Huckabee at forefront of evangelical revival

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Mike Huckabee's presidential campaign may be nearing its end, but those around him say he won't disappear and is poised to claim political leadership of conservative evangelicals.

Mr. Huckabee's inner circle says he's the perfect bridge to re-establish the Christian right, which has suffered over the last decade, as a political force that speaks for millions of voters.

"He has become the leader of a new generation of Christian conservative voters," said Rex Nelson, who was communications director when Mr. Huckabee was Arkansas' governor. "The old leadership has either passed on in the case of [the Rev. Jerry] Falwell or become either irrelevant or out of touch — the Pat Robertson endorsement of Rudy Giuliani proves that."

"There is nobody else you can identify outside of Mike Huckabee as a leading person to take on that role, really in a new era where evangelicals care about a lot of things like the environment and working with the poor," Mr. Nelson said.

Mr. Huckabee said he will remain in the Republican nomination battle until someone reaches 1,191 delegates to the September convention. Sen. John McCain of Arizona would clinch the nomination tomorrow with wins in Ohio, Texas, Vermont and Rhode Island.

Several of Mr. Huckabee's close advisers, speaking on the condition of anonymity to freely discuss possibilities, said he does not have an interest in a Cabinet position or in running for the U.S. Senate from Arkansas, but said being on a ticket as vice president would be an attractive alternative. One adviser mentioned a role as Republican National Committee chairman, while another said he might be best suited for a role outside the party.

Mr. Huckabee is a former Southern Baptist pastor who has energized evangelical Republican voters this year, but his camp has been surprised at how little support evangelical leaders have offered and, in fact, how much they worked against him.

That could signal a split between evangelical leaders and their supporters, which Mr. Huckabee's supporters say leaves the field open for him, both among those religious values voters and a broader conservative audience.

"He now has become the voice and face of conservative America. Whether it's conservatism or Christian conservatism, I think the options now are wide open for him to decide how does he want to take advantage in the right way," said former South Carolina Gov. David Beasley, one of Mr. Huckabee's early supporters.

Similar to Mr. Falwell, Mr. Huckabee has been a church pastor, and he has shown the communication skills of Mr. Robertson. But he also brings a new element — he has won repeatedly in primaries and caucuses, carrying eight states: Iowa, West Virginia, Georgia, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana and Kansas.