In the Morning Jolt, you’ll see some conservative bloggers expressing great skepticism about the potential presidential bid of Jon Huntsman, former governor of Utah and soon to depart as ambassador to China. Scoff if you want, but there’s at least one way for a Huntsman bid to quickly generate a lot of buzz.
Picture it: It’s early summer 2011. Huntsman has launched his campaign to a generally “meh” reception, and now, in his first major policy address, he goes to Washington, D.C. He gives a lunch speech at the Brookings Institution or some other centrist, non-conservative foreign policy think tank — his natural base of support, really.
With the campaign correspondents in the back and all of Washington’s foreign-policy cognoscenti sitting in front of him, Huntsman begins by hitting predictable notes: He joined the Obama administration with the best of intentions and the highest of hopes, a desire to prove that politics stops at the water’s edge and that when dealing with a challenging, threatening world, America’s political leaders act in unity. He admits he knew he had some disagreements with Obama, but he felt that he could steer foreign policies in the right direction by having a seat at the table.
And then, in detail, Huntsman paints a picture of an administration that is flailing, frozen with indecision, short-sighted, often at war with itself, disorganized, and ultimately lacking any sense of what it wanted to do after Obama had finished his apology tour.
He says things like, “The charm offensive wasn’t just this president’s first foreign-policy tool; it was his only one. And when it failed to achieve significant concessions from either our allies or our foes, the president and the team around him had no plan B.”
He points out that Obama and Hillary’s constant invocation of a “reset” button reflects an immature yearning to go back to some earlier, simpler time, out of a misplaced nostalgic belief that foreign-policy challenges were easier to solve in past years, and a tacit admission that they cannot make progress in current circumstances. “We have to deal with the world as it is; yelling ‘do-over’ doesn’t even work in the schoolyard.”
Huntsman sets a record for talking out of school, sharing a series of anecdotes that make Joe Biden look cloddish, Hillary Clinton frustrated, dismissed, and quick to lash out, David Axelrod meddling in areas he doesn’t understand, and the man at the top so far out of his league he terrifies Huntsman.
Huntsman shares frustrating tales of trying to be the voice of reason while the president tried to tailor his foreign policies to the whims of congressional Democrats. He laments that Obama’s Middle East vision begins and ends with Israeli settlements, that he effectively sold out Iranian democracy protesters in pursuit of a Quixotic dream of a summit with Tehran, and that in two short years he has snubbed India and insulted almost every major ally. He laments that the administration was caught flat-footed time and again: cartel violence in Mexico spilling over the border, North Korean shelling, WikiLeaks, the uprising in Egypt and beyond.
He ends his litany, “And I told him the president of the United States isn’t supposed to bow.”
Huntsman closes his speech, now generating furious reaction from the administration, “It was only when I saw how poorly this administration was serving America that I felt the need to leave, and to take steps to help steer us back on the right course . . .”
Would a dramatic whistle-blower-like series of revelations like this win Huntsman the nomination? Probably not. But it would definitely get a chunk of the ‘he’s a RINO’ crowd to take a second look. And it would probably inflict serious damage on Obama and leave the eventual nominee grateful . . ..
I barely know the guy, but if he would say half of what you suggest with a third of the conviction, I'd vote for him.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYes, but it is highly unlikely that Huntsman actually felt any of those things. Certainly there is no evidence of that to date. Instead there are probably diplomatic cables flying from Huntman praising our elegant, young, eloquent, post-racial, African-American President, and fully supporting his incompetent foreign policy. Those cables would be judiciously de-classified and leaked when the moment was ripe, no doubt.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseExcept that... he is a RINO. As a Utah republican, he turned his back on the promises he made to conservatives to get elected. His #1 priority in office was the environment. He pushed green energy, championed global warming alarmism, proposed CO2 reductions, shortened the state work week to save energy (while hurting business development and frustrating this Utahn in interacting with state agencies), and raised business taxes while lowering food sales tax. Huntsman's joining the Obama administration was the best thing that happened to Utah in quite some time.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHuntsman is a RINO. Ask any Tea Party/GOP activitist in Utah, and you will get a litancy of curses if Huntsman's name is brought up.
I lived in Utah during part of his tenure as governor, and was not impressed (to put it mildy). His father is a great man, but Junior is just pathetic. I would never vote for him in a national election.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThis guy is, without doubt, a RINO. He is not even conservative. I don't believe he even has a political philosophy, just a few rough hewn opinions and personal preferences, which certainly tend to the liberal end of the spectrum. He's even less qualified than Obama was to seek the office, if that's possible, and thinks his and his wife's Ken and Barbie look will be sufficient to get him elected. In this shallow world, he's probably right, but I'm comforted to know he likely doesn't have the political support and can't assemble it, despite Daddy's enormous treasure chest and business influence. Let's pray I'm right.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse“It was only when I saw how poorly this administration was serving America that I felt the need to leave, and to take steps to help steer us back on the right course…”
The Right Course? You mean, like the memorable George W. Bush years:-)? The former President whose neoconservative foreign policy acumen launched "an era of Republican leadership" according to Geraghty's highly prescient book "Voting to Kill" ?
