Why not Huntsman?

[Bitek]

Given all the nonsense, drama and failed candidates of the GOP primaries so far, I am at a loss to why Huntsman is doing just so poorly?

I'm not a likely GOP primary voter, but I would like to have a decent alternative in the general election. Every other candidate is terrible, incoherent, or just plain crazy.

Now with Perry's final flameout and Cain's abuse problems overshadowing his 999 problems, the talking heads are saying Gingrich is the next in line to be the Not-Romney. ??? Really? Newt Gringrich? WTF GOP?

So what is going with Huntsman? Seems rational, no sordid personal background, successful executive of a solid red state, diplomatic background gives more foreign policy experience than anyone else, and no obvious character or policy flaws.

At worst he seems like a Romney-lite without all the Taxachusetts/ Romneycare/ flippy-floppy baggage.

Too moderate? Can't even say its a mormon thing... ? I really don't know.

Will he get his 15 minutes after Gingrich quickly flames out and he's the only candidate left and whose name is not a synonym for assjuice?

 

[xBiffx]

You forgot he has hot daughters. Seems like a qualification.

 

[Bitek]

You forgot he has hot daughters. Seems like a qualification.

True. Didn't hurt Kerry at all. The hot one even had the pix with the see through dress...:whiste:

 

[mchammer187]

Too moderate. Only Republican that does try to trash President Obama (at least not openly if he does). Served in the Obama administration as ambassador to China. IMO he doesn't really any real conviction though which means even though deep down is a moderate he still panders to the far right.

 

[bfdd]

Because he's not what the core leadership of the party want. So they ignore him and he'd actually be able to put up a fight against Obama, so the other side ignores him as well. To much divide in this nation, getting away from open thought and sharing of it. Everyone to busy trying to force others to live in their picture of the world.

 

[mchammer187]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...ting-campaign/2011/08/25/gIQAzo6i8M_blog.html

I know its a blog but it sums it up nicely

To many, his candidacy looked like an effort to prove that the Republican Party could still make space for moderates. But Huntsman has taken precisely no moderate positions. When the debate moderators asked if any of the Republican candidates would reject a deal comprised of $10 of spending cuts for every $1 of tax increases, Huntsman was right there raising his hand. When it came time to release economic plans, he proposed massive tax cuts for the rich. He has called for a balanced budget amendment

............

The problem is that the Republican field already has a generic conservative who is reasonably polite and electable. His name is Mitt Romney. What it doesn’t have is a moderate. What it doesn’t have is someone saying, “of course I would accept a deal that cut $10 in spending for every $1 in tax increases. Are you kidding me?” What it doesn’t have is someone noting that Senate Republicans introduced the first bill to cut carbon emissions through a cap-and-trade program, John McCain and Sarah Palin had such a plan in their 2008 platform, and it would be irresponsible for the Republican Party to walk away from that position. What it doesn’t have is someone saying, “you know, the deficit is such a big problem that I would be willing to sign the Simpson-Bowles recommendations, or something close to them, into law.”

 

[Perknose]

I think that pic in The National Enquirer where they caught him successfully tying his own shoes really hurt him with the current Republican demographic.

 

[RedChief]

Because he's not what the core leadership of the party want. So they ignore him and he'd actually be able to put up a fight against Obama, so the other side ignores him as well. To much divide in this nation, getting away from open thought and sharing of it. Everyone to busy trying to force others to live in their picture of the world.

He wouldn't fight Obama the same way McCain didn't fight Obama. Nominate Huntsman and you end up getting accolades from the "moderates" who will vote for Obama anyways while giving reason for the conservative base to stay at home.

 

[bfdd]

He wouldn't fight Obama the same way McCain didn't fight Obama. Nominate Huntsman and you end up getting accolades from the "moderates" who will vote for Obama anyways while giving reason for the conservative base to stay at home.

Huntsman stands twice the chance against Obama that Romney does. Romney is a snake and everyone knows it, at least Huntsman can claim insider experience with in the current admin and blast on that. Right now it seems as if the Republicans are intentionally throwing this election or they really have no fucking clue what they're doing because of to much internal conflict in the upper ranks.

I don't know if he could win, but he stands a better chance. IMO they should nominate one of the "nutters" and tell them to just go crazy.

