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UT-Gov: Huntsman Named Ambassador to China

by: DavidNYC

Sat May 16, 2009 at 1:14 PM EDT


A potentially big score for the Obama team:

President Obama on Saturday selected one of the nation's leading Republican governors to serve as the ambassador to China, nominating Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman for the diplomatic post that Mr. Obama called "as important as any in the world." ...

Mr. Huntsman, 49, learned to speak Mandarin Chinese during his days as a Mormon missionary in Taiwan. He has worked in two Bush administrations, serving as the ambassador to Singapore in the final year of George H.W. Bush's term and as a deputy United States trade ambassador for George W. Bush. ...

For Mr. Obama, whose advisers already have their eyes set on his re-election in 2012, the selection of Mr. Huntsman is something of a political coup. He has emerged as one of the nation's most visible Republican governors and was expected to at least consider seeking his party's presidential nomination to run against Mr. Obama. ...

It was far from certain whether Mr. Huntsman would have actually sought the Republican presidential nomination - his centrist views could have created a challenge in early-voting states - but if he is confirmed by the Senate for the ambassadorship to China, he is part of the Obama team at a time when China is of critical importance. And he is out of the mix in the 2012 presidential race.

Utah's much more conservative Lt. Gov., Gary Herbert, stands to take Huntsman's place in the governor's mansion. Discussion underway in safi's diary.
DavidNYC :: UT-Gov: Huntsman Named Ambassador to China
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UT-Gov: Huntsman Named Ambassador to China | 87 comments
Is there any chance at all of producing a Democratic victory in the governor's mansion next year?


Bill Posey is not half-alligator...and is outclassed by Davy Crockett anyway: http://www.washingtonmonthly.c...
No

[ Parent ]
No
Zero chance.
[ Parent ]
Ken Jennings '10!

[ Parent ]
Or '12...
When is the election anyways?
[ Parent ]
2010 I believe.


Stop complaining and whining and get to work.
[ Parent ]
You know what, I'll try answering my own question.


Bill Posey is not half-alligator...and is outclassed by Davy Crockett anyway: http://www.washingtonmonthly.c...
[ Parent ]
One chance
If Matheson vacated his house seat, that might be a race, but he'd still be an underdog.  Whether that's worth it...I don't know.
[ Parent ]
matheson
Matheson ran in 2004 and got 43 percent of the vote, he may be able to improve on those numbers or that might be his ceiling... either way his seat will probably be redistricted for the 2012 elections so it might be wortha a run at the governor's race since he may lose his seat anyway...

Also the election, according to Chris Cilliza at the washingtonpost.com/thefix, would be a specail election in 2010....  

One goo dthing about this is that it would hopefully make the RGA spend money, even just a little bit, that they'd otherwise not have to spend... maybe we can get a wealthy business man to self fund and drain republican groups and donors....

Although it takes Huntsman out of the hunt for 2012 it may screw us in 2016 giving this guy a really big resume... Governor, ambassador, bipartisan cudos etc.

[ Parent ]
His brother ran in 2004
Scott Matheson ran for Governor in 2004, Jim Matheson is the congressman.

If Freudenthal could break through in WY, I don't see why a Dem couldn't win in UT if everything breaks our way.

[ Parent ]
Herbert
Said he wants more school funding and road construction and maintenance throughout the state but who knows if he'll follow up on that. He seems to be a 'rural' politician rather than a city/suburb one, based on the comments in that article. If hes seen as not focusing enough on the SLC area that may hurt him with swing voters. But yeah i would think hes almost a lock for re-election.
[ Parent ]
It is possible, though I don't know how likely.
In 2002 a perfect storm of a Republican nominee scathed in a brutal primary, that nominee going all negative, plus possibly a Libertarian spoiler all helped to give Freudenthal the win.

