(CNN) - Former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee said Sunday he’s interested in John McCain’s No. 2 spot.
“There's no one I would rather be on a ticket with than John McCain,” the former Arkansas governor said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“Let me point out that all during the campaign, when I was his rival, not a running mate, there was no one who was more complimentary of him publicly and privately,” he said.
Huckabee abandoned his presidential bid after McCain clinched the Republican nomination in early March.
When Huckabee announced his candidacy in January 2007, the former Baptist pastor was best known for his dramatic weight loss. The 52-year-old governor dropped more than 100 pounds after being diagnosed with diabetes in 2003.
Huckabee went on to finish first in the Iowa caucuses January 3, placing him among the top tier of Republican hopefuls.
He lagged behind Mitt Romney and McCain in the next round of contests, in New Hampshire and Michigan, and trailed McCain in South Carolina. However, his victories in the Deep South states of Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and his native Arkansas in the February 5 Super Tuesday contests helped force Romney out of the race.
“I want to make sure you know [McCain] was my number two choice. I still wanted to win, but if I couldn't, John McCain, from always, was the guy I would've supported and have now supported,” Huckabee said.
Asked if it would help McCain if he were to be the vice president, Huckabee said that’s something only McCain can decide.
“I'm going to support him because I think he's the right person for America. I think he has the kind of seasoning and maturity that this country needs.”
From CNN Politics
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Ya I know even the NRA is not laughing at that joke he made about someone poing at gun at Obama. You only point a gun at a person for one reason. For a holy man why in the hell would he say that. Thats like yelling fire in a crowded movie theater. What an Idiot!
Nooooooo, you don't say. The real question is; who couldn't see this coming??????
This is a joke...right?
No, no, no. Huckabee is divisive and lacks the necessary gravitas to be Vice President. And, if McCain kicks the bucket, we would have a minister formalizing the theocracy this country is already becoming. We can't afford that.
I smell a Democratic landslide. With Huck it would be certainty of record proportions.
Mc Cain should show his backbone and pick his greatest ally, Joe Lieberman.
Thank God. The easiest team to defeat. Go Obama.
I wondered why a "man of God" would pander to an organization like the NRA even to the extent of "joking" about the shooting of another candidate for the President of the United States of America (and not bothering to call that man and his wife afterwards to apologize) but now I understand. I have to say that my respect for Mike Huckabee has dropped faster and further in the last week than I thought possible. If I were John McCain I would advise him to do everything he could to distance himself from Mike Huckabee. Anyone who would say what he said about someone being shot (joking or not) would be too great a risk. Further, the fact that the "people" he was addressing chuckled says much about the caliber of individual present at NRA rallies.
This would guarantee my vote go to the Democrats this election... unless of course HRC is anywhere on the ticket.
Although I like Huckabee and would still vote for that ticket... I think someone like Condoleezza Rice would make this a slam dunk. No more racial bias for the Democrats.
I see Mike Huckabee as the only way to shore the evangelical vote. He can't win without that. Preiod.
Oh please oh please oh please oh please oh please oh please oh please.
I'm a Republican who will vote for Obama this election. When "Yuckabee" was campaigning I thought I would vote for him. Now that I see his true colors and the insanity of the current Republilcan regime, you could not pay me to vote for a Republican. However, if they try to give the Demo nomination to "Billary." I will not vote this election. I'll live with my conscience. I know many died in order for me to vote and participate, but will not vote against my conscience.
Huckabee's suggestion that someone was pointing a gun at Obama was not a good idea in a country that shoots its Presidents as easy as it eats a ham sandwich-count em'-Reagan, Kennedy, McKinley, Lincoln and throw in Martin Luter King and Bobby Kennedy while you are at it. All Huckabee did was energize the wackos out there.
Huckabee didn't do anything as Governor here in Arkansas, and he won't do anything in the Whitehouse either. He's one of those politicians that you don't love, but you don't hate either. He's just there.... Sorta like John McCain.... just there. A politican that does nothing... they are just there....
Governor Huckabee – Joking around about shooting a presidential candidate, from the other party, the first black candidate in history, in front of the NRA is criminal, not to mention sinful. There is truth in sarcasm and you've just crossed the line. Humor or no humor, stupid as it may be, your asinine comment was offensive and moronic. It deserves far more than just a simple apology.
This country doesn't want or need a Veep that makes dangerous and ignorant remarks.
If I were Barack Obama, I would pray that McCain chooses Huckabee as his running mate. A McCain-Huckabee ticket would lose to Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse.
HUCKABEE,.. YOU'RE A RACIST, A LIAR AND A PHONY, AND THOSE ARE YOUR GOOD QUALITIES.
HI HO BIG BROWN OBAMA 08
After that ignorant comment at the NRA clan rally, McWalkinCane would be crazy to choose Huckleberry.
But wait he is crazy
cool
McCain / Dingleberry 08
To all Obamabots: You should learn something about respect to your elders and respect to this country. Your candidate is an ellitist, he disrespect McCain by saying he "loose his bearings". Someone like you should not even be allowed to run. Your so call candidate does not have experience required for this job and we are not going to give this job to him because of the color of his skin. That is against the law and this would be discrimination at its best. Even Martin Luther King will be against it because that is what he had been preaching. So you Obamabots should learn to be respectful and tell your candidate to be respectfull to his elders as well to women. That is why you do not respect Hillary. You all know ,she is the best person for the job. So wash your mouths out with soap all of you and be respectfull to all these people who knows best how this country should be run. Free speech do not give all of you Obamabots and Obama the right to act ignorant, arrogance and stupid.
Hillary for President 2008!!!
Ohhh ... hmm... YEA.. SURE... WHATEVER...Huckabee is a joke. Keep dreaming!! I have no problem with people who are vocal of their fantasies. This is preposterous and almost laughable.
After that joke about Obama, I'm not sure you should be picked as McCain's running mate.
Go for it Chuckabee, that would guarantee a loss for the Repubs in November. By the way your gunfire joke, about Senator Obama, was in very poor taste, and I have lost all respect for you. You are the weakest link, goodbye.
It make some sense to pick someone who can pull in an important constituant group for the republicans - evangelical christians.
However, I WILL NOT VOTE FOR a a theocrat like Huckabee, no matter how good a candidate McCain would be. In the unfortunate case where McCain was unable to serve out his term, god help us for having to wait until his term ends like we're waiting for January 20th now!
Theocracy is BAD no matter what the religion is - haven't we learned this from the middle east and other parts of the world already?
It took me a while to warm up to McCain as Pres. However if he were to pick Huckabee, I would vote for the Libertarian, Bob Barr.
Huckabee is intolerant of anyone that doesn't share his personal views. McCain should pick a more inclusive person as his veep. There are several good conservative choices. None of whom are named Huckabee.