Mike Huckabee weighed in on the Republican presidential primary on Tuesday, warning the remaining candidates to stop efforts to "shred each other" in pursuit of the nomination.
In a call to Fox News, the former Arkansas governor and 2008 Republican presidential candidate gave his take on the state of the 2012 race, agreeing with anchor Jon Scott that the candidates have been "destroying each other" in pursuit of the nomination.
"I totally agree that it's been a little bit absurd, especially when the big argument is 'Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the most conservative of them all?'" he said. "But compared to Barack Obama, they're all conservative. And it's a ludicrous argument to continue to try to shred each other."
Huckabee said that candidates should focus on their strengths against Obama, rather than "who's the meanest junk yard dog in this race."
This is not the first time the former Arkansas governor has lamented the often-brutal nature of this year's nominating contests. Last month, he told an Israeli television station that he decided not to run in 2012 because of his party's "toxic atmosphere."
"I think that there is just such a toxic atmosphere right now, specifically in the Republican party," he said. "I would love to say that it's going to be all about ideas and solutions, but unfortunately a lot of it is about just being able to say, 'I'm more angry at the Obama administration than somebody else.' That's not what motivates me politically or governmentally. I believe it ought to be about solutions."
During the Fox interview, Huckabee also gave his perspective on Tuesday's contests in Mississippi and Alabama, where the latest polls show Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney in a dead heat. He said that while Gingrich has strong southern ties and Santorum appeals to "values voters," the contests were a big opportunity for Romney to prove he can hold his own in the South.
"If he can take either of these two states, it is a huge, huge win," Huckabee said of Romney. "The fact that he's polling close and it's a dead heat among the top three candidates is in itself significant."
Huckabee predicted that Romney was more likely to win Mississippi than Alabama, but thought he would do well in both states.
Watch Huckabee's interview with Fox: