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Will conservatives unite behind single candidate?
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Mike Huckabee weighs in
- Duration 5:57
- Date Jan 13, 2012
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Mike Huckabee weighs in
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Evangelical and Tea Party leaders gathering in Texas right now with hopes of rallying around a single GOP candidates.
This could potentially be -- game changer folks some conservatives say they want an alternative to Mitt Romney ten -- unite.
And should Mitt Romney be concerned.
He's the frontrunner.
Mike Huckabee is former Arkansas governor and host of Huckabee here on foxnews.com and of course was and that was -- an -- position for years ago when.
You won Iowa and Nichols admitted value voters vote.
Then moved to New Hampshire did not win there and then came the critical South Carolina.
And there was a question about whether the evangelicals should have all rallied behind you would -- shore.
That you're their guy they say that they now have regrets about not doing that governor they say that they're trying to avoid that similar behavior this time around.
Do you think they need.
To get behind one candidate said split it among all these conservatives.
Well I'm certainly glad that they're saying they should've done it for years ago the G four years too late on.
I don't think that they'll probably come to unite around one candidate because right now many of these leaders have already invested.
In either Newt Gingrich Rick Santorum.
Our Rick Perry.
Some actually have invested in Romney -- and Ron Paul so they're already splattered it would it would take something alike.
Parting the Red Sea a miracle of that magnitude.
To get all of them to sort of forego who they've already chosen and in to pick one and then how to they picked from those -- Than the magic person.
They get behind it -- these are some big leaders governor as you know Tony Perkins of the family research -- -- Gary Bauer.
For president of the James Dobson needs to be -- of folks on the family and so -- they're all getting together Texas.
Why can't they pick somebody what's the prob.
Well I think the problem is timing if they had done this six months ago before anyone had broken out in before people had got invested in the candidate they could have done that.
And -- exactly where things were four years ago they have made a commitment early on that they were gonna get together and in early 07.
They were gonna unite behind a single candidate -- that went from January to February to march and it went down into the summer and of the time they thought that they should do it.
It was too late because then.
The leaders and the followers were splintered and frankly I think that's exactly what's happened now.
It's probably too late and even if the leaders were to agree it doesn't mean that their constituents will.
A lot of the constituents have.
These organizations in ministries.
Have already made up their mind so they're not gonna change just because their leader says but I've decided to endorse Newt Gingrich RR perhaps endorse Rick Santorum.
So I think he you know this bell has been wrong and probably cannot be -- wrong does that.
In nor to the benefit of the front runner Mitt Romney who doesn't seem to be necessarily the number one choice among the social conservatives the values voters.
Although it depends on who you ask but does that -- -- to his benefit.
It could.
And I think it in many ways will because of the fact that you have a splintered vote among people for whom the primary.
Consideration.
Are the values issues whether it's the sanctity of life and the dignity of every person.
Whether it's the sanctity of marriage these are our issues that.
Really are just deal stoppers for a lot of the evangelicals and frankly a lot of Catholics.
And so if if they don't unite and they don't find a candidate around whom they.
Decide they're gonna be then Mitt Romney become sort of the default option.
For those who are more establishment Republicans and and it's it's not unlike what happened last time with John McCain winning the the nomination.
That's funny you should mention that because he was on a program yesterday and it Fred Thompson was about some -- today.
And based not happy with you governor because you actually told -- when when we were in Iowa.
We were talking out that you were in Florida I was in Iowa and you said you believed that John McCain -- asked Fred Thompson to stay in the race he won Iowa McCain won -- Hampshire.
He went down South Carolina you believe he asked Fred Thompson to stay in the race.
So that the conservative vote would be split between Thompson.
And you will and that would help McCain McCain -- -- here -- -- that -- flat -- -- Fred Thompson came -- said elect Mike Huckabee but that is just not true.
When you get a chance response.
Well first of all in all I've been called being called -- -- by both John McCain and Fred Thompson had you know it's not good but.
Heck have been called worse by a lot of people -- and and and so you know I'll certainly get over that look I said -- -- a compliment I thought of his brilliant strategy the fact is I heard that news from.
My campaign chairman Ed Rollins who heard it from three different sources inside the camp.
I would tell you this I thought it was a compliment in that it was a brilliant political move if they did it now you know if if they weren't Smart enough to do it.
-- I apologize for giving them the benefit of being that Smart.
Because I thought it would have been a great move and I certainly what bitter about it is it was not illegal or unethical it was just.
Good political strategy if they didn't do it there were dog gone lucky I'll put it that way.
I let me ask you speaking -- -- -- -- lucky you are looking up to sit down.
With all these candidates at another -- the last when you had was fascinating with the attorneys general.
Three of them in the United States questioning the candidates you're doing another one tomorrow night tell us about.
Well it's going to be with undecided voters in South Carolina.
It interest in mega there are almost half of all the voters in South Carolina who had yet to make up their -- are gonna vote for a week from now.
So these are undecided voters they'll be in Charleston.
We're gonna let -- ask the questions of the candidates candidates are not going to be allowed to attack each other we want them to attack these questions and ask.
-- -- answer tough questions from -- voters.
But with nine point 9% unemployment in South Carolina people here have some very serious questions of somebody wants to be president.
And by the way people can submit questions online ad hoc foreign to at foxnews.com got it right yet picked those right up until the time we'll be watching thanks so much.