Check out the 2010 California races (http://2010californiaracetracker.wetpaint.com) and help us take back Red California! (http://www.takebackredcalifornia.org)
[ Parent ]
Alternate history
It's 2001.  G Dub just "won."  Bob Byrd defects and becomes a Republican.  After endorsing the Bush tax cuts, say, Bill Richardson becomes Secretary of State.  The prevalent media meme is that moderates are abandoning the Democratic Party.  How comfortable would you feel pulling the lever for Richardson in the 2008 primary?

And if Huntsman looks good in several years, his boss and the 1600 pound gorilla in the race for the Democratic nomination in 2016 would also have to look pretty good.

[ Parent ]
Let's assume Huntsman
Stays on until the 2012 election and then leaves. If a Republican wins in 2012(don't laugh) then Huntsman's presidential ambitions are dead. But if Obama wins, Huntsman has to do something from 2012-2014 to really up his conservatives bonafides, because unless the GOP is totally dead in the water, they won't nominate a guy whose last job was as an Ambassador for a Democratic president.
[ Parent ]
More likely
Huntsman takes a major Cabinet position with Obama in his second term, and then tries to bone up on his liberal credentials and runs as a Democrat in 2016 for either Prez, or possibly as VP.

All bets are off, however, if the Repubs go the way of the Whigs mid next decade.  Then Huntsman could easily get the nomination of the moderate opposition party that comes out of the mess.

[ Parent ]
I could see
Huntsman running as a Democrat either for the House or Senate one day.  Especially considering Utah gets a new district in 2012.  If by chance he lives in the new district he may see running as a Democrat his best shot at Congress.
[ Parent ]
I think Huntsman is still very pro-life
Im not sure he can get even a VP nod with a pro-life stance, as a Dem. Though Tim Kaine was in the hunt and maybe hes still technically pro-life.
[ Parent ]
He's about as pro-life as John Kerry was
My understanding is that Gov. Kaine is personally opposed to abortion, but not as a matter of public policy.

Your go-to source for great sarcasm
[ Parent ]
Then basically pro-choice
As I dont consider a purely personal opposition to be pro-life. If it were Hillary Clinton would be pro-life, LOL.  
[ Parent ]
Gallup
I think that is probably partly why their recent abortion numbers were so odd. Many people reflexively call themselves pro-life but at the same time would be vehemently opposed to banning the practice completely. Personal views versus public policy. That and poor party ID sampling.

http://www.pollster.com/blogs/...

[ Parent ]
Thing is, most people consistently
call themselves pro-choice. If you follow the SurveyUSA tracking, as I do, the percentages almost never change within states.

Some of the reddest states in the country would defeat abortion bans at the ballot box, including Kansas. What states are not pro-choice? Any state except Virginia and Florida in the Confederacy, plus West Virginia and Utah. Most of the rest are pretty solidly pro-choice.

[ Parent ]
Yeah
It was most likely the sampling. But I'm always uncomfortable dismissing stuff completely out of hand. And there certainly are many people as I described, mostly liberal Catholics.
[ Parent ]
The right-wingers were trumpeting that Gallup poll last week
Claiming this is a anti-abortion nation.  They just don't understand there is a difference between anti-abortion and pro-life.

If you dig down into the numbers a solid majority still support abortion with limits.  A lot of people are like Governor Kaine on this issue - pro-life and discourage abortion but do not want to control other peoples' lives on the issue.  I've never had a problem with that sort of thinking.

[ Parent ]
Well if they believe it
It means Republicans are even more likely to continue their self-destructive path to irrelevancy. Can't complain.  
[ Parent ]
Two things
abortion will likely become a much less important issue by 2016, and Huntsman could easily fudge his position on that issue, saying that he wouldn't do anything to change the laws on abortion, his personal views notwithstanding.
[ Parent ]
That depends on the Supreme Court.
If the ideological composition of the Court is still close then abortion will still be a major issue.  If we manage to retake the court in the next eight years through some miracle then it will be a major blow to the religious right and could alter the course of the public policy debate significantly.

