Bad News For Jon Huntsman

The latest poll from Iowa finds his base there to be rather limited:

As I tweeted earlier today one Iowa Republican on the poll we will release tomorrow said they would vote for Jon Huntsman if the election was today- not 1% but one respondent, period.

Here are some facts about Huntsman’s supporter:

-He is ‘not sure’ when it comes to Barack Obama’s job performance- doesn’t approve or disapprove. He reports having voted for Obama in 2008.

-Huntsman is the only potential Republican candidate he has a favorable opinion of. He expresses ‘no opinion’ about Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Chris Christie, Buddy Roemer, Rick Perry, Fred Karger, Paul Ryan, and Gary Johnson. He has an unfavorable opinion of Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty, Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum, and Donald Trump.

-When it comes to the general election he would vote for Romney over Obama, but he would vote for Obama if the GOP nominee was Palin or Cain. He’s undecided about match ups between Obama and Gingrich or Pawlenty.

-He does not consider himself to be a member of the Tea Party, and thinks Obama was born in the United States. He describes himself as ‘somewhat conservative,’ is between the ages of 46 and 65 and lives in the northeastern part of the state.

If Huntsman could find one person like this in each state. He’d have 50 votes.

The media seems to think that Huntsman will emerge as a top tier candidate but there’s almost no reason to believe that would be the case, especially given that he has very low name recognition, little to distinguish himself from guys like Romney and Pawlenty,  and, well, only one supporter in Iowa.

 

FILED UNDER: 2012 Election, US Politics, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. Brett says:

    They’re just desperate to fan the flames of controversy, otherwise they might have to fire some of the political reporters and “analysts” they’ve hired for election season.

    More seriously, Huntsman always struck me as the candidate who, on paper, would be a perfect Republican challenger to Obama. He’s rich, nice, non-controversial, conservative, good foreign policy experience, and so forth. A pity that often doesn’t work out, particularly if you don’t have much in the way of charisma.

  2. Half Canadian says:

    He voted for Obama? He was a McCain supporter during the primaries.
    That’s a serious betrayal.
    And:
    http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/03/27/mccain-and-romney-and-huntsman-oh-my/
    “And Huntsman endorsed McCain early on — mid 2006 — which was seen as a blow to Romney . . .”

  3. John Hinds says:

    I’d comment but it would be as bereft of meaning as Huntsman’s run. Why bother?

  4. Dave says:

    Mark Halperin has Huntsman as the odds-on favorite to win the nomination. Is that something he thinks will happen or something he hopes will happen?

    http://www.time.com/time/interactive/0,31813,2074085,00.html

  5. Franklin says:

    He voted for Obama? He was a McCain supporter during the primaries.

    You’re misunderstanding, as I first did when I read the post. It’s talking about the one Iowa Republican who would vote for Huntsman, not Huntsman himself.

  6. Half Canadian says:

    Ouch. Thanks for catching that.

  7. Vast Variety says:

    He voted for Obama? He was a McCain supporter during the primaries.
    That’s a serious betrayal.

    Not after McCain added Palin to the ticket.

  8. Walter Sobchak says:

    I think it is rather premature to write anyone off. At this point in 2007, who was Barack Hussein Obama? Huntsman may or may not make much of a splash in this campaign. He might wind up as a VP nominee. He might be really angling for 2016 or 2020.

  9. anemone says:

    Was Huntsman in Iowa that day? Perhaps they are one and the same

  10. Forgotten Man says:

    So you’re saying that if he gets one vote from each state he’ll get 50 votes? Is that because there are 50 states in the United States and 50 times 1 is 50? I love seeing arithmetic in action!

  11. junyo says:

    I love how writers, in the act of spilling ink/electrons to bitch about Huntsman, seem to think his biggest negative is “low name recognition”. He’s apparently so unrecognizable that they have to write about him and explain exactly how unrecognizable he is.

    Also there’s “…little to distinguish himself from guys like Romney and Pawlenty”? You mean other than foreign policy experience directly with one of our largest trade partners, not passing Masscare, and being slightly bullet proof in a general election against BHO?

    Not saying he’s the guy, or that I’d even vote for him, but I find the amount of conservative column inches being devoted to how unwinnable his candidacy is curiouser and curiouser

  12. LogicalSC says:

    And all of them are in the Iowans for Obama office in the slums of Des Moines as well as in the bus carrying the MSM Obama groupies around Iowa to smear the Republican candidate.

  13. WarEagle says:

    I think Huntsman is Romney II, a handsome, empty suit.

    I would also say he doesn’t really have any idea what a conservative is if he says he’s “somewhat conservative”. I haven’t seen a single thing which would distinguish him from his former boss, Barack Obama.

    His father seems to be a fine, principled man. The son seems to be a smiling male model, or as they say in Texas, all hat and no cattlle.

  14. BobInFL says:

    Brett says:

    He’s rich, nice, non-controversial, conservative, good foreign policy experience, and so forth.

    Oh reeeaaally? Check this out: 2 minute “campaign” video

  15. Franklin says:

    He could be a great candidate for a general election in 2016. Most people doubt he could ever win the Republican nomination, though.

  16. teapartydoc says:

    Blechhh!

  17. Swen Swenson says:

    Somehow, I don’t think that RINO’s are going to fair well in the 2012 elections and Huntsman is as RINO as they come.

  18. solaris says:

    “Not saying he’s the guy, or that I’d even vote for him, but I find the amount of conservative column inches being devoted to how unwinnable his candidacy is curiouser and curiouser”

    Huntsman makes John McCain seem conservative. Does that satisfy your curiosity?

  19. junyo says:

    “Huntsman makes John McCain seem conservative. Does that satisfy your curiosity?”

    Not really.

    Whether he is or isn’t a RINO is debateable, and honestly, is only of importance to idealoges. Most sensible voters don’t care about political purity tests. More important, that doesn’t really speak to his ability (or lack thereof) to win an election.

  20. Forgotten Man says:

    By “RINO” do you mean that he’s a person that actually passed a flat tax and captured 78% of the vote in the most republican state? Is there some other conservative litmus test I’m not aware of?

  21. Forgotten Man says:

    @WarEagle. Huntsman was Ambassador to Singapore and China, ran portions of the family business, twice elected Governor of Utah. You call that no experience? I’d like to see your resume.