According to the Associated Press Utah Governor Jon Huntsman will be named Ambassador to China.
http://www.yahoo.com/s/135781/…
This means that Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert will take over as Governor. Utah will have a special election for the race in 2010. But, assuming Herbert runs and our extreme dearth of quaality candidates in the states, I don’t think we’d have a great shot.
I know this may not be the right place, and even if it was its really early, but I can’t help but think of the effect this is going to have on the 2012 Presidential race. Huntsman has been a popular name among political junkies as a guy to run in 2012 and I think a lot of people saw his coming out in support of civil unions as a first step to a Presidential run. But this really squashes a lot of that as I don’t think a guy can win a Republican Presidential primary when his last job was as an Amassador in the Obama administration.
There are currently two GOPers serving in the Admin that are all moderates, adding another moderate in Huntsman won’t make any difference to them. They’ll still think he’s a far left socialist that will take away your guns, kill your babies and appoint an “activist judge” to the SCOTUS. Until a far right winger like DeMint or Gengrich is appointment, they will still shun apon him.
That being said, intrestring move by Obama same as appointing Dan Rooney (owner of the football team I follow Pittsburgh Steelers) to be Ambassador to Ireland. All very intrestring and I like it. Espically Huntsman isn’t that bad for a Republican from Utah (even though he was born in Palo Alto, California).
Though i did wonder, a while back, if hed accept this post. Given that he speaks fluent Mandarin, is a former ambassador and just in general has diplomatic experience. But a reason Im shocked is because i didnt think hed accept something like this. Im hardly surprised Obama would offer it to him (as Obama is very bipartisan) but surprised hed agree. Not because he doesnt want to be bipartisan but because itd effectively kill any future electoral ambitions (unless he wanted to run for Sen. as a Democrat or something, although he may not have much of a chance given how red UT is. no matter his personal popularity). No way will the UT GOP nominate him for Sen (if he even ever cared to go that route) or the national GOP nominate him for Pres. And, really, I thought he was on a crusade to ‘change’ the GOP. Joining ‘the enemy’ isnt going to help that cause. Not only will he have to put any effort on hold while hes in the admin but once he does go at that again people will effectively tune him out. Just like conservative IL Republicans probably will to Ray LaHood if he ever talks about wanting the GOP to ‘change’. I guess he just gave up all hope, of changing the GOP and being Pres. (if he ever cared to in the 1st place). Cant say I blame him. I think itll cause the GOP to go into near extinction to get them to change.
In the long run it neutralizes a potential rival. In the short run we get a Republican who’s suprisingly sane and likeable and not a bad pick for this job.
What is Huntsman’s position on free trade? In other words, is he another guy that sacrifices the American people on the altar of free trade?
Due to his faith, right off he’s lost every Southern primary. His recent social moderation kisses Iowa goodbye. Perhaps he would have had a shot in New Hampshire but that’s about it. Against a true believer like Mark Sanford he would get creamed.
It’s funny that pundits seemed to big on Huntsman, they really have no clue just how narrow the GOP is getting these days. Frankly it’s amazing McCain was able to win the nomination, I guess the competition really was that weak.
in the future, it will be either as a candidate from a new party (if the Repubs collapse early next decade) or as a Democrat.
Taking this ambassadorship gives Huntsman an opportunity to split away from the Repubs, a party that is going down the chute and the base which Huntsman was never really comfortable with.
Expect Huntsman to be in a major Cabinet position in Obama’s second term. And don’t be surprised if he switches parties.
I don’t think Huntsman had any chance whatsoever at the nomination in 2012. The Republicans seem intent on going further right and Obama has great personal popularity. Another factor no one has mentioned yet is that Romney seems very likely to run in 2012 and is probably the early frontrunner. If it’s difficult to get the R presidential nominee as a Mormon, it has to be almost impossible to win with two in the field.
I’m unclear what this does to Huntsman’s chances longterm. 2016 is a long way away and no way to tell what happens to the Republican party by then or later.
Reading the Politico article, it looks like Utah is in store for some good ‘ol GOP wingnuttiness in Hunstman’s replacement:
http://www.politico.com/news/s…
What state is Huntsman the governor of? Utah.
Who is now the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee? Orrin Hatch.
What state does Hatch represent in the Senate? Utah.
I wonder if this is a way of greasing the tracks for Obama’s judicial nominations.