Barack & Roll | January 20, 2008 8:55 AM
I'm sure Huck is an OK guy, but his idea to change the constitution to Gods standards, that's where I draw the line. Like other candidates, when you pander to certain people with a reason to vote for them, they also give a reason not to vote for them.
Posted by: bill r. | January 20, 2008 9:13 AM
Huckabee needs to know that the US is a DEMOCRACY not a THEOCRACY. Since he refuses to believe that he should withdraw. I'm voting for an American President not an American religious leader.
Posted by: Croce Fiandach | January 20, 2008 9:33 AM
It amazes me to see how uneducated some people are in this country. Anyone who believes that Mike Huckabee wants us to be a theocracy has absolutely no understanding of what he says. Maybe it's time for Huckabee to realize that he needs to speak in simpler terms. Mike Huckabee is more in line with our founders and has the best understanding of our constitution among all the candidates. It's quite refreshing to have ONE candidate running for president who will honestly let people know what he believes. People seem to want "change" lately. Well, Mike Huckabee represents that far more than any other candidate.
Posted by: Jeff Caillouette | January 20, 2008 11:38 AM
McCain's ahead in Florida and every northern state that votes on Super Tuesday. Winning by "only three points" seems to be going great for him, David.
Posted by: Jeff | January 20, 2008 10:08 PM