The State newspaper of Columbia, South Carolina, offers a particularly ill-timed endorsement:
Mr. Huntsman is a true conservative, with a record and platform of bold economic reform straight out of the free-market bible, but he’s a realist, whose goal is likewise to get things done. Under his leadership, Utah led the nation in job creation, and the Pew Center on the States ranked it the best-managed state in the nation. He also is head and shoulders above the field on foreign policy. He served as President George H. W. Bush’s U.S. ambassador to Singapore and President George W. Bush’s deputy U.S. trade representative and U.S. trade ambassador, and the next entry on that resume is even more impressive: He was a popular and successful governor in an extremely conservative state, well positioned to become a leading 2012 presidential contender, when Mr. Obama asked him to serve in arguably our nation’s most important diplomatic post, U.S. ambassador to China. It could be political suicide, but he didn’t hesitate. As he told our editorial board: “When the president asks you to serve, you serve.”
An entire 24 hours after the endorsement ran, news breaks of Huntsman’s departure from the race.
Here’s the sad little fundraising e-mail from the Huntsman campaign, sent just 15 hours ago.
We have breaking news that we are so excited to share. Our campaign is very pleased to announce that Governor Huntsman has received the influential endorsement of South Carolina’s largest newspaper The State:
Mr. Huntsman is a true conservative, with a record and platform of bold economic reform straight out of the free-market bible, but he’s a realist, whose goal is likewise to get things done. Under his leadership, Utah led the nation in job creation, and the Pew Center on the States ranked it the best-managed state in the nation.
Read the full endorsement here.
Once again with this major endorsement of Governor Huntsman our momentum is building. Please help us keep building that momentum with your most generous contribution of $25, $50, $100 or even the maximum amount of $2,500 as we enter the final 6 days before the South Carolina primary.
On to Victory!
Sincerely,
Jeff Wright
National Finance Chairman