HUNTSMANIA: THE BECK CONNECTION

Yesterday I wrote a very skeptical post about Newsweek's lengthy article speculating on a possible 2012 presidential run by Jon Huntsman Jr., the former GOP governor of Utah who's the Obama administration's ambassador to China. I said that the notion of a conciliatory Republican winning the GOP nomination in this climate struck me as absurd, the kind of thing only blinkered Beltway insiders could believe was possible; I gathered, from reading around the blogs, that the decision to run the story was just a bit of attention-getting contrarianism from Newsweek's new editor, Tina Brown.

But then I saw an article about the Huntsman story at The Blaze, Glenn Beck's discussion site. The article was not negative. A number of the reader comments were positive. Odd, that -- Huntsman backs cap-and-trade, seeks compromise on immigration, and works for Satan Obama, and Beck and (some of) his fans like him?

What I didn't realize is that Beck admires the hell out of Huntsman's father, Jon Huntsman Sr. Beck refers to the elder Huntsman as his mentor and has interviewed him a number of times:



This may be why Huntsman is thinking of running -- he may think he can straddle the Beckista camp and the establishment camp (the latter including non-Republicans).

If that can happen, maybe he is a contender. And, as I say, a few of Beck's fans are willing to go along:

This is exactly the kind of candidate we need....an extraordinary person will political experience to emerge to blindside the donkeys in the media who have been busy spending their time trying to destroy the people whom they thought were the front runners.

****

If he's anything like his amazing father, Glenn's mentor & friend, he'd certainly be a great choice! I hope he's got what it would take to change the corrupt swamp that is Washington D.C.

But others are, well, unconvinced:

He is a RINO libtard. Please dear lord NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

****

If Huntsman wants to run, he should run on the communist side against Dunham.

****

Pro cap 'n tax, soft on immigration = RINO. Stay in Beijing!

****

Being in the state where he was governor I can safely say that voting for him would be like voting for Arlen Specter. Silver spoon Jonny is RINO to the core. If conservatives want a real conservative to nominate this is not the person. If I had the choice to vote for the town drunk or Jon Jr. I would vote for the drunk. He is nothing like his dad. If Republicans are sick of the compromise the Republicans in Washington are doing already, if he got into office there would be even more.

Thus, I don't think Beck can put him over the top -- and I think Beck would risk losing much of his audience if he threw his weight behind Huntsman. Still, Huntsman may think Beck's support is his secret weapon, and that may help explain his apparent interest in running.