Posted on 11/30/2011 11:19:15 AM PST by St. Louis Conservative
HANOVER, NH—Jon Huntsman walked out of the rear door of a Dartmouth auditorium. His head swiveled as he looked for the black SUV that will take him to his next stop. He had just given a speech emphasizing his claim that the future of America will not be decided on a battlefield in remotest Afghanistan but along the trade routes of the Pacific. The applause had barely died down in the hall as Huntsman exited into the quiet streets of Hanover. He took one second to sigh. He had just launched “Phase Two” of his campaign, and it was a success.
The reboot couldn’t come fast enough. Huntsman had made no dent in the polls since his launch in June. Instead, the avalanche of prestige media mash-notes to his campaign had the effect of raising expectations ridiculously high and smothering him with the labels “soft” and “moderate” in an era when Tea-caffeinated primary voters are looking for “hard” and “right.” The hastily constructed campaign—largely built while the candidate was still serving as Obama’s ambassador to China—was subject to infighting and leaked acrimony that would outlast July’s reorganization. Huntsman was sinking almost as fast as Tim Pawlenty, his name recognition barely above Buddy Roemer’s.
But this rickety launch obscured more than it revealed. Huntsman may be uncomfortable in the ideological sweathouse that is the conservative movement. He may be diplomatic when the right is dyspeptic. But his candidacy offers conservatives two very tantalizing possibilities: a break with the Bush legacy on foreign policy and the chance to move their policy prescriptions off the Tea Party’s placards and into the center of our political debate. Huntsman’s record shows that conservative politics can triumph not just through conflict but also by concord.
(Excerpt) Read more at theamericanconservative.com ...
He doesn’t have a national base because half the country doesn’t have the foggiest idea who he is. Name recognition is 30-40% behind the other candidates and hate from the right wing keeps pouring in. But something is definitely happening in New Hampshire. Huntsman has been running for 6 months and still comes up with 11% compared to 14% for Paul now on his 3rd try, 34% for Romney after 6 years of campaigning and 24% for Gingrich who has been around forever.
I guess the Republican base would prefer he used more of his own money to launch a national media blitz at the outset ? Conservative hate is a funny thing.
Better than Erickson who loves the guys positions just not his jokes, tweets or campaign manager. Obama thanks you all for attending to trivia when the fate of the country is in the balance. :)
"Have the other candidates stopped attacking each other ? lol"
There's a big difference between going after your opponents in a primary (often part of the process) and habitually trashing the base of your own party...
Conservatives would rather vote for conservative thab a leftist Obama supporter like Huntsman.
There is nothing “Hate” about it.
Are you serious ? Well, true if establishment Republicans are the base of the party (even Gingrich who prides himself on being a Washington pol) Huntsman is the only candidate consistently trashing Romney. The others look like they are auditioning for his VP slot.
I see that reading comprehension is not one of your strong suits...
The Huntsman campaign no doubt made some mistakes early on the national stage that have been costly and that have not been repeated.
All I’m saying is that it won’t be anything like the regret that Republicans will have for a completely foreseeable mistake like nominating Romney or Gingrich. People need to seriously wake up before it is too freakin late.
Jon is the most conservative candidate, most experienced candidate that could actually win. He has a better chance of beating Obama than any of them IMO.
Anyone being patronized with 1 or 2 questions and relegated to the end position in debates will have a challenge coming across as commanding on television. But Huntsman looks and sounds nothing but presidential in one on one studio appearances and voter events.
The issues I am aware that Huntsman was to the left of the legislature are tuition for illegals, civil unions, and cutting the state sales tax on unprepared food items (which got through but he had to push hard).
The critical thing is that instead of being all over the map ideologically like Romney and Gingrich, he is talking about the exact same concepts he was able to implement in Utah in an effort to apply them nationally.
I do not like his attitude. It is a red flag.
Every time Conservatives have had to deal with somebody like him (Colin Powell, McCain, Huntsman Super-Fan Joe Scarborough, etc.) it has always been a disaster.
I have seen nothing from his campaign that changes my view (and I’m sure I’m not alone).
“.....doesn’t support massive government intervention in anything.”
JH backed TARP & espoused that BHO’s Stimulus boondoggle wasn’t large enough.
Yep, the guy that doted on BHO as a “remarkable leader” & BJC as “brilliant” is the 2011 version of Calvin Coolidge.
Not.
Totally agree. But try saying that to some of the folks on this board.
If you want a candidate that didn’t (or wouldn’t have) vote for TARP or didn’t take stimulus money have fun winning with Paul, Santorum or Bachmann.
I would also like clarification on the stimulus comment (because I don’t think Huntsman has been asked ??). But I believe he was referring to monies for business tax cuts or start up capital or something that wasn’t how it came out. Anyway, he is all about a balanced budget now...
