I stick by my guns; Mitt Romney will be the GOP nominee. Palin, Jindal and Huckabee will sit this one out.
I can't see Huckabee sitting it out.
First, it's more than flesh and blood could bear. He obviously thinks that he should be President, he's run once; and he'll be surrounded by people telling him that he should run again, that he'd make a great President, and that the minute after he announces his candidacy he'll have millions of dollars to do it with.
I'd give it a go.
Second, he
can't "sit this one out" with the intention of running in 2016. He just can't. Because then in 2016 the question would be: "So, you ran in 2008, and now you're running again in 2016. Is that because you knew that Obama would kick your ass in 2012?" He might secretly hope that he comes second in the Republican primaries in 2012, but he can't
sit it out. He can toss his hat in the ring or give up.
Third, and related to that, the Republican Party does, even more than most political parties, have the idea of "Buggin's Turn". Actually, it's kind of bizarre. Bush was, let's face it, an awful President. So in 2008 the Republican nominee was McCain, the guy who, in 2000, Republicans thought was worse than Bush. And now the front-runners for the 2012 nomination are Romney and Huckabee --- the guys who, in 2008, Republicans thought were worse than McCain, the guy who they thought was worse than Bush in 2000.
However, such is the case.
