Could Jon Huntsman have won?

[Antonio the Sixth]

If the GOP base didn't decide to walk out of the election (and I think they wouldn't, because even RINO librul Huntsman would be better than a Kenyan Muslim Soshuliszt) I think he would probably have won indeed, by a small but clear margin. Swing voters (who are fundamentally idiots) where salivating at the prospect of a center-right alternative to Obama's "failed economic policies" and were only turned off when Romney was continually exposed as a slimy, out-of-touch plutocrat devoid of any conviction from the primaries onward.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Hmm...

1. Obama camp would destroy him as a shameless opportunist and flopper who just a few months before worked for the President and kissed his butt for number of occassions.
2. Base would be less enthusiastic.

No, he'd lose.

But Jon Huntsman wasn't a flip flopper.

Accepting a job from Obama, praising him and then running against him wouldn't be viewed as very consistent.

Him accepting the job was him manning up and serving his country. Why should that matter at all? I didn't see any other Republican candidate who had the ability to reach across the aisle and solve problems.

Tell this to the conservative voters.

This is kind of ironic, since Huntman's image as a great moderate is badly overhyped.

I never thought of Huntsman as a moderate (there is no such a thing as a moderate republican at the national level, anymore). I consider him to be a principled but not hackish conservative, who says and does what he thinks is right rather than blindly following a party line, as well as a good person.