Jon Huntsman Drops Out Of Presidential Race, Endorses Mitt Romney; Some Supporters Migrating To The Ron Paul Camp

Despite registering an impressive third place finish with 17 percent of the vote in the New Hampshire Republican primary, Jon Huntsman Jr. dropped out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination on January 16th, 2012. Furthermore, Huntsman also endorsed Mitt Romney, characterizing him as the man best equipped to defeat Barack Obama in the fall. In his statement to supporters, Huntsman added that he will continue to fight for a tax code that unleashes opportunity rather than stifles it; an energy policy that ends our addiction to foreign oil; congressional term limits; education reform that prepares kids for the 21st Century; and financial reform that protects taxpayers from future bailouts.

The decision was triggered by distinct signs that Huntsman's performance in New Hampshire was a fluke. Polls indicate Huntsman was back down in single-digit territory in South Carolina, finishing either fifth or sixth, and despite pouring at least $2 million of his own money into the race, found his campaign increasingly cash-strapped, unable to buy television time or pay for direct mailings to reach voters in South Carolina. An official endorsement by South Carolina's largest newspaper, The State, was not enough to change his mind. Since The State also gave Romney honorable mention in their endorsement, it's possible they may switch their support to Romney.

The decision came as a surprise to Huntsman's top adviser in New Hampshire, Peter Spaulding, who learned the news in a telephone call from a reporter. Spaulding has no regrets about working for Huntsman, saying "I expected him to do better, but you know, it is as it is. He's still a young man and has a lot of future ahead of him". The Daily Mail's Toby Harnden covered part of Huntsman's campaign and said that Huntsman always seemed to be less than the sum of his parts. He noted that Huntsman never overcame the central paradox of his candidacy: while declaring himself to be a Reagan conservative, he marketed himself as a moderate and took every opportunity to bemoan the state of the Republican party, even questioning its sanity. Newt Gingrich hailed Huntsman's decision, saying that "we are one step closer to a bold Reagan conservative winning the GOP nomination", while Mitt Romney said “I salute Jon Huntsman and his wife Mary Kaye. Jon ran a spirited campaign based on unity not division, and love of country. I appreciate his friendship and support.” KSL news video below:

Does Huntsman's drop from GOP race help Romney? | ksl.com

The New York Times believes that Huntsman's withdrawal will help Romney pick up more support among moderate Republicans, but is unlikely to help him with conservatives. However, the conservatives are split between Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Rick Perry, and to a certain degree, Ron Paul, although Paul also has support from libertarians and independents.

Mormon Republican Reaction: Not all LDS Republicans will migrate to Mitt Romney. Comments posted to the Salt Lake Tribune story indicate many are showing a renewed interest in Ron Paul. In fact, a Facebook group, Latter-day Saints for Ron Paul, has formed to mobilize additional LDS support for him. On January 12th, 2012, leading libertarian LDS blogger Connor Boyack wrote "I believe that a sincere review of our doctrine and history in the LDS Church would lead an individual to support not Mitt Romney, a fellow Mormon, but the only candidate who has consistently shown a commitment to upholding the Constitution and defending individual liberty: Ron Paul".

I seriously doubt that Romney would choose Huntsman as a running mate; two Mormons on the ticket would provide too much grist for the propaganda mills of anti-Mormons as well as some evangelicals and conspiracy theorists. But Huntsman may end up on the short list for Secretary of State in a Romney Administration; thanks to his service as ambassador to China, few people are more qualified for that post than Huntsman. But the involvement of two members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who expressed their Mormonism in slightly different ways may have helped erode suspicion of a Mormon presidency to the point that Romney can actually get elected. While Romney was portrayed as a more active Mormon than Huntsman, the LDS Church scrupulously avoided any hint of communicating that Romney might be more worthy than Huntsman.

Jon Huntsman Jr. Formally Announces His Republican Presidential Candidacy, And The Media Immediately Put His Mormonism Under Scrutiny

No sooner did former one-and-a-half term Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. announce his formal entrance into the Republican presidential race than a host of mainstream media outlets began dissecting his religion and its possible effects upon the 2012 campaign. None of the analysis appears to be abusive or derogatory. You can read the transcript of Huntsman's announcement HERE. AP story embedded below:



Prompting the continuing media interest in the Mormonism of Huntsman and Mitt Romney is a report on a survey released on June 2nd by the Pew Research Center, which revealed that a quarter of American adults still admit to being less likely to vote for a Mormon candidate for president. This was followed up by the report of a Gallup poll released on June 20th, which also showed that 22 percent would not vote for a Mormon presidential candidate. Interestingly enough, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), himself a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, blames this on Mitt Romney, saying “I feel very comfortable that they’re not ready for – certainly they’re not ready for the former governor of Massachusetts...Which says, in that race, if I had a choice, I’d favor Huntsman over Romney.”

