Bill O’Reilly gave colleague Mike Huckabee six friendly minutes on Fox’s highest-rated program to promote his potential 2016 presidential run.

O’Reilly introduced the discussion last night by saying Huckabee “is very competitive in the Republican presidential sweepstakes.”

First, O’Reilly and Huckabee used the election returns of the night before to malign Hillary Clinton, the likely Democratic nominee in 2016. Huckabee said, “The Clintons couldn’t help this Democratic Party and particularly in states where the margin was supposed to be much closer. …They couldn’t pull a vote out of the cemetery.”

O’Reilly said that “many pundits” felt the election was more a repudiation of Obama than an endorsement of Republicans.

Huckabee agreed, then used that as an opening to talk about his own possible platform, or as he put it, items that the GOP should have “put on the table”: “If we don’t balance the budget, Congress will take a paycut. Things that Americans could put their teeth into.”

They talked a bit about what the GOP can and should do when they take control of the Senate. Then O’Reilly went back to Huckabee’s potential candidacy.

O’Reilly said Huckabee “must be happy” because he, Rand Paul and Jeb Bush are all leading the Republican pack if Romney doesn’t run. “So, you know, it looks to me like you have a decent shot if you want to go to be president.”

Huckabee said self-effacingly, “Well, I think it’s quite a ways away to make that decision.”  He didn’t mention that if he does declare, he’d have to give up his cushy salary and valuable platform of a show.

Huckabee continued with his aw-shucks kind of humor: “You know, it’s kind of comforting to know that at least there are 11 percent of the people that would like it. I’m just wondering what the heck is wrong with the other 89% right now?”

O’Reilly quipped that they hadn’t heard Huckabee play the guitar. If he did so, O’Reilly contended, Huckabee would be “a little troubadour.” However, he said, “It’s not early. You’ve gotta go out and raise your one billion dollars, Governor. So, I mean, if you’re gonna run…”

“And you’re gonna make the first contribution,” Huckabee quipped.

“I can’t contribute,” O’Reilly said. “You know I can’t do that.”

No, but he’s clearly willing to do his part in other ways that might be even better than money.

Watch it below, from last night's The O'Reilly Factor.