NEW YORK - Talk about judgment: Mike Huckabee says he has placed his political fate in the hands of David Letterman.
"If I win New Hampshire, it's because I did this show," the former Arkansas governor said Monday night on CBS' "Late Show" while taking a break from campaigning in the nation's first presidential primary.
"If I lose New Hampshire, it's because I did this show," he added to laughter and applause.
Unlike his appearance last Wednesday on late-night rival Jay Leno's NBC talk show, the GOP candidate didn't anger striking writers by crossing their picket line. Letterman has a separate agreement with the writers for his show.
Huckabee, who was heading back to New Hampshire for Tuesday's primary, told Letterman that campaigning was exhausting.
"Most days are 20 hours and they're pressure-packed," he said. "That's part of the deal. ... If you get into this race, you have to be prepared to go the distance."
Huckabee said he believed that most people run for president because they feel they owe the country and want to protect it.
"Also, you get to live in that really nice house that, you know, is down there in Washington," he said.
Letterman asked if there was an ideological difference between those who live in Iowa -- Huckabee won the Republican caucuses there last week -- and New Hampshire.
"What I find is, everybody's an American. And I don't care who they are and what they are, they want this country to quit fighting each other politically," Huckabee said. "It doesn't matter whether it's Iowa or New Hampshire or any other state in this country, people get it. I don't think Washington gets it. ... And they're so polarized, they have become paralyzed."
Meanwhile, fellow Republican candidate Ron Paul flew to Los Angeles for an appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."
If Paul won the Republican nomination, Leno asked, which of his rivals would he choose as a running mate?
"The one that agrees with me on all the issues," Paul replied. "But they don't seem very agreeable right now."
