When the potential Republican presidential candidates take turns speaking at the big conservative conference Thursday and Friday, two prominent names won’t be there: Mike Huckabee and Lindsey Graham.
Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, is a longtime favorite of the activists who’ll be attending the Conservative Political Action Conference. He won the 2008 Iowa Republican presidential caucus and was a hit at CPAC last year.
But he’s heading Thursday instead to the National Religious Broadcasters Association, a friendly crowd, since Huckabee is both a minister and, until recently, a television show host.
Friday, Huckabee plans to host a roundtable discussion at the Commerce Club in Greenville, South Carolina.
He had strong criticism for CPAC five years ago, saying “CPAC has become increasingly more libertarian and less Republican over the last years.”
Graham, a U.S. senator from South Carolina, is a recent addition to the roster of potential presidential candidates. He’s got big votes coming up in the Senate later this week.
His office sent a statement to the Charleston Post and Courier, saying “Sen. Graham is disappointed to miss this year’s gathering but I’m sure he will be spending a great deal of time with conservative activists in South Carolina, Iowa and New Hampshire in the coming months.”
Matt Schlapp, American Conservative Union chairman, said “We would have loved to have had” Huckabee. He noted Graham’s recent interest in a possible bid and said, “I assume we would have been open to inviting him.” The ACU organizes the conference.