That said, all the retirement rumors are from the liberal votes on the Court, though Kennedy and Scalia both have some years on them so anything is possible.

Stop complaining and whining and get to work.

[ Parent ]
Kennedy is the 4th pro-Roe v. Wade vote
He may lean conservative but he still backs Roe.  His leaving the court would shift it well left, but on Roe v. Wade there would be no net change.  Only Roberts, Scalia, Alito and Thomas are anti-Roe.  It's unlikely any of those four will voluntariy leave the court in the next 8 years.  We'd probably need a Democratic successor to Obama to otlast any of them.
[ Parent ]
Sorry
Meant to to say 5th pro-Roe vote.
[ Parent ]
Well Scalia is 73
He's obviously an extremely fierce partisan and will fight his best to outlast Obama, but as he advances through his 70's even his priorities might change. If the Dems win the 2010 and 2012 cycles and future GOP electoral prospects still look very bleak, I could definitely see him bolting before 2016.  
[ Parent ]
Right
Kennedy is considered the swing vote (though I think he's far more conservative than O'Connor ever was) and any attempt to replace him would naturally get political tempers flaring.  My thinking on Scalia is a little morbid, but also realistic.  He's in his seventies and very rotund...we could be watching this one as closely as we are Stevens and Ginsburg now in just a few years.

Stop complaining and whining and get to work.
[ Parent ]
Clarence Thomas
He actually looks quite a bit older than he really is.  He looks around 65 or 70 but is only 60.
[ Parent ]
Right.
Until Roberts he was the youngest justice on the Court.

Stop complaining and whining and get to work.
[ Parent ]
I think that Thomas
who smokes two packs a day and has heart issues, won't make it through two terms of Obama.

And I feel a little guilty about saying this, but I hope he kicks the bucket fairly soon.  That guy is not only the most unqualified person to ever sit on the Court, but he is also the most despicable individual in public life.  Even worse than Alan Keyes.

[ Parent ]
More likely Federalist
The Whigs became irrelevant when the nation needed a Party to oppose slvary.  After dabbling with the Free Soilers the answer became the Republicans.  Abraham Lincoln was a former Whig Congressman.  Southern Whigs tried finessing the thing becoming Constitutional Unionists in 1860, not a viable option.

There is no slavery issue today (thank God).  The country rarely has such a large polarizing issue on the table and probably never had one that stayed on the table for as long.

The better parallel (and only other one) is the Federalist Party.  After electing John Adams, the success of Jefferson quickly made them a regional party.  Federalists hit a level similar to Republicans in 1936 and stayed there (that was 17% of House members).  The war of 1812 allowed a minor resurgence but Federalists very quickly faded back to the original level and a little lower.  When the Jackson-John Quincy Adams feud broke out it became the focus for a new split rather than Federalist/Democrat-Republican (or National Republican).

No recession in 1937 and the Republicans probably would have gone the way of the do do (extinction) and federalists with anemic levels in 1938 and 1940 and a little revival in 1942 followed by a Democratic resurgence in 1944 as it was clear the Allies were winning WW II.  Maybe Ike would have been the William Henry Harrison of 1948 or 1952 under the banner of a new party.

Republicans would have to lose 90 more House seats and 24 more Senate seats to reach the levels of 1936.  That's pretty delicious but hard to figure.

[ Parent ]
The Federalist and New Deal Repubs
are probably better examples, I agree.

I agree that no court packing debacle and recession of 1937 probably means the end of the Repub Party.  But unlike now, where the end of the Repub Party (and a new more moderate opposition party to the Dems) would be good for the country, the end of the Repub Party in the 1930s would have been bad for the country.
The reason for this is that the new party would have been able to ally with racists in the South and hold civil rights hostage.  Many conservative racist Southerners for many years were looking for an alternative to the Democratic Party, but the one party that they were unwilling (until 1964) to vote for was the Party of Lincoln.  Replace the Repubs with say a Conservative Party of America and the Dixiecrats switch a lot sooner, and may hold civil rights hostage a lot longer.

