Mike Huckabee Suspends His 2016 Campaign for the Republican Nomination and Calls it Quits

ONE OUT AFTER IOWA CAUCUS, IS THERE MORE TO COME …

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee has suspended his presidential campaign to be president. Following a poor showing in the Iowa Caucus and a campaign that just never got off the ground. Huckabee managed to only get 2% of the vote. One has to wonder who else is next? All of the candidates that finished below 5% in Iowa might want to think about throwing in the towel.

Mike Huckabee suspended his bid for the Republican nomination, ending a second run that overshadowed by other candidates in the former Arkansas governor’s social-conservative lane.

Huckabee’s announcement concludes a campaign that was not nearly as prominent as his previous run at the Republican nomination in 2008, where he won eight states, including the Iowa caucus.

In 2016, Huckabee struggled to consistently stay on the main stage in Republican presidential debates, never raised more than $15 million at one time, and failed to rally the same evangelical support he won in his last presidential run. One of the most conspicuous blows to his campaign came when Bob Vander Plaats endorsed Sen. Ted Cruz, denying Huckabee a critical ally in the contest to win over Iowa’s evangelicals.

GOP Iowa Caucuses: Cruz, Trump and Rubio in a 3-Person Race (Update: Ted Cruz Declared Winner in Iowa)

IOWA CAUCUS 2016: All night long its been nip and tuck between Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Donald Trump and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio in the GOP Iowa Caucus. Finally, the race has been called by FOX News … Sen. Ted Cruz has been declared the winner in Iowa!!! ABC News is calling the race as well.

Ted Cruz is the winner of the Iowa Republican caucuses, Fox News projects, beating front-runner Donald Trump in a victory that could shake up the primary race.

Trump finishes second, and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio finishes a close third.

There was a record turn out tonight in Iowa and many thought had that occurred, Donald Trump would win the Iowa Caucus going away. Guess what, the pundits were incorrect again.

Cruz beats Trump in Iowa; Rubio comes in a strong third.

Supporters of Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas delivered a hard-fought upset win over businessman Donald Trump in the Iowa Republican caucuses Monday night, making good on his bet that a methodical campaign organization would eclipse the New Yorker’s media dominance in the first test of GOP voters.

With 99 percent of the precincts reporting, Cruz was besting Trump by more than 5,100 votes, with fellow senator Marco Rubio of Florida a close third. Cruz appeared to capitalize on deep support from religious and social conservatives and showed that old-fashioned retail politicking could overcome Trump’s massive political rallies in the Hawkeye state.

FOX NEWS GOP Debate: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) Says, “If You Guys Ask One more Mean Question, I’m Going to Have to Leave the Stage” … Then Schools Moderator Chris Wallace on What a Debate Actually Is (VIDEO)

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) mocks Donald Trump and schools Chris Wallace during last night’s GOP Debate …

Last night during the Republican debate on FOX News, Sen. Ted Cruz took the opportunity to mock Donald Trump, absent from the event due to a hair pulling fight with Fox News co-moderator Megyn Kelly, by stating after a slew of questions that were presented to other candidates meant to stir the pot and cause a food fight … But I will say this, gosh, if you guys say — ask one more mean question, I’m going to have to leave the stage.” Obviously, Cruz was joking and it was meant to emphasize the fact that Trump was not there because he did not want to deal with tough and mean questions. But I must say with regards to Trump, isn’t it amazing that the guy is not even at the event and he still commands the room.

However, the ironic moment of the night was when Megyn Kelly of all people, the individual who Trump has had so many issues with for being bias, ended up as The Politico reported, kneecapped his rivals on immigration and wound up doing Trump’s dirty work for him.

Yahoo Politics:

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told the moderators of the Republican presidential debate at Iowa Events Center on Thursday that he might just take his ball and go home.

His threat to leave the stage came after he accused Fox News’ questioners of encouraging his rivals to attack him.

“I would note that the last four questions have been, ‘Rand, please attack Ted. Marco, please attack Ted. Chris, please attack Ted. Jeb, please attack Ted.”

Cruz’s comment provoked loud boos from the audience. His critique of the debate questions came after former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was asked about how his plans to confront the jihadi group ISIS would differ from those put forth by Cruz and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.

Moderator Chris Wallace offered a retort to Cruz.

“It is a debate, sir,” Wallace said.

Cruz wasn’t satisfied with Wallace’s response.

“No, no, a debate actually is a policy issue,” Cruz said. “But I will say this, gosh, if you guys say — ask one more mean question, I’m going to have to leave the stage.”

“The most important determination any voter is going to make in this election is who’s best prepared to be commander in chief, who has the experience, who has the knowledge, who has the judgment, who has the clarity of vision and strength of resolve to keep this country safe,” Cruz said. “That is what this debate is all about, and I would suggest let’s stay focused on those issues rather than just attacks directed at each other.

