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 ...
BUT:
He's like Bush on spending and taxes. Cut and spend
He supported cap and trade. BIG problem with me.
He supported the Obama stimulus.
He supports civil unions which leads to government recognized gay marriage. I'd rather have government out of marriage altogether. I can overlook that issue, but a lot of folks can't.
He's better than Romney. He's better than Newt. However, he's a lot like a Bush conservative on domestic policy except worse on gays and better on guns.
I think he’s better on spending than you give him credit. CATO was a supporter of his while governor. His economic plan is much more Milton Friedman than George Bush.
He has made statements of support re: cap and tax in the past, however I’m not really sure if that’s something he supports - after all, Mitt & Newt have made similar statements. Regardless, NOTHING resembling cap and tax will make it through the GOP house or the senate so long as the Republicans have 41 votes.
Have you noticed Huntsmans rosy cheekes..
He may be pregnant with Obamas child..
Jst in case it isn't 'nuff for some, I heard his Open Borders schtick in the debates. More'en 'nuff said.
I am in the Paul and Johnson camp but I would rather have a whole new set of candidates AND the PRIMARY held in july, I said Primary EVERY state July 17th or 24th no point in a few states that allow independants(democrats) choose our candidate for us Before we even get a chance to vote. my only problem with Paul is his age.
First, you're response shows unbelievable arrogance. Second, you don't know what you are talking about.
While you are supposedly busy “thinking” why don't you learn a little bit about the subject you are referring to before you insult people. The candidate you are supposedly busy “thinking” about supports big government global warming policies, big government taxation and spending policies, anti-Catholic bigotry, government sponsored abortion programs and entitlement policies that would bankrupt the country.
If you want to pretend a spoiled rich kid is a conservative, go ahead and “think” that. You like to brag about how much “thinking” you supposedly do. But maybe try to learn some of the facts about what you are talking about.
The advantage I have is that I get to make my voting decision between Iowa/New Hamshire/South Carolina and Super Tuesday, so I get to wait and see the fallout. I'm voting for "not Romney." After that, I haven't decided yet.
Well, he didn’t sit on a couch with Pelosi. If we are considering Gingrich now, Huntsman compares very well with him on most issues, and Hunstman doesn’t have the multiple-marriage baggage or the ethics issues, or the non-lobbying lobbying issues.
Not saying I’ll consider Huntsman, he’s not on my radar, but I wasn’t considering Gingrich either and yet he seems to get a LOT of positive treatment here at FR.
Huntsman does bear some resemblance to Charlie Crist which could explain why gaydars are going off and why liberals love him so.
I’m open to Huntsman. I was open to Pawlenty. Unfortunately their styles aren’t effective against a Liberal press. Huntsman’s diplomatic style worry’s me for other reasons. I really don’t want the next Republican to get along with Democrats. Our next president is going to have a lot of hard choices to make and the Democrats won’t get along with him if Huntsman makes the right choices.
Ha! Huntsman has paid lip service to global warming, but literally NOTHING of what you said is true about the man. Those are lies, pure and simple. It’s clear you have not examined his record or platform.
His economic platform is MORE CONSERVATIVE than anyone in the field, and that includes Bachmann.
Oh, right. Most consistently conservative record and governor of the most conservative state in the country. Gingrich and Romney are apparently fooling a hell of lot of more idiots.
The only one of these that is anywhere close to the truth is 3 and that is called serving your country in a non-administrative position. He always planned to be ambassador to China for just two years, did a good job, and served in a diplomatic position that in no way requires or implies that he supported politically the man who appointed him. No governor in the country would have turned down the plumest appointment of them all.
He did. Months ago. Have the other candidates stopped attacking each other ? lol
Why is Newt, who believes in climate change, able to get away with calling the Ryan plan “right-wing social engineering” but Huntsman, who’s the only one to come out in full support of the Ryan Plan, gets pounced on for tweeting about global warming and evolution?! Isn’t it “about the economy, stupid”? Ugh this is hypocrisy, and I am currently very angry and annoyed with my party.
I know what and where Parley’s Summit is....I drive over it once a week. I just don’t know why Huntsman is “the Parley’s Summit Guy”.
Please provide links to prove that Jon Huntsman Jr. supported Obama’s candidacy and contributed to Obama’s and Reid’s campaigns.
They probably want him to run as an Independent that would hand the election to Obama.
Seriously, talk about allowing the media to define your candidates...
That may be it. Hadn’t thought of that. 3rd party. I doubt he’d garner one vote.
He doesn’t support cap and trade anymore - saying it didn’t work and was financially unfeasible in any case after the bottom fell out of the economy. Huntsman is the most libertarian after Paul and doesn’t support massive government intervention in anything.
There seems to be a very good reason why conservatives don’t read that rag. I bet it supported OWS and hates Israel too.
As a matter of fact, they are “sympathetic” to OWS, but chose not to support or participate with them, and they oppose “foreign aid” to Israel, and believe Israel can “take care of themselves.” (I don’t think that’s the ISSUE — just telling you what THEY say). And NO, I’m not a big fan of “The American Conservative.”
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