Mike Huckabee said yesterday that his surprise bounce-back on Super Tuesday gives him every reason to stay in the race, as it looks like he might play kingmaker for the GOP nomination.
Huckabee’s strong showing fuels speculation that John McCain is considering him as a vice-presidential running mate to shore up support among religious conservatives.
“A lot of people have tried to push us off the stage and say we aren’t relevant anymore,” Huckabee said after winning five states, including Arkansas, where was a former governor.
“We knew better, and tonight we reaffirmed that our campaign is very much alive, that we have very strong support.
“The real miracle of it is that with limited resources compared to these other candidates, we’ve captured states that they couldn’t capture when they outspent us 20 to 1.”
Huckabee’s wins were in rural, religious states, mainly in the neighborhood of Arkansas.
But Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and West Virginia are the crucial Southern base of the Republican Party.
His unlikely campaign resembles a traveling carnival fueled by the Baptist preacher’s considerable oratorical skills.
He travels with his most famous supporters – karate actor Chuck Norris and pro wrestler Ric Flair – and at virtually every stop, he plays the bass guitar.
Political strategists say Huckabee has no real hope of capturing the nomination.
But by splitting conservatives with Mitt Romney, Huckabee has ensured McCain’s cruise to victory.
The wheeling and dealing has led to speculation that McCain and Huckabee are in cahoots.
Nowhere has such dealing been more evident than in the West Virginia caucus, where Huckabee won a stunning come-from-behind victory.
In first balloting, Romney led. To deny the Massachusetts ex-governor a victory there, supporters of McCain and other GOPers banded together to vote for Huckabee.
Still operating on a shoestring budget, Huckabee plans to travel to Kansas, Virginia and Texas, where his core support among evangelicals could give him additional surprising wins.
churt@nypost.com