FLASHBACK: Republican frontrunner Donald Trump Once Complimented Fox News Host Megyn Kelly for her Performance Moderating a GOP debate in 2011

FLASHBACK … IN 2011 DONALD TRUMP HAD NOTHING BUT PRAISE FOR MEGYN KELLY …

Hmm, so Donald Trump,  the current front-runner for the GOP is not participating in this coming Thursday’s FOX News Republican debate blaming it on the fact that Megyn Kelly, one of the moderators, will not be fair to him. Interesting. That is not what The Donald was sating in 2011, he was praising Megyn … When she asked him whether he could be a better moderator than her Trump responded, “No, I could never beat you. That wouldn’t even be close. That would be no contest.” Trump then followed up with,  “You have done a great job, by the way. And I mean it.”

Trump was going to moderate a debate on News Max, check out the comment he made initially about when not many candidates signed on to the event, Trumps stated, “I don’t see a lot of courage”. Really? So just curious Mr. Trump, what do you call it when you are a no show at a debate?

Click HERE or on PIC to watch the VIDEO

From The Blaze:

Trump spoke to Kelly in 2011 about his frustration with candidates refusing to participate in a debate he was set to host with NewsMax. The businessman implied the Republican candidates declining invitations to attend his debate lacked “courage.”

He then heaped praise on Kelly.

“Do you really think you’re a better moderator than I am?” Kelly asked.

“No,” Trump promptly replied. “I could never beat you. That wouldn’t even be close. That would be no contest.”

The billionaire added, “You have done a great job, by the way. And I mean it.”

Donald Trump Will Not Participate Thusday’s FOX News GOP Debate … FOX News Stands Behind Megyn Kelly

REALLY MR. TRUMP, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, ITS NOT ALWAYS ABOUT YOU!

The childish hair pulling match between Donald Trump and FOX News has apparently ended in Trump claiming that he will “definitely not”  be participating in Thursday nights Republican party debate. Trump has been whining in recent days to those Conservative and Republican loving folks at CNN that FOX News has treated him unfairly and especially Megyn Kelly. Trump then got upset that FOX News made joking comments when Trump said that he might not attend the debate. Wow Donald, really? It’s time to put your big-boy pants on and stop the nonsense. Are you really that thin skinned? Do you actually think that FOX News is your enemy and CNN is your friend? Trust me, I kind of think that Trump was given a raw deal by Megyn Kelly at the first debate, but that does not mean you take a temper tantrum, take your toys and go how. What kind of a message does this send and what does it really reveal about Trump as an individual?

All this over a spat with Megyn Kelly, really? Sorry folks, there comes a point and time where a leader needs to think of some one other than himself and is willing to take the arrows for Americans. I am sick and tired of having a narcissist as president. Why does it appear that this man is no different, he just happens to be a Republican. Maybe.

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump abruptly announced here Tuesday that he would not participate in Thursday’s scheduled debate, escalating his off-and-on feud with Fox News Channel and throwing the GOP campaign into turmoil.

Trump’s assertion, which his campaign manager insisted was irreversible, came less than one week before the kickoff Iowa caucuses. He once again defied the conventional rules of politics, and used his power and prominence to shape the campaign agenda and conversation.

So far, Trump’s untraditional moves have only expanded his support, but his threatened boycott leaves him open to criticism that for all his tough talk he is ducking face-to-face confrontations with his opponents and scrutiny from the Fox moderators.

It was back and forth whether he would or would not, but Donald Trump told CNN tonight that when FOX News put out its snarky press release today, he said, “Bye,bye!” Trump told this to his new found buddies at CNN. All of the debates have had their issues, too many candidates, moderators thinking they are more important than the questions they should be asking, more interested in starting a food fight than getting to what the candidates believe and how to fix the issues in American, etc. But Trump trying to bully a network to get some one who he does not like thrown off the panel? Sorry, I would have told him to go pound sand too. That is exactly what FOX News did as they stood by Megyn Kelly and let Trump walk.

As Patterico’s Pontifications opined, Roger Ailes made the smart decision to call his bluff and stand by Kelly and FOX News said to The Donald, You’re Fired.

Trumps Statement is as follows:

As someone who wrote one of the best-selling business books of all time, The Art of the Deal, who has built an incredible company, including some of the most valuable and iconic assets in the world, and as someone who has a personal net worth of many billions of dollars, Mr. Trump knows a bad deal when he sees one. FOX News is making tens of millions of dollars on debates, and setting ratings records (the highest in history), where as in previous years they were low-rated afterthoughts.

Unlike the very stupid, highly incompetent people running our country into the ground, Mr. Trump knows when to walk away. Roger Ailes and FOX News think they can toy with him, but Mr. Trump doesn’t play games. There have already been six debates, and according to all online debate polls including Drudge, Slate, Time Magazine, and many others, Mr. Trump has won all of them, in particular the last one. Whereas he has always been a job creator and not a debater, he nevertheless truly enjoys the debating process – and it has been very good for him, both in polls and popularity.

Let’s see whether this changes the game in Iowa at the last minute.