Jon Huntsman -- only sane Republican presidential candidate

Driving home this evening, I tuned my car's satellite radio to MSNBC. I wanted to hear at least a little bit of the Republican presidential debate in Simi Valley, California.

If I'd heard more, my head might have exploded -- the rhetoric was that ridiculous. I couldn't understand why the audience didn't laugh out loud at some of the answers candidates gave to questions.

For example, Ron Paul ranted on about the uselessness of building a fence along the Mexican border to deter illegal immigration. He said that this fence could just as easily keep people in the country, not allowing them to leave.

Huh?

I wasn't aware that there were throngs of American citizens clustering at the border, trying to make their way to Mexico without a passport, desperate to escape the hell of an Obama economy, a tall fence being the only thing keeping them inside the United States.

“Every time you think about this toughness on the border and ID cards and REAL IDs, think it’s a penalty against the American people too. I think this fence business is designed and may well be used against us and keep us in. In economic turmoil, the people want to leave with their capital and there’s capital controls and there’s people controls. Every time you think about the fence, think about the fences being used against us, keeping us in.”

Michelle Bachmann didn't think it was in our national interest to help the Libyan people get rid of Gaddafi.

Ignorantly and wrongly, she said Obama was forced by the United Nations to intervene in Libya. Actually, it was Obama and Hillary Clinton who skillfully put together an international coalition to defeat Gadaffi, choosing for the U.S. to "lead from behind" to avoid giving Gadaffi a boost by enabling him to say, this is another example of American imperialism, just like Iraq.

Jon Huntsman was the only Republican presidential candidate who sounded like a normal rational human being. It's too bad that his web site sucks, and he's only polling at about 1%, last I heard.

That sounds about right: one in a hundred Republican primary voters appreciate moderation, intelligence, courtesy, honesty, and science. On most issues I don't agree with Huntsman, but I respect how he presents his views reasonably and rationally.

When Huntsman announced his candidacy I was worried that he could be a tough match-up against Obama in 2012. He could appeal to a lot of independent voters who are more conservative than my wife and I are, yet haven't lost their senses by imbibing too much Tea Party crap.

Fortunately for Obama, the leading Republican presidential candidates won't appeal to middle-of-the-road voters.

It was a breath of fresh air to hear Huntsman talk about how the Republican Party can't deny the reality of global warming when 98 out of 100 leading climatologists affirm that human-caused climate change is happening. Huntsman also -- shock! -- committed the heresy of saying that he believes in evolