Anyone Trying Huntsman on for Size?
RedState's Erick Erickson, who previously questioned Jon Huntsman's loyalty to his country, has swung dramatically in the other direction. He says he's considering supporting Huntsman based on his actual record.
Michael Brendan Dougherty says it's about time conservatives considered Huntsman:
Huntsman was initially rejected outright by much of the conservative base, even as he was viewed as the party's savior by the likes of the Wall Street Journal editorial board and The Weekly Standard. But Huntsman's campaign tacked to center as the rest of the party moved to the right, and instead of rising in the polls, barely registered in them.
As conservative groups plot to take down Romney — fearing he will abandon Republican principles in the White House — a Huntsman second-look would be the continuation of the months-long anti-Romney boom-bust cycle.
But Huntsman is mathematically the most electable of the Republican candidates — and given the time and resources to introduce himself to national voters, he could prove his bona fides to conservatives. Save for Ron Paul, Jon Huntsman has the most conservative record in the Republican field on taxes, gun-rights, and abortion.
Huntsman told ABC News this morning that voters "should not confuse a moderate temperament with a moderate record."
What do you think? Worth a second look?
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Comments :
Dec '10
Re: Anyone Trying Huntsman on for Size?
Nope.
Aug '10
Re: Anyone Trying Huntsman on for Size?
Concur
Jan '11
Re: Anyone Trying Huntsman on for Size?
Though I confess that I'm resigned to a Romney candidacy, Jon Huntsman's record has been short-changed by conservatives.
With the possible exception* of his stance on global warming, I have yet to hear anyone anyone identify where Huntsman hasn't proven himself both conservative and competent. As Dougherty wrote earlier:
To be sure, Huntsman shot himself in the foot by trying to present himself as a conservative liberals can respect and to highlight the (small amount) of light between himself and the base. But compared to the mistakes that Perry, Bachmann, and now Cain have made, is that so bad?
* It's one thing to say that AGW is happening; it's quite another to say we need to socialize the entire economy to fix it. Conservatives should be open to the former, but deeply skeptical of the latter.
Edited on Nov 8, 2011 at 6:59amMay '10
Re: Anyone Trying Huntsman on for Size?
Why would anyone scurry over to the second "don't worry he's just pretending not to be a conservative" candidate when the first adequately suits or repels them just fine?
Sep '10
Re: Anyone Trying Huntsman on for Size?
Huntsman is the answer to a question no one ever asked.
Aug '10
Re: Anyone Trying Huntsman on for Size?
No, if it is indeed Anthropogenic, then we need to compare the benefits of the warming to the costs and see if we want to keep doing it.
For Example - Farms on Greenland and the northern portions of Canada and Russia compared to losing Tuvulu.
However the Anthropogenic part lacks evidence and violates rules of scale.
Jul '11
Re: Anyone Trying Huntsman on for Size?
I couldn't survive 4 years of those eyebrows.
-E
Jan '11
Re: Anyone Trying Huntsman on for Size?
Instugator
No, if it is indeed Anthropogenic, then we need to compare the benefits of the warming to the costs and see if we want to keep doing it.
I think we're agreeing. Even if AGW is happening -- for my money, it is -- it does not follow that the left's prescriptions are correct or beneficial.
Back to Huntsman, anyone disliking him want to try something besides an assertion?
Apr '11
Re: Anyone Trying Huntsman on for Size?
Re: Anyone Trying Huntsman on for Size?
I don't know. I don't think Huntsman is worse than much of the rest of the crop. And his record isn't terribly moderate, is it?
Dec '10
Re: Anyone Trying Huntsman on for Size?
Instugator: Concur
· Nov 8 at 6:55am
+1 ... not even when the Universe is a cold dark place
Oct '10
Re: Anyone Trying Huntsman on for Size?
Yes, I am taking a look.
Jun '11
Re: Anyone Trying Huntsman on for Size?
Don't forget the lip-licking... I keep thinking he's going to hand us over to his reptilian masters.
More seriously, he may have learned from Pawlenty's early exit. I have a feeling he'll fare better if he can survive the first cut of the field.
