CONTINUE TO HAVE A VOICE AS
CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES GO
THROUGH THE PROCESS OF CHOOSING
ITS NEXT LEADER.
MIKE HUCKABEE SAYS HE IS PRETTY
COMFORTABLE WHEN IT COMES TO
BEING IN FRONT OF TELEVISION
CAMERAS.
IN FACT, HIS WORK AS A POLITICAL
COMMENTATOR WAS EASY COMPARED TO
HIS YEARS AS GOVERNOR OF THE
STATE OF ARKANSAS.
BUT AFTER YEARS OUT OF OFFICE,
HE SAYS HIS WIFE HAS BEEN
WAITING FOR HIM TO PURSUE A SHOT
AT THE WHITE HOUSE AGAIN.
[INDISCERNIBLE]
MR. SANDERS: --MR. HUCKABEE: I
DON'T HEAR SO WELL ANYMORE.
IT COMES WITH AGE AND LOUD MUSIC
PLAYED FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND
YEARS WHEN YOUR PARENTS TOLD YOU
TO STOP AND YOU DIDN'T.
JOSH: LIKE SO MANY OF US ARE IN
AGE, MIKE HUCKABEE'S LOVE OF
MUSIC WAS BORN WITH A BLACK AND
WHITE TELEVISION AND THE START
OF THE BRITISH INVASION.
MR. HUCKABEE: WHEN THE BEATLES
CAME ON THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW, I
KNEW I WANTED TO BE THE FIFTH
BEATLE.
SO I STARTED BEGGING MY PARENTS
FOR A GUITAR.
JOSH: HIS PARENTS DIDN'T HAVE A
LOT OF MONEY, BUT BY THE AGE OF
11, HIS INFATUATION WITH VISA
CAP BLOSSOMED INTO UP SESSION
AND HIS FOLKS WE WORKED THE
FAMILY BUDGET.
MR. HUCKABEE: MY PARENTS ORDERED
AN ELECTRIC GUITAR AND IT TOOK
THEM A WHOLE MONTH TO PAY FOR
IT.
THAT WAS MY FIRST GUITAR AT THE
AGE OF 11.
I WAS SO EXCITED AND I PLAY THAT
THING UNTIL MY FINGERS NEARLY
BLED.
I WAS 12 AND I STARTED PLAYING A
BASS GUITAR BECAUSE NOT A LOT OF
KIDS MY AGE WERE PLAYING BASS.
I THOUGHT THAT IF I COULD PLAY
ACE, I WOULD ALWAYS HAVE A GIG
IN A BAND -- PLAY BASS, I WOULD
ALWAYS HAVE A GIG IN A BAND.
JOSH: AND HE'S BEEN PLAYING THE
GUITAR EVER SINCE.
ONE CONSTANT IN A LIFE THAT HAS
SEEN MANY ENDEAVORS, STARTING
WITH BROADCASTING.
MR. HUCKABEE: THAT WAS REALLY MY
BACKGROUND.
I CREATED A COUPLE OF COMMUNITY
TELEVISION STATIONS AND RAN AN
AD AGENCY AND IT WAS FROM THERE
THAT I WENT INTO CHURCH WORK IN
THE -- WORK AND DID THAT FOR 12
YEARS.
I SORT OF WENT FULL CIRCLE AND
THEN WENT BACK TO BROADCASTING.
I LOVE IT.
IT IS AN INCREDIBLY FULFILLING
KIND OF CAREER.
JOSH: AND WHILE MANY IDENTIFY
THE FORMER ARKANSAS GOVERNOR
WITH POLITICS, OTHERS KNOW HIM
BEST THROUGH HIS TIME IN THE
MEDIA.
MR. HUCKABEE: WE MISS YOU ON
FOX?
WELL, THANK YOU.
I ALSO DO MISS BEING ON THAT
SHOW.
SOME OF MY FAVORITE GUEST WERE
THOSE WHO PEOPLE WERE SHO TO
CMI SHOWC.
IN KNOW, BRADLEY COOPER, MERYL
STREEPKED, FOLKS -- WERE SHOCKED
TO SEE ON MY SHOW, YOU KNOW,
BRADLEY COOPER, MERYL STREEP,
FOLKS THEY DIDN'T ALWAYS AGREE
WITH ME.
I HAD FOLKS LIKE TOBY KEITH AND
THE LATE ANDY WILLIAMS, WILLIE
NELSON, THE GROUP YES.
I MEAN, THERE WERE SOME AMAZING
EXPERIENCES, IT WAS JUST
TERRIFIC.
ALSO, I DO MISS THE PAYCHECK.
[LAUGHTER]
JOSH: AS A YOUNGSTER, HE MIGHT
NOT HAVE ENVISIONED A FORAY INTO
POLITICS, BUT HE SAYS THAT ALL
CHANGED WITH FATHERHOOD.
