Huntsman Calls His Rivals ‘Unelectable’

[Gerald]

Jon M. Huntsman Jr., shown on the trail this month, called remarks by two Republican rivals “extreme” and “unrealistic.”

WASHINGTON – Jon M. Huntsman Jr., the former Utah governor who has been stuck in the second tier of candidates for the Republican presidential nomination, took an aggressive new tone during a televised interview on Sunday, saying that recent remarks from two of his major rivals were “extreme” and “unrealistic.”

He was referring, respectively, to two of the most conservative Republican candidates – Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota and the latest entry in the contest, Gov. Rick Perry of Texas – both of whom have far overshadowed him in polling of Republican voters.

Mr. Huntsman singled out two areas of commentary by Mr. Perry that have drawn particular criticism – Mr. Perry’s skepticism about the human causes of global warming as an unproven theory, and his suggestion that actions by Ben S. Bernanke, the Federal Reserve chairman, to give the economy a boost might be “treasonous.”

He warned against the Republican Party becoming what he called “the anti-science party,” which he said would create “a huge problem” in 2012. In an appearance on the ABC News program “This Week,” Mr. Huntsman added, “I think when you find yourself at an extreme end of the Republican Party, you make yourself unelectable.”

Mr. Huntsman also scoffed at Mrs. Bachmann’s suggestion that, if elected president, she would help bring the price of gasoline to below $2 a gallon.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/huntsman-calls-his-rivals-unelectable/?ref=politics


Note: August 21, 2011, 12:37 pm

[Osmium Steele]

Early on, the Obama administration began commenting about how Huntsman was the only candidate with which they were concerned, which tells me Huntsman was the only candidate they were sure they could beat and wanted to sell him to the GOP as their only hope.

Not an unsuccessful strategy as it gave us John McCain.

Cynical much? Yeah, that's me.

They've since stopped trying to sell the GOP on any one candidate, as it is way too early to be effective, and are simply trying to nuke the serious opposition as they rear their heads.

For good or ill, Huntsman is too liberal to be considered a serious candidate for the GOP nomination.

[Gerald]

"Cynical" you spoke well of common sense...

[Bubblehead1980]

Huntsman is a joke, will never understand how anyone who calls themselves a Republican could support him.The man is a RINO /liberal.

I loved how he tried to explain his working for Obama as "when your country calls, you go, no matter who is President" as if he were drafted in the military.Fact is, Huntsman chose to take a job offered by a far left president who liked him enough to select him, meaning he Huntsman is not much of a Republican.What a joke.

[Sailor Steve]

I'm from Utah and never like Huntsman, but you make me almost want to vote for him.