Matt Canter
Mike Huckabee

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has not yet decided to make another run for the presidency but said he’s not sure he or any other Republican candidate could overcome the popularity of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

“Sarah Palin is, first of all, an effective governor,” he said. “The reason people like her is because they feel she’s authentic and that they can relate to her.”

Speaking at a Sunday event at Hamilton Place to promote his new book, “Do the Right Thing,” Mr. Huckabee declined to name Gov. Palin as the presumptive 2012 GOP nominee. He did outline a vision for the future of the Republican Party that included leaders who share many of Ms. Palin’s social values.

“What I’d be looking for in 2012 is the candidate that best represented our views and a consistency and authenticity about being pro-life, pro-family, strong for the Second Amendment, strong for lower taxes, more parental control, not government,” he said.

Mr. Huckabee attributed the widespread Republican losses in November to the party’s failure to stem corruption, balance budgets and control spending. The $700 billion Wall Street economic rescue plan was an example of the recent betrayal of Republican values, he said.

“The bailout was unfortunate,” he said. “There are so many small-business operators here in Chattanooga and all over this region, and every month they wonder if they can stay in business, and they know they can’t call Washington and say, ‘You all send me a check.’”

He also stressed the importance of Tuesday’s runoff in Georgia between Democrat Jim Martin and incumbent Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss.

“The Georgia race really should determine the future of the U.S. Senate,” he said. “If there’s a filibusterproof Senate, it means that things can just ram through, like liberalized abortion laws, restrictions on our Second Amendment rights. It could mean higher taxes with no back stop, no way to stop it.”

Spokesman for the Martin campaign Matt Canter argued, however, that what Mr. Huckabee called a “balance of power” others might call “gridlock.”

“The election here is about whether or not Georgia has a leader that is working with America’s new president to turn this economy around,” he said. “Saxby Chambliss and his allies are running around this state promising to block, to obstruct Barack Obama’s economic recovery plan. They’re running on gridlock. More gridlock in Washington.”