If you haven't already heard, Mike Huckabee will not seek the 2012 GOP nomination for president. This is despite the fact that he is currently leading or placing second in the major polls.
Even before Huckabee made his announcement on his FoxNews program on Saturday night, many had speculated that he would not run. This was due largely to his inactivity in the realm of putting together a campaign staff. Many of his 2008 staff members and/or consultants had already signed up to work for other candidates.
Another one of Huckabee's considerations was his ever expanding media empire. Admittedly, it would be difficult for anyone to walk away from a position which allows him to have a sense of security. More importantly, Huckabee's television and radio programs allow him to have a very large say in issues of public policy.
Everyone is already wondering who will benefit most from Huckabee's dropping out of the race. This, of course, is still very up in the air. Many, for some reason, would suspect that Romney would benefit most since he is polling second. While Romney may pick up some "Huckabee votes," it is unlikely that he will get the lions-share of them.
For starters, you might recall that Huckabee and Romney did not have the greatest of relationships during the 2008 campaign. In his announcement, Huckabee even mentions the mildly bad blood between the two. Another reason is that many Huckabee voters are social conservatives and will likely look for a candidate with better social conservative credentials than Romney. Some have speculated that candidates, or potential candidates, like Santorum, Cain, or Palin would benefit most from Huckabee's decision not to run.
Whatever, the case, it is fairly clear that the most consistent early frontrunner has now taken himself out of the race. Only time and GOP voters will reveal the current frontrunner.