So what are the foreign policy disasters supposedly caused by this Administration, then? Why, they talk about '“reset” buttons' too often! Obama once bowed in public! They didn't waterboard Julian Assange! Obama thinks the U.S. is not the world's only "exceptional" nation! The Obama Administration didn't lend All-American credibility to Iranian democracy protesters by openly providing assistance! Etcetera. The horror! The horror!
Opinion polls suggest 45% of Americans approve of Obama's foreign policy, while 40% disapprove. Compared to GW Bush he is not doing too badly. The last time I checked, there had been no costly invasions of Arab nations prompted by non-existent WMDs since Obama became President. Nor have there been any Al Qaeda attacks killing thousands of Americans on U.S. soil, or anthrax attacks.
MARCU$
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseOutside of Utah and the Obama administration, nobody knows who Huntsman is, and even fewer people care. But, if you've got several million dollars to throw away, I guess anyone can run for President. At least in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI know almost nothing about John Huntsman except that he was governor of the reddest state in the country, but was not as conservative as his state (Real shock there) and he is a mormon whih would represent to mormons running.
I do know though that conservatives are focused on the economy almost completely. I do know that Huntsman has not focused on these issues yet. I am interested, but still have not learned anything new that I can use.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDunno if what you suggest would work for Huntsman, but it would get the MSM's sights off of Palin for a couple cycles for sure!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI don't know much about Huntsman, but I do know if the Tea Party types don't get over this attitude that anyone who has every disagreed with them on anything is a RINO who is unfit for office, the only result will be 4 more years of Obama. Ronald Reagan raised taxes and increased spending during his time in office, was he a RINO, too? Your "perfect" candidate would be unacceptable to the majority of Americans, so stop wasting our time with unelectable candidates like Sharon Angle and Christine O'Donnell. Real conservatives want a candidate who THINKS, not one who just has a knee jerk reaction to everything. We currently have an ideologue in the White House, we don't need another.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI'm from Utah, and I'm 99.9% certain you will not hear that speech from Junior Huntsman. The guy who said "Ken and Barbie" has it right. Think "Prom King."
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHuntsman? RINO.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe prospect of a Huntsman campaign for the GOP nomination? DOA.
'Nuff said. Next?
Pro-Cap and Trade, Pro-Amnesty, Obama sycophant, rich kid that inherited his fortune from Daddy, Champion of Corporate Welfare, exporter of jobs, and a complete unknown to the vast majority of Americans (as in, they haven't even heard the name). Being Mormon doesn't help either (nothing wrong with it, but Evangelicals are an important part of the Republican base, and a Mormon won't excite them).
On the other hand, in his favor, he's got... what? Support from Obama!
Why waste any effort even talking about him?
The only reason ANYONE is talking about him is because the Obama administration and their MSM water-carriers are talking him up as the next Republican nominee. That alone should tell you all you need to know. The last thing we need is to allow the opposition and their media lapdogs to pick our nominee.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHuntsman is being pushed by the left, and will be a third party candidate come November in order to take votes away from the Republican nominee. He is a stalking horse.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseObama has made the US either a laughing stock or irrelevant. no one turns to the US anymore for leadership. If they want an apology or a bow, they do. The public polls would echo reality if Obama were treated as George W. Bush was mis-treated. The world is on fire, and Obama is a non-entity. He does not believe the US is exceptional -- which it is -- and his conduct of foreign policy reflects that. To Obama, the US is just another member of the UN.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWill the conservatives here please take family values off the table for just a second? Some of us are fiscal conservatives in support of women's issues; there is no conflict. The family values piece is so alienating to those interested in small government, and has been a political detriment to the GOP when republican governors and senators are caught cheating on their spouses. And yes, dems do that too, but they do not claim the mantle of fidelity the way the GOP does. Finally, maybe someone can explain how the GOP wants the government out of its personal lives yet tell women what to do with their bodies (ie. abortion) Get over the fact that it's no one's decision but of the woman and her family.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMir
Conservatism is a stool with three legs - social, fiscal, and defense. Those republicans who run on all three win (see Reagan and Bush 2) and those who don't fall (McCain, Bush Sr., Dole). With respect, those who are opposed to any of the three values may call themselves "fiscal" or "social" conservatives or even "hawks", but they cannot call themselves "conservative".
Second, there is nothing more intrusive in a personal life than allowing the murder of a child. If you don't consider the ending of a child's life "murder", then you are in a minority in the GOP and not a conservative, at least not by the standards espoused by Buckley.
That's why Huntsman seems to be considered by the writers at National Review to have no chance, even by Geraghty (who at least tries to throw Huntsman a bone). Someone who considers infanticide to be a "women's issue" might understandably miss the point the author(s) is making.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThis scenario is insane and won't happen. The only logical way for Huntsman to catch fire is to be proud of what he's accomplished in China and challenge Obama on the domestic front. No one likes a snitch. If he was so disgusted by the Obama foreign policy establishment, as suggested hypothetically here, he would have quit months ago.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSteve in Indiana,
By your definition of "conservative", Barry Goldwater was not a conservative. I respectfully disagree.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseEven if he doesn't run... I hope he gives that speech.
That speech isn't going to be enough. But that speech and an endorsement from Sarah Palin and the guy is in the Whitehouse!
All that needs to happen is for the Tea Party to take a close look and decide he is okay with them and his centrist tendencies would take him the rest of the way.
Republicans are searching for something. Huntsman may be it.
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