[UPDATE, May 15 – My original May 14 article reported that Mike Huckabee had in fact resumed actively campaigning for President. The total lack of corroboration from any other media, or even Pastor Huckabee's web page — and comments like some of those below — now lead me to believe that Mr. Horowitz made the original story up. I have changed the article in light of this, to remove any false claims of fact.]

May 14 — A few hours ago, the Wenatchee World Online posted an interesting scoop by syndicated columnist Rick Horowitz:

WASHINGTON (Any Moment Now) … former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee announced here today that he is re-entering the race for the White House. Speaking at the National Press Club this afternoon, Huckabee … declared that the outcome of the Republican nomination battle remained very much in doubt…. Huckabee, 52, pointed to upcoming Republican primaries in Idaho (May 27) and New Mexico (June 3) as particular breakthrough opportunities, and vowed to remain in the contest until a nominee is officially selected. When that time comes, he made clear, he expects to be that nominee. “Idaho is going to be the turning point. The whole world will be watching Idaho.”… Spokesmen for McCain declined to comment on the record about this new pothole in what had seemed a smooth path to the nomination. Sources close the campaign [sic], however, were said to be flabbergasted by Huckabee's sudden re-emergence as McCain was already well along in his pivot toward the general election…. Said one GOP strategist, “I've never seen anything like it.”

Huckabee suspended his campaign two months ago, on Mar. 4. On Mar. 10, he endorsed McCain and pledged “to do anything I can to be of assistance.”

On Apr. 25, McCain and Huckabee campaigned together for the first time.

Last week, Huckabee began releasing his delegates.

On May 12, U.S. News & World Report announced that “Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas and defeated contender for the GOP presidential nomination, is currently at the top of John McCain's short list for a running mate. At least that's the word from a top McCain fundraiser and longtime Republican moneyman who has spoken to McCain's inner circle.”

Just earlier today, blog Third Party Watch reported Huckabee telling SIRIUS-TV talk-show host Andrew Wilkow: “My goal is to help John McCain get elected.”

And now Pastor Huckabee is running for President again? What is going on?

There are two obvious things that would prompt a Huckabee re-entry: (1) The sudden media boom for Ron Paul, and (2) the results of yesterday's primaries.

(1) The 'anti-McCain narrative' that I wrote about on Sunday continues to break open in the media. Here is a typical example, from an ABC News story from today:

Sen. John McCain, taking a victory lap as the presumptive Republican nominee, happily poked fun at his only remaining opponent. Asked during an appearance on “The Daily Show” last week which of the two Democratic nominees he preferred to run against in the general election, McCain quipped, “Ron Paul.” But Paul might get the last laugh during McCain's coronation at the party's convention in early September…. In recent primaries, as many as 25 percent of Republican voters chose a different candidate, with many pulling levers for Paul and former GOP candidate Mike Huckabee, who snagged 27 percent of the vote in the Pennsylvania primary…. Paul's grass-roots movement of enthusiastic supporters is reportedly planning a minirebellion at the convention to push its anti-war, anti-tax agenda. In state conventions in Maine and Nevada, Paul's forces battled McCain's delegates to the brink. While they won't have the muscle to challenged McCain in the national convention, they can be an annoying sideshow when the spotlight is supposed to be solely on the candidate. Huckabee has endorsed McCain, but some of his evangelical supporters remain skeptical about McCain's claim to be a social conservative…. And former GOP Rep. Bob Barr, who won acclaim in conservative circles for leading the drive to impeach President Clinton, just announced his run for the presidency on the Libertarian Party ticket. The party commands few votes, but Barr has the potential to draw away Republican voters and be a spoiler in battleground states as Ralph Nader was accused of doing to Democrats in the 2000 election.

Suddenly, Ron Paul is major news. Even NPR hopped on the bandwagon today, airing this story about his current #1 bestseller, The Revolution: A Manifesto.

(2) Two Republican primaries were held yesterday, in West Virginia and Nebraska. In the first, four of the Fox News Five — McCain, Huckabee, Romney, and Giuliani — were on the ballot, along with Paul of course. The results: McCain 76%, Huckabee 10%, Paul 5%, Romney 4%, Giuliani 2%. Meanwhile, in the second — the first ballot that listed only Paul and McCain — McCain received 87%, and Paul 13%.

The Nebraska result is, on the surface, good news for McCain — the first time he has broken 80% in a primary, ever — and that is how the Boston Globe spun the story. But it is also fairly good news for Paul. This is his second-highest vote, in fact only the second time he has broken double digits, in a primary. Not the best result, but certainly a reason to press on.

Which gives reason for the McCain camp. If Paul continues to get double-digits, stories like the ABC one will continue to circulate until the convention. These stories can only increase doubts and uncertainties about McCain's campaign — and if the result is an even higher percentage for Paul, they will only increase.

While the Paul boom comes too late to stop McCain from winning the primaries, it may, if it continues, be enough to spark the delegate revolt that ABC hints at above. If Operation RonDemption works, and Paul beats McCain in Idaho, such a revolt would become likely. (“The whole world will be watching Idaho.”)

In that context, it becomes reasonable for McCain to ask Huckabee to resume his suspended campaign, and for Huckabee to agree to be a good soldier and do his duty. His duty, as I see it, would be (1') to take the media attention off of Paul, and even more importantly (2') as in WV, to keep anti-McCain votes from going to Paul.

Huckabee, in short, would be playing spoiler for McCain again. The first time was in Iowa, where he beat Mitt Romney and by doing so kept McCain competitive in New Hampshire. (After which, when Huckabee got too competitive and threatened to win SC, too, McCain had to use Fred Thompson as a spoiler against him.) It only makes sense for the McCain camp to drag him out one more time, to use as a spoiler against Paul.

And it would only make sense for Huckabee to agree. By drawing anti-McCain votes, and media attention, from Paul, he will be doing his duty and cementing his status as McCain's running mate. However, he would also be cementing his status as the candidate that, if the anticipated delegate revolt happens, the anti-McCain forces turn to and nominate. Presidential candidate or running mate: either way he wins.

Which, to my mind, would fully explain Pastor Huckabee's reappearance in the race.

–