Mike Huckabee said Tuesday passion for his beliefs - not his ego - was the reason he remains in the Republican presidential race despite near-impossible odds. Rival John McCain collected another primary win in Wisconsin and moved closer to the 1,191 delegates needed to clinch the nomination. Huckabee hasn't won a contest since Feb. 9.
"Let me assure you that if it were about ego, my ego doesn't enjoy getting these kinds of evenings where we don't win the primary elections," Huckabee told reporters at a Little Rock hotel. "So it's got to be about something more than that, and it is. It's about convictions."
The former Arkansas governor said he still wanted to deliver his message about issues important to him, such as opposition to abortion and a revised U.S. tax policy.
"We're going to keep marching on," Huckabee said. He already has campaign appearances scheduled in Ohio and Texas, which hold primaries March 4.
"There are millions of Republicans across this country who have yet to be heard from," Huckabee said. "Ending this race prematurely means they don't get a voice and they don't have a choice. I know there are those who say 'let's just get this over with,' but folks, elections can be a messy thing."
Huckabee said he had spoken with McCain after the Wisconsin primary and he thanked his opponent for running a civil campaign. "Clearly we were disappointed by the results in Wisconsin," but Huckabee said he would look for the good amid the bad news.
Political analysts say Huckabee faces a nearly impossible task if he hopes to be the nominee, based on the number of votes Huckabee would need to claim in each remaining primary if he hopes to pass McCain in the delegate count. Huckabee said he's battling the belief that McCain virtually has the nomination locked up.
"We're really going against an incredible headwind every day, and what I have to remind individual voters is that their voice and their vote still counts. Nobody can take that away from them unless they just give it away," Huckabee said.
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