Snow White and the Huntsman
If Michele Bachmann, with her northern origins, is the fair Snow White of the GOP presidential primaries, the ambivalent huntsman is in many ways is his titular Mormon counterpart. Jon Huntsman seems to generate more news for his alternate mockery and embrace of the (single remaining) Minnesotan candidate, than for anything else he says. Only days after (justifiably) skewering her $2 gallon-of-gas promise as unrealistic and dismissing her as a pretty media magnet, Huntsman hinted he might be open to becoming her running mate. While this might be nothing more than a desire to stay relevant in the highly possible event that his bid fails, Huntsman was cool to the VP slot on a Romney-Huntsman ticket and to other potential pairings.
In many ways, Huntsman is setting himself up as Bachmann's foil: both as a preferable alternative and as a "balancing" influence on a presidential ticket. Since May, he has seemed preoccupied with "positioning" himself as the GOP's "cool" candidate: complete with Obama-esque lectures on "civility" and reasonability. All of which makes me a little nervous that he's picked up too many tips from his former boss.
Which is also weird, because unlike the President, Huntsman has a real record of achievement. For a supposed moderate, the man sustained ridiculously high approval ratings in Utah, the reddest state in the Intermountain West, and won almost 80 % of the vote in his second gubernatorial contest. He gets modern business. And perhaps most importantly, he gets China and the Sino-American relationship--the biggest, most important geopolitical and economic rivalry of our time. China seem to have gotten the upper hand over us in every deal, loan, trade agreement, and technology transfer over the past twenty years. It would be nice to have a President who understands what they're up to.
It would be nice to see more specifics from Huntsman on how what he did in Utah can be applied to what he will do in Washington. The jobs and tax reform plans he has been discussing are encouraging. Are they enough? Should he continue down the path of Obama-esque solipsism and passive-aggressive attacks in the primary? Or will he try to win over the media with a more constructive approach?
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Re: Snow White and the Huntsman
For all of the issues Huntsman brings to the table, perhaps the most impressive is his commitment to the Ryan plan and his own tax proposals that actually, radically, reforms the tax code in a way that could greatly improve national productivity. See Nicole Gelinas (who's own book on the financial crisis After the Fall was outstanding) at NRO talk about the Huntsman plan. James Pethokoukis also heartily endorses it.
I think with this, Huntsman is trying to fill the Paul Ryan/Mitch Daniels void in talking seriously about tax and economic reform. I don't know if he is actually serious about this though, so it is just speculative at this point.
Re: Snow White and the Huntsman
Winning over the media is actually probably a weakness. It killed McCain is 2000. If the media embraces a Republican, the logical question is - what's wrong with that Republican??
Also, George Will said it best that Huntsman gives off the vibe that makes him "The Republican for people who really actually don't like Republicans."
Sep '10
Re: Snow White and the Huntsman
He may have a good plan but it's not going to get enacted because he's not getting the nomination. I wouldn't be surprised if he was a VP candidate,,,in place of Biden.
Re: Snow White and the Huntsman
I really don't see what space Huntsman fills in the GOP field. Bachmann has the Religious Right, Perry can compete for that same bloc, but is really fills the Sunbelt Governor void, Romney fills the Everybody's Second Best Friend spot, and Paul the libertarian spot. In order to fill the policy wonk void, he has to be able to make himself heard over Gingrich at the debates, which I don't think is likely to happen. The only reason Huntsman should seem like a good candidate is if you think Mitt Romney desperately needs to be outflanked from the left.
Jul '11
Re: Snow White and the Huntsman
He fills the "moderate", elitist, self-loathing space vacated by Arlen Specter, and is destined for the same greatness.
-E
Re: Snow White and the Huntsman
I disagree. I think Huntsman, with a sufficiently aggressive debate performance, can finish off a weakened Gingrich for the policy wonk void. And policy wonk is not the right word--more like "best to cream Obama in the presidential debates" void. Huntsman already has the best tax-reform and "most pro-growth proposal" ever offered by a GOP candidate. He gets the world of the future. He understands China. I think that if he is sufficiently aggressive in debate--not in "positioning" himself or attacking his opponents' civility, but in comparing and contrasting his detail-oriented approach with the other candidates' plans, he could start to rise.
Jan '11
Re: Snow White and the Huntsman
Has Huntsman said anything critical of President Obama? Honestly if he has I would like to take a look. If he can barely be critical, how is he going to debate the President?
Re: Snow White and the Huntsman
M. T. S.
Has Huntsman said anything critical of President Obama? Honestly if he has I would like to take a look. If he can barely be critical, how is he going to debate the President? · Sep 2 at 12:10pm
Huntsman has attacked Obama on his Libya policy, said Obama wants to "tax and regulate and spend his way to prosperity," and most importantly, has proposed jobs and tax reform plans that offer concrete specifics on how he will turn the country around. His rhetoric is perhaps less strident than his rivals, but he can use his record effectively in debates if he chooses. As opposed to Bachmann and Perry's vague promises which are a lot like the conservative version of Obama 2008: platitudinous denunciations of the incumbent with no plan beyond election day.