Could Huntsman be the Man?

Former Utah Governor, diplomat, businessman, husband, and father Jon Huntsman announced last week that he was officially going to be the 8th person to become a GOP candidate for the President of the United States of America. He announced to a small crowd in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty with his wife of 28 years and children present. He was the picture of presidential. His speech was careful and positive.

He pointed out that “The deck is stacked against Americans due to no fault of their own.” He points out that we are passing a country down that is less powerful, confident, compassionate, and competitive to the next generation. He chastises stating that this is “un-American.” He calls America to return to being a “teacher in society” and calls for energy independence. He addressed many of the issues important to most Americans including healthcare, medicare, and the economy.

What he didn’t mention, until the end, was the name Barack Obama. He worked for him as the ambassador to China from 2009-2011. This is especially interesting because it gives him the edge on the other candidates because it is foreign experience as well as a position that will help him to appeal to moderates, and possibly conservative democrats. Not only did he work for Barack Obama, he also worked for Regan, Bush, and W. Bush. He has foreign experience, domestic experience, political experience, and bipartisan experience.

What he did mention was that he has respect for the President, and his fellow GOP candidates. He plans “to take the high road, and not run down someone’s name to win.” He noted that he and the president have a difference in opinions, but calls for people to choose who they believe is the “better president, not the better American. “

Huntsman will without a doubt be compared to Romney. The parallels are as numerous as the comparisons of Bachmann to Palin. They both have that “presidential look,” Mormon faith, former governors, independently wealthy, and fiscally conservative. However, Romney didn’t have the success that Huntsman did as governor. During his time as governor Huntsman enjoyed a 90% approval rating and left office with an 80% approval rating. His state experienced strong of economic growth during his term, making Utah one of the top three states to do business in. His experiences as governor proved to be much more positive than that of Romney’s. Of all the candidates Romney and Huntsman stand out as the most centrist and presidential. However, this will be a real test of separation of church and state for voters. It will be challenging for a Mormon to be elected as president. The bulk of the conservative base happens to be Christian of some sort. Religion is going to be a big challenge for Huntsman.

Undoubtedly Huntsman had one of the best announcement speeches. He appeared to be authentic, sincere, positive, and gave his position on issues rather than tearing down the President or his opponents. However a risk for Huntsman is appearing as the status quo from Washington. He’s had a vast amount of experience in many different administrations, but will that hurt him? Currently an issue at http://thevotereffect.com is, Does Huntsman excite you as a presidential candidate? Go to the site, become a member, and vote now!






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