Jon Huntsman has had a rough go of it so far. He's shamelessly pandered to the extreme right while simultaneously trying to be the Adult in the Room™, and this hasn't been the best strategy for a Republican primary in 2011. He's had months of awful polling that barely qualifies him for the debates. Despite a stated plan to focus everything on New Hampshire, his campaign reported raising a whopping $1000 from two donors there in the last quarter (and the former Utah governor was geeked about that). His dad commented that Jon, Jr. would totally be winning the presidency in China (where he may not even be fluent in the language).
Oh, and a goat bit him last Sunday. It's not going well.
Despite his flagging chances and debt-ridden campaign, Jon Huntsman remains relevant. In a primary election season during which Republicans are searching for a non-Romney, my fellow Penn Quaker has proven quite adept at attacking the presumptive Republican frontrunner with very effective messaging, something about him that actually does appeal to the far right.
He also got some dap from Washington Monthly's Steve Benen:
Romney, it would seem, has two main flaws as a candidate. He’s a cowardly and uncontrollable flip-flopper with no core convictions, and he has an atrocious record on job creation. And on both fronts, I’d argue that Huntsman is hitting Romney on both counts more effectively than anyone in either party.
Now, pivoting off his recent "perfectly lubricated weather vane" comment, the Huntsman campaign has released a sequel to their split-screened, flipping-monkey video "Backflip" entitled "Weather Vane" (above). As Rachel noted, "every other candidate can just pop themselves in" once the cellar-dwelling Huntsman, presumably, leaves the race at some point.
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The Republican primary has come down to a simple, titanic struggle between Mitt Romney ands the conservative party base looking for someone, anyone, to be the anti-Romney. The GOP contest has become a shocking race to the right, a battle to see how many times Romney can flip and flop on important issues to please the Tea Party, and what sort of outrageous rhetoric and bizarro proposals are unleashed by Mr. Cain and his "presidential campaign." Americans are getting a real eyeful of the GOP, and they are utterly disgusted by what they see. http://www.sunstateactivist.org
....And the fact is...this is just not funny anymore. It's down right scary!!!!
I'd love to see Obama play with this. He should look up all of Romney's prior views and opinions and just start coming out in favor of them, to see how long it takes Romney to backpedal and reverse his opinion.
I think the current crop of GOP candidates go to show that the purse-strings of the Republican/conservative/TeaOP party thinks: 1) Obama is undefeatable and 2). They don't mind Obama coming in for a second term.
I think what we're seeing is a culling of candidates for the 2016 election. These crazies and side-show candidates will give the country a 3-ring-circus show of quasi-qualified candidates while letting people like, say, Jeb Bush and Paul Ryan slip under the radar until a free-for-all in 2016 for the Presidential seat as well as any Supreme Court vacancies during 2016-2019.
The sad thing is, there's a case to be made for someone who wanted to actually run against President Obama, but none of the current crop of candidates are making that case - it's a case that the 99% are out there protesting against, as well as protesting against all members of congress.
Currently, Romney is reminding me of McCain - started out all "mavericky" but when he needed to favor the far-right of his base's fringe, he compromised his integrity and - out of everything - Americans really look down on that. (Personally, I think that's how Bush won a second term, he had a no-backtracking attitude; and NewsCorp behind him)
If not for advanced technology and 24 hour media coverage...this would be a different ball game. The flip-floping...the out and out lies...the pandering might have gone un-noticed. For all that we like and dis-like about the media...it works if you do your own homework. Keep asking questions Americans!!!
When Romney gets lost, his first inclination is to get in the U-Turn lane.
Good Job Huntsman ! Can't say anything about yourself, so you attack the leader. Talk about cowardly. You still haven't got over Mitt getting the nod instead of you to take over the Winter Games in your home State back in 2002. Why don't you tell everybody that you could not even win your home state in a primary against Romney. Last poll I saw was that he would beat you by 85% points. Glad you raised $2000 in NH. I suggest you go out and purchase a weather vane that is welded to one position. That would be pointing down to show everyone where your negative campaign is heading.
You know you're having a bad day when a herbivore tries to eat you.
GOP line up for the Republican primaries.
They have all been drinking the InsaniTea.
[Hi there, Maddow. Religion should not be an important factor in elections, so readers are advised to ignore what follows!]
MORMONISM OKAYS PORN
by Jared Young
Both Mormon and non-Mormon scholars are aware of a hard-core pornographic drawing in the "Book of Abraham" which is Mormon-approved scripture.
The same Book is part of the "Pearl of Great Price" which, along with the "Book of Mormon" and the "Doctrine and Covenants," make up the LDS church's "triple combination" in one volume.
The porn is found in Fig. 7 of Facsimile 2 in the "Book of Abraham" which shows two beings facing each other, which were described by Joseph Smith as representing the Holy Ghost and God the Father, the latter clearly showing an aroused male sex organ.
After Smith published this sketch in his newspaper in 1842, which offended Mormon sensibilities, the phallic portion was whited out for more than a century until the "restored" LDS church decided in 1981 to restore what had long been censored!
Equally shocking was the discovery that the "Book of Abraham" had nothing to do with Abraham or his God but was actually based on ancient Egyptian funeral documents depicting occultic obscene practices - and the original sketches showed an erotic phallus on both beings including the one Smith blasphemously claimed was the Holy Ghost!
For further information see "Book of Abraham" (Wikipedia). Also see Jerald and Sandra Tanner's "Mormonism - Shadow or Reality?" which on 76 pages reproduces the original Egyptian X-rated drawings and shows how Smith altered them and created one of his many frauds. Highlights in the classic Tanner work can be seen by typing "Facts From Mormons (By a Utah Resident)" and "What LDS Leaders Say" on Yahoo.