--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, do.rflex do.rflex@... wrote:
Huntsman 2.0 Thomas Lane | Talking Points Memo | August 21, 2011
Poll after poll shows that
despite President Obama's sinking numbers
he still fares well against
virtually all his major GOP opponents.
Too funny. The do.rk's callout is the *least* significant
point in this article, which is about Huntsman and the
GOP's search for a savior. They're looking for a serious
candidate because Obama's reelection seems like much less
of a sure thing than it did a few months ago.
-- What do you make of the new hard-hittin', tough-tweetin' Jon
Huntsman
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/08/jon-huntsman-takes-on-the-go\
p-field-and-president-obamas-leadership.php?ref=fpa ? We ran a piece
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/08/is-he-even-trying-huntsmans-\
tweets-almost-seem-designed-to-alienate-the-gop-base.php on Friday
asking whether the former Utah governor and Obama-appointed ambassador
to China was even trying to win the nomination any more. Since then
numerous emails have come in from readers who think he's making a long
play for the nomination in 2016.
That's certainly a reasonable view. However, it's possible there's
something else at work here, too.
The Republican establishment is faced with something of a quandary
right now. Even just a few months ago, the big money and major
power-brokers thought 2012 was going to be unwinnable. It was widely
believed that the economy would slowly pick up, and by November of next
year President Obama would be able to take the credit for that and walk
to re-election.
This likely prompted the more credible GOP candidates, such as New
Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, to decide to sit out the coming election and
wait for 2016. By and large the GOP establishment seemed happy enough
to send out the political equivalent of cannon-fodder that would be torn
apart in the No Man's Land of 2012.
However, the sudden threat of a double-dip recession means this
election suddenly looks winnable for the Republicans... But only if they
have the right candidate. Poll
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/08/cnn-poll-the-only-goper-who-\
can-beat-obama-isnot-running.php after poll
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/08/obama-surges-to-lead-against\
-generic-republican.php shows that despite President Obama's sinking
numbers he still fares well against virtually all his major GOP
opponents.
Presumably this is maddening for the Republican establishment. All of a
sudden what they need is a moderate savior who's not tarnished by
either extreme flip-flopping or by outrageous statements against, say,
the Federal Reserve
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/08/perry-calls-bernanke-policie\
s-almost-treasonous.php and the scientific process
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/08/perry-responds-to-question-a\
bout-creationism-earth-is-pretty-old-video.php . Hence the current
conservative calls in some quarters
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/big-names-encourage-paul-ryan-run_5\
90322.html for Rep. Paul Ryan and the brief flutter earlier this week
over rumors of a Christie run
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/08/report-chris-christie-explor\
ing-presidential-run.php .
This must be infuriating for Huntsman; as far as he must be concerned,
the party already has its moderate savior and he's already in the race.
Indeed, it's him.
But the problem Huntsman faces is exactly that he is already in the
race. Unlike Christie or Ryan there are now real polls for Huntsman, and
they show him failing to catch alight.
If he was entering the fray right now he'd figuratively be wearing a
halo and would be suffused by a glowing ethereal light while angels
flutter around him, plucking away at harps.
But the nature of the nominating process meant that in order to get a
viable campaign on the ground, he had to enter a few months ago, before
there was this great GOP thirst for a candidate just like him. Having
gotten in at that stage, now the numbers are in as well, and the
power-brokers can dismiss him while casting their eyes around for a
candidate whose halo has not been tarnished by the grime of poor poll
numbers.
That could well be the significance behind this new combative Huntsman;
he's indicating to the types of people pining after Christie or Ryan --
and lamenting that they don't have much time to set up a campaign on
the ground -- that there is already an Independent-friendly candidate
right under their noses. These new moves are intended to reboot his
campaign into Huntsman 2.0. At the very least it should guarantee he at
least gets asked some proper questions in the next GOP debate. It's a
tough strategy as it does indeed involve alienating the Tea
Party-leaning sections of the base. But right now it seems the only
strategy that's left.