[ Parent ]
Also watch corporate America
if the big business groups decide that the Repubs are dead and decide to ally with the Democrats at a national level, it would probably be the end of the Repub Party.
[ Parent ]
Corporations will support universal healthcare eventually
I've long believed that big business would eventually support universal healthcare.  Corporations footing most of the bill for crappy overpriced health insurance for workers is killing the competitiveness of American companies.

I work for a very large company with very good health benefits.  But even paying a lower price for a group rate my company pays over $100 per paycheck per worker on healthcare.  In a single-payer system companys would pay far less and have much healthier workers.  Eventually they will realize that fact.

[ Parent ]
Corporations
I think they are paranoid that such a system would lead to much higher taxes on themselves (to pay for it) and thus theyd be losing more money. Whether theyre right or wrong its probably how they feel.
[ Parent ]
He'd never make it through a Dem primary
There are a lot of potential Democratic contenders for president in future years. It's hard to imagine that Huntsman could elbow his way through them, and even harder to believe he could win over the liberal-leaning Iowa caucus electorate.

I just don't believe reflexive distrust of Republicans is going to go away on the left wing of the Democratic Party, and there are already more than enough candidates on the right wing of the party.

[ Parent ]
Well Obama elbowed his way
to the nomination despite not being even on the radar six years back.  

But Huntsman would be a choice as a VP candidate.

[ Parent ]
Obama is unbelievably charismatic
And he did have the not inconsiderable advantage of being the only major candidate not to have voted to invade Iraq.

Huntsman isn't that charismatic and even if Democrats have made some major screw-up on the scale of Iraq by 2016, I doubt that the party base will turn to a newly converted Republican. Especially since those are normally the sort of guys who make those base-angering screw-ups.

[ Parent ]
True he didn't vote for invading Iraq
But we'll never know what he would have done since he was not in the Senate to vote in it.  It's easy saying you were opposed to the war when you didn't have to go on the record in voting for it.  Just my opinion but I'll bet Obama would have voted the same as Hillary and John Edwards if he were in the Senate.
[ Parent ]
I doubt it.
Obama doesn't strike me as the type to be swayed by neoconservative arguments. And seeing as he's from Illinois he would probably not have electoral pressures to consider.
[ Parent ]
I agree with that
Obama's anti-war credentials aren't as stellar as they first appear, and he did vote for every war supplemental. So there's no way to tell that he wouldn't have voted for the war in the Senate.

Nevertheless, not having voted for the war was a definite advantage, whereas Edwards was always slightly held back by having changed his position and Clinton just wanted to sweep the issue under the rug.

[ Parent ]
I don't see it
Unless he takes a real partisan job, I can't see a guy whose last elective office was being a Republican Governor winning a Dem nomination for President, or being put on a Dem ticket.
[ Parent ]
Huntsman in 2016 as an Independent
It suddenly occurred to me that Huntsman would be an ideal (electorally speaking) independent candidate for president.  Even before accepting the ambassadorship, he seems to have been too moderate (and too Mormon?) to ever win the Republican nomination.  I don't think there's any chance of him ever winning the Democratic nomination even if he switched parties (no one would vote for a party switcher for the top job).  But, if he wanted to make a run for president as an independent, then taking a job as ambassador for the Obama administration is perfect.  It burnishes his non-partisan and moderate credentials.  It gives gravitas and foreign policy experience to his resume.  And, Huntsman is fabulously wealthy.  He would be like a sane Ross Perot.  Much would depend on the national mood and on who the parties nominate.  But, if you have a far right Republican and someone seen as a leftist Democrat, especially someone seen as highly partisan (Hillary?), then Huntsman would have an opening.
[ Parent ]
Would it really screw us in 2016?
Remember he would still have to get through a Republican primary... Last time I checked, the Evangelicals still believed that Mormons are not Christians.  Remember, Romney, despite his millions, could not win the primary in 2008.
Conservative Catholics
Probably wouldnt have a problem with a candidate's Mormonism. They dont really seem to take issue with the LDS. But Evangelicals are a different story. Maybe the 'country club Evangelicals' (whom are suburban, wealthy/upper middle class, socially conservative-focused but very fiscally conservative) wouldnt have a problem with a Mormon as long as they toe the line on the issues.  
[ Parent ]
And I'll give credit where credit is due
The 'Talk radio host right wingers' dont make an issue out of Mormonism. And they seemed to eventually really warm up to Romney. I dont like their flaming rhetoric 99% of the time but i'll give them credit on not making a fuss on Mormonism. Now mainstream Islam is a completely different matter.
[ Parent ]
Clarify
"Now mainstream Islam is a completely different matter."

