DBWI: Jon Huntsman accepts China Ambassadorship in 2009

In 2009, then-Utah Governor Jon Huntsman was reportedly offered the Ambassadorship to China by President Obama. He was originally going to accept, but his advisors managed to convince him at the last minute to decline the offer.

Because of this, he was able to use his Governorship as a springboard to the Republican Presidential nomination in 2012, painting himself as the only sane man in the picture. That November, he and former Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle defeated President Obama and Vice President Biden in the general.

Would Huntsman have been able to pull this off had he still accepted the Ambassadorship? Could he have still upset Mitt Romney in the Republican primary?
 
In 2009, then-Utah Governor Jon Huntsman was reportedly offered the Ambassadorship to China by President Obama. He was originally going to accept, but his advisors managed to convince him at the last minute to decline the offer.

Because of this, he was able to use his Governorship as a springboard to the Republican Presidential nomination in 2012, painting himself as the only sane man in the picture. That November, he and former Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle defeated President Obama and Vice President Biden in the general.

Would Huntsman have been able to pull this off had he still accepted the Ambassadorship? Could he have still upset Mitt Romney in the Republican primary?

Almost certainly not. He'd be connected to the Obama administration and that would be electoral poison for the GOP base.
 
Exactly. Huntsman was able to present himself as an outsider to the overall GOP establishment. He successfully painted Romney as an opportunistic flip flopped, and portrayed his opponents such as Perry, Gingrich, and Santorum, as fringed, far-right nut jobs who could never beat Obama.

Also, it helped when Huntsman picked a polished, respectable Vice President in Linda Lingle. She was what Palin was supposed to be. The Obama campaign underestimated her, and it really showed when Lingle debated circles around Biden.
 
Romney is likely the nominee (the GOP had a history of nominating the guy that came in second the last open primary) and the general between him and Obama would be a toss up IMHO. If Obama wins, Clinton probably likely rides the recovery to a victory (though a narrow one) in 2016, whereas if Romney wins, 2016 depends on his ability to campaign, and his ability to keep the base behind him. If he runs a strong campaign (he didn't in 2012 which is why he lost the nomination) and keeps the base unified, he wins, abet by a narrower margin than Huntsman, if not, it's Clinton or if butterflies allow it, Biden, wins.
 
Romney is likely the nominee (the GOP had a history of nominating the guy that came in second the last open primary) and the general between him and Obama would be a toss up IMHO. If Obama wins, Clinton probably likely rides the recovery to a victory (though a narrow one) in 2016, whereas if Romney wins, 2016 depends on his ability to campaign, and his ability to keep the base behind him. If he runs a strong campaign (he didn't in 2012 which is why he lost the nomination) and keeps the base unified, he wins, abet by a narrower margin than Huntsman, if not, it's Clinton or if butterflies allow it, Biden, wins.

I doubt Biden could win, due to the multiple women that have come out and claimed his inappropriate contact with them. Biden himself admittted he was a tacitile person. That type of controversy surrounding him, especially, in these days, would certainly not be beneficial. If Romney won, I’m certain he could heat someone like Hillary. She has a reputation as a terrible campaigner, to the point where Romney is able to appeal to more people than her (OOC: Based on her performance in 2016, I’m a firm believer that if she couldn’t beat Trump after everything he did, she most definitely couldn’t beat Romney)
 
I doubt Biden could win, due to the multiple women that have come out and claimed his inappropriate contact with them. Biden himself admittted he was a tacitile person. That type of controversy surrounding him, especially, in these days, would certainly not be beneficial. If Romney won, I’m certain he could heat someone like Hillary. She has a reputation as a terrible campaigner, to the point where Romney is able to appeal to more people than her (OOC: Based on her performance in 2016, I’m a firm believer that if she couldn’t beat Trump after everything he did, she most definitely couldn’t beat Romney)


Agreed with the bolded, was just factoring that out for the DBWI.
 
In all, how do you guys think Huntsman is doing? I think he’s done a pretty good job with the economy, all things considered.
You gotta give him that. Yet at the same time, it irks me to hear David Frum and his merry crew on Fox News credit the post-recession recovery entirely to Huntsman, when Obama clearly made the recovery possible by bailing out the major banks.
 
