Why Jon Huntsman Teamed Up With Obama Instead Of Running Against Him

The New Republic:

During our conversations last month in Utah, Huntsman had already begun to realize that perhaps the Republican Party was not ready for him. "You cannot have a successful party based upon a very narrow band, demographically," he tells me. "You've gotta broaden it to include more young people, more people of color, more people who are urban-dwellers, more who are the intelligentsia in America, many who have jettisoned the party. ... And that's ultimately I think how it's going to play out. We're just not there yet." Two years was probably not enough time for the party to change. "He realized he'd just be beating his head against the wall with these guys, which made him open to the phone call [from Obama]," says another source close to Huntsman. "If he thought he had a real chance to be the standard-bearer and savior of the party, obviously he would have said no."

Read the whole story: The New Republic

Comments

[leonel]

05:55 PM on 05/20/2009

THERE MAY BE HISTORICAL SHIFT AWAY FROM POLITICAL PARTIES.

Political parties arose with the national elections right after George Washington finished his terms, as a result of the need to mobilize people to go out to vote. Politicians bought newspapers and printed pamphlets to start getting voters to see their special social or economic interests. Now the internet is making many newspapers obsolete, catching everybody by surprise.

It can happen that political parties become obsolete also. If so, the way it can happen is for one popular party to get very big, especially if it includes such big special interest groups as minorities, unions, women and so on. Even if only a majority of these groups actually vote for one party, it could gain an unbeatable advantage. In the past, one-party governments were not actually open and democratic but controlled by military or wealthy elites. Countries with one big party will have to eventually just set up a process that is rational and allows the public to select candidates from the entire population.

Russia, China and India are seeming already there, even if they started as elite parties, and are still working on being open to any and all popular candidates. Many countries elect leaders through their parliaments and do not need national parties although they serve to elect members of their parliaments.

This leads to intriguing question as to what could happen if Republicans give up appealing to moderates or developing a national strategy to contest elections.

[MikeRdg]

12:25 AM on 05/21/2009

It is appearing to be going in that direction. It is a called a "lapsed democracy:". In many aspects we already have one. There was an article many years ago on this issue. The founding fathers did know of the dangers of a ruling elite, it was the reason for their rebellion. It was not the merchants (the business of the time) which wanted independence, it was the common man which pushed and force the issue.

Your post accurate we are heading on in the process of a lapsed democracy.

[MikeRdg]

12:27 AM on 05/21/2009

"Your post accurate we are heading on in the process of a lapsed democracy."

should be:

Your post is accurate we are heading into or are already in the process of a lapsed democracy.

the common man will lose out.

[KataVideo]

05:52 PM on 05/20/2009

I for one am hoping that Huntsman's call is never heeded and the gops continue their long, slow march into the desert. and stay there.

[MikeRdg]

04:32 PM on 05/20/2009

Maybe in 150 years when a reformation has happened and all the polygamy thoughts have subsided.
After all you know what ole’ Brigham said: ( on wonder Bybee is for polygamy)

“Since the founding of the Roman empire monogamy has prevailed more extensively than in times previous to that. The founders of that ancient empire were robbers and women stealers, and made laws favoring monogamy in consequence of the scarcity of women among them, and hence this monogamic system which now prevails throughout Christendom, and which had been so fruitful a source of prostitution and whoredom throughout all the Christian monogamic cities of the Old and New World, until rottenness and decay are at the root of their institutions both national and religious."
- Prophet Brigham Young Journal of Discourses, Vol. 11, p. 128

Guess, he didn’t like being married to one woman.

"It is a fact worthy of note that the shortest lived nations of which we have record have been monogamic. Rome...was a monogamic nation and the numerous evils attending that system early laid the foundation for that ruin which eventually overtook her."
- Apostle George Q. Cannon, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 13, p. 202

[MikeRdg]

04:36 PM on 05/20/2009

correction: No* wonder Bybee is pro polygamy.

[Jamchinadian]

02:37 PM on 05/20/2009

Three so far and counting - counting sane, rational, intelligent GOPers that is: Schwarzenegger, Meghan McCain (apple obviously fell far from the tree) and now Huntsman.

[Liberalforsure]

02:21 PM on 05/20/2009

I do agree with most of what he said but the rethuglican party is going to need alot more than two years to get it's crap together. As a staunch PROUD liberal democrat I don't care if they ever do. I could not vote republican because I have a conscience.

[BarackstarObama]

04:04 PM on 05/20/2009

Very true and correct.

[DaveC19]

01:59 PM on 05/20/2009

The Republican party has been taken over by zealots and wingnuts. They only have a chance if guys like this repesent them and not bozos like Limbaugh.

