So apparently Huntsman made a showing last night -- how about this morning?

[gateley]

Do you guys think he's got a chance?

I think he might be the hardest to run against (from what little I know of him) but I'd just be giddy if he trumped Romney, Gingrich, Santorum.

Thanks.

[Tennessee Gal]

1. Well, he supports the Ryan plan.

I thought he was the best of the clueless bunch until I found that out. Nuff said.

[gateley]

7. I still think he's the best of the bunch. You never know if a candidate truly supports

something or just says s/he does for political points. The Ryan Plan, if a Republican were to become POTUS and the House remains Republican, doesn't worry me THAT much because I think the American People would raise hell. (IF we message it correctly and explain just how bad it would be for us).

But knowing he may support the Ryan Plan makes me think he's not as smart as I was giving him credit for.

Thanks.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

23. Well, if that's true, there's at least several love letters that he has written to the president

that Democrats have at their disposal. The Teabaggers can't seem to forgive him for working for the president, and again, he'll have to explain why in those love letters he praised the president's leadership on the stimulus and health care.

I think he's the strongest of the bunch, but even if he miraculously gets the nomination, he'll have a lot of explaining to do.

[provis99]

26. he's the least rotten of the rotten.

I wouldn't stoop to calling him the "best" of the bunch.

[gateley]

28. Much more accurate, you're right. nt

[Angry Dragon]

2. He is moving up in the over-nights

edit: add santorum is dropping like a 170 turd

[gateley]

15. So pleased to hear about Santorum. Makes my skin crawl. nt

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. He may do a bit better in NH, maybe even get into double digits.

They aren't quite as fundie-crazy in NH. Still, I don't think he will do better than a distant third.

And that's fine with me. He could do pretty well in the general election because he is sane enough to attract some independents and moderates, so obviously we should hope for his defeat.

And do keep in mind that even though he's not certifiably mad, he is still a Republican and holds some fairly loathsome positions - he likes the Ryan budget, for example. Huntsman may not be as bad as the others, but he's still not good.

[boston bean]

6. NH is where we send all the MA rejects..

just kidding....

[whistler162]

12. So how do you like living in NH?

[boston bean]

18. it was a joke. NH is a beautiful state!

They got a few different ideas up there, but hell they are still our brothers and sisters.

[gateley]

14. I bet the rejects aren't all that unhappy in NH! :-) nt

[gateley]

8. Yeah -- TennesseeGal just told me about the Ryan Plan support. And you're right, he IS a Republican

but I wasn't considering voting for him if he becomes the nominee anyway.

I agree he'd probably do pretty good in the General.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

24. He has spent just about all his money in NH as well. He's spent more time in the state than

anyone. It's very perplexing to me because this is (one of) Romney's home states. If Huntsman ends up giving Romney a run for his money, that would be a death knell for Mittens.

[JoePhilly]

4. He nailed Romeny last night ... but only in a manner that helps Obama ...

when Mitt becomes the nominee, which is now pretty much unstoppable.

[gateley]

11. Never thought I'd see the day when Romney would actually

become the nominee! I hope the Obama campaign is sharpening its sword and go after him like the Black Knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

[JoePhilly]

17. Huntsman's response to Romney last night was right up there with some of the best

come backs of all time.

Romney attacks Huntsmen for taking the position as Ambassador to China because the evil Obama offered it, and Huntsman said "that's the attitude that is dividing the country."

And the GOP crowd CHEERED Huntsmen.

That exchange will show up in some pro Obama ads, no doubt about it.

[book_worm]

5. does he have a chance? of the nomination--No.

he'll come in third in NH, I think.

[gateley]

9. Thanks. Which is good for us, I think. nt

[MADem]

10. I have said that he is the most dangerous guy in the GOP field. I've been saying it for months.

He's the only one who doesn't make a vast percentage of the population vomit.

And the thing is, he's no ray of sunshine--he has some creepy viewpoints, he just couches them in an aura of mature reasonableness.

He's probably the only one who will make Obama have to work hard to win. He'll get the "Don't Like Black People" vote, even from those who don't care for his social policies. He'll get the "This Mormon is better than the sleazy Brylcreme Mormon" vote from people who don't like Mormons. He'll get the Stupid Idiot Oogler vote from people who like his hot daughters.

His daddy is rich and he has set up a well-funded PAC that makes commercials suggesting that JH is the only adult in the room. They are playing quite well.

[gateley]

13. I saw his wife on MSNBC and she was actually pretty impressive. Thought about the questions, gave

reasonable actual responses rather than just proffering the talking points. I haven't seen anything like that from the Republican Party in ages!!

I agree - I think he'd be the strongest opposition to Obama.

