Jon Huntsman, Independent For President?

[brooklynite]

Source: Buzzfeed

Former presidential candidate Jon Huntsman has engaged in discussions with supporters in recent months about pursuing another White House bid — this time as an independent, according to three sources close to Huntsman.

The former Utah governor declined to comment for the record. His daughter, MSNBC co-host Abby Huntsman Livingston, who was a surrogate for Huntsman’s campaign in 2012, said in an email that her father is “primarily focused on family and private-sector endeavors.”

She added: “He has no plans to run, but in politics never say never. I know there is a lot of pull out there for him to do something as an independent.”

The sources said Huntsman has talked with supporters and donors about an independent candidacy, and that he appeared open to the idea.

Read more: http://www.buzzfeed.com/rubycramer/jon-huntsman-independent-for-president?utm_term=rbaj8n#2ad398g

[BlueEye]

1. I would imagine this would guarantee a Democratic win.

Not that it isn't already the more likely outcome given demographics and the nutjobs the GOP is fielding. But splitting the conservative vote would be a very welcome scenario.

[MADem]

2. He's rich as five frigging Roosevelts, he's appealing as hell...and he's a MORMON.

He's worked for D's and R's, he's got gorgeous daughters who would make excellent surrogates on the campaign trail, he can fund his own show, and he is a sensible fellow.

And of course, he's a "fellow." There are some people who are reluctant to conceive of any other entity in the presidency, so he appeals to that demographic....

I hope he doesn't run.

His last run, under the "R" banner, got very little attention, and I never really understood why. I guess the guy was too liberal for that crew.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. I think the reason he didn't get very far last time is that

for a Republican he's relatively sane. Which is why, if he is to run at all, he would have to do it as an independent. He's much too conservative for my taste, but he's not laughably deranged, which rules him out as a GOP candidate.

[MADem]

10. Ha ha!!

It's funny when "not laughably deranged" becomes a compliment of sorts to a (former) republican!!!

[karynnj]

39. Agree with all you say -- and thank God the Republicans are too stupid to see his potential

Imagine he had a prayer of a chance to take the Republican nomination. This could make the election of any Democrat much harder than it would be against any of the Republicans.

In addition to all you say, he seems pretty scandal free and he has little real baggage compared to any more realistic candidate on either side. Being an ambassador under Obama is not a negative in the general election.

He would likely get the votes of all the Republicans who routinely vote. Just as the right wing Republicans DID vote for Romney who they disliked, they would vote for him - as Hillary would be as disliked by them as Obama was. The question is where would the independents go? He is well spoken and his daughters could be incredible surrogates. (If our candidate is HRC, Bill and Chelsea (baby in arms at times) would be fantastic as well.)

However, for at least the last 9 years (since Katrina) , under both Bush and Obama - there are very few weeks where the "direction of the country" metric has been positive. This long term period of negativity is longer and deeper than any I can remember. Huntsman could EASILY run a campaign arguing that he could work with both sides. Not to mention, in 2012, he was the candidate willing to leave Afghanistan.

Imagine that Obama's current plan works and there is an international effort that works to isolate ISIS and there is some at least limited success. In the general election, Huntsman could actually ally himself with the Obama approach -- questioning Hillary's attempt to distance herself arguing that she would have been more hawkish on Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, and Syria.
(I had not really worried about Rand Paul, because he is so strange, but Huntsman is a very charming diplomatic guy, with wonderful daughters.)

[MADem]

50. He's got a lot of good optics, especially for the big mushy middle who can't deal with too much

"change." The people who think the paradigm of a president should be a white male, handsome is a plus, would just love this guy.

I know that his last time out was just a "waters testing" exercise. I haven't seen any evidence of a fifty state strategy with him, that's not to say he hasn't been making the rounds--he is so damn rich he can do it quietly!!

[DhhD]

3. Running For President-Left Independent Sanders vs. Right-Independent Huntsman.

The 2016 election year may see a third party President take office in January 2017. Go Bernie Sanders.

[morningfog]

8. I would love to see a 4-way contest with legitmate candidates.

It is exactly what this country needs.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

11. It'd be exciting, but here's the problem I see

For the sake of discussion, let's say Huntsman, Sanders, Clinton, and Cruz run in 2016. Without getting into a complex who-wins-what-state discussion, let's suppose nobody picks up sufficient EV votes to win -- how would it play out in the House -- keeping in mind that states vote as delegations in such an instance?

[Agschmid]

29. Interesting question.

I doubt we'd get there but cool thought exercise and I'm not sure I have an answer.

[politicat]

30. That is an interesting puzzle.

There hasn't been a 4 way race.... Ever? several 3 way races...

Huh.