MR. HUCKABEE: AS MY KIDS STARTED
GETTING OLD AND MY KIDS STARTED
GROWING UP AND I SAW WHAT THEY
CAME HOME WITH FROM SCHOOL AND I
SAW THE WORLD THEY WERE GROWING
UP IN, THAT IS WHERE IT STARTED
HITTING ME.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO BE UP
IN THE STANDS WATCHING THIS
COUNTRY CHANGED SO DRAMATICALLY
AND ME ON THE SIDELINES DOING
NOTHING ABOUT IT.
AND SO MY WIFE AND I TOOK A LONG
WALK AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND
AFTER MANY MONTHS OF REFLECTION
AND PRAYER AND THOUGHT AND WE
DECIDED, WE ARE GOING TO COME
OUT OF THE STANDS AND GET ON THE
FIELD AND GET OUR JERSEYS DIRTY
AND MAYBE GET BLOODIED AND
BEATEN.
JOSH: HIS BIGGEST CHAMPION IS
UNDISPUTED.
THAT BELT GOES TO HIS WIFE OF 41
YEARS, JANET.
MR. HUCKABEE: AT HIS BIGGEST
--MR. HUCKABEE: MY WIFE IS EXLEY
WANTED ME TO RUN.
LATER, SHE SAID SOMETHING TO ME,
"IN 41 YEARS OF MARRIAGE -- ME,
IN 41 YEARS OLD MARRIAGE SHE HAS
NEVER SAID.
SHE SAID TO ME, "YOU ARE RIGHT."
I DIDN'T HEAR THAT EVER BEFORE
AND PROBABLY NEVER WILL AGAIN IN
ALL OF THESE YEARS OF MARRIAGE.
[LAUGHTER]
MR. HUCKABEE: BUT I NEVER HAD TO
RUN THIS WORK WITH HER KICKING
AND SCREAMING ALL THE WAY.
I WOULD HAVE NEVER RUN FOR
OFFICE IF MY WIFE WERE AGAINST
IT.
YOU ARE VERY SMART, NICE, AND
HONEST.
OUR YOU TOO NICE TO BE
PRESIDENT?
MR. HUCKABEE: WELL, I WAS GOING
TO QUOTE YOU ON EVERYTHING THAT
YOU JUST SAID.
[LAUGHTER]
JOSH: MIKE HUCKABEE MAY BE A
NICE GUY, BUT HE HAS LEARNED
EARLY ON IN HIS CAREER THAT
POLITICS ISN'T BEAN BAG POL --
BAG POLITICS.
AFTER WINNING HIS FIRST ELECTION
IN ARKANSAS, HIS DEMOCRATIC
OPPONENTS WELCOME HIM --
WELCOMED HIM TO LITTLE ROCK WITH
A BIT OF A PRANK.
MR. HUCKABEE: IT WAS THE MOST
LOPSIDED POLITICAL STATE IN THE
COUNTRY.
JOSH: HUCKABEE IS A MAN OF FAITH
AND HE IS INSPIRED BY PEOPLE AS
WELL, AND HE POINTS TO A PLEDGE
MADE BY A FORMER PRESIDENT, A
DEMOCRAT, JFK.
MR. HUCKABEE: WE ARE GOING TO
SEND A MAN TO THE MOON AND BRING
HIM BACK IN A DECADE.
HE DID NOT LIVE TO SEE THAT, BUT
I DID.
AND I BELIEVE THAT A
MERICA COULD BE ANYTHING.
JOSH: BUT THESE DAYS, MIKE
HUCKABEE FINDS INSPIRATION IN
SIMPLER PLACES AS WELL.
AN EXAMPLE OF THAT IS CAPTURED
PERFECTLY WITH THE LAST QUESTION
OF THE DAY.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING
TO DO WITH YOUR GRANDKIDS?
MR. HUCKABEE: I LOVE TO READ TO
THEM, AND FRANKLY, I JUST LOVE
TO WATCH THEM BECAUSE THEY JUST
MAKE ME LAUGH.
MY WIFE AND I SAY OFTEN, NOW,
WHEN WE KEEP THE KIDS FOR ANY
LENGTH OF TIME, WE UNDERSTAND
WHY GOD GIVES 80'S TOO MUCH
YOUNGER PEOPLE.
-- GIVES BABIES TO MUCH YOUNGER
PEOPLE.
TODDLERS REQUIRE SO MUCH ENERGY,
BUT THERE IS SOMETHING AFFIRMING
TO ME WHEN I LOOK AT MY
GRANDKIDS.
IT IS ALMOST LIKE GOD SAYING, I
AM NOT DONE YET.
THERE IS SOMETHING HERE COMING.