This time, however, the expectations for him to succeed will be far higher than they were in 2008.
It’s a concern that Huckabee’s political team is working to address as they prepare in earnest for a potential bid.
The intensity of their early planning, they all say, is like night and day compared to the more halfhearted approach that they took before the 2012 cycle, when Huckabee never really set the gears in motion.
Their work is largely being funded by a group Huckabee launched recently called America Takes Action (ATA)—a 501(c)(4) “social welfare” organization that is not required by law to disclose its donors.
Helming the ATA ship is a quartet of political operatives who are more or less reprising the roles they played during Huckabee’s 2008 run for president.
The non-Arkansans of the group are California-based Bob Wickers and Chip Saltsman, who lives in Nashville.
Back in Little Rock are Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who was her father’s national political director in 2008, and Alice Stewart, who handles press.
The foursome holds conference calls at least once a week, in which they discuss Huckabee’s messaging, scheduling and fundraising.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member