I stumbled upon this ABC report not too long ago, and it seems especially timely given Huntsman’s announcement today.
It’s not to say that ABC was uniquely off the mark. The point is that much of what passes for political coverage– the handicapping, the horserace, the insider chatter– is useless.
ABC News Transcript
WORLD NEWS SATURDAY
May 16, 2009 SaturdaySURPRISE PICK; A POLITICAL MASTER STROKE
DAVID MUIR (ABC NEWS): President Barack Obama made a surprise appointment today that has both parties in Washington buzzing tonight. The President had pledged to reach across the aisle, and today, he did just that. Naming a rising star of the Republican Party to be the next ambassador to China. Utah Governor Jon Huntsman not only brings his experience to the job, he takes away a potential political threat to the Democrats. And so we begin with ABC’s Jonathan Karl tonight.
JONATHAN KARL (ABC NEWS): It’s a political master stroke.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA (UNITED STATES): I know that Jon is the kind of leader who always puts country ahead of party.
JONATHAN KARL (ABC NEWS): President Obama has taken a rising Republican star and named him US ambassador to China. Utah’s Jon Huntsman is one the most popular governors in America, just reelected in November with nearly 80% of the vote.
GOVERNOR JON HUNTSMAN (REPUBLICAN) : I stand here in my final term as governor with plenty to do. I wasn’t looking for a new job in life, but a call from the President changed that. A McCain/Palin presidency.
JONATHAN KARL (ABC NEWS): Huntsman was a co-chair of John McCain’s presidential campaign, but he has staked out moderate stands on immigration, climate change and gay rights. He has also warned fellow Republicans that they have to do more than just oppose Obama.
GOVERNOR JON HUNTSMAN (REPUBLICAN): You can’t just say no. You can’t just obstruct or obfuscate. You’ve got to kind of come up with some bold real solutions.
JONATHAN KARL (ABC NEWS) Governor Huntsman had been frequently mentioned as a potential 2012 Republican presidential candidate.
CLIP FROM “MEET THE PRESS”
SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN (REPUBLICAN): I think we’ve got some very good candidates, Jon Huntsman.JONATHAN KARL (ABC NEWS): Obama’s 2008 campaign manager agrees. He recently called Huntsman the one person out there who could take on Obama. But now, Huntsman will be a world away. Politics aside, Huntsman has real qualifications for the job. He served as US ambassador to Singapore, Deputy US Trade Representative, and was a top Commerce Department official for East Asia. He also has an adopted daughter from China, and speaks the language fluently.
GOVERNOR JON HUNTSMAN (REPUBLICAN): I’m reminded of my favorite Chinese aphorism, it goes something like this. (Speaking in foreign language), together we work, together we progress.
JONATHAN KARL (ABC NEWS): Going to China almost certainly takes Huntsman out of the running for the 2012 campaign, but it does not necessarily mean an end to his political ambitions. George Herbert Walker Bush served as ambassador to China during the 1970s, and that was a post that turned out to be a pretty good stepping stone on his way to the White House. David?
DAVID MUIR (ABC NEWS): ABC’s Jonathan Karl starting us off at the White House tonight. Jon, thank you.
We wanna turn now to our chief Washington correspondent and host of This Week, George Stephanopoulos. And George, many people see this governor as the former head of the McCain campaign. But behind this, are people viewing it in Washington as a clever move?
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS (ABC NEWS): Oh, they definitely are. Jon Karl hit it right. Political master stroke. A win for President Obama. He gets one of the Republican rising stars, evidently qualified for this job to be his ambassador to one of the most important countries in the world. It is a win for Huntsman. This is, he is uniquely qualified for this job. And even though he was looking at a run in 2012, this gets him out of this internal fight in the Republican Party and out of a race that was gonna be an uphill fight for him. He’ll be able to come back in 2016. And it’s a blow, at least in the short term, to the Republican Party. One more sign that this is a party where the reformers, the moderates, are looking for an exit.
come on. The only person who needs to fear Huntsman is Obama. Reid endorses Huntsman and the press is suddenly willing to acknowledge Obama’s failures and report his weak polling? Be very afraid, Obama team. Be very afraid. Huntsman is the ringer meant to give advantage back to the democrats due to your complete and total FAIL.
Becky, you don’t believe the crap you just wrote do you. Huntsman won’t even get the nomination. He’s already started off horribly and can only get worse from now on. He’s another Mitt Romney flip flopper. He’s got no chance. We will wipe the floor with your sorry ass.
Huntsman already has two strikes against himself in running for the Republican nomination. First, he is Mormon, and the majority of evangelicals who vote in the early primaries do not consider Mormons to be Christian. Second, he worked for Obama as ambassador to China, and is on record as having praised Obama’s leadership. With Huntsman’s bumbling campaign start (for instance, some of his campaign materials misspelled his name and labelled the state where he made his announcement as New York when it was in New Jersey), he fouled off a potential strike three. As the most moderate of all the Republican candidates, he stands no chance of winning the nomination in a political atmosphere where moderate positions are to be avoided at all cost..
He will be the Republican candidate if he’s willing to state his personal ideology during campaigning but promising to follow the dictates of the likes of Karl Rove (for Coporates) henceforth; therefore, lying to himself and the American People. Has anyone noticed? Republicans must walk locked-in-step as dictated from above – the $.
Huntsman is just another run-of-the mill republican dipstick who can’t get his facts straight. Don’t believe me? Check out FactCheck.org
Irma, it looked to me like Huntsman stated his personal ideology and it was quoted above:
“I’m reminded of my favorite Chinese aphorism, it goes something like this. (Speaking in foreign language), together we work, together we progress.”
I can only imagine the cries of “Manchurian candidate” if Obama or any other so-called liberal said that. It’s both a plug for socialism (at the least) and progressivism. Huntsman’s goose has to be cooked for that alone!
So far, the best Republican running for president is our in the closet Republican President Obama.
Empi………Obama wont be wiping the floor with anyone.Ive seen a lot of polls that say he wins and as many that say he looses….And that is against nobody!Look Gumby could beat Obama if things don’t turn around.That said I don’t think Huntsmen was ever really putting together a run so this story is a lot of blather.BAM gave him the job because he may of thought him best for the job..period!
Always follow the lefts attack dogs to know who they fear.It really is as simple as that.Huntsmen is low on that list.Palin and Bachmann high.And not even because the ladies may or may not offer challenge in this election or that.It is the message he fears.The message that says ‘as a president Obama has failed on every level”These woman seem to be as good or better than a lot of the good ol boys at nailing Obama jello to the tree.They hit him where it hurts.On his record,and beliefs for America
Beautiful, Kevin. Sadly, quite accurate.
Good Grief. There’s that Michael e. again. Must be somebody’s rich boy who doesn’t have anything else to do.
Liz(still love that name)whatareyouonabout?
My simple points were John huntsman was never a contender.Probably qualified for the job Bam offered him.That the left probably hates(and fears)the message from those loud mouthed conservative whores more than old johnny…..And that Obama will probably loose if things don’t improve.So whatareyouonabout?
I love that you called me somebody’s rich boy. Unfortunately Im not anyones boy anymore.Though my parents left me rich in so many things.
When I read the original ABC report I thought the idea an ambassadorship would mollify Huntsman’s presidential aspirations was quite absurd. Current events have validated that disposition.
I bookmarked this guestbook. Thank you for very well position! .