UT-Gov: Huntsman to be named Ambassador to China

[ccharles000]

http://www.swingstateproject.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=4967

According to the Associated Press Utah Governor Jon Huntsman will be named Ambassador to China.

This means that Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert will take over as Governor. Utah will have a special election for the race in 2010. But, assuming Herbert runs and our extreme dearth of quaality candidates in the states, I don't think we'd have a great shot.
I know this may not be the right place, and even if it was its really early, but I can't help but think of the effect this is going to have on the 2012 Presidential race. Huntsman has been a popular name among political junkies as a guy to run in 2012 and I think a lot of people saw his coming out in support of civil unions as a first step to a Presidential run. But this really squashes a lot of that as I don't think a guy can win a Republican Presidential primary when his last job was as an Amassador in the Obama administration.

[medeak]

1. go on a mission and adopt a baby

wow..that really qualifies you as ambassador...but I like the way you think

[FrenchieCat]

2. I think there is more to it than that.

and I think this guy has more than that on his resume.

[Common Sense Party]

4. He's a pretty good governor, at least for a Utah Republican.

Up until this past year, the state finances were doing pretty well, and he's not bat-guano crazy like 99% of the Repubs in the state legislature.

[Common Sense Party]

3. Ummm...he's already been an ambassador. He speaks the

language fluently. And he's been on several trade missions to China as governor.

Much more qualified than a lot of ambassadors.

[medeak]

5. what guv hasn't been on trade missions with them?

mine has many times and voted most embarrassing guv in US (and mormon as well) but whatever...who's the lt guv in Utah?

[Common Sense Party]

6. Gary Herbert. I don't know anything about him.

[Hamlette]

9. Herbert is from Utah county which is code speak around Utah for right wing looney

I don't know too much about him either but was seen as having been added to the ticket with Huntsman so he, Herbert, could bring in the looney vote.

[Hamlette]

8. He was a deputy US trade representative under George HW Bush and ambassador to Singapore

He's been a pretty decent governor too, very out front on environmental issues.

[Baby Snooks]

15. But....

His family's fortunes aren't what they used to be and his family's fortunes might improve through his being appointed ambassador to China in terms of the existing business ties to China.

Some in Congress may in fact question those ties. And the potential conflict-of-interest. Some in Congress should.

He is also a Republican with ties to the Bushes. Quite a few would prefer a Democrat without ties to the Bushes.

[Hamlette]

17. I would much prefer to see a democrat too

but it makes some sense to look bipartisan these days and if you have to pick a couple of republicans to persuade voters that we are not as hyper partisan as the GOP, you could do a lot worse.

[JI7]

7. you should learn more about Huntsman, he has a very good relationship

with people of different cultures. he isn't a bigot like most republicans. his family regularly holds events for different cultures, religions etc .

i'm sure if he ran in a Republican Primary they would attack him for attending some of these events.

[smalll]

10. How DARE Obama appoint a REPUBLICAN named HUNTSMAN from UTAH?!?!

This is SO against EVERYTHING your standard upstanding Upper-West-Sider stands for!

It's like a triple slap in the face! Republican? Huntsman?? UTAH???

Obama? He's Dead To Me Now! :)

[Drunken Irishman]

11. Huntsman is more liberal than most Utah Democrats.

I don't know much about Herbert, but I'd wager he's more conservative than Huntsman.

[SamCooke]

12. Didn't they just say Obama's people thought he could challend them in 2012?

I'll believe this when I see it.

[Common Sense Party]

13. Huntsman didn't have a chance at winning the Repuke nomination.

You saw how far Mitt Romney went, basically trying to buy the nod. What makes anyone think Huntsman will fare any better?

[Drunken Irishman]

16. Probably not.

Huntsman won't ever win the Republican nomination. Not only is he a fairly moderate Republican, he's Mormon and we saw what happened to Romney with that.

[Rowdyboy]

14. If Huntsman is seriously interested, he would go for 2016, not 2012....

He's young. He could serve in China and still break with the administration in 8 years

[Arkana]

18. Heh...this is an excellent move.

Huntsman went on an LDS mission to China and is fluent in Mandarin.

Plus, it's a gesture of bipartisanship, will send the GOP into a frothing frenzy about "PURGING THE UNCLEAN" again, and Obama gets to sit back, put his feet up on the Resolute desk, and just LAUGH.