 

[brencat]

Huntsman has that too polished spivvy Wall St look about him that frankly I just can't get past. And I'm not sure he'd be the bulldog we need to push a more conservative / limited govt message we need going forward. I'd rather go with Romney... The devil we know.

 

[Bitek]

Huntsman stands twice the chance against Obama that Romney does. Romney is a snake and everyone knows it, at least Huntsman can claim insider experience with in the current admin and blast on that. Right now it seems as if the Republicans are intentionally throwing this election or they really have no fucking clue what they're doing because of to much internal conflict in the upper ranks.

I don't know if he could win, but he stands a better chance. IMO they should nominate one of the "nutters" and tell them to just go crazy.

Pretty much agree with this.

I would say that Huntsman's best chance is so keep his head low in the primary and not tie himself to too many unpopular positions and allow everyone else to blow themselves up.
This will be a big weakness to Romney. Being a front runner for a while, he's had to take positions (often many..) on controversial issues. Take the two ballot issues in MS and OH on Tuesday which were very conservative and really unpopular. Does media even show up to Huntsman events?

I could see a path where the voters are sick of everyone else, and just go with him as he seems not too damaged and not Romney.

I don't think he has to be a firebrand to win the general. The base is pissed off enough to likely vote ABO, and Huntsman can plausibly come off as a moderate to the great middle. I could easily see him even pulling off some centrist liberals who are disenchanted with Obama and the alternate hasn't gone batshit who is willing to endorse evolution, man-made climate change and other liberal litmus tests.

 

[jjzelinski]

Huntsman stands twice the chance against Obama that Romney does. Romney is a snake and everyone knows it, at least Huntsman can claim insider experience with in the current admin and blast on that. Right now it seems as if the Republicans are intentionally throwing this election or they really have no fucking clue what they're doing because of to much internal conflict in the upper ranks.

I don't know if he could win, but he stands a better chance. IMO they should nominate one of the "nutters" and tell them to just go crazy.

I tend to agree. Pugs are either throwing the election because they want the dems to impale themselves on 8 full years of post-bush ruination, or perhaps they're saving this guy for an ace-in-the hole kind of play against the tea party. After all, the tea party is forcing a gamut of ideologues that CAN'T win a general election.

 

[brencat]

We are way past the point for tweaking things at least from an economic perspective. We need radical changes to tax and spending policies as well as a guy versed enough in economics to push them through. Sorry but I see Huntsman as a tweaker and not an agent for change. Ron Paul's policies meanwhile go overboard. On the level of importance, the economy and jobs rank 10 on a 1-10 scale while frankly climate change, abortion rights, and all matter of other bullshit ranks a 1 IMO. Romney is the best candidate for an economy focused presidency.

 

[bfdd]

I should be a political strategist. I'll do Karl Rove's job for 1/1000th the price.

 

[woolfe9999]

You forgot he has hot daughters. Seems like a qualification.

Damn, I was thinking the exact same thing and you beat me to it. Just think of all the leaked sex tapes and other possibilities.

 

[xBiffx]

Damn, I was thinking the exact same thing and you beat me to it. Just think of all the leaked sex tapes and other possibilities.

For once we see eye to eye. :awe:

 

[Jhhnn]

Huntsman stands twice the chance against Obama that Romney does. Romney is a snake and everyone knows it, at least Huntsman can claim insider experience with in the current admin and blast on that. Right now it seems as if the Republicans are intentionally throwing this election or they really have no fucking clue what they're doing because of to much internal conflict in the upper ranks.

I don't know if he could win, but he stands a better chance. IMO they should nominate one of the "nutters" and tell them to just go crazy.

I tend to agree. Pugs are either throwing the election because they want the dems to impale themselves on 8 full years of post-bush ruination, or perhaps they're saving this guy for an ace-in-the hole kind of play against the tea party. After all, the tea party is forcing a gamut of ideologues that CAN'T win a general election.

Repubs set out to radicalize their base & purge anything short of "ideological purity" from the ranks of their leadership 20 years ago, and they achieved what they wanted- the looting spree of the Bush presidency & Repub congress. Boxed in by their own policy & achievements, they've doubled down, and it's killing them, because they can't satisfy their base and their funders in the lootocracy at the same time.