A guy like Huntsman sounds like a moderate guy that would not be that bad if he was President someday. At least he would be competent unlike the circus we had for the last 8 years.

[danonchalant1]

01:58 PM on 05/20/2009

Man, get this guy out of the country TODAY! The G.NO.P. might learn something from him! Can't have that, now can we?

[AnnfromCA]

01:47 PM on 05/20/2009

Voting......."Not Present." *haha

I don't think he likes governing much. He'll make a great ambassador.

[trisha08]

05:23 PM on 05/20/2009

I live in Utah and you are wrong. He has been a great Governor (and I'm a Dem) and I think he enjoys it very much. He stated that it was his honor and duty to serve. But, it's true, he will make a great ambassador, but Utah will miss him.

[From the Raft]

11:57 PM on 05/20/2009

Its nice to hear people say nice things about a politician! I hope he makes a great ambassador and that the people of China say nice things about him as ambassador!

[hunt49]

01:34 PM on 05/20/2009

What a well-written article. Huntsman's quotes were very gratifying for me to hear -- as a moderate Mormon with a distaste for the wingnut right, I get discouraged at times about how many ther Mormons swallow the Limbaugh trash hook, line, and sinker.

Good to hear another one with his head on straight. One can only hope that voices like Huntsman and Powell become the norm rather than such unusual exceptions. But it isn't likely in the current party, and may not happen before the Republican party dies from arrythmia.

[HUkid07]

01:15 PM on 05/20/2009

WOW, this was a really great article. It's refreshing to know that there are still some moderate Republicans out there but at the same time it is sad that the base of the Republican party is unaccepting of moderate ideas. Whenever they get up and talk they always say that the basic ideals and tenets of the party are sound, which is true, however it's the people who twist those tenets and ideals in a way that hinders the rights of others that then makes the Republican party a hollow shell.

It would behoove them to seriously rethink their strategy because going further to the base of your party does not help. Democrats could also learn this lesson too. Governing means you govern for all the people of this country and not just the base or the ones who voted you into power. You cannot be afraid to stand up against the base of your party when it is necessary.

[rain33]

01:44 PM on 05/20/2009

i agree with this too but let's get real-right-wing christians wouldn't vote for this guy nor give him the time to run a decent campaign..obama must have something on huntsman to do a politican trade with him.

[trisha08]

05:25 PM on 05/20/2009

Say what? Why do you say he must have something on Hunstman? This was a win-win situation.

[henrywolff]

12:41 PM on 05/20/2009

Sad fact is that its almost impossible for Mormon to get elected to nationwide office because Christian right considers Mormonism to be essentially a cult. They just stay home on Mormon candidates. Can't win a close election with that.

[teron678]

01:38 PM on 05/20/2009

close election?????

Christian Right .. Your Party can't live with them .. can't live without them .... it will be your party's downfall sooner than later ...

[robXdion]

12:38 PM on 05/20/2009

Eventually there's going to be a 3rd party of moderate pragmatic conservatism and maybe Huntsman will lead it. That party will grow to replace the current GOP, which will eventually fade away with many of it's aging members. The current Republican Party is built on economic and cultural lies and ignorance. There used to be parity and a general impasse between the 2 parties, but Vietnam with it's cultural wars along with the Nixonian Ayn Rand implementation changed all of that (as well as breeding Cheney, Rumsfeld and other Nixon alums). The Republican Party wanted power and dominance. Reagan sought to reconstitute that, but again it was based on well-hidden fallacies. That's why denying Poppa Bush a 2nd term was so incensing. But Clinton sought compromise (since the Dems still didn't have a real identity at the time) by co-opting and watering down conservative goals (which gave birth to Fixed News and Newt Gingrich's tro||ing). Because the bottom line is the Republican Party has run it's course and this country can't grow on those 20th century dictums. The GOP is situationally inept and archaic, and having a kinder, gentler face and attitude won't change that.

[platanoman]

11:02 AM on 05/20/2009

Another rocket scientist. Of course!!!

[mdn]

11:02 AM on 05/20/2009

Who would want to run in 2012? The republican party is flaunting people like Sarah Palin and listening to Rush. They are continuing to loose numbers in the party, and its cool to be a Democrat right now. It will be a doomed race for anyone trying to run against our extremely popular sitting president. If he wants to be president, he will need to wait for better times.

[jubei]

10:48 AM on 05/20/2009

These nit wit trolls be cracking me up calling Obama,Barry and the Messiah,what happen yall ran out of insults?!