Potomac primary losses could spark pressure on Huckabee to withdraw

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee could soon find his phone ringing off the hook as Republicans of all stripes ask him to abandon his bid for the presidency for the good of the party.

Even though Huckabee continues to rack up wins, picking up weekend victories in Kansas and Louisiana, the remaining number of delegates at stake makes his shot at the nomination a near impossibility.

{mosads}Depending on the count, presumptive nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) has more than 700 delegates, while Huckabee has fewer than 300. To win the Republican nomination, a candidate needs 1,191.

Many Republican officials, wary of the energy and shocking fundraising numbers Democrats are enjoying, are eager for the party to coalesce around McCain, and they see Huckabee as an obstacle to that effort at unity.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney cited his unwillingness to “forestall the launch of a national campaign” as one of his reasons for getting out of the race last week.

Huckabee’s campaign manager Chip Saltsman said Monday that the former governor is not getting any pressure to drop out of the race to pave the way for McCain. But it was reported on Friday that Texas Gov. Rick Perry called Huckabee and asked him to drop out.

And Huckabee might already be getting more than just pressure from some party leaders. The former governor’s campaign is contesting the results of this weekend’s Washington state caucuses after the state party chairman called the race for McCain even though only 87 percent of the precincts had reported and only 242 votes separated the candidates, according to reports.

Most Republican strategists and officials who spoke with The Hill Monday said it is still premature for the party to start asking Huckabee to get out. But many insisted that if Huckabee sustains losses in Tuesday’s primaries in Maryland and Virginia some will feel compelled to start suggesting as much.

“I think there is a growing consensus that John McCain is the presumptive nominee and you will see a natural rallying around his candidacy,” said Saulius “Saul” Anuzis, chairman of the Michigan GOP. “No one wants to force anyone out of the race, but we sure hope folks ultimately do what’s best for the party.”

One Republican strategist said Huckabee’s continued presence, not to mention those victories, further weakens McCain with conservatives at a time when the senator should be devoting his energy to shoring up that crowd.

“He’s only got nine months to repair that breach in the dam,” the strategist said, adding that Huckabee’s continuing run “takes up a lot of [McCain’s] energy. It takes up a lot of his time.”

McCain’s campaign said Huckabee can make up his own mind, and they will not pressure the former governor to get out.

Charlie Black, a senior McCain adviser, said “it’s a free country,” and it will be up to Huckabee to look at the math and make a decision.

“It’s tough when you need more than 100 percent of the delegates that are available,” Black said.

Gary Bauer, head of American Values and a leading conservative who endorsed McCain Monday, also said he would not pressure Huckabee to withdraw, adding that Perry’s call to Huckabee could serve to further motivate Huckabee and his supporters.

“That sort of thing can backfire,” Bauer said. “I think it would probably be wiser to let the governor make up his own mind.”

While Sens. Barack Obama (Ill.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) remain locked in the Democratic nomination fight, many Republicans said they feel like this moment in the campaign is a crucial opportunity for McCain to be unifying the party and raising money for the general election.

Huckabee’s continued presence, some worry, will distract McCain from both of those tasks.

“[Huckabee] has very savvy advisors, and they know how to count with the best of them. When the time is right, he’ll make his decision,” Anuzis said. “However, the sooner we can start focusing on the Democrats and drawing the contrast of two very different Americas under very different leadership … the better.”

Black said McCain has “partially” shifted to general election mode, and he will start hitting fundraisers almost immediately. The Associated Press reported Monday that McCain will not accept public matching funds, which means he has his fundraising work cut out for him. Both of his would-be Democratic opponents have been able to smash fundraising records since the start of the campaign, and they have shown no signs of slowing down.

Republican strategist Scott Reed said in an e-mail Monday that Huckabee is not hurting McCain, but if he is still in the race in March, that could be problematic for the likely nominee.

Dan Schnur, McCain’s communications director in 2000, said Huckabee’s continued presence gives McCain a public forum from which he can make his case to conservatives and stay relevant in a news environment increasingly dominated by the Obama-Clinton contest.

But if either Obama or Clinton emerges as their party’s likely nominee, Huckabee would start to feel immense pressure from a party desperate to start waging a general election fight.

“As long as the Democrats keep fighting it out on the other side, [Huckabee] has got the luxury of time,” Schnur said.