In 2012, Huntsman won the states of Colorado, Nevada, Florida, Ohio, New Hampshire and Maine (states won by Obama in 2008). I doubt that Romney would have won those states if he was the GOP nominee.

Also interesting is who would run for the Republicans if Obama was reelected? Some people think that Trump would have been a candidate. Yeah, right.
 
You gotta give him that. Yet at the same time, it irks me to hear David Frum and his merry crew on Fox News credit the post-recession recovery entirely to Huntsman, when Obama clearly made the recovery possible by bailing out the major banks.

It’s a little weird hearing Fox News bush over Huntsman considering they were lambasting him in the 2012 Republican primaries. But, Huntsman has to have some credit. I mean, it’s been six years since Obama, and the Dow Jones is roaring towards 30,000.

In 2012, Huntsman won the states of Colorado, Nevada, Florida, Ohio, New Hampshire and Maine (states won by Obama in 2008). I doubt that Romney would have won those states if he was the GOP nominee.

Also interesting is who would run for the Republicans if Obama was reelected? Some people think that Trump would have been a candidate. Yeah, right.

Colorado and Maine were especially surprising considering that those states were considered to be safely Democratic by the beginning of the election cycle.

And Trump? HAHAHAHAHAHA! You’re kidding, right? The guy that goes off on far-right Twitter tangents? Gimme a break! Republicans of all beliefs have been united behind Huntsman since day one.

In all seriousness, it’s likely that the Republicans who are running in 2020 would most likely be the same running in 2016 had Obama beaten Huntsman. Given the announcement that Vice President Lingle isn’t running, the field would be wide open with candidates like former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, Senator Marco Rubio, Senator Mia Love, maybe even Texas Governor George P. Bush (although his chances may be tarnished by his uncle).
 
In all seriousness, it’s likely that the Republicans who are running in 2020 would most likely be the same running in 2016 had Obama beaten Huntsman. Given the announcement that Vice President Lingle isn’t running, the field would be wide open with candidates like former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, Senator Marco Rubio, Senator Mia Love, maybe even Texas Governor George P. Bush (although his chances may be tarnished by his uncle).

George P Bush is Governor of Texas.
Liz Cheney is the House GOP Chair.

Bush-Cheney 2020 confirmed.


If Huntsman had accepted the nomination, Gary Locke wouldn't have gotten it and probably wouldn't have gotten Secretary of State in Obama's Second Term.


Locke right now looks like a lock for the nomination. A fiscally conservative Democratic Governor with an Eagle Scout image who was Chinese Ambassador and Secretary of State.

The other front-runner is three-term Governor Deval Patrick, who is now working at Bain Capital as head of their impact investment division.

Democrats have kind of gone to the other end of the spectrum after the Clinton-Warren ticket that's mostly associated with sleaze, being out of touch, very hostile to main street and wall street alike, and unappealing to minority voters.

Democrats are also facing the issue of being seen as warmongers. They absolutely flipped out when Huntsman ended the US presence in Afghanistan. Nevermind that he's arming the Ukrainians and moving the US troops in Germany to Poland...



I think AG Christie has a good shot at the GOP nomination after not only having won by over 20 points in 2013 but dragged Jeffrey Chiesa over the line in the Senate Race too.

OOC: Without Presidential ambitions for 2016, I don't think Christie's team will play the same hardball tactics that caused bridgegate. He'd be a good fit for AG in Huntsman's second term too.
 
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George P Bush is Governor of Texas.
Liz Cheney is the House GOP Chair.

Bush-Cheney 2020 confirmed.


If Huntsman had accepted the nomination, Gary Locke wouldn't have gotten it and probably wouldn't have gotten Secretary of State in Obama's Second Term.


Locke right now looks like a lock for the nomination. A fiscally conservative Democratic Governor with an Eagle Scout image who was Chinese Ambassador and Secretary of State.

The other front-runner is three-term Governor Deval Patrick, who is now working at Bain Capital as head of their impact investment division.

