Jon Huntsman is the GOP's best candidate

[Obsoleet]

Which is quite a feat considering the economy is in 'no way he gets re-elected' territory.

Not sure if you really agree or disagree with my statement but expect a 1 billion dollar campaign from a man with Oval Office experience who can complete a full sentence to win reelection.

 

[Hugo Drax]

The problem is huntsman knows two languages and is educated. That scares the trailer park contingency voting for a GOP candidate. The GOP trailer park contingency wants someone that is more like the neighbor they drink with. Anyone too smart and knows a second language is one of those evil elites that work for the devil.

 

[werepossum]

I agree with you, but it shows how out of touch the base (at both ends of the spectrum) is with the moderates that make up most of the electorate.
It also shows why we end up with the government we deserve.

BTW: It makes me sad that Michelle Bachmann and Rick Perry are considered major candidates and Gary Johnson is not.

Agreed. We get a choice between two candidates selected by the extremes of the parties, and candidates who are not well known only attract attention by either attacking the base (not a good way to gain traction in the primary) or by trying to be the most extreme progressive or conservative candidate (not a good way to gain traction in the general.) To that extent it's a self-defeating system. One solution is to gain more moderates in the primary process, but moderates tend to be moderates because they don't feel strongly about anything on either side. That makes moderates much less likely to research candidates who aren't first tier and much less likely to watch debates and see lower tier candidates they might actually like more.

I haven't watched a single debate either, but I make it a point to research what the candidates have done as well as what the candidates are saying on their web sites. Not that I'm in any fashion a moderate; I simply occasionally cross aisles in my extremism.

 

[airdata]

Huntsman made good points in the most recent debate.

I'd consider voting for him if he had the nomination.

 

[Craig234]

Not sure if you really agree or disagree with my statement but expect a 1 billion dollar campaign from a man with Oval Office experience who can complete a full sentence to win reelection.

I was more agreeing with your statement and pointing out how notable it is he might win.

 

[Obsoleet]

Huntsman made good points in the most recent debate.

I'd consider voting for him if he had the nomination.

Yeah and then the critics blasted him for not being radical enough. He's intelligent, seems to have some common sense, and is presentable.

The thing is, the leading candidates aren't really far-right. It's not like Huntsman isn't as conservative as the other guys. He's just not making idiotic statements so he doesn't appear as "right wing".

 

[Craig234]

The thing is, the leading candidates aren't really far-right.

Sure they are.

All but Paul has reportedly been making noise for war on Iran, for just one example.

We hardly need to even get into their policies to transfer even more wealth to the top 1% with tax policies and such.

 

[Shyatic]

The reality is that Huntsman being the best GOP candidate is equivalent to being the skinniest kid in fat camp.

 

[Obsoleet]

Sure they are.

All but Paul has reportedly been making noise for war on Iran, for just one example.

We hardly need to even get into their policies to transfer even more wealth to the top 1% with tax policies and such.

That's true but, what I meant was they are more just swindlers and crooks like Newt and Romney.. not really principled to any particular degree other than the right-wing metric of straight greed and shortsightedness.

 

[werepossum]

The reality is that Huntsman being the best GOP candidate is equivalent to being the skinniest kid in fat camp.

Whereas Obama being the best candidate in the Democrat field is akin to being the prettiest woman on the East German Olympic shot-put team. Having done very little and been in charge of nothing, he had done the least damage.

Whee!

 

[Shyatic]

Whereas Obama being the best candidate in the Democrat field is akin to being the prettiest woman on the East German Olympic shot-put team. Having done very little and been in charge of nothing, he had done the least damage.

Whee!

I'm of the opinion that no matter who wins the election next year, we as Americans all lose.

 

[werepossum]

I'm of the opinion that no matter who wins the election next year, we as Americans all lose.