The interesting thing is that I think even getting to state level awards of EC votes would be dicey at best. I think Colorado would split about 10% Cruz, 25% Sanders, and 33/32 each Huntsman/Clinton. No majority, so no award without a runoff. Which we may not have the mechanism for in a presidential.

Each state would probably be some variation on those numbers. Some states are whatever plurality, but quite a few have a 50% +1 hanging around in their constitutional backwaters.

Hey, it might get us a preferential voting amendment to the constitution.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

49. The last 4-way race was '48

Henry Wallace - Progressive Populist
Harry Truman - Democratic
Thomas Dewey - Republican
Strom Thurmond - Dixiecrat



Now -- I want you to see something truly frightening about this scenario. In terms of the nationwide popular vote, Thurmond got 2.4% (slightly more than Henry Wallace), but his votes were so concentrated that he actually was able to take 4 southern states and 1 EV in Tennessee.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1948

[LordGlenconner]

47. In that scenario it's pretty simple

Say hello to President Cruz.

[on point]

4. Actually the best conservative republican candidate. Just to rational for wackos

[Comrade Grumpy]

20. Just what I was thinking: Too sane for the GOP.

[Thinkingabout]

40. His failure to thrive in the GOP was because he was ambassador under Obama. He was also the sane

candidate in the GOP but they wasn't looking for a sane candidate.

[TwilightGardener]

5. Oh for God's sake. He electrified exactly no one the last time he tried.

Go the fuck away.

[BeyondGeography]

13. Will be remembered for feeding Harry Reid a great line on Mitt Romney's taxes

and not much else.

[Orsino]

14. If Mitt Romney, John McCain and George W. Bush had enough electricity...

...then so does an empty banana peel.

The question is whether Big Money and its media will abandon reliable GOP errand boys to back an independent. Is Huntsman's wealth old and dirty enough?

[name not needed]

17. Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, and Michele Bachmann were electrifying to GOP voters.

Compared to that, boring might be for the best.

[SansACause]

7. How bad has the GOP gotten?

Even former Republican Presidential candidates no longer want to be associated with that stinking pile of a party.

[hughee99]

18. How bad has our party gotten that many people's favorite candidate (Sanders) isn't in the party. n/t

[SansACause]

41. He has never been a Democrat.

Sanders never ditched the Democratic Party like Huntsman is doing to the TeaOP. He has never been a member of the Democratic Party.

[hughee99]

42. Yes, my point is that many Dems favority candidate isn't even IN our party,

and as you pointed out, he's NEVER been in our party. There are something like 72 million REGISTERED democrats in the US, and the best potential candidate, in some Dems' opinion, is not even among them.

[Tarheel_Dem]

43. Can you quantify "many Dems"? DU is not a reliable barometer of Democratic preference.

"According to a CNN/ORC International poll released Friday, 53 percent of registered Iowa Democratic voters would vote for the former secretary of State in 2016. Her numbers dwarf the rest of the field — Vice President Joe Biden received 15 percent of the vote, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren got 7 percent and Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders drew 5 percent".

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/09/hillary-clinton-2016-election-harkin-steak-fry-110888.html

[hughee99]

44. Fair enough. Many DUers, then. n/t

[SansACause]

45. Well, there's the problem.

As much as I like and agree with Sanders, he can't expect widespread party support from a party he doesn't belong to. We as Democrats have never said we don't want Bernie in our tent. He is the one who refuses to join. If he was an obscenely rich guy like, say, Ross Perot, then he could run his own national campaign, but otherwise he needs nationwide party support to win the Presidency. I wish him well, but there is no way I'm voting for him over O'Malley or Hillary. His role as a Democratic Party gadfly might be a good thing, but it's not going to get him elected President.

But I digress. My point was that sane Republicans are abandoning the current incarnation of the Republican Party because that party has become a confederacy of dunces.

[hughee99]

46. I understand what you're saying, but if the definition of "sane Republican" is someone who doesn't

want to be a Republican anymore, you've sort of created a self-fulfilling argument.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

9. I've been predicting this for a while

Admittedly, I was thinking Michael Bloomberg.

There are lots of fiscal conservative/moderate-liberal Republicans out there who are as appalled as anyone about what the Tea Party has done to the GOP, but don't feel ready to come over to our side.

The move makes sense at a certain level. He can't get nominated in the current GOP, so why try? Bypass a costly primary process. I can see him appealing to moderate Republicans, independents, and even some conservative Democrats. The question in my mind is this: What states can he win? Utah? perhaps. Maybe a punchers chance in North Carolina, Florida, and Ohio. I don't see much else out there for him.

