will the huntsman hunt?

Newsweek broke a story - or at least a tantalising piece of gossip - over the weekend. America's ambassador to China Jon Huntsman appeared to let it be known that he is considering a presidential run in 2012.

Huntsman is the former Republican governor of Utah, one of the most conservative states in the Union. Widely considered to be a very effective, credible and attractive politician, he's long been talked about as a future president, because of his wide appeal across the spectrum of voters. So it was deemed a very smart move by Obama to send him to Beijing, and out of the way for 2012. That wasn't the only reason either: unusually for a heartland pol, Huntsman is a man of the world, who speaks Mandarin and has an adopted Chinese daughter. And by all accounts, he has been doing a very good job over there.

So why did Huntsman take the job in the first place? Well, he's very qualified for it, and it burnishes his foreign policy credentials, which governors can find hard acquire. It also suggests to the wider electorate that he's a moderate man willing to work with political opponents. Which brings us to the real reason this seemed like good timing: Huntsman is a moderate in a party that is currently gripped by ardent ideologues. Although fiscally conservative, he is closer to Obama on social issues than he is to, say, Sarah Palin (he is open to the idea of legalising gay marriage, for instance). So by going overseas for a few years and waiting until the party regained its sanity, he could sweep back for 2016, as the saviour of the GOP.

So why is he re-considering - and indeed, is he? It's hard to say. Nobody seems to have followed up on Newsweek's story, which may suggest there's very little to it, or simply that journalists like their holiday break too. James Fallows, a very wise head, has declared the story bogus, however. He thinks it absolutely preposterous that Huntsman would run in 2012, for the simple reason that you can't run against an administration of which you have been a part. He also notes that, by accident or design, this story will do much to enhance Huntsman's effectiveness as an ambassador. The Chinese like to hedge their bets.

Myself, I doubt Hunstman is seriously considering a run. There's no way he will want to get into a fist-fight with Palin, Romney and the rest at a time when the Tea Part exerts such influence over his party. He's a very impressive guy - I hope he has his eyes on 2016. Floating this rumour may be a slightly clumsy attempt to raise his profile back home as the Republican 2012 speculation heats up - 'Hey guys, I'm still a player in this game!'

Comments

[ejoch]

The LA Times have been following this too
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-huntsman-20110102,0,7045805.story

[rob]

marb this news has been everywhere already - please! - more individual thoughts, more original ideas - leave the obvious to the fatuous sullivan team - give it a personal twist of lemon at least - s'il vous plais -schweppervescence!