Huntsman "leaning towards a run."

[Keystone Phil]

Great news. I like him and he hurts Romney's chances - http://politicalwire.com/archives/2011/01/27/huntsman_leaning_towards_run.html

[Lunar]

Another article: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/inner-circle/jon-huntsmans-inner-circle.html#more


I don't see how Huntsman has a route to victory.

[With you in spirit]

Goodie. I like him better than Romney.

[Landslide Lyndon]

I thought this guy was smart. Does he really believes that after serving two years in Obama's administration he will win a Republican primary?

Great news. I like him and he hurts Romney's chances - http://politicalwire.com/archives/2011/01/27/huntsman_leaning_towards_run.html

So, you admit that Palin might win after all.

[Bull Moose Base]

Another article: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/inner-circle/jon-huntsmans-inner-circle.html#more

I don't see how Huntsman has a route to victory.

The only one I can conceive of is if Palin quickly knocks all other contenders for the conservative vote out and Huntsman uses RomneyCare to pull an upset in the moderate vote and he thinks Palinophobia will give him the nomination.

But that's not even what I bet he has in mind.  I think he is running for 2016.  I know the runner-up theory has drawn a lot of skepticism in the blogosphere but it's yet to really be disproven by any case save the son of the previous president/governor of the second largest state in the country.  (And of course, Jeb Bush too is very plausible as a 2016 nominee running the first time.)  Look, even as weak as the GOP field is, the frontrunners now were all national candidates in 2008.  I think Huntsman could be running in 2012 with the expectation that he won't win the nomination and Obama will likely be re-elected anyhow.  With the endless presidential election of the internet age, Iowa visits for 2016 will begin in just over 2 years.  etc, etc, etc, etc... until we're all dead.   Anyhoo, don't worry about that right now.  I half-suspect the same motives from Pawlenty or Thune i.e. 2016. But because of the weakness or potential non-candidacies of frontrunners, and their not having worked in the Obama Administration like Huntsman or advocated civil unions for gays, those guys have a better chance of winning this time around, which oddly enough could explain Thune's recent cold feet in the wake of Obama's rebound.*  Now, such a strategy on Huntsman's part gets complicated if Pawlenty or Thune were to win the nomination now, departing from precedent and thereby strengthening the buzz for first timers in 2016 (Jindal, Rubio, Christie, Pence, if he doesn't run now...).

*Could also be something as straightforward as the earmarks ban and jitters about trying to defend his TARP vote before the Tea Party fades.

[Keystone Phil]

Great news. I like him and he hurts Romney's chances - http://politicalwire.com/archives/2011/01/27/huntsman_leaning_towards_run.html

So, you admit that Palin might win after all.

Uh, how is that admitting Palin might win? Newsflash: there are others in the race.

[exopolitician]

Interesting. If he doesn't turn hard right just to campaign, he'd probably make a good candidate against Obama. I doubt he'd do well in the primaries though.

[Lief 🗽]

Good news for Sarah Palin.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I just can see it.

"Hey, Jon, you're too moderate and YOU WORKED FOR BARACK "TERRORIST" OBAMA!!!111"

In other words: he's a toast.

[California8429]

Very interesting. I certainly wouldn't mind his run and would be glad to support him if he got the nomination. This brings real credibility to Republican's foreign policy. Saying hey, Obama appointed me and I think he's doing such a terrible job that I'm quit in order to replace him!

[SvenssonRS]

Jon Huntsman, I thank you, as you've just now made it easier to replace Orrin Hatch with Jason Chaffetz.

(In seriousness, I really don't have a genuine problem with Huntsman - he was only an Ambassador. But I'm still glad he won't be in the Senate race.)

[Iosif]

Huntsman: 'We are loyal to our country and our President'

Not two weeks ago.

[Niemeyerite]

I thought huntsman was a clever person....

[Yelnoc]

I don't blame him considering how weak the GOP field is; however, I would much rather have him in east Asia.  North Korea is going to fall apart in the next two years; I would much rather him over there than here politicking and Obama's politically safe replacement (who would be new to the situation) trying to handle it all.  I hope he can put the good of the nation over his personal interests.

[Franzl]

Huntsman: 'We are loyal to our country and our President'

Not two weeks ago.

This means he can't run for President?

[Its Evolution Baby]

As much as I hate Mitt Romney, I don't think this'll hurt his chances too much.

[Keystone Phil]

Huntsman: 'We are loyal to our country and our President'

Not two weeks ago.

This means he can't run for President?

You're talking to Iosif. Remember that.

[redcommander]

Great news!!! He'd be fantastic.

[Keystone Phil]

Wait! I just heard the best of the latest conspiracies!

Remember how the President nominated Huntsman because he didn't want to face him in 2012? Reasonable theory, right? Well, I just had a friend tell me that Obama selected Huntsman so Huntsman would run for President and cost Romney the nomination, out of fear of facing Mitt in the General.

After I told him that there was nothing to back that up and it was ridiculous to just dream up such theories, he told me he's "a realist" and that I "trust these politicians too much."

[Bull Moose Base]

As much as I hate Mitt Romney, I don't think this'll hurt his chances too much.

I don't either.  I think they'd most likely tag-team discrediting the Tea Party.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Huntsman: 'We are loyal to our country and our President'

Not two weeks ago.

This means he can't run for President?

He can, but he certainly won't be a nominee.

[Franzl]

Huntsman is certainly someone I like, and I think he would be very competent...,but I also don't see how he could win.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

He cant win, but he could knock out/do serious damage to Romney. Perhaps he is someones stalking horse?

[Keystone Phil]

Huntsman: 'We are loyal to our country and our President'

Not two weeks ago.

This means he can't run for President?

He can, but he certainly won't be a nominee.

That has nothing to do with the comment though. Franzl is asking why running for President against the man that appointed you means you're disloyal to your country and your President.

[Frodo]

Don't do it.  The Republican Party isn't exactly inviting for independent-minded conservatives like himself at this moment in time.  Would it hurt for him to wait until the 2016 race?