Democrats have kind of gone to the other end of the spectrum after the Clinton-Warren ticket that's mostly associated with sleaze, being out of touch, very hostile to main street and wall street alike, and unappealing to minority voters.

Democrats are also facing the issue of being seen as warmongers. They absolutely flipped out when Huntsman ended the US presence in Afghanistan. Nevermind that he's arming the Ukrainians and moving the US troops in Germany to Poland...



I think AG Christie has a good shot at the GOP nomination after not only having won by over 20 points in 2013 but dragged Jeffrey Chiesa over the line in the Senate Race too.

OOC: Without Presidential ambitions for 2016, I don't think Christie's team will play the same hardball tactics that caused bridgegate. He'd be a good fit for AG in Huntsman's second term too.

Eh, I’m not sure Liz Cheney has Presidential ambitions.

Don’t be too sure about Gary Locke and Deval Patrick. I’m sure they are aiming to get more women at the top of the ticket. People like Kamala Harris or Kirsten Gillibrand.

Yeah, the Clinton-Warren “dream team,” didn’t work out like Democrats hoped it to. They were just no match for Huntsman and Lingle when it came to debates. Huntsman was able to run on his successes and Democrats’ attempts to block his legislation was used against them. Warren was seen as being too progressive.

It’s also showing how further left they are going. The front runners are talking about packing the Supreme Court, getting rid of the electoral college, all that stuff. All because Obama lost 2012 and they were embarrassed with Clinton in 2016.
 
Eh, I’m not sure Liz Cheney has Presidential ambitions.

Don’t be too sure about Gary Locke and Deval Patrick. I’m sure they are aiming to get more women at the top of the ticket. People like Kamala Harris or Kirsten Gillibrand.

Yeah, the Clinton-Warren “dream team,” didn’t work out like Democrats hoped it to. They were just no match for Huntsman and Lingle when it came to debates. Huntsman was able to run on his successes and Democrats’ attempts to block his legislation was used against them. Warren was seen as being too progressive.

It’s also showing how further left they are going. The front runners are talking about packing the Supreme Court, getting rid of the electoral college, all that stuff. All because Obama lost 2012 and they were embarrassed with Clinton in 2016.


I was joking about Bush-Cheney 2020. :)

Clinton sort of had to pick Warren after Sanders forced a contested convention. I don't think the country is necessarily against a progressive ticket. It's more that Warren's calls for corporate charters and breaking corporate charters came off as deranged and HRC looked like she was unable to control her more energetic VP. If Clinton had picked a less wild progressive like Sherrod Brown or Amy Klobuchar she'd have done a lot better.

I don't really understand why there's so much support for AG Harris. Yeah, she's AG of California, but she still lost to Loretta Sanchez following Huntsman's endorsement of her. Likewise, I don't see why people are still excited about Gavin Newsome despite having lost to Villaraigosa. Beto O'Rourke at least won his Senate Race, though he's opted not to run because he's only just gotten to Washington.

Democrats are understandably pissed about the Electoral College after Huntsman won without taking the popular vote the first go-around. And then Huntsman in his reelect won the popular vote and had an electoral college landslide, but he didn't get above 50% due to Steve Stockman-Tom Tancredo constitution party ticket.

The stuff about the Supreme Court is nutty though. Huntsman was pretty gracious when he appointed Wallace Jefferson to replace Ginsburg after appointing John Gorsuch and Clint Bolick to replace Scalia and Kennedy. Odds are Mike Lee is going to replace Clarence Thomas so Huntsman can get Secretary Leavitt appointed to the seat.


It's not so much that the front-runners are talking about packing the court though. Locke, Patrick, and Sanders have opposed the idea. It's just Harris and Gillibrand trying to out-partisan the others and DNC Chair Buttigieg being open about it. The issue is that the media really likes Harris and Gillibrand, whereas they hate Sanders for opposing Clinton and they think that Locke and Patrick are boring.


Although the rumor is that if Sanders wins the nomination, Obama's going to run Indy with O'Rourke.
 
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