Just out of curiosity, how is a guy who calls conservatives "anti-science" and refers to himself, not as the conservative, but as the "center-right" candidate, somehow become "THE option" for conservatives ?
I'm not even knocking him for working in the Obama administration, I'm more curious how someone who portrays themselves as a moderate (his words, not mine) and "center-right" or "right of center" (again his words not mine) becomes the option for people who are conservative ?
Even better, how is he supposed to pull this off after insulting conservatives directly ?
Huntsman has tried to eschew the moderate label. He isn’t too keen on any ‘label’ that the media might bestow. If anything, he is trying to portray himself (accurately as his record shows) as a consistent conservative. Have a look at the ads his campaign have created against Romney’s flip-flops, and the ad that his Super PAC broadcast in New Hampshire. They’re all about being a conservative.
Comparing his policy positions and past to that of Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, it is difficult not to conclude that Will, on this topic at least, has a point.
As for your other point, if you felt insulted, then I don’t blame you for not warming to the guy. I didn’t take his comments that way. I agree with his basic premise that the Republican Party cannot allow itself to be painted by the Democrats and the media, as the ‘anti-science’ party. Because that’s the spin they are taking. Now THAT I find insulting.
I agree that the anti-science remark was triggered more out of desperation from a candidate looking to catch a break in the media at that point than out of disrespect or hostility to anything or any one in particular, It served his purpose by widening the case with moderates and Independents but came across as so tone-deaf in right wing circles you will notice it wasn’t a mis-step that was repeated.
The fact remains there is no way to put together a winning base without appealing to ex-Obama supporters FED UP with the state of things (and there are TONS of them). What has to be kept in mind is that Huntsman is looking to scale up the concepts instituted in Utah without pandering or running away from his record. (Although I wouldn’t mind if he flip-flopped on global warming which isn’t going to fly as a political wedge issue.)
So because Jon is an old-school conservative, his indictment of the problems the party faces in continuing to be out of touch with mainstream America is obviously not an indictment of traditional free market conservative philosophy. It may not be a popular line to take, but if the country were interested in radical solutions by a less than qualified right wing theorist we would be on the verge of a Pres Bachmann, Pres Santorum, Paul, Perry etc., no ?
“The minute the Republican party becomes the anti-science party, we have a huge problem”
“We’re not going to win a national election if we become the anti-science party,”