I prefaced my comment re: TARP & Stimulus with your statement that JH “doesn’t support massive government intervention.”
Per PolitiFact:
Feb. 24, 2009, to Cavuto, saying he would have opposed the stimulus because it was too small:
“Well, if I were in Congress, I probably would not have voted in favor (of the Recovery Act), because it didn`t have enough stimulus and probably wasn`t big enough to begin with.
It’s good to know JH has now found religion & supports a balanced budget. Maybe he can hold fast to that position before dropping out and moving to Obscurity.
Now you’ve done it. Now I have to vote for him.
Huntsman supports a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution because that is what he was working under as governor. Like I said, I think he was considering certain aspects of the stimulus like capital start up or tax breaks for small businesses. But at least he wouldn’t have voted for it. :)
And is only moving up in the polls, sorry to disappoint !
Rather than sink to the level of childish name calling I have provided you with some reading material. Hopefully, it will help you.
As Governor of Utah Huntsman went along with some conservative policies that would have passed with or without him. This is used to falsely claim Huntsman is a conservative.
1. Huntsman supports big government global warming policies.
Huntsman has many times attacked conservatives for questioning the fraudulent global warming scam and the huge government programs proposed as a solution. There are many references.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/letters/chi-111123para_briefs,0,735039.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+chicagotribune%2Fvoiceofthepeople+%28Chicago+Tribune-+Voice+of+the+People%29
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20103065-503544.html
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/660222636/Huntsman-Schwarzenegger-ink-global-warming-pact.html
Huntsman was a strong supporter of Cap and Trade but has been dishonest about the issue lately and has flipped flopped shamelessly.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Huntsman-capandtrade-president-GOP/2011/05/12/id/396174
He now supports unspecified big government global warming programs.
2. Huntsman supports big government taxation and spending policies.
Huntsman has said that the wasteful trillion dollar stimulus program that the Democrats passed was too small and didn't spend enough money. Wasting almost $1 trillion isn't enough for a big spender and phony conservative like Huntsman. He probably would have wasted several trillion dollars.
http://dailycaller.com/2011/02/01/huntsman-thought-obamas-stimulus-plan-wasnt-big-enough/
Huntsman has also said many times that he wants to raise taxes and wants Americans to “sacrifice” which means give more of their hard earned dollars to the government.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/08/26/305200/huntsman-capital-gains-tax-raise/
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/gop-primaries/178265-huntsman-says-if-elected-he-would-call-on-rich-to-sacrifice
Huntsman supported Health care plans that were very similar to Obamacare.
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2011/06/27/255146/huntsmans-2007-health-plan-looks-a-lot-like-obamacare/
3. Huntsman supported anti-Catholic policies
The Communist Chinese government stepped up their persecution, imprisonment, torture and murder of Catholics during Huntsman term as ambassador. Huntsman supported these programs and never tried to oppose them.
http://ricochet.com/main-feed/Huntsman-the-anti-Catholic
4. Huntsman supported government sponsored abortion programs.
Huntsman supported the nomination of Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of HHS. Sebelius has a record of supporting the late term abortionist Dr. Tiller. They were political allies and he was one of her major campaign contributors and supporters.
“Governor Huntsman also expressed support for President Obama’s choice of liberal Kathleen Sebelius to be Health and Human Services Secretary more than two months before he was appointed Ambassador to China by President Obama. “Kathleen brings a fundamental wealth of knowledge and experience that will be indispensable in leading the reform efforts that are so critical to our nation going forward,””
http://www.lifenews.com/2009/01/01/state-3277/
http://www.cashill.com/regional/how_sebelius.htm
http://www.lifenews.com/2011/11/29/sebelius-called-on-to-quit-over-planned-parenthood-scandal/
http://www.cashill.com/natl_general/sebelius_mocked.htm
http://gulagbound.com/18070/the-phony-right-wing-part-jon-meade-huntsman-jr/
5. Huntsman supports entitlement policies that would bankrupt the country. He supports granting trillions of dollars of entitlements to illegal immigrants and removing requirements that illegal immigrants comply with the law.
http://uselectionnews.org/huntsman-supports-tuition-for-children-of-illegal-immigrants/855128/
http://news.yahoo.com/jon-huntsmans-immigration-policies-softer-competitors-223600755.html
http://www.thepoliticalguide.com/rep_bios.php?rep_id=46881101&category=views&id=20110816184455
6. Huntsman attacks Republicans but works to elect Harry Reid and other Democrats.
http://www.fireandreamitchell.com/2011/06/22/rino-fraud-jon-huntsman-family-gave-harry-reid-25000-and-5000-dollars-to-nevada-democrats/
Amen to that!
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