The Best GOP Candidate You've Never Heard Of

While conservatives and the media are fawning all over Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann, there's another candidate for the Republican presidential nomination who, if he ever gets noticed, could quite possibly be the most formidable opponent to Barack Obama.  Who is it?  Former Utah governor and U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman. 

Huntsman, who was raised as a Mormon in Palo Alto, California,  has a rather fascinating background. After college, he and his family lived for two years in Taiwan (where he had previously gone on a Mormon mission).  He then worked in the Reagan administration in 1987-88 as a staff assistant in the White House. Under President George H.W. Bush, he was Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for trade development & commerce for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and he became the U.S. Ambassador to Singapore, the youngest U.S. Ambassador to serve in over 100 years.

 Huntsman was elected Governor of Utah in 2004 and won re-election in 2008 with nearly 78% of the vote. During his tenure, Huntsman cut taxes by more than $400 million—the largest tax cut in the state's history—while still maintaining a budget surplus.  In fact, in 2008, Utah was named the "Best Managed State in America" by Pew Research Center.  Huntsman resigned as governor in August 2009, after President Barack Obama nominated him to serve as the United States Ambassador to China  noting his experience in the region, and proficiency in Mandarin Chinese.  He served as ambassador until 2011, when he resigned to join the Republican presidential race.

Huntsman doesn't spout party line on many issues.  As governor, Huntsman listed economic development, health-care reform, education, and energy security as his top priorities...not cutting taxes and shrinking government.  He has indicated that he is not necessarily opposed to a health insurance mandate.  He supports civil unions, but not same-sex marriage.  In fact, while governor, he supported legislation that would have allowed civil unions for same-sex couples in Utah.   He has also indicated his acceptance of both evolution and global warming.

Huntsman has recently attacked the far-right wing of his party, including the other candidates in the GOP race, calling them fiscally irresponsible for their opposition to raising the debt ceiling.  He says the Republican party runs the risk of becoming the "anti-science party" by consistently refusing to acknowledge climate change, and blasted Rick Perry for the Texas governor's dismissal of global warming and his referral to Ben Bernanke as treasonous, calling such remarks indicative of a sideshow rather than a serious Presidential candidate.  He also criticized Mitt Romney's record of job creation while governor of Massachusetts, his recent "corporations are people" remark, and his history of flip-flopping.    Having skipped the Iowa straw poll, Huntsman has now begun laying into his competitors and calling them on their missteps and weaknesses.  Game on.

What's most bizarre about Huntsman's candidacy is there is no indication that Republicans are terribly interested in a sane, reasonable candidate who can think on his own and shows an interest in working with both sides of the aisle.  He's even received the Obama stamp of approval, with his appointment to an important ambassador post.  Have Republicans simply not heard of this man, or does most of the GOP really desire a candidate who is very closely tied to evangelism and full of extremist rhetoric?  The next few months on the campaign trail will be very telling.  Can the veneer be stripped off of Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry, revealing the lack of substance underneath?  Or will rhetoric actually beat out brains, level-headedness, and proven success, leaving the GOP with a nominee who simply unelectable?  As a Democrat and Obama supporter, I suppose I would prefer the latter, but as an American, I'd like to think the country is smart enough for the former. 

Comments

[Ralph Lauren Outlet]

Your house trading around a couple family members is frequently more desirable best suited some options pertaining to unique explanations. In addition, it can do seem sensible many folks definitely will of course look superior and others laid back in a very weird circumstances which may be even so to some degree almost like just what exactly they really are acquainted with.

[Michael Kors Messenger Bag]

The following shoes exists around decreased, middle together with large top rated. Any company name can be described as mention of the Surroundings Make A particular, any jet in which offers any Us president from our great country. Any boots can be purchased around some distinctive patterns, decreased, middle together with large.

[www.learningarc.org.uk/images/helpidea.asp]

The Bullock Pulpit: Calculated musings of a pragmatic idealist: The Best GOP Candidate You've Never Heard Of

[dmrbfcsmgi]

The Bullock Pulpit: Calculated musings of a pragmatic idealist: The Best GOP Candidate You've Never Heard Of
admrbfcsmgi
[url=http://www.gnrx3c25c6hdy58825hwzg0i635m967us.org/]udmrbfcsmgi[/url]
dmrbfcsmgi http://www.gnrx3c25c6hdy58825hwzg0i635m967us.org/

[Michael Kors Deutschland]

The Bullock Pulpit: Calculated musings of a pragmatic idealist: The Best GOP Candidate You've Never Heard Of

[realm]

The Bullock Pulpit: Calculated musings of a pragmatic idealist: The Best GOP Candidate You've Never Heard Of

[Smith Powell]

I would like to see Huntsman nominated so that the political discourse in this country could be elevated. We would all benefit from a sane discussion of the issues confronting us.