And by that I mean: they do take issue with that. And I definitely have a problem with that, as its mainstream and nothing extreme.  

[ Parent ]
I just don't think they know what Mormonism is
All most evangelicals know of Mormonism is that they are ultra-conservative like they are.  Most I've talked to think Mormonism is pretty much a form of Cristianity.  They don't know how bizarre the religion really is.
[ Parent ]
Well, it's all relative, isn't it?
I think most religions tend to be pretty bizarre.  
[ Parent ]
Yes, they all are
But Mormonism has everything from golden tablets to Joe Smith to converting dead people to Mormonism to golden tablets that mysteriously disappeared.  It ranks just above Scientology on the believability-meter.
[ Parent ]
Oh ya
They also believe the original inhabitants of North America were white people.  Something that archeology has obviously proven completely false.
[ Parent ]
Believability meter...
In mainstream Christianity, God has a kid.  This person can turn water into wine, walks on water, was resurrected, etc.  There was a flood that encompassed the globe, and some ark containing two of every animal was crammed into it (none of which were gay, naturally).  At some point, it was raining frogs in Egypt.  They're more or less equally ludicrous.  The only mitigating factor here is that the events we're talking about supposedly took place further away in time.
[ Parent ]
Exactly
I mean, virgin birth. Really???
[ Parent ]
Today it could happen...
With technology the way it is. But back then...itd definitely take a 'miracle' and 'divine intervention'.
[ Parent ]
lol
Good points.  
[ Parent ]
And
God creating night and day BEFORE creating the sun and moon, the governing bodies of night and day.

Check out the 2010 California races (http://2010californiaracetracker.wetpaint.com) and help us take back Red California! (http://www.takebackredcalifornia.org)
[ Parent ]
Christianity atleast
is shrouded in 2000 years of history and doubt. It's pretty evident by just about any rational person that Joseph Smith was a crackpot, thus it makes Mormonism even sillier looking.
[ Parent ]
The 2000 years of doubt
is a useful shroud for otherwise reasonable people. I say it's a distinction without a difference.

But I think we're going beyond the realm of SSP.

[ Parent ]
haha
seriously.... We're doing it AGAIN... hahaha Errr.. Mormons... Christians... Voting blocks... Down ballot races. There, I saved us! haha
[ Parent ]
Yes
And I am sorry.  
[ Parent ]
I'm Surprised
That James L or DavidNYC haven't stepped in by now.
[ Parent ]
Odd thing is...
Most Mormons seem to be pretty educated and intelligent people. I dont know why they believe all that fantastical stuff. i wont say anything more than that.
[ Parent ]
I have Mormons in my extended family
It's the lure of "turning back the clock" that pulls them in to the religion.  From my many visits to Utah I've noticed that the people talk very little about the dogma of the religion and more about it's fictional notion of 1950's Ameirca and "family values."

Think Glenn Beck.  He's the poster child for brainwashed Mormons.  Beck by his own admission was drawn to Mormonism and it's promise of a "clean lifestyle" and "family values" as he was coming out of drug addiction.  That's how they get a lot of people to convert, by seizing on weak minded people attheir darkest hour.  You'll never hear Beck mention the crazy dogma of Mormonism, but rather about how "pro-family" it is.