CandE: I couldn't survive 4 years of those eyebrows.
-E · Nov 8 at 7:26am
Dec '10
Re: Anyone Trying Huntsman on for Size?
Pretty much. I suppose its possible someone could campaign as a moderate lefty to cover up their conservative record and then once in office swing as hard right as Obama is left....but I don't think I have ever even heard of that being done before.
Apr '11
Re: Anyone Trying Huntsman on for Size?
Tom Meyer: Though I confess that I'm resigned to a Romney candidacy, Jon Huntsman's record has been short-changed by conservatives.
With the possible exception* of his stance on global warming, I have yet to hear anyone anyone identify where Huntsman hasn't proven himself both conservative and competent. As Dougherty wrote earlier:
To be sure, Huntsman shot himself in the foot by trying to present himself as a conservative liberals can respect and to highlight the (small amount) of light between himself and the base. But compared to the mistakes that Perry, Bachmann, and now Cain have made, is that so bad?
* It's one thing to say that AGW is happening; it's quite another to say we need to socialize the entire economy to fix it. Conservatives should be open to the former, but deeply skeptical of the latter. ·
I agree with most of this. On policy, Hunstman seems more conservative than Gingrich or Perry, and certainly more experienced.
I was glad he was out of the last debate, though, and would prefer a candidate who was less conservative, but also less keen to sabotage the party in Congress. No more Ikes, even conservative ones.
Feb '11
Re: Anyone Trying Huntsman on for Size?
Honestly, I always thought his record was much better and more conservative than most people gave him credit for, and that if he campaigned hard on things like entitlements (he endorsed Paul Ryan's plan) and talked more about his Utah record which was actually very good, then he'd have a real shot. But his campaign was terrible, just terrible. His entire pitch is that he's moderate, at a time when the primary electorate is looking to the right. He has a chief of staff that's even worse than Cain's. He took every opportunity to denigrate his opponents, just when Newt is earning kudos for doing the opposite. Now basically everyone who is inclined to vote for him is supporting Romney.
I thought it was simple really, the media proclaimed him as a centrist at the beginning, so moderates would have liked him regardless. If he really focused on cuts and entitlements he could have filled the Daniels/Christie sized hole for some people. He still wouldn't have won, but would have more than 1%.
May '10
Re: Anyone Trying Huntsman on for Size?
The problem is, his primary order of business when running for the nomination was to scurry to the left of the party to sideswipe Romney. That may have been simply a strategic decision, but it was a bad one, and he'll have to live with the consequences. He can't run as the left-most candidate for 5 months then turn around and seriously expect people to embrace him as a conservative. Particularly when the guy he's positioning himself against is disliked for precisely the same practice! Sorry.
The other candidates have just as many conservative credentials, and they've actually been running as conservatives.
I've narrowed my choice down to Perry, Cain, or Gingrich; it would take something spectacular for me to move any of the remaining candidates into that list.
May '10
Re: Anyone Trying Huntsman on for Size?
Precisely. All of these candidates have strengths and weakness'. If I'm going to have to hold my nose and vote for one of them (which is inevitable at this point), I'd rather do it for someone who's straight forward about who they are and where they stand, not someone who's pandering.
Say what you will about Perry, for example, but he's pretty straight forward about who he is,what his strengths and weakness are, and what he believes. Can we say they same thing about Huntsman at this point, even though based solely on governing record he and Perry aren't radically different?
Edited on Nov 8, 2011 at 8:49amAug '10
Re: Anyone Trying Huntsman on for Size?
Kofola
I've narrowed my choice down to Perry, Cain, or Gingrich; it would take something spectacular for me to move any of the remaining candidates into that list. · Nov 8 at 8:32am
I agree. Those are the same Not-Romney's I have on my list.
Mar '11
Re: Anyone Trying Huntsman on for Size?
I imagine that Huntsman's strategy is to lay low until all three of these candidates have hurt themselves beyond the breaking point, then jump onto the scene and point to his record to make the case that he's more conservative than Romney.
Which, in this sordid primary season, doesn't seem all that far-fetched.