[Agschmid]

31. NH, ME, potentially VA?

[Algernon Moncrieff]

34. Yes - I could see those as well

[KamaAina]

35. Possible running mate?

Good geographical balance, and plenty more $$$.

[Xyzse]

12. Interesting. I'd kinda enjoy that.

He should run for the Republican ticket however.
He was the sane one there.

[7962]

15. Huntsman/Sanders '16!

[marble falls]

24. Sanders/Huntsman is even better.

[cosmicone]

16. Huntsman will take more votes from democrats and independents

than from Repukes who are lock-step sheep.

[Rozlee]

19. Unfortunately, that might be true.

Sadly, there's a lot of truth in that. Republicans have created a party that is almost a religion and its followers aren't very likely to bolt from its ranks. Independents are definitely the wishy-washy factor and can sway elections and many of them fled the Republican Party when the lunatic fundies took charge and trend conservative.

[Agschmid]

32. I agree with this, I even know several who would peel away to...

vote for him.

I don't think you can do that and call yourself a democrat but some do.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

36. I sorta agree

Those southern Dems that are still left might go Huntsman. I could certainly see a lot of independents going his way -- especially those in the Jesse Ventura "it's both parties' fault" mindset. I work in a business with a lot of what I still think of as "Country Club" Republicans -- fiscal conservatives/social moderate-liberals. If the GOP runs Jeb or Romney, then they'll still vote Republican. OTOH, if they nominate Ted Cruz or Rand Paul, I think many Republicans would see Huntsman as a safe alternative.

[wilt the stilt]

21. Ih he switched to the democratic party

he would give Hilary a run for her money.

[RussBLib]

22. Huntsman was boring as hell on the most-recent Real Time with Bill Maher

He spouted the same old tired, "both parties are responsible for today's gridlock" BS and didn't say much else. Just sat there looking pretty bored.

I was scared of the guy when he announced for 2012, but I simply forgot how insane today's Republican have gotten. He was arguably the best chance the Repubs had of beating Obama if not for the Tea Party.

[TheNutcracker]

23. Is the thinking a conservative indy can win? But not a progressive like Sanders?

Don't forget to watch the part 4 of the Roosevelt's tonight! PBS!

Huntsman does not have the stomach to get through what this option would take.
We need a Teddy or a Franklin.

Sanders is the one.

[marble falls]

25. How about Sanders/Warren or even Warren/Sanders?

[brooklynite]

27. Warren will be too busy working to elect Hillary Clinton...

Sorry.

[marble falls]

28. Hillary? Nah. She's too Washington insider-y. She backed W a lot more than I can forgive her for...

and she backs Keystone XL in a major way as SOS.

Now if the big dog could run again ........

[brooklynite]

33. You're entitled to support who you want...my point is that Warren will be supporting Hillary

"All all of the women — Democratic women I should say — of the Senate urged Hillary Clinton to run, and I hope she does. Hillary is terrific," Warren said during an interview broadcast Sunday on ABC's "This Week," noting that she was one of several senators to sign a letter urging Clinton to run in 2016.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/04/27/elizabeth-warren-i-hope-hillary-clinton-runs-for-president/

[brooklynite]

26. Here's a hint, neither of them can win...

Every four years, pundits and political activists convince themselves that "this is the year" for an Independent campaign to win. It never happens and it won't happen now, especially if the candidate runs to one ideological extreme or the other.

[KamaAina]

37. Which Huntsman would not.

More like a sane version of Ross Perot.

[KamaAina]

38. A colleague of mine was all set to head up Huntsman's campaign in Nevada.

But, of course, Huntsman dropped out of the race long before the race got anywhere near Nevada.

Maybe he'll take a job on this Huntsman campaign, and I can have his (a statewide deal).

[YOHABLO]

48. He seems more rational than the rest of the coocoos on the right. The grid lock in Congress is not

the blame of both sides. The Republicans main goal has been to obstruct and deny Obama legislative gains. However, they haven't quite succeeded. I too get tired of hearing how Dems are responsible for nothing getting done in Congress. It's B.S. I think where those of us on the left should point our finger is at the politically uneducated populace of the U.S. and propaganda organizations like FOX. Also when you have unlimited resources (the Kochs), it's more easy to control the message and fund candidates.

[DonCoquixote]

51. BARF

please, do not forget, this guy wants war in the mid east and the end of social security.

[Joe Turner]

52. He's a globalist

Don't see him getting much traction as an independent. Kinder gentler globalism won't sell.

[gwheezie]

53. Huntsman is conservative

But seems same. I don't know why a dem would vote for him.

[Historic NY]

54. Yawn...

[Pisces]

55. I think this would be worrisome to both the Repbulicans and the Dems. He could peel off

moderates and certainly Independents.