[PatSeg]

19. I've said the same thing

If I were a republican (god forbid), he's the only candidate I'd consider. Sometimes I catch myself rooting for him and then I realize he is NOT the person I would want Obama to run against, though I love seeing him put Romney in his place.

Huntsman is what republican politicians looked like when I was a kid.

[Marrah_G]

16. I think of everyone on the stage he would give Obama the toughest challenge.

[pamela]

20. I think he would have the best chance of beating Obama.

Thank God that Republican voters are, for the most part, idiots. They'll pick Romneybot or one of the wingnuts and completely overlook their most electable candidate.

[customerserviceguy]

21. He got some applause lines

but I feel it's too little, too late. He'd have to pretty much at least tie Mittens for first place in order to have a snowball's chance in hell of getting the money and support he would need to keep going after South Carolina and Florida, where he's going to be stuck at absolutely no higher than fourth or fifth place.

Mittens has NH locked up, I just don't see one of the fundie-favored anti-Romneys breaking out of the pack, unless the Santorum surge continues. There's been some negative stuff out on him for about the last week, and I imagine it might discourage the tea partiers. While I disagree that if Mitt wins SC and does well in FL (with his 30% ceiling) that it's "game over", it still doesn't seem like a clear path for a single anti-Romney to consolidate support and run with this thing.

[Sheepshank]

22. I've contended all along that 2012 was for name recognition

and to finally put the bagger nuttery to rest. 2016 will be his year and unless the Dems come up with someone who actually walk on water...it's going to be Huntsman in the WH.

[MADem]

29. I don't argue with your POV at all--I, too, think that was the idea here.

I think he went into this with a goal of getting "just enough" of a slice of the pie to stay in and become known. However, if the rest of the clowns keep falling over themselves in their stupidity, he may get a prime time opportunity earlier than he thinks.

Of course, if Mittsy makes it to the finish line, the "There Can Be Only One" rule applies--no way Mittens would permit another Mormon on the ticket, so no shot at running as a VP, there. Huntsman would have to come back and reestablish his Name Brand in four years' time. Of course, it's always easier the second time around!

[Sheepshank]

30. You bring up an angle I hadn't thought about.

The possibility that Mittens makes it to the WH.

If that is the case, there will be a lot of problems. Many Many will likely try and attribute policy failures to Mormonism rather than Republican stupidity. The Right would NOT want to place the blame squarely on the shoulders of Republican policy. Huntsman will get the fall out from that. So If Mittens gets in 2012...Huntsman doesn't have a snowballs chance in 2016.

[MADem]

31. I thought it amusing that "Three Wives/Three Religions" Newt actually had the idea that he could be

the Roman Catholic successor to JFK...and we haven't repeated that trick since 1960!

Of course, Newtie changes wives and religions like some folks change their underwear, it would seem.

[justiceischeap]

25. Mormon, that's the Huntsman problem.

Even if he ended up trouncing Romney (and all the others), he'd have the same issue Romney is having and that's his religion.

[mainer]

32. Described as "non-practicing" in some articles. His wife is a coffee addict.

And I hear his mom is angry about the fact Huntsman and his wife aren't "good" Mormons.

[gateley]

38. They seem to be willing to overlook Romney's religion at this point --

that shows how desperate they are!

[justiceischeap]

39. Then if Huntsman can show he's just as conservative & less Mormon than Mitt

he may have a chance.

[AlinPA]

27. No way. Why Huntsman can’t win the republican primaries:

1. He supported civil unions as Governor of Utah
2. He said he would not use federal powers to block a law legalizing same-sex marriage.
3. He threatened to veto a bill repealing in-state college tuition for illegal immigrants.
4. He signed a bill giving illegal aliens access to “driving-privilege cards”.
5. He supports granting more H-1B visas to foreigners
6. He has not taken an anti-immigrant or anti-Hispanic stance.
7. He signed the Western Climate Initiative, by which Utah joined with other governments in agreeing to pursue targets for reduced production of greenhouse gases.
8. He appeared in an advertisement sponsored by Environmental Defense, in which he said, “Now it’s time for Congress to act by capping greenhouse-gas pollution"
9. He worked in the Obama administration as an ambassador to China
10. He said he believes in science
11. He said he believes in evolution.
12. He has said that President Obama is an American citizen.
13. He is too rational, too normal, too genteel for most of today’s conservatives.

[Cali_Democrat]

34. "11. He said he believes in evolution"

The other issues don't matter. He will never win this primary or any other primary because of his stance on evolution. If you don't think the earth is 5,000 years old, then you haven't got a snowballs chance in hell.

[gateley]

36. Yeah, that and his praise of Obama. Death knell. nt

[gateley]

37. I think #13 sums it up nicely. nt

[mainer]

33. He dropped out of school to be in a rock band

That's got to say something in his favor. Played a mean piano on Letterman.

[gateley]

35. Well that's a plus in my book! :-) nt