Huck-a-bye

Politics: Former contender Mike Huckabee talks about his campaign and the future of campaign ’08 | Jamie Dean

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When former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee conceded the Republican presidential nomination to Sen. John McCain on March 4, the two men had something in common: Few people thought either would get this far.

Just last summer, McCain's campaign had nearly imploded and Huckabee's candidacy was hardly off the ground. Only a few months later, McCain was making a remarkable comeback and Huckabee was making a remarkable surge.

But despite a stunning victory in Iowa followed by a string of primary wins across the South, Huckabee couldn't match McCain's momentum. The governor picked up some 300 pledged delegates, but when McCain reached the 1,191 he needed to secure the nomination, Huckabee bowed out.

From a hotel ballroom in Irving, Texas, the governor consoled supporters with the deadpan humor that marked his campaign. "We started this effort with very little recognition and virtually no resources," he said. "We ended with slightly more recognition and very few resources."