Obama: Jon Huntsman Would Be Great 'Asset' In Any GOP Primary

President Barack Obama is making light of speculation that his ambassador to China could run against him as a Republican in the 2012 presidential election.

At a news conference with Chinese President Hu Jintao on Wednesday, Obama joked that the fact that Ambassador Jon Huntsman has worked so well with him would be a great "asset" in any GOP primary.

Huntsman is a moderate Republican who had been considered a possible presidential contender in 2012 before Obama selected him as ambassador. Huntsman fueled presidential speculation recently by declining comment when asked if he will run in 2012.

McKay Coppins at Newsweek reported earlier this month:

Now, it appears, the ambassador is ready to make some noise of his own. Sitting in the echo-y living room of his new Washington home, Huntsman, a tall, lean man with silver hair and impeccable posture, pauses only briefly when faced with the question of presidential aspirations. "You know, I'm really focused on what we're doing in our current position," he says. "But we won't do this forever, and I think we may have one final run left in our bones." Asked whether he is prepared to rule out a run in 2012 (since it would require him to campaign against his current boss), he declines to comment.

The winking response--about as close to a hat-in-ring announcement as you'll get from a sitting member of the incumbent's administration--could just be a hollow cry for attention. But sources close to Huntsman (who requested anonymity to speak freely without his permission) say that during his December trip to the U.S., he met with several former political advisers in Washington and Salt Lake City to discuss a potential campaign.

Utah-based station ABC 4 reported last month:

There is one republican presidential candidate that President Barack Obama's campaign manager fears the most in 2012...and his name is Jon Huntsman Jr.

While no republican presidential candidate yet makes Obama's team "shake in {their} shoes...," President Obama's campaign manager, David Plouffe, tells the U.S. News and World Report that Governor Jon Huntsman makes him, a "wee bit queasy...I think he's really out there speaking a lot of truth about the direction of the party."

Comments

[kay360]

10:44 AM on 01/29/2011

Let him run. A moderate Republican Mormon who works for Obama! He might win the Republican primary, yet. They would be happy to vote for him. He is white, after all. I think that would be his biggest asset to them, anyway.

[rblackbird]

04:26 AM on 01/29/2011

Huntsman would look like a back-stabber if he ran against the president who appointed him to such a high post in an apparent gesture of bi-partisanship. (Of course, Obama probably nominated him to put him on the shelf in 2012, and Huntsman fell for it.). If he wanted to run against Obama in 2012, accepting Obama's nomination to be ambassador to China is a pretty weird way of going about it. Huntsman probably took the job, because he heard the steps of the Tea Party running up behind him - look at what happened to GOP Sen. Bennett of Utah, a major TP "trophy kill." Because of the TP, Huntsman has a limited political future in Utah, and no base to launch a presidential campaign.

He will not be seen as credible if he decides to leave the administration he is an important part of and attack the president who appointed him.

[FGDinVA]

11:00 PM on 01/28/2011

Primary the President if you want a Republican in 2012.

[Totto]

10:29 AM on 01/29/2011

Egg-Sack-Lee. f/f

[Globez]

06:47 PM on 01/28/2011

Nah... Didn't know he was a big S.Palin fan either.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAc1I--I8Os

[Nancy Lynne Kriescher]

06:06 PM on 01/28/2011

He won't run. He likes Barack too much.. and he knows the Party, no matter how good he is.. the Party has tarnished the Integrity.. He could run with Barack as running mate, Joe may decide to take a break.. Spend time with his Kids, grandchildren.:)

[Javalation]

02:09 PM on 01/28/2011

A moderate Republican leader??? I thought all of them were being drummed out of the party, calling them RINOs. Perhaps Huntsman didn't realize how extreme the Republican Party is becoming, having been in China

[dadw5boys]

01:51 PM on 01/28/2011

Look like the Religious Right is going to throw every Politician they have at the President in 2012.

[BARRY08]

01:47 PM on 01/28/2011

he will be wiser to wait to 2016 - country will be ready for him ! T-Party lu natics will be too much of a distraction in 2012

[allperils]

12:50 PM on 01/28/2011

IMO Huntsman would make a great US President.

1. He's ties with East Asia run deep.
2. He's young
3. He's white with deep American roots (sad but yes, it does matter for many voters)
4. He's very much center which is where you want a President.
5. I don't believe he has ties with Haliburton or Lockheed.

[Hurlock]

03:27 PM on 01/28/2011

But, have you seen his birth certificate?

[Globez]

06:53 PM on 01/28/2011

1. So. (not gonna comment about being His instead of He's)
2. ageism?
3. racism?
4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAc1I--I8Os nope.
5. U Believe??? {{{SMH}}}

[demomntgirl]

12:34 PM on 01/28/2011

who is he?

[BARRY08]

01:48 PM on 01/28/2011

only thing i do not like about him is that he thought McCain Palin ticket was a good idea !!! ???? otherwise a great candidate for 2016 and he knows it !!! he should wait till then

[sunshine14]

12:15 PM on 01/28/2011

Republicans GOP over that last 8 years have worked really hard to move on to their next, planned agenda, they have set the chess board up, now the next chess move, is to privatize social security, privatize medicare. No jobs, no tax dollars for social security and medicare, that helps their next chess move.

[dlaurels]

11:57 AM on 01/28/2011

I think this man could be an interesting competitor to our President. However, it really bothers me that he did not finish out his second term as Governor. Plus, as a youth he quit high school to join a band. He just might be a person who is easily bored, and is unable to stay focused. We definitely need focus from our President. Of course, I would not be likely to vote for a Republican, no matter how interesting, just because of what all the rest of the Republicans are like.

[HighDesertBob]

11:21 AM on 01/28/2011

Just what we need, another Mormon with magic underpants trying to tell us all how to live our lives. No thanks.

[garymc8]

10:58 AM on 01/28/2011

THE GOP sure has an ego problem. Who the he!! is this NOBODY? They think any old THIEF OR TUNDRA TART can beat the black guy.

[MartyJo]

02:46 AM on 01/21/2011

The comment Obama made was clearly tongue and cheek. This headline is beyond misleading­. Media does tend to exaggerate or even outright l!e.