Probably. But it's because of the system we have built, not anything inherent in Obama or in Romney/Gingrich/etc. We reward politicians for what they SAY, then go watch American Idol or the NFL and pay no attention to what they DO. We allow politicians to make a career of politics, setting up fiefdoms of power, coming home only on election year breaks so that everyone with whom they interact is either a big-government type or a lobbyist. We allow them to bribe us even knowing they are doing so with our own money, as long as they tell us that "someone else" will have to pay for it. We allow them to keep in place a system that says it's perfectly alright for government to seize as property, compensate us however it chooses, and transfer our lawfully purchased property to some rich person who promises to pay government more tax money. We allow them to infringe on others' G_d-given freedom as long as we don't identify with them, even where there is clearly no overriding necessity to do so, or to take money from them as long as it's for our benefit. Hell, we even encourage these things. And we expect a President to fix everything, willfully ignoring the limitations on his power and actively insisting that he doesn't mess with OUR goodies. In fact, we deserve even more goodies, more tax breaks and more programs to fill our needs.

That's the beautiful justice of democratic representation - you get the government you deserve, if not necessarily the government you want or need.

 

[jhu]

The problem is huntsman knows two languages and is educated. That scares the trailer park contingency voting for a GOP candidate. The GOP trailer park contingency wants someone that is more like the neighbor they drink with. Anyone too smart and knows a second language is one of those evil elites that work for the devil.

He know Chinese! So not only has he worked for Obama, he speaks Communist speak. I'm surprised he's not doing worse in the polls.

 

[Obsoleet]

He know Chinese! So not only has he worked for Obama, he speaks Communist speak. I'm surprised he's not doing worse in the polls.

Nothing wrong with speaking Communist. It's just as valid of an ideology as the rest of all the other bullshit ideologies out there. Just saying.
He has more of a clue about how the real world works than some stupid Texan who thinks Texas has any answers. Last I checked the PRC could fcking shitstomp Texas in any metric imaginable.

 

[sunzt]

Nothing wrong with speaking Communist. It's just as valid of an ideology as the rest of all the other bullshit ideologies out there. Just saying.
He has more of a clue about how the real world works than some stupid Texan who thinks Texas has any answers. Last I checked the PRC could fcking shitstomp Texas in any metric imaginable.

except guns!

 

[cybrsage]

Last I checked the PRC could fcking shitstomp Texas in any metric imaginable.

The PRC would show up, realize how awesome it is to be in Texas, and settle there instead of fighting. They would start eating TexMex, and maybe even fight off the illegal Mexicans for us.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

Republicans love crazy. When they don't win this time because they went even crazier than the last time, they're response is going to be to go even crazier.

 

[Paul98]

Republicans love crazy. When they don't win this time because they went even crazier than the last time, they're response is going to be to go even crazier.

LOL I love it

 

[bradley]

To compare Huntsman to McCain is a huge insult. Jon is the first candidate for President that I've liked in a long time, meaning he doesn't have a snowball's shot in a corporatist media. Obviously no one knows his name, much less has access to his message.

 

[NeoV]

I'm no GOP fan, but I completely agree that he 'should' be their best candidate - instead we get crazy, crazier, and craziest leading the polls.

Ron Paul is un-electable
Ditto for Newt, Michelle B, and Rick Perry

Of course that should have been true for GWB after 1 term as well, but that didn't turn out that way, did it?

Amazing what lies and money can do for an election.

 

[soundforbjt]

I actually like Gary Johnson the best.

Heard he's now running as a Liberterian.

 

[janas19]

Well, a lack of charisma actually matters a lot for people who are too stupid to understand the real issues which is like, 33% of America.

 

[werepossum]

I actually like Gary Johnson the best.

Heard he's now running as a Liberterian.

Best of both worlds - I can vote for Huntsman in the primary and Johnson in the general!

 

[cybrsage]

Well, a lack of charisma actually matters a lot for people who are too stupid to understand the real issues which is like, 33% of America.

Not really, it actually is very important in a leader. A leader needs to be able to get people to follow them, and being boring is the fastest way to get people to stop listening to you. If people are not listening, you cannot convince them to follow you.

Look at some of the best remembered leaders of the world. They all had a LOT of charisma. For good or ill, they galvanized their people behind them and accomplished things normal people would never even try to do, let alone succeed.

If Huntsman had Reagan's charisma, he would be impossible to stop short of a bullet (and even that did not stop Reagan).