Christian Leader James Dobson Endorses Mike Huckabee

The reverend James Dobson, leader of the influential Colorado-based evangelical organization Focus on the Family, endorsed former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee Thursday, February 7. Dobson had made it clear that he would not vote for Arizona senator John McCain because of his voting record on family and conservative issues. Dobson said he was making the statement as a private citizen and had not endorsed a single candidate because he did not wish to make a choice between Mike Huckabee and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.

That changed early Thursday when Mitt Romney announced the suspending of his candidacy yesterday, stating that the longer he stayed in the race, the better the chances the Democratic nominee would have to win the general election in November.

Considering that he had won less than half the delegates McCain had, it is possible that that was his reason. But it is doubtful.

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee destroyed Mitt Romney's chances at becoming the nominee. There were several instances. His surprise win in Iowa. Huckabee's strong showing in South Carolina, where he received twice the votes Romney did, but only 3% less than McCain, who won (Romney finished a disappointing fourth, with 15% of the vote). The McCain contingent's strategy move in West Virginia that gave Huckabee the win there early on Super Tuesday. Then, Huckabee winning Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, and Arkansas.

No, Romney more than likely saw the writing on the wall. The next two Republican primaries are in Kansas and Arkansas, which Huckabee has a chance of sweeping, considering their large evangelical populations. And although Huckabee has less delegates than Romney, trailing McCain by five hundred, Huckabee has a chance of getting the Romney delegates, due to the acrimony between the Romney and McCain camps, and winning more delegates in the upcoming primaries, giving McCain a run for his money in the last stretch of the primaries.