The Huntsman Coup

[babylonsister]

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/05/the-huntsman-coup.html

The Huntsman Coup
Andrew Sullivan


In what can only be called a genius move for the Democrats and a terrible blow to the GOP, Obama has coopted Utah governor John Huntsman to be his new ambassador to China. Huntsman is the one of very few - Jeb and Crist are the others, in my view - who could rescue the GOP from generational oblivion. He's a conservative from Utah, but understands how ugly, bitter and extremist the Republicans have become. A pro-civil union Mormon who gets the problem of climate change, Huntsman was the un-Cheney. And Obama just snagged him.

Don't under-estimate Obama's policial cunning, guys. But for those of us with some small hope of restoring decency and moderation to the right, this is a major blow. What Obama is doing is bringing all the sane conservatives - from Crist to Huntsman to Gates - into his orbit.

And Cheney gets to be the the face of the GOP future.

[Wapsie B]

1. Yes Cheney does get to be the face of the gop. Rush too of course.

Brilliant move on Obama's part!

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. I can understand why he took it

Staying in the midst of the foodfight that is the current GOP is only going to splatter every single participant. Once all the bloodletting is over, he will be there to step into the void.

[lunatica]

3. The Right as it exists now would throw Hunstman under the bus in a second

And I believe Huntsman was very aware of that and decided he had something to offer as Ambassador to China rather than being marginalized by his own party. Perhaps he believes in serving rather than wasting his time with people he couldn't possibly be very proud of right now.

Funny, the party of extreme loyalty just trashed their best people without a second thought now.

[DJ13]

4. I dont know the guy, but I hope were not seeing this as a coup

based solely on party politics while missing the possibility that he represents the corporate interests first and foremost.

[babylonsister]

6. From James Fallows, a writer living in China...

Huntsman is qualified. He might want to get the heck away from the GOP and not be a part of their huge problem.

http://jamesfallows.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/05/twitter-scale_reaction_on_new.php

Twitter-scale reaction on new ambassador to China

16 May 2009 12:50 am

I am at a computer for about 90 seconds until late tonight, but: the reported selection of Utah's Republican governor Jon Huntsman Jr as the Obama Administration's new ambassador to China is an interesting and surprising choice -- and at face value, a shrewd one. Huntsman is reportedly fluent in Mandarin, based on his time as a Mormon missionary in Taiwan; has an adopted Chinese daughter (plus another from India, in addition to biological children); is experienced in Asia, as a boy-ambassador to Singapore (at age 32) during the first Bush administration; and -- so I gather -- is on the modern-science as opposed to the flat-earth side of the debate about the environmental + climate issues that constitute the most important impending business between the US and China. More later, but on first impression a clever choice from American-interest point of view (completely apart from what it means for internal party politics in the US). Will also give the Chinese leadership something to think about: why the new Democratic president has appointed a rising Republican politician. Sign of bipartisan US views toward China? Etc?

Subject to revision if there is something important I don't know about Huntsman and his record!

[grantcart]

5. Much much bigger than Specter

It shows that intelligent ambitious Republican politicians know that for the next 10 years the Republicans are not going to have a serious power base.

[randr]

7. More positive proof of Obama's bipartisan nature

Inclusion of real Republicans fosters our two party system for the benefit of all.
Ignoring the rabid ideologues that have co-opted the real conservative agenda will be the most effective
measure to shuffle them out the door.
The fact that Obama's choice is most excellent in all regards to qualification speaks for itself.

[SamCooke]

8. This guy is Pro Civil Unions and believes in Global Warming, Now I see why he took the job.

He had no chance of winning the GOP's nomination.

[TexasObserver]

9. the GOP won't nominate a Mormon

Sullivan is off base on this one. Huntsman has no chance of getting the GOP presidential nomination.

[babylonsister]

10. Maybe not now, but in 8 years? Who knows?

If the gop finds some sense, they're going to have to lighten up on their requirements or there will be no one in the country who will vote for them.

[TexasObserver]

13. The GOP is captured by the rightwing, Southern, Christian conservative.

Those folks despise Mormons with a passion.

[boppers]

11. Romney got pretty far....

Hatch is still chugging along, and (on our side) there's Reid... the religion isn't quite the liability it used to be.

[TexasObserver]

12. No, he didn't. He placed in a small number of states.

Romney will never be able to get GOP delegates in the South, which is the bulk of the GOP delegates.

Most Christians on the right do not consider the Mormon church Christian. They consider it a cult, similar to Scientology or the Unification Church.