It happens to most scammers- they run out of story... sometimes they make minor comebacks, but the big game is over after they got what they wanted...

 

[Thump553]

Huntsman is sane and rational.

Two insurmountable obstacles in any GOP primary where the great majority will label him as RINO. He doesn't stand a chance and I doubt he even gets his own 15 minutes. The pre-primary stage is rapidly winding down, less than two months to go before the Romney juggernaut begins.

 

[bfdd]

Repubs set out to radicalize their base & purge anything short of "ideological purity" from the ranks of their leadership 20 years ago, and they achieved what they wanted- the looting spree of the Bush presidency & Repub congress. Boxed in by their own policy & achievements, they've doubled down, and it's killing them, because they can't satisfy their base and their funders in the lootocracy at the same time.

It happens to most scammers- they run out of story... sometimes they make minor comebacks, but the big game is over after they got what they wanted...

What's funny is you're isolating it to simply Republicans. Open your eyes and realize that the real 99%, 99% of the career politicians, are causing our problems and selling us out. What fucking colors they rep doesn't matter. This is just Crips vs Bloods and you're playing along.

 

[Jhhnn]

They're just as Bad!

No they're not, at least not all of them. There are progressive voices in the Democratic party, people who at least attempt to balance the needs of the middle and working class with others.

That can't be said of Republicans, at all. Witness their near unanimous support for the Ryan plan, which is a total sellout to the Wealthiest among us. Witness their tax policy, the one extant, and how it starves the federal govt of revenue. Witness their wars of adventure. Witness their usual efforts to divert attention to the same old emotional wedge issues they've used as a sop to their base for decades. Witness their slavish devotion to Plutocracy.

 

[xBiffx]

No they're not, at least not all of them. There are progressive voices in the Democratic party, people who at least attempt to balance the needs of the middle and working class with others.

That can't be said of Republicans, at all. Witness their near unanimous support for the Ryan plan, which is a total sellout to the Wealthiest among us. Witness their tax policy, the one extant, and how it starves the federal govt of revenue. Witness their wars of adventure. Witness their usual efforts to divert attention to the same old emotional wedge issues they've used as a sop to their base for decades. Witness their slavish devotion to Plutocracy.

Yeah and I'll bet your shit doesn't stink either right?

 

[bfdd]

No they're not, at least not all of them. There are progressive voices in the Democratic party, people who at least attempt to balance the needs of the middle and working class with others.

That can't be said of Republicans, at all. Witness their near unanimous support for the Ryan plan, which is a total sellout to the Wealthiest among us. Witness their tax policy, the one extant, and how it starves the federal govt of revenue. Witness their wars of adventure. Witness their usual efforts to divert attention to the same old emotional wedge issues they've used as a sop to their base for decades. Witness their slavish devotion to Plutocracy.

lol. if all you took from my post is what you edited it to be, then I'm done with you in this thread. it doesn't matter if they're as bad or worse, they're selling us out all the same. oh they want to feed someone who can't feed themselves so that makes the rape ok. you're a tool, maybe you'll realize it some day. Carry your own flag.

 

[OrByte]

Lol! Anybody but Romney! !

 

[senseamp]

You forgot he has hot daughters. Seems like a qualification.

Word

 

[Jhhnn]

Yeah and I'll bet your shit doesn't stink either right?

lol. if all you took from my post is what you edited it to be, then I'm done with you in this thread. it doesn't matter if they're as bad or worse, they're selling us out all the same. oh they want to feed someone who can't feed themselves so that makes the rape ok. you're a tool, maybe you'll realize it some day. Carry your own flag.

Standard denial all around.

So who is it that Dems are selling us out to, bfdd? It's utterly obvious wrt Republicans, given their stated goal of cutting taxes on the lootocracy to nothing, deregulating business entirely, gutting federal watchdog agencies.

Are Dems trying to sell us out by raising those people's taxes, or what? Are they selling us out when they support spending on education & healthcare? Are they selling us out when they propose regulations designed to rein in the excesses of Wall St, which Repub oppose vehemently?

Your whole false equivalency spiel is tedious & dishonest. I'll agree that too many Dems are just Republican Lite, but that's not universal, nor do they march in lockstep like Repubs, as if they all came out of the same right wing cookie cutter machine.