Huntsman to drop out of the race
Word is that Huntsman will drop out of the race on Monday and endorse Romney.
Huntsman never really caught on, and I think it was partly a personality thing. It’s hard to define why certain personalities appeal to voters and others don’t, but he seemed especially low-key and had no natural constituency to speak of. Not as conservative as some nor as well-known as others, he didn’t seem to have that fire in the belly. It didn’t help, either, that he was the ambassador to China under Obama.
My guess is that most of Huntsman’s votes will go to Romney. But since he didn’t have that many votes, I doubt it will be of much import.
I actually liked him a lot more AFTER seeing him in the one on one debate with Gingrich – where they both got to talk issues, both were fabulous. We need more discourse like that, it was respectful and elevating, instead of snarky and filled with talking point zingers.
He may simply be a victim of too many to choose from. In any other race, he might have stood head and shoulders above the others.
Not that hard to figure out. As Matt Lauer’s and the Boston Globe’s preferred candidate as well as twittering he trusts scientists in global warming, it wasn’t personality but his friends who took him out of the race. I suppose after his clobbering he might make a Rodney King type of performance: “Can’t we all just get along.”
You don’t win primaries by coming out of the gate insulting the base (i.e. climate skeptics, religious right). In fact that was a spectacularly dumb way to run a campaign. His jokes were groan inducing and the Mandarin seemed show offish. Too bad; he looked OK on paper.
Maybe his experience in Utah led him to underestimate the difficulties in governing a less conservative and less homogenous state or nation. Did he ever have to fight or maneuver to pass legislation? His why can’t we get along schtick just seemed too naive for the real world as well as a bit self righteous.
I was also bothered by the China thing. Just speaking Mandarin does not make one the ultimate authority on all things Chinese. I am not convinced he would have been capable of listening to other points of view. And while China is very important, it is not the only foreign policy issue on our plate. Did he ever show any insight into the threats of Islamism?
In short, he was an untested and unproved entity.
He worked for Obama. To me, that was a disqualifier from the start. No harm to him, necessarily–just that we all make choices that rule some future possibilities out.
I just found out yesterday that Huntsman is Mormon too. Not that it matters, but who knew Mormons were so….everywhere!
I saw Gingrich on Huckaby. When he is in good form, he is really really good. He was in good form.
On the other hand I heard Jack Welsh say Romney might be the best candidate we’ve ever had for figuring out our economic problems.
I’m not concerned about our side from here on. Whoever wins will be excellent in their own way.
The Run against Obama doesn’t really start until late summer anyway. I just hope they stay on the offense on that one all the way.
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Huntsman’s problems began with the fact that nobody had ever heard of him. This is a problem that goes beyond mere name recognition. As we’ve all seen, there’s currently a lot of anxiety at the grassroots level over the issue of whether particular GOP candidates or officeholders are authentically conservative or whether they’re in fact covert agents of the RINO “establishment.” In Huntsman’s case, there were simply too many reasons not to trust that he was a genuine conservative, starting with the fact that the MSM seemed to love him so much.
Of course, that raises the question of why Mitt, whose conservative credentials are similarly doubtful, is nevertheless on top. I think the reason for that comes down to the fact that GOP voters feel they know Mitt well enough at this point that they aren’t going to feel completely duped when he turns out to be more of a moderate. Mitt’s non-conservativeness is the price voters will pay for having a smart, articulate, competent, high-character, ambitious executive as a nominee and president.
Off putting from the get-go:
Too well manicured and artificial, a Ken doll in a very expensive suit. Too Liberal. Obviously very well satisfied with himsel, and liked to hear himself speak. Is being able to speak Chinese–and flaunting it–going to persuade people to support you, or to make them think that you are perhaps a little too into China and the Chinese, and not that into American and America?
Selected by and worked for Obama as Ambassador the China, and implemented Obama’s China policy, which appears to be yet another very low bow.
So long. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
It’s simple. When you express contempt for the people whose votes you need, you usually lose.
Neo’s probably gonna post something on this but I just can’t wait.
MLK niece says her uncle would have been a pro-life social conservative today.
Yeah, boyyyy.
Personality? The guy might as well have been Bill Clinton. While he has the personality of a cross between a used car salesman and a male librarian, it was all about politics. I don’t understand why Romney isn’t viewed the same way by more people. I guess conservativism is actually dead. At least in the Republican party, which leaves many of us without a candidate.
I said before the first debates that two prospective nominees did not stand a chance of winning the Republican nomination.
1) Huntsman – who after he was appointed by Obama to be U.S. Ambassador to China wrote glowingly adoring letters to Obama praising his presidency; and,
2) Romney – the guy who signed into law as governor a healthcare law that is the precursor to Obamacare and who is perceived to have done more flips than an Olympic gold medal gymnast.
Huntsman is a nobody, an empty suit. Another such remains, nominally and trivially, in the race: Buddy Roemer. Doubtless, he will make his own earth-splitting endorsement of Mitt soon.
This business is making Perry look better. At least we know what he doesn’t know, and have reason to like much of what he does.
The “anybody but Ron Paul” faction has one fewer choice. 😉
Another admirer of Huntsman: Axelrod.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeedpolitics/axelrod-huntsman-dropped-because-he-wouldnt
Doesn’t this picture of Axelrod make his nose look like one of those peanut punching bags? Or am I just dreaming?
Mike et al.-
Harry Reid is a (Jack!) Mormon, too.
Curtis–Never listen to or believe someone who looks like a particularly nasty rat.
Believe it or not, Huntsman, in terms of his record, was actually much more conservative than most of the other candidates. He also had the potential to do great in the general election, given the non-abrasive way he defended his positions.
Unfortunately, Huntsman is a hardcore snob. He vainly signaled high status to elites who had no interest in voting for him by repeatedly sneering at those who otherwise would vote for him. The worst thing about ego is that it usually isn’t egoistic; Huntsman’s narcissism had politically self-destructive consequences.