Politics | Mike Huckabee Huckabee Aims to Strike Balance After SC, ex-preacher must reach beyond evangelical base By Matt Cantor Posted Jan 19, 2008 9:39 AM CST Copied Republican presidential hopeful, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, shakes hands at a campaign stop at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C. Friday, Jan. 18, 2008.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon) (Associated Press) As he looks beyond South Carolina, Mike Huckabee strives to balance his evangelicalism with a more secular image, hoping to win support across the spectrum, the New York Times reports. Though a Christian vote even bigger than Iowa's could carry him in today's primary, the ex-preacher will soon face voters less interested in conservative Christian ideas. To that end, his ability to paint Southern Baptist doctrine in a fairly liberal light could be a boon. In defending the ideas against criticism, “he is like Houdini,” said the president of one Christian group. But he’ll need to be careful: his comment that the Constitution should be “in God’s standards” raised questions about whether he thought the document ungodly. Read These Next That 'buy now, pay later' loan may soon hit your credit score. Cops: Arizona 5th graders drew up plot to 'end' a classmate. Hall of Famer Dave Parker dies The Bezos-Sanchez wedding: guest list, cost, the dress, and more. Report an error