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Huckabee Eyes Bank Account, Cuts Florida Schedule

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By WILLIAM MARCH, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 23, 2008

Updated: 01/23/2008 12:13 am

TAMPA - Plagued by an empty bank account, GOP presidential contender Mike Huckabee has cut back his Florida schedule to a bare minimum and may be aiming his campaign at Super Tuesday on Feb. 5 rather than the Sunshine State on Jan. 29.

Nevertheless, his supporters hope for a boost from former supporters of Fred Thompson, who announced Tuesday he's leaving the race.

"He'll get an enormous boost; there's a natural affinity with a social conservative like Huckabee," said state Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami, a Huckabee backer.

His leading opponents - former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney - all have posted heavy schedules of rallies, town hall meetings and speeches.

Huckabee, though expected to be a major player in Florida, has come into the state for one event a day, while also hitting events in other states: in Atlanta on Tuesday morning and a planned event in Arkansas today, for example.

The former Arkansas governor has a rally scheduled tonight in Fort Lauderdale, and will appear in the debate at Florida Atlantic University on Thursday night.

Other than that, he has attended only fundraisers, not open to the media or public.

Speaking to a small crowd at an airport rally in Gainesville, where he had come for a fundraiser Tuesday, Huckabee acknowledged that lack of money has limited his ability to campaign in Florida, a megastate that requires millions of dollars to pay for television advertising and campaign travel.

He said senior staff members have been asked to work without pay - a step also taken earlier by Giuliani - and that some have left.

Huckabee said he's trying to save money for ads in the smaller Southern states with less expensive media markets that vote Feb. 5 - including Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama - while appearing here just enough to keep his name alive.

State Has Potential For Him

"I don't want to abandon Florida yet," he said. "We have not come to the conclusion that Florida is out of play."

Rivera said Huckabee's "hard core" of supporters will allow him to keep his campaign alive past Florida, even without a strong finish here.

"I'm not worried," Rivera said. "As long as he's making public appearances every day it maintains his visibility with the voters. He has the luxury of taking a long-term national perspective toward the race."

Huckabee could have had reason to hope for a good Florida showing, analysts have said.

Social and religious conservatives are important here, and the closed primary, which allows only registered Republicans to vote, helps conservative candidates.

Without a big bank account, though, Florida is "a very difficult state to play in," said David Johnson, former executive director of the state Republican Party and now a political consultant who's not involved in the presidential race. "This is a media state, and retail campaigning can only get you so far."

Johnson questioned whether Huckabee could survive a loss in Florida after his loss in South Carolina.

"It's difficult to see how they would have a successful strategy on Feb. 5 without a good showing in Florida," he said.

Experts and insiders said any of the candidates, with the possible exception of Giuliani, could benefit from Thompson's departure.

Huckabee and Romney would appear the most likely beneficiaries because they have appealed to social and religious conservatives, as Thompson did, said Aubrey Jewett, a University of Central Florida political scientist.

Huckabee publicly blamed Thompson's presence in the race for siphoning off enough votes to prevent him from winning South Carolina. Huckabee had hoped a South Carolina win would revive the flagging momentum he got from his upset Iowa win.

Thompson made no endorsement in leaving the race. Former state Sen. Jack Latvala of St. Petersburg, a Thompson backer, said if he does make one, it could be for McCain. The two are friends and share the collegiality of the Senate, Latvala said.

He expressed the disappointment some backers felt at Thompson's seemingly unenthusiastic performance.

"I'm not sure when he ever got in the race," Latvala said, when told Thompson was dropping out, as he had been expected to do since his disappointing finish in South Carolina. "It wasn't much of a campaign."

Thompson Backers Not A Lock

Thompson's leading Florida supporter, U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam of Bartow, agreed Thompson backers might lean toward Huckabee, but said, "They're not a monolithic group; there will be some division among them."

Among Thompson's most enthusiastic supporters were gun rights advocates, including Pasco County GOP Chairman Bill Bunting.

Bunting said Tuesday he's torn: He thinks Huckabee may be the strongest gun-control foe left in the race, but that Romney or McCain may be more electable.

Giuliani, he said, is unacceptable.

Gun advocates "have some serious questions to ask them," he said of the candidates. "We don't have a lot of time, but we have big e-mail lists around the state."

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report. Reporter William March can be reached at (813) 259-7761 or wmarch@tampatrib.com.

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