In an article entitled "Understanding Jon Huntsman's distinct brand of Mormonism", KSTU Channel 13 of Salt Lake puts forth the notion that despite the fact that Huntsman's Mormon roots run deep, with his grandfather serving as an apostle, his father being a lay leader in the church, and Huntsman himself serving a mission to Taiwan, Huntsman is a bit more independent-minded than Mitt Romney. Huntsman and his wife are raising their adopted Indian daughter in her native Hindu faith, and he was quoted as saying he gets satisfaction from many different types of belief systems. But he still acknowledges formal membership in the LDS Church. Romney, in contrast, is characterized as more symbolic of Mormon retrenchment of the 1960s and 1970s, when the LDS Church defined itself largely in opposition to the broader American culture, which was seeing cultural upheaval and the sexual revolution.

CNN's Belief Blog also posted the same article, but of interest are the 400+ public comments appended to it, providing a snapshot of public reaction.

Perhaps the most intriguing analysis was put forth by the Salt Lake Tribune. In an article entitled "How Mormonism could affect foreign policy under Romney, Huntsman", the Tribune illustrates how both the corporate image of both Romney and Huntsman contrasts sharply with the populist image presented by the Prophet Joseph Smith. Where Joseph Smith was a charismatic prophet who commanded his followers to accept restored gospel principles like plural marriage and baptism of the dead, which in turn distinguished Mormonism from mainstream Christianity, Romney and Huntsman, by contrast, appear to be much more conventional and rule-bound, almost to a fault. Since both candidates appear to prefer pragmatism over politics, the possibility of their Mormonism affecting their foreign policy is minimal; both candidates have previous stated that they would not "take political orders" from the Church, so to speak.

An article by the International Business Times entitled "Jon Huntsman’s Mormon Question" also provides some useful insight. They suggest Huntsman may have to tread a fine line between over-identifying and under-identifying with his Mormonism. To avoid the first pitfall, Huntsman will campaign aggressively on the economy and jobs market, and bring up his extensive international experience. However, if he sidesteps religion completely, he may have trouble capturing the traditional Christian vote, and can probably kiss off the Evangelical vote altogether. As a matter of fact, the revelation that Huntsman is actively courting gay support will drive the religious right further away from him.

Meanwhile, two other prominent Mormon politicos, Utah Governor Gary Herbert and Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz, diplomatically opine that Huntsman could be formidable and that he brings credibility to the table. Herbert was Huntsman's lieutenant governor, and Chaffetz, who was Huntsman's former chief of staff and 2004 campaign manager, is politically to the right of Huntsman. But Chaffetz says he still has to go with the candidate he believes has the best chance of beating President Barack Obama, and believes Romney is in better position to get 'er done.

Prospective Appointment Of Jon Huntsman Jr. As Ambassador To China Offers Incredible Opportunity For The LDS Church To Establish Itself There

In a completely unexpected development, Utah's Republican Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. will accept an offer by President Barack Obama to become the United States Ambassador to China. This is being reported by numerous mainstream sources, including the Salt Lake Tribune, the Deseret News, KTVX Channel 4 with video, Politico, and the Provo Daily Herald.

Huntsman met late in 2008 with representatives of the Obama Administration about a possible appointment. The governor has served as U.S. ambassador to Singapore, and was on a short list to fill the same role in China under President George W. Bush. Huntsman speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese and led a Utah trade mission to China during his first term.

Huntsman has said he would not seek a third term as governor and has been widely touted as a possible candidate for president in 2012. He has made several trips to key GOP primary states. But accepting the appointment likely means he'll put his presidential ambitions on hold until 2016. He will resign as Governor to accept the appointment; Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert would take over.

But that's just part of the picture. Governor Huntsman is also a devout member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Chinese government does not permit proselytization in China by Mormons; only foreign LDS expatriates are allowed to worship, and then only in private homes in small groups. They are strictly forbidden from preaching the Gospel to Chinese nationals, and the LDS Church has honored the Chinese government's request. The only exception is in Hong Kong, where full religious freedom exists and where a temple has been built. In addition, Governor Huntsman is a proven consensus-builder; despite speaking out in favor of civil unions and CO2 cap-and-trade, he maintains an approval rating in the 80s.

Consequently, this is an unprecedented opportunity to open up all of China to the Gospel, either in degrees or all at once. And if anyone can get the job done, Jon Huntsman can. He will be circumspect at first, allowing the Chinese government to get to know him. Then, as Chinese confidence builds, he can then exercise patient leverage to break down the walls against Gospel penetration. One reason the Chinese government is so sensitive about this issue is that Christian missionary work in the past often served as a precursor for Western imperialist intervention in the country.

If Huntsman does indeed accept this opportunity, I predict that, within three years, the LDS Church will obtain official permission to operate in certain parts of the country, primarily in the bigger cities. But I don't foresee any temples being constructed right away. Chinese citizens could visit either the Hong Kong, Tokyo, or Seoul Temples to do temple work in the interim.

Huntsman's religious diplomacy could also pave the way for other Christian denominations to preach the Gospel in China, and may even go so far as to effect a reconciliation of some type between the Chinese government and Tibet's Dalai Lama. This isn't merely a smart choice by President Obama; it is an inspired choice.