You should read Think Progress’s report on all-but-confirmed Republican candidate Jon Huntsman’s progressive agenda as governor of Utah. Here’s one case:
Supports civil unions: While governor, Huntsman supported expanding civil unions to same-sex couples, for which he was criticized by conservative Republicans. Huntsman told the Deseret News: “I’m a firm believer in the traditional construct of marriage, a man and a woman. But I also think that we can go a greater distance in enhancing equal rights for others in nontraditional relationships.” He stood by his support yesterday in an interview with Time.
Based on this list alone, Huntsman looks to the left of Bill Clinton when he was in office. I think running a liberal Republican in the general election would be a smart thing to do this time around, but I have no idea how Huntsman plans to get through the primaries with this record.
“I have no idea how Huntsman plans to get through the primaries with this record.”
By splitting the crazy vote?
Huntsman has zero chance.
which,
of course,
means slog will post about him ad nauseum
He won’t! The right demands adherence to their bigoted dogma. Period.
Maybe he is really a Leftist who had the bright idea to run as a Republican?
I honestly don’t know why more progressives don’t just use the Republican name to get into office. Well, besides the deceit thing. That is probably bad.
It takes a little more than supporting gay partnerships and a handful of slightly-left-of-center policy views to be a progressive. Is that really how low the bar is now, and guy with a few opinions that might be called centrist in most place?
I like Obama, but he’s not all that progressive. And neither is this guy. Besides if this guy wants to win the nomination he’s going to have to backpedal and recant on a lot of that stuff.
…and you’re missing out on the biggest thing of all: as a Republican, he will work with a Republican House and Senate to fuck your lives over, regardless of how moderate he himself is. And he will nominate guess what to the Supreme Court?
He left the governorship of Utah at a convenient time; by doing so, he avoided the controversy over illegal immigration and several other nasty and divisive legislative issues that have come up since in Utah. It was a wise move on his part – he did not have to take a stand on any of the issues. Therefore he does appear to be a stealth progressive by many measures. However, he is most definitely a Republican, and he is most definitely a Mormon, no matter how lightly he tries to tread there. Bottom line – he can’t be trusted.
I don’t care how nice a Republican sounds, I don’t trust them, and I will never vote for one. Our own popular Secretary of State Sam Reed is a good example of a nice Republican who I do not support.
If he runs, I’ll vote for him in the primary. (Georgia has open primaries, so I can vote for him and still go with Obama in the general.)
Still, I think he’s running for 2016. Getting some name recognition now, then running for real when things (hopefully? please God?) settle down after Republicans nominate a psycho this time around.
Yes, he’s running for 2016, and hoping that the toxic crazy will have passed through the bowels of the GOP by then.
The GOP base is still convinced that they lost in 2008 because they didn’t run a “real” conservative. Well, not at the top of the ticket, anyway.
“Based on this list alone, Huntsman looks to the left of Bill Clinton”
Yeah…cause we all know that being ‘progressive’ on human right issues means that you’re some kind of stealth progressive ninja who will morph into Stalin if the keywords are said in the right order. I have a whole lot of respect for anyone who takes the time to read up on an issue and makes a decision in the best interest of population as a whole. Clearly Huntsman knows that spending tax dollars fighting the rights people are going to get them anyway is incredibly wasteful, counter productive and STUPID. Also, someone very very very close to him is having issues with these laws and his first hand account at the destructiveness of these laws is the only reason he’s chosen now to give a shit. It’s a stab in the dark, but most people don’t wake up one morning and “change” their mind from anti-gay to notanti-gay, it takes solid evidence that their previous position is ONLY rooted in bigotry to change a mind like this.