Posts Tagged ‘Huntsman’

Truth is stranger than fiction.

As recently as the Iowa Straw Poll in August of last year, who, really, could have predicted that on the eve of the South Carolina GOP primary election for President any (let alone all!) of the following?

Michelle Bachman would be a complete non-factor before the Iowa Caucus?

Herman Cain would surge to the lead and fall completely out in less than six weeks?

Mitt Romney would largely write-off Iowa, only to squeak out a win? (I know, wait for it)

Rick Santorum would be left for dead on the side of the road and then come within 8 votes of beating Romney in Iowa, and then actually WIN Iowa (see, told you it was coming) when the results were certified?

Rick Perry, who was the “perfect” alternative to Romney (so much so that his entrance in the race would be cited by both Paul Ryan and Chris Christie as having an impact on their respective decisions to stay out of the race), would become a non-factor in the entire race a few minutes into his third debate?

Jon Huntsman would drop out and endorse Mitt Romney?

Ron Paul would still be around?

Rick Perry would drop out and endorse Newt Gingrich, on the day it comes out that Newt’s second wife claims he wanted an “open marriage”?

Seriously, how ironic is it that the guy everyone is trying to show as the alternative to the “weird Mormon guy” is the one who has actually tried to practice plural marriage?

Folks, this is a circus that has to stop soon, or it’s going to take the whole party down.

Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. withdrew from the Presidential contest and endorsed Mitt Romney yesterday.  Later that evening, Comedy Central late night host, Stephen Colbert claimed that he had pushed Huntsman out of the race.

Ok, that’s all fine and good for a laugh, but then Politico decides they haven’t jumped enough sharks and writes this story: “Colbert: I scared Huntsman off”

C’mon.  Really?!? Politico needs to decide whether it’s an actual news gathering entity, or just a gossip rag.  You’d never read this kind of story in the New York Times.

Proving once again that he has real political skill, Obama has selected Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman as Ambassador to China, which was announced Saturday at the White House.

This is a brilliant move by Obama, co-opting a potential (albeit long shot) challenger and putting probably one of the most qualified people in the nation in that position.

Of course this move affects me personally because it ruins a “plugged-in” I submitted to the Arizona Republic for publication on Sunday.  Here is what I wrote:

There is buzz about Utah Governor Jon Huntsman being a candidate for the GOP nomination for President in 2012.  The person most unhappy about this development is former Gov. Mitt Romney, who has made it abundantly clear that he is planning a re-run for the GOP nomination. Or maybe Romney is not unhappy, but welcomes this development, because Huntsman is “more” LDS (he’s actually from Utah, and has always been pro-life) and will divert fire away from Romney.  To wit, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe says he fears Huntsman more than any other Republican. I’m not sure I buy that, but it shows that it’s going to be a long 3 ½ years.

I guess Plouffe really was nervous about Huntsman, and so they got him out of the way.