Huckabee is Back

The Values Voters Summit weighs in: Mike Huckabee is the preferred GOP candidate for 2012 presidential run.

Last Saturday, at the Values Voters Summit in Washington, about one-third of registered attendees voted for their preference of potential GOP candidates for 2012. Huckabee won, with 28% of the vote. They also voted for their top issues, which included abortion and same-sex marriage.

Huckabee’s views on those two issues (assuming they haven’t changed since the 2008 Presidential primaries) are starkly conservative. He’s anti-abortion, and wants to ban it. He’s against stem cell research. He’s also against same-sex marriage, civil unions, and adoption.

Tied for second for potential candidates were some other familiar names: Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, Rep. Mike Pence, R-Indiana, former Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin, and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

It’s still really early to be making any predictions, but given the increased fervor on the Right, especially after the 9/12 protests, it’s again worth questioning the direction of the GOP. Will they nominate a moderate or seemingly moderate candidate, or let the populist anger dominate the spirit of their party, and nominate someone approved by Glenn Beck? Given the popular candidates at the Value Voters Summit, it’s looking like the latter, but maybe their anger won’t sustain into 2012.