Posted on 11/30/2012 2:16:36 PM PST by drewh
Former Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman said Friday that the Republican Party should stress its "libertarian roots" rather than "fringe" social issues as it evaluates its election losses.
“I think the deliberation about the Republican Party that we’re having is a very healthy thing," Huntsman told CNN. "And if we don’t wind up at the end of the exercise with a mission statement that is one sentence long, then we’re toast. That one statement ought to be, ‘Balance the budgets and get out of people’s lives.’ And you ought to build the party around that because we have strong libertarian roots that go way back to the early days of the Republican Party.
Huntsman went on to warn that the party was occasionally consumed by such "fringe issues, and it gets us stuck in the alleyways of life that take our focus away from what is really important for the American people, and that is individual freedom and that is getting the budgets balanced so people can get on with their lives.”
Huntsman, who was the former U.S. Ambassador to China under President Obama, also urged Republicans to cool their rhetoric surrounding the terrorist attack in Benghazi.
"What I'm saying about the Benghazi incident is let's lower the politics," Huntsman said. "Let's let the experts collect the information."
He also downplayed any suggestion that he could serve as Secretary of State, with Hillary Clinton planning to leave the job at the end of the president's first term — although seemingly indicated he would accept the job, if asked.
"I don't play the hypothetical game," Huntsman said. "We have moved on. My history has always spoken to putting my country first, and if I didn't, my two sons at the U.S. Naval Academy would never forgive me."
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
Huntsman drinks Chinese Kool-Aid, or I could rephrase that into something nasty.
I can’t believe he started speaking Chinese in the primary debate. Like that was supposed to win over conservatives?
LOL, Huntsman sees an opening.
John, zip your pants back up and get outa Dodge.
You’re embarrassing yourself.
and the GOP should take his advice because??
He must have gotten massive primary support to have such a voice in the party.
lolz
The experts did collect the information, and the regime lied about it.
Huntsman should just become a Democrat and get it over with.
..he’s the one who called Romney a “well-lubricated weather vane” in the campaign—a couple of days later, dropped out and supported Romney—what a man of principle...
What Libertarian roots? The Republican Party hasn't had a semblance of respect for the Constitution or limited government since the days of LBJ!
Personally, I think he is exactly right. We should be attending to the business of government and not meddling in people’s business. Just follow the Constitution and we’ll be fine. If the subject is not contained therein, just leave it alone. There isn’t a person on this forum who wants the government telling them what to do or how to live their lives.
Republicans are their own worst enemy. Romney lost the election when he uttered the infamous words “self-deportation.” If we don’t move up the Latino vote, we will go the way of the Whigs and we will deserve it.
Avoid social issues. It wasn’t Republicans who made birth control and abortion free. Not to mention libertarians sat on their prissy hands.
This is a two edged sword. If the mass media doesn’t pick up on this story all the chest pounding by the Republicans will just come back to haunt them. While we should be frank to acknowledge the obvious cover-up it does little good to get out in front of the story. Sooner or later the truth will come out. But we can’t force it out. We have few to no friends in the liberal mass media. We can’t rely on Fox News to smoke out the Obamanites. They are oblivious to the story and will go down the drain to protect their “Lord and Savior.”
Why doesn’t he just go skiing with his cousin and stop talking, well both should stop talking.
The GOP should stand by Conservative Principles and not Vote for Rice and let Obama go over the fiscal Cliff.
I didn’t realize that John Anderson was still alive.
Besides, the GOP is the party of social conservatism.
“ibertarians” and the left have done enough to destroy America in the last 40 years.
The only difference between Huntsman and Romney is that Huntsman has access to more money.
History shows that the Republican Party only loses elections when we do not have a solid social conservative at the top of the ticket, and only wins elections when there is a Bush or Nixon on the ticket.
Yes, the important thing to be for abortion on demand, including killing babies that are just born, people being able to marry animals if they feel like it, and tolerating decadent culture overall. That’s what ‘s important. (snicker)
I have a thought for Huntsman, Conservatives should avoid the GOP and RINO’s like Huntsman.
How do we move up the Latino vote?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.