Presidential candidates skip the Iowa caucuses at their own risk, Mike Huckabee, winner of the 2008 Republican caucuses, said Thursday.

Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor who will be in Davenport for a book signing on Sunday, said he won't even begin to think about the 2012 presidential election until after next year's mid-term elections.

But, in an interview, he suggested any Republican thinking about skipping the first-in-the-nation caucuses ought to think again.

"Ask Rudy Giuliani how it worked out for him," he said.

The ex-mayor of New York City spent little time here and, despite high expectations, ended up dropping out of the presidential race early.

"If you're not there, you get ignored," Huckabee said.

Some pundits have suggested lately that moderate Republicans might do well to skip Iowa, where social conservatives are powerful.

Huckabee leveraged support from that voting bloc to win in 2008, defeating former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who had invested a lot of time and money in the state and had much of the GOP establishment on his side.

Huckabee is one of a handful of Republicans mentioned as possible 2012 presidential candidates.

A USA Today/Gallup poll released Thursday said more Republicans would seriously consider voting for Huckabee than Romney or former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Huckabee said it could be he's now able to get his message out through his television and radio shows, rather than having to constantly defend himself against political opponents.

Huckabee will be in Davenport on Sunday to promote his new book, "A Simple Christmas: Twelve Stories that Celebrate the True Holiday Spirit."

It isn't a political book. Instead, it's a collection of stories about his past. Included is a story about a $99 guitar Huckabee's parents gave to him when he was 11, but only after he'd begged them for it - to the point that he'd accept no other gift.

Huckabee got the guitar, fueling a lifelong musical habit. But it took his parents a year to pay for it.

"I did not appreciate the sacrifice my parents made at the time. I didn't understand it," Huckabee said. "Looking back, I realize that was an extraordinary sign of their love for me and their willingness to put me ahead of themselves."

Huckabee said he hopes that for all the pressures surrounding the Christmas season, people realize it can be a time for renewal and a chance to "turn the corner" if they're experiencing tough times