Stratham, New Hampshire -- This may be a naïve question, but why isn't Jon Huntsman winning the race for the Republican nomination? That's the puzzle I've been wrestling with after a trip to New Hampshire last week.
As a British outsider looking in, I am struck by Republicans' apparent dissatisfaction with their candidates for president. One after another, the candidates have surged, and then slipped back. Yet, strangely, there has, as yet, been no Huntsman surge. Indeed, "Jon who?" was the response of many people I spoke to in New Hampshire. Republicans who do recognize him seem to view him as the RINO in the race.
But the former Utah governor appears to tick most of the boxes that are important to conservative voters. A pro-life, pro-second-amendment fiscal conservative with a strong record in foreign policy and in the private sector, Huntsman is surely the candidate that Republicans have been looking for yet don't seem to want to find. It is not hard to think of reasons why -- in theory at least -- he should be surging rather than sinking without trace. Here are ten of them:
1) He could beat Obama
The number one issue for most Republicans is finding someone who can beat Barack Obama. That means someone capable of appealing to the biggest block of voters: independents. And Huntsman's moderate positions on many issues such as climate change and evolution make him a real draw for centrists. In fact, the New York Times gives Huntsman a higher percentage of beating President Obama in a general election than any other Republican candidate.
2) He has bragging rights on job-creation
The number one issue in the general election will be jobs and Huntsman's record on that score is not to be sniffed at. By what seems to be the most objective reckoning, Utah was the fourth-best state in the country in terms of job creation during his time as governor.
3) He should appeal to social conservatives
Yes, he is a Mormon, which may put off some on the Christian right, but he has been married for 28 years and has seven kids -- the perfect family man. Social conservatives should also like his strong pro-life record as governor of Utah, when he passed numerous bills restricting abortions.
4) The gun lobby should like him
As the candidate himself quipped at a town-hall event in Stratham last week, with a name like "Huntsman," you know where he stands on the second amendment.
5) He did health-care reform based on the market not mandates
In Utah, Huntsman favored a market-based reform of health care that created a defined-contribution marketplace that increased consumer information and choice. He decided against imposing a mandate of the sort that Republicans hate in Obamacare.
6) He cut taxes in Utah
While governor, he simplified Utah's tax code and reduced sales tax on food, saving consumers $70 million annually. In 2008, the Cato Institute, a libertarian think-tank, ranked Huntsman joint fifth out of all US governors on overall fiscal policy.
7) He is not a career politician
Huntsman was an executive at the Huntsman Corporation, a multi-billion dollar international chemical company with over 12,000 employees. He has also worked as an executive at the Huntsman Cancer Foundation, an organisation that has raised millions of dollars in the fight against cancer.
8) He has foreign-policy gravitas
As a former US ambassador to China, Huntsman possesses a valuable insight into the country that will be America's chief rival in the 21st century. This was Huntsman's second posting overseas: he previously served as ambassador to Singapore in the George HW Bush administration.
9) He is capable of working across party lines
It was President Obama who offered him the position of ambassador to China; Huntsman showed that he is prepared to cross party lines to serve his country. That suggests he might actually be able to get things done in Washington, too.
10) He has a sense of humour
On the stump, Huntsman likes to crack a few jokes. A sense of humour is another useful weapon in the Oval Office.
Time is running out for the Huntsman surge. The New Hampshire primary on 10th January is his make-or-break moment. Stranger things have happened, of course. But more likely, the Huntsman non-surge will remain one of the big mysteries -- at least to this European observer -- of the 2012 campaign.
I've asked myself the same question many times. How is it possible that a man with his qualifications, record, and personal attributes could trail the likes of Romney, Gingrich, Perry, and Paul on the national level. Then again, how is it possible that people will stand in line for hours and even resort to violence just to purchase a pair of Air Jordan sneakers at $180 a pop. Case closed!
"He decided against imposing a mandate of the sort that Republicans hate in Obamacare. "
The idea that "Republicans hate....a mandate" is absurd. It is a Republican idea. It is based on the notion that if you don't have a mandate you will have low income people (Demcrats) not buying health insurance, but still having to be supported by the system and paid for...by who?....."Responsible Republicans who pay their bills" that's who.
You can be sure that if there wasn't a mandate that the Republicans would have been using that fact as a centerpiece of their criticism of Obama and the health care law. It's just politics, not principle.
Sorry for your confusion.
Which means he wants to think for himself. The nerve!
1. He has an analytical mind, makes rational statements and does not engage in headline grabbing controversial sound bites. He is not perceived as an exciting engaging personality.
2. He does not make outrageous promises like the number of jobs his economic plan will generate or assuring jobs for college graduates.
3. His views on immigration is more comprehensive than merely sealing the border and being against amnesty.
4. His service for the Obama administration as ambassador to China is considered by many to make him "one of them".
5. He has an outstanding family but many are suspicious of his Mormon religion.
6. He does not promise to eliminate five federal departments, the FRB, and $1 trillion in government expenditure in one year.
7. His background on job creation does not utilize the principles of destruction economics.
8. His emphasis on rebuilding America and not engage in nation-building may be confused with Ron Paul's foreign policy.
9. Despite his conservative record as Governor, he may still be perceived as "a RINO".