Only candidate to stop in Amarillo spoke at AQHA Feb. 28
By: Rachel Nelson, Web Editor
Although Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee did not gain the delegates he needed in Tuesday's election to stay in the race, his campaign was optimistic until the end.Sen. John McCain won enough delegates Tuesday to take the republican party's nomination.
Although Huckabee did not succeed in the election, he told spectators last Thursday that he would not have done so well in his campaign if not for Amarillo.
"Quite frankly, we wouldn't be standing here today if it hadn't been for Amarillo. So we have a real special place in our hearts for this city and the people of it," Huckabee said when he spoke at the American Quarter Horse Association Feb. 28.
Huckabee was the only candidate in the 2008 race that visited Amarillo before the Texas primaries Tuesday. Huckabee arrived about an hour and a half late to the rally, but the crowd did not dwindle during the wait. Huckabee showed up with special guests Chuck Norris and his wife, Gena Norris. He was escorted and introduced by former Amarillo mayor Trent Sisemore.
Huckabee said he has been associated with the Sisemore family for about 35 years. Jack and Trent Sisemore hosted a fundraising event for Huckabee at Jack Sisemore's home last summer.
"Our campaign last summer was really just, you know, making it month by month and week by week and sometimes day by day. I had committed to my wife and to myself and to the Lord that I would not borrow money and go into debt for the campaign," Huckabee said. "So we were at a point where by that next week we couldn't meet payroll and the fundraiser that we had here in Amarillo at Jack's house was what kept us floating. And from there we were able to go on to Iowa and do extremely well in the straw poll, but it kind of catapulted us on.
Huckabee pointed out that his campaign has spent about $1 to the other candidate's $10, and he mentioned that his frugality would be beneficial to the country if he was to be elected president.
During his speech, Huckabee addressed hot issues that have been up for debate during the race for the White House. He seeks support from values voters and told spectators that he is the only candidate to stand by a human life amendment as well as a federal marriage amendment. He also voiced his stance against embryonic stem cell research.
"Now those are issues that I think bring together the value voters like nothing else," he said. "The people who say this is about principle and that's the only reason that they're involved -- they endorse me. And I'll accept that as a validation of standing for the things that I believe most people in Texas stand for."
"Quite frankly, we wouldn't be standing here today if it hadn't been for Amarillo. So we have a real special place in our hearts for this city and the people of it," Huckabee said when he spoke at the American Quarter Horse Association Feb. 28.
Huckabee was the only candidate in the 2008 race that visited Amarillo before the Texas primaries Tuesday. Huckabee arrived about an hour and a half late to the rally, but the crowd did not dwindle during the wait. Huckabee showed up with special guests Chuck Norris and his wife, Gena Norris. He was escorted and introduced by former Amarillo mayor Trent Sisemore.
Huckabee said he has been associated with the Sisemore family for about 35 years. Jack and Trent Sisemore hosted a fundraising event for Huckabee at Jack Sisemore's home last summer.
"Our campaign last summer was really just, you know, making it month by month and week by week and sometimes day by day. I had committed to my wife and to myself and to the Lord that I would not borrow money and go into debt for the campaign," Huckabee said. "So we were at a point where by that next week we couldn't meet payroll and the fundraiser that we had here in Amarillo at Jack's house was what kept us floating. And from there we were able to go on to Iowa and do extremely well in the straw poll, but it kind of catapulted us on.
Huckabee pointed out that his campaign has spent about $1 to the other candidate's $10, and he mentioned that his frugality would be beneficial to the country if he was to be elected president.
During his speech, Huckabee addressed hot issues that have been up for debate during the race for the White House. He seeks support from values voters and told spectators that he is the only candidate to stand by a human life amendment as well as a federal marriage amendment. He also voiced his stance against embryonic stem cell research.
"Now those are issues that I think bring together the value voters like nothing else," he said. "The people who say this is about principle and that's the only reason that they're involved -- they endorse me. And I'll accept that as a validation of standing for the things that I believe most people in Texas stand for."
Huckabee also spoke against illegal immigration."I thank God we live in a country where people are trying to break into and not out of," he said. "Our government has a responsibility to us to control our borders. We're the only country that hasn't."Huckabee promised voters that if he is America's next President, he would order the construction of a border fence that would be complete within 18 months.
Huckabee also pointed out that he was the only candidate in the race that had experience running a government. He served just over 10 years as the 44th governor of Arkansas before seeking to be the 44th President of the United States.
Huckabee also said that the country is in need of tax code reform. He proposed what he called "The Fair Tax," where people's paychecks aren't taxed until they spend money. He said that this would get rid of the "underground economy," meaning that drug smugglers, prostitues and illegal immigrants could no longer get away with evading taxes.
Huckabee believes that the United States can become energy independent, and that that could be accomplished by using something the Panhandle has a lot of.
"Wind has great potential for power," he said.
When Huckabee visited Amarillo, he was still hopeful that he would take Texas and be continue in the race. He said that Texas, the largest Republican voting state in the country, would play a key role in the future of the election.
"This election is not over until Texas says its over," he said.
Huckabee noted that Texans can be "stubbornly independent," and hoped that would work to his advantage Tuesday.
Amanda Lightfoot attended the event with her grandfather, AC photography instructor Ken Pirtle.
"I just turned 18 and I registered to vote. It's my first year to vote," she said.
Lightfoot said she would vote for Huckabee in the primary. "I'm a republican, but I don't support John McCain.
"I just love to hear that guy speak," Pirtle said. "He's so eloquent in a brilliant way. He first gained my respect as a debator, but what I really like about Huckabee is his conservative stand on the issues."
During the time he spent in the race, Huckabee said he enjoyed being the underdog.
"I love being the underdog because it makes victory so much sweeter when it finally comes," Huckabee said. "I've always been an underdog in everything I've ever set about in my life so it's a role that I know how to play. What I don't know how to play is the favorite."
Although Huckabee's victory never came, he did carry 236 delegates before Sen. McCain won the 1,191 delegates needed to get the Republican nomination.
In Tuesday's Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton won Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island. Barack Obama won Vermont. Both of those candidates are still in the race.
