Will the Next Ronald Reagan Please Stand Up?

Last night, Gov. Huckabee conceded the race for the Republican nomination to John McCain. However, in one line, he summed up his reason for pressing on for as long as he did. The Kansas City Star reports:

Quoting Royals great George Brett, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee bowed out of the Republican presidential race Tuesday night.

"We kept the faith," Huckabee said from Irving, Texas, "and that for me has been the most important goal of all."

Huckabee said he hustled every day of his campaign the same way Brett did during his years as a Royal.

Of Brett, Huckabee recalled Brett's statement that he wanted to end his career not with a home run, but by hitting a routine ground ball to second base and then "running hard to first so everybody knows that’s how the game is supposed to be played."

Huckabee said that's what he tried to do himself in his presidential bid.

Reached in Arizona where the Royals are in spring training, Brett said he was flattered by Huckabee's reference to him.

"I didn't know Huckabee had even heard of me," Brett said.

In the final analysis, the former Governor demonstrated just how the game is supposed to be played.

First off the bat, Huckabee did more to take special interests out of politics than did McCain-Feingold. How, pray tell? He proved that one doesn't need a lot of money to go far in politics. On a shoestring budget, Gov. Huckabee beat Rudy Guiliani, Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson---men who raised and spent between the three of them well over $100 million.

(Truth be told, this is what scared the special interests groups the most. A man who can run a campaign without them will run the country without them.)

Secondly, Gov. Huckabee ran the cleanest campaign of any candidate in the race. Yes, he did go negative for a little bit in Iowa, and some of his debate comments were pointed. But he never got as nasty as say Obama and Hillary--or for that matter, some of his opponents.

Finally, he knew how to have fun. Politics should be about getting out in the crowd and engaging the dialogue. The Governor enjoys this. And why? Because he truly cares for the people he wants to represent.

Richard Nixon once said that what separates the men from the boys in politics is that boys want to be great, while men want to do great things.

Gov. Huckabee demonstrated his greatness.

One who is only concerned about his own glory will stop fighting when the chips are down. But one who is concerned about a larger vision will keep fighting even when defeat is inevitable.

Other candidates claimed to don the mantle of Ronald Reagan. However, only Mike Huckabee demonstrated the courage that Reagan showed.

Ronald Reagan fought against the establishment in 1976; when the chips were down, he kept fighting, even though he knew that defeat was certain. When people told him to quit--to go along to get along--he ignored their pleas. And why? Because he was fighting for something larger than himself.

Mike Huckabee is, too.

Just like they did with Ronald Reagan in 1976, the Republican establishment has rejected an eloquent candidate with broadbased appeal and fresh ideas. ... And just like they did in 1980, I predict that the establishment will one day embrace this governor when he leads the party to victory.

Gov. Reagan... um, I mean, Huckabee.... your next to bat.