Mike Huckabee
Age: 55
Last held public office: Governor of Arkansas, 1996-2007
Mike Huckabee cracks jokes, plays the bass and is friends with Chuck Norris. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't find him affable. In 2008, the former governor turned his charms into a major upset in the Iowa caucus, beating better-funded contenders like Romney. A Baptist minister, Huckabee remains hugely popular among Evangelical Christians. Since failing to capture the presidential nomination in 2008, he has written books, hosted his own talk show and kept up appearances in political circles.
Though Huckabee has the best socially conservative credentials of any prospective candidate, his record has hurt his standing with some Republicans. As governor, Huckabee created ARKids First, a program that offered health insurance to poor children, and increased gas taxes to overhaul the state's highway system, moves that do not sit well with the Tea Party set. He also commuted and pardoned more than 1,000 prisoners, including Maurice Clemmons, a felon who was later arrested for multiple charges of child molestation and aggravated assault. In 2009, Clemmons made national headlines when he murdered four police officers in a Washington State coffee shop.
Though early polling offers little insight into how the presidential field will develop, Huckabee is consistently near the front of the pack, and no one performs better in hypothetical matchups against President Obama. However, Huckabee is not vastly wealthy and would have to give up the TV and book deals he enjoys. He has yet to give any indication that his heart is in it for another run.
Representative quote: "Pray a little more, work a little harder, save, wait, be patient and, most of all, live within our means. That's the American way. It's not spending ourselves into prosperity or taxing ourselves into prosperity."