This is the logo for Jon Huntsman's unlikely presidential campaign. At least, it's the logo for his fundraising vehicle, or Political Action Committee (PAC). The website doesn't actually name him - in advertising terms, it's a teaser. The logo's 'H' stands for 'Horizon' (and 'Hope'?) though it will no doubt stand for his surname before too long.
The site is a quite extraordinary production, actually. Tastefully designed, high-minded, poetic, it prepares the ground for Huntsman to run as an anti-politician, who floats above the grubby hurly-burly. Politicians are 'unusual animals' who are often 'driven by ego alone' and make too many easy promises. 'Maybe someday...' there will be a different kind of leader, one who is fluent in Mandarin and looks a bit like Niles Crane. OK I made the last bit up.
Does this hopey-changey rhetoric remind you of anything?
I mean, if you were responsible for creating this site and you were told to 'do me an Obama '08', this is pretty much what you'd come up with, isn't it?
Looks like Huntsman wants to run as an Obama who is also an anti-Obama: a transformational figure of the centre-right. Huckabee looks unlikely to run and Thune has counted himself out. Palin may figure but will be a sideshow. If Huntsman's only serious competitors are Romney and Pawlenty - neither of whom inspire, and both of whom are very conventional politicians - then this isn't a bad strategy.
Mitch Daniels has been getting a lot of copy since his CPAC speech. Here's hoping the social conservatives lot don't torpedo him before he can get going.
Posted by: ejoch | February 23, 2011 at 02:44 PM
1. This logo looks like a cross between a semaphore signal and a Tommy Hilfiger re-branding. I've not had time yet to check out the site, but will do soon.
2. Oz has already beaten the USA to having "a different kind of leader, one who is fluent in Mandarin and looks a bit like Niles Crane": Kevin Rudd.
Posted by: Lyle | February 23, 2011 at 04:22 PM
It's worth questioning the Huckabee stories. Here's his book tour schedule: http://ht.ly/41PL1 That's 6 stops in Iowa (including the University, his only University stop), 5 in SC, and across his good Southern States, whilst completely skipping Gingrich's Georgia.
Huckabee's approach in the media could be seen as Huckabee making himself the story (for free) and setting up a far more effective "will he / won't he story" than candidates have managed over the last few cycles. Note also that in most media coverage he is portrayed as an obvious front-runner, itself a change from his previous media. Lastly, there's a lot of expectation twisting going - in a field where a lot of Republicans aren't satisfied with their options already, talking about how hard Obama will be to beat can only increase their clamour for another candidate.
Posted by: The Skeptical Tory | February 23, 2011 at 06:16 PM
Rectangular blocks of red and white colors bring to mind the paintings of Jean-Pierre Bertrand, or the Polish and the Indonesian flags. Is Huntsman a manchurian candidate?
Posted by: peter | February 27, 2011 at 05:30 PM