Mike Huckabee officially tossed his hat in the ring Tuesday, announcing his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. He launched his campaign in his hometown of Hope, Arkansas, (also Bill Clinton’s birthplace) and promised to lead the nation “from hope to higher ground.” He’s uniquely qualified, he says, because “I learned how to govern and I learned how to lead.” And he’s focused on the economy: “Wages have been stagnant for the bottom 90% of Americans for 40 years. With all the talk of the economy in recovery, I’m talking to Americans every day whose economy is not recovering. They’re working harder than they were a year ago, two, three, four years ago but they’re not better off.” But he also carries a well-earned reputation for being a Big Government conservative, which in our book is an oxymoron. In other words, drop the “conservative” part, and you’ve got it. Indeed, we’ve had plenty to say about Huckabee’s record here and here.

Huckabee will have a tougher time winning the nomination than in his previous run. Unlike in 2008, there are numerous (actual) conservatives in the race who can just as easily win evangelical voters. And though the Republican Party has a habit of nominating previous primary losers (Reagan, Bush 41, McCain and Romney), Huckabee doesn’t strike us as fitting that profile. That said, it’s early and an awful lot can happen between now and the Iowa caucuses.