[ Parent ]
There may be something to this
Politically speaking, people who don't feel that they can successfully control their own lives seem to love legislating life for others.
[ Parent ]
Evangelical christians
While virtually all certainly convert because they want a 'personal relationship with Christ', i would say that many are 'lured'/'drawn' to it because of the perceived 'pure' values of the church and its members. And that they would feel accepted there. And I will wholly admit...if you are one of them, and you live a 'pure' lifestyle, they are pretty accepting of you. And in the suburban megachurches they seem to be quite accepting of all races and even interracial marriages. But I do wonder if theres a schism amongst the younger generations of the evangelical churches. Because of different politics. Many being quite economically populist as well as very pro-environment and some even willing to vote Democrat. I use to be an Evangelical but its been a long time since I was (since around 2001. Since then ive been agnostic) so i dont personally know whats going on inside those churches. So, as far as politics goes, its a fascinating development. And hopefully those more progressive members will win over alot of 'traditionally conservative' ones. And in swing states like FL, NC and IN, which im sure have alot of evangelicals with progressive views, that may make a huge electoral difference.
[ Parent ]
Bingo
I've long theorized that this is the reason the old moderate mainline Christian churches and Judaism has been on a steep decline in the U.S.  Without the lure of some "puritanical" lifestyle much of the allure of religion has dissipated.  It's getting to the point that a person is either ultra-conservative evangelical or no longer buys into religion at all nowadays.  I think that is the driving factor behind the exponential rise in the number of "non-religious" voters and the decline of the republican party.  The mega churches are also a direct result of this.  
[ Parent ]
Some of it is also...
Because mainline churches, as well as the Catholic Church, are flat out boring. Youd fall asleep during their sermons. Im sure that drives many of those congregants away, especially young ones after theyre 'old enough to not go to church'. Sure some evangelical sermons can be boring but only if you just flat out done want to be there. only problem is: The extreme sermons in those places drives people away as well as not to the church in the first place. And scary thing is: Pastors saying things like, 'youre going to Hell if you die a non-christian' are every-day things there. Nothing 'out of the ordinary'. Preaching those kinds of things is as common as giving communion.  
[ Parent ]
LOL
So true.  My best friend growing up was Catholic.  Whenever I'd stay over at his place I'd go to church with he and his grandparents because they felt "obligated" to go.  More often than not less than 30 minutes intothe sermon his grandfather was passed out snoring during the service.

These "new age" churches are popping up more and more.  For the first time I recently watched a little of this Joel Osteen (think that's his name) on TV.  He runs some nationally televised mega chuech in Texas.  His sermon was more about self-help than actual preaching.  He is a very charasmatic and entertaining guy.  It's no surprise that more people are flocking to his type of church and leaving the stale old mainline Protestant and Catholic churches.

[ Parent ]
Yep, I know him well
His late father started the Lakewood Church, in Houston, many decades ago. After he died (maybe before, i forget) it was passed to his son. Hes a pretty young, charismatic guy. If it werent for those bizarre airplane incident involving his wife and a stewardess hed probably have a real political future if he wanted one. Hes just that charismatic. But he seems to have no interest in politics. Interestingly, Lakewood Church is now at the former Compaq Center/The Summit. Which is where the Houston Rockets use to play. A huge place, but theyve got alot of money and alot of congregants. Its a megachurch, for sure, but nothing extreme really. More in the mainstream of evangelical churches. Pro-life, pro-'traditional family values', im sure, but nevertheless in that mainstream. But definitely not a 'mainline' church ideologically speaking, i wouldnt think. Nothing like a typical United Methodist church, for example (though some of those over here are probably conservative).  
[ Parent ]
Though dont know him personally, of course
Just meant generally. Although i do personally know the pastor of Grace Community Church, going way way back. But its been a long time since ive seen him. though hes seen me a hundred times he may just vaguely remember me. the amount of people that come and go in his life is probably enormous.

theres really so many megachurches here its not even funny. And of so many Protestant denominations. Assembly of God, Baptist, Lutheran, etc. And many 'non-denominational' ones.

[ Parent ]
As well as the Rust Belt
This is one area where most Catholics may be religious. As youve got alot of Latino and Cajun Catholics here. Though many Latinos here are also Evangelical. Lots of Asian Catholics, too, but id assume theyre largely secular.
[ Parent ]
The Northeast is drastically becoming
post-Christian.  Especially among whites, blacks and Hispanics are still very religious.  

[ Parent ]
Post-Christian
I love the sound of that!  I really would love to live to see the day religion is basically done in this country.
[ Parent ]
And, to be fair,
Most well educated Evangelicals, probably conservative Catholics too, believe the Earth is only 7000 years old and a Great Flood actually occurred. Including some in my family whom I love dearly and are wonderful people. But just misguided on those facts.  
[ Parent ]
You need to talk to more people.
Mention Mormonism in the South and the first thing you'll hear is "polygamy!"

Stop complaining and whining and get to work.
[ Parent ]
That's because he bought them...literally.
http://www.mydd.com/story/2006...

Stop complaining and whining and get to work.
[ Parent ]
They sure did in the 2007 SUSA polls
There was a definite pecking orde of what the arch conservatives would not vote for...

a woman was bad, but better than a black man

a black man was worse than a woman, but better than a Mormon

nothing was worse than a Mormon man, except possibly a Mormon woman

A Republican Mormon could discover a cure for cancer and kiss every baby in the country and still not have a chance at being President.

[ Parent ]
What about
A black gay Atheist who grew up a Mormon? Theyd hate that.
[ Parent ]
Better yet...an actual Muslim.
Or how about a gay man???

Stop complaining and whining and get to work.
[ Parent ]
mormons
They got points in the Christian and evangelical communities by gay bashing. Prop 8 gave them a lot of credit in Christian circles for fighting the good fight. Many evangelicals came to the defense of mormons, especially after this commercial was made. Not sure if it actually ran thought:



[ Parent ]
Gov. Huntsman
I actually have a great deal of respect for Gov. Huntsman. There was absolutely no political reason for him as governor of Utah of all places to mandate the teaching of evolution, to push for independent redistricting, or to support same-sex civil unions. That he is in favor of having a constructive dialogue between liberal and conservative rather than just trumpet wedge issues gives me hope for the future of deliberative democracy in this country (though, given the number of other Republicans who would also be so inclined...I count one at the national level, Olympia Snowe, that hope is rather dim yet!). I think Gov. Huntsman, given his experience and his ability to speak the language, will make an excellent emissary to a country whose fate is now inextricably tied up with our own.
Speaking as maybe the only GOPer that posts on SSP
I don't have a problem with Huntsman being the Ambassador to China. It's not like he's going to carry the water for the Obama administration. I like Jon Huntsman.
Not the only one
We've got at least one other Republican, Kyle, who occasionally posts.  But, he's pretty sporadic and I would prefer to see more Republican posters here because I like to see the different perspective.

Where on the Republican political spectrum are you--who did you support in the primary and why, if you don't mind me asking?

It seems like the base is not too upset with Huntsman for taking the ambassadorship.  I can kinda understand that--foreign policy is historically much more bipartisan than domestic and he is not putting Republicans at a political disadvantage the way Gregg would have and Specter did.  Still, I think the R primary electorate will hold this against him if he wants to run in 2012 or even 2016.

[ Parent ]
Utah Governorship
I noticed Utah has a law for a special election in the case the Governorship is vacated.  Anyone know if there are any other states that have such a law?  This is the first I've heard of such a thing.  Usually the next in line takes over for the remainder of the term.
UT-Gov: Huntsman Named Ambassador to China | 87 comments

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