Huckabee Eyes Romney's Delegates; Campaigns In Kansas

Topeka, KS (AHN) - Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee campaigned in Kansas on Friday and insisted that he still had a chance at the Republican presidential nomination.

"Let's say we get to the convention and Romney releases his delegates. They can come towards me," Huckabee told reporters in a news conference. "We still believe that we have a chance to win this thing. Nobody has 1,191 delegates and until somebody has that, we don't have a nominee."

"And I think Americans need a choice... elections are about giving people options. To not give them a choice, to me, would be a disservice to all those people who have made incredible sacrifices for me to be here," he added. "It's a very simple way to lose - I can just quit. I've spent my whole life fighting from the bottom, I've always been the underdog. I still believe in the impossible."

Huckabee earlier spoke to about 1,2002 people in the main auditorium of the the Mid-America Nazarene University in Olathe.

"Some people are saying, Why are you staying in? Let me be real clear about it. Because an election is about a choice not a coronation, and conservatives in the Republican party ought to have a choice for somebody who is unapologetically, one hundred percent, without any flinching at all, pro-life, pro-traditional marriage, and pro-fair tax and pro-secure the borders," he said to cheers from the audience.

Having surprised everyone by winning this primary season's first contest - Iowa - and then bouncing back with unexpected Super Tuesday victories from the delegate-rich states of Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee, Huckabee perhaps has reason to be overly optimistic about his chances at becoming the party nominee.

His persistence forced former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney out of the picture. And he has just been endorsed by evangelical leader James Dobson.

Huckabee, a Baptist minister, has always been strongly supported by Christian conservatives. But Dobson's endorsement, although made "as a private citizen," makes him a more viable choice for conservatives who are wary of McCain's liberal views on immigration and abortion.

Huckabee is currently trailing McCain in the delegate race. CBS News puts the count at 163 delegates for Huckabee, 170 for Romney and 709 for McCain. NBC says it's 195, 278 and 721, respectively.

Kansas holds its Republican primary on Saturday.