He's In! Jon Huntsman Officially Enters the Race

    

Last week I wrote about the Republican field's penchant for running on a "platform of crazy", the exception being Romney's flirtations with reason and practicality (for which many of his opponents criticized him.) Now, with Jon Huntsman officially entering the race on Wednesday, it seems Romney may have some company in the really real world. Huntsman, in his opening video and subsequent speech, advocated for a tone of civility and mutual respect; saying the current dialogue has become corrosive. This was off-set somewhat by his opening line during the press-conference, in which he revealed about his campaign motto, "“It goes something like this, see if you like it: ‘Live free or die,’." Not exactly the kind of diplomatic opener one would expect, but he tempered his message nonetheless.

     If in 2008 the Republican Party could guess that four years later their two most level-headed candidates would both be Mormons, I feel the evangelicals would have jumped ship (it's OK, they walk on water). That's not to say that Huntsman isn't a strong social conservative, but he made very clear in his speech on Wednesday that issues would drive his campaign, not religion. This is a good idea, because according to exit polls in the 2008 primaries nearly 40% of voting Republicans said they would not vote for a Mormon president. Though the political landscape has shifted significantly, a recent Gallup poll reveals that 1 in 5 are still wary about voting for a Mormon.

     Huntsman differentiates himself from other candidates in a number of other ways, as well. As Obama's ambassador to China, he has a strong background in foreign affairs (and is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, to boot). He dropped out of high school to play keyboard for his rock band Wizard (he later finished), and was one of the most popular governors in Utah's history. However, Mitt Romney, the one candidate he's perhaps most closely aligned to politically and religiously, is someone with whom he shares a lot in common. Both are Mormon, but they're also distantly related. They were both the sons of industrial giants and both were also governors. There Romney wins out on domestic politicking, as a member of the U.S. Senate, Huntsman wins in foreign politicking as ambassador to the greatest competitor and second greatest power only to the U.S.; China.

     Despite the ties and similarities, it's fairly early in the nomination process for Huntsman and Romney to start a rivalry; particularly because they're so similar and should one attack the other it would most likely damage their own campaign as well. The fact is that Huntsman is hovering just around 1% in national polls while Romney retains his seat at the top of the pile. Huntsman's going to need to work pretty hard not only to seperate himself, but to convince voters that he matters enough to serperate himself.

     That said, it's refreshing to see some GOP that aren't spouting radical right-wing ideologies or making cheerleading the cornerstone of their campaign. Huntsman and Romney will no doubt continue to shape their messages as the campaign unfolds, and though Romney still holds the highest polling numbers, Bachmann has managed to inch forward since the New Hampshire debate (with her bright red pom-poms and "Obama is a one-term president!" cheer) despite the fact that she hasn't officially entered the race yet. Look to August for candidates to start distinguishing themselves on issue specifics. Texas Governor Rick Perry will be stumping in South Carolina and the early "Straw Poll" in Ames, Iowa will start to light a fire under their so far empty proselytising.