COMMENTARY | Why did Jon Huntsman join the GOP presidential race? Why is Huntsman still in the race? These two questions have perplexed me for the last few months but alas, perhaps an answer is on the horizon.
The first question is easy to answer at first; Jon Huntsman joined the race to become the next president of the United States. But this question becomes increasingly complex as one delves further into the issue. Realistically speaking, Huntsman has a next to zero chance of receiving the nomination. He has worked for the Obama administration as the ambassador to China, he is Mormon (which has been somewhat of an issue and handicap), and he supports civil unions for gays. Huntsman, far from being a dunce, must realize these significant handicaps. Nonetheless, the first question can be answered with a chalked up optimistic version of "I'm in it to win it."
The second question is far harder to answer. As mentioned above, Huntsman's moderate tendencies on social and other issues place him at odds with the now tea party-fueled Republican primaries. More often than not, Huntsman seems out of place in the debates, giving answers that leads to sparse applause or outright silence. The polls reflect this fundamental disconnect between Huntsman and the Republican base, he consistently receives only 2 percent and has never been above 4 percent. The money aspect of campaigning seems dire as well for Huntsman, he has raised only $4.4 million, of which exactly half came from his own pockets. By comparison, Romney has raised nearly $40 million.
So why is Huntsman still in the race? He must realize that victory is not only improbable, but outright impossible. The only plausible answer is that Huntsman is campaigning not for the presidency, but rather, the vice-presidency. In this scenario, Huntsman is a behemoth of a candidate. Vice presidential running mates are not elected, they are simply chosen. So Huntsman will not have to worry about winning anything other than the heart and mind of one person (the eventual Republican candidate). In addition, all of Huntsman's weaknesses will be transformed into strengths during the general election.
Candidates tend to gravitate toward the center, or become more moderate during the general election in order to capture as many independents as possible. As a result, a man with Huntsman's credentials will better fulfill this role than any other current candidate. With his moderate views, Huntsman has the ability to grab critical independent voters that would otherwise vote for Obama if a more extreme Republican pairing came into being.
In addition, Huntsman can use his extensive experience as a China expert and former Obama official to lay claim that he can more effectively deal with China and learn from the mistakes of the Obama administration than any other candidate. In other words, Huntsman will have credibility on the two major issues of China and the Obama legacy. Jon Huntsman has no chance of being the next man???but he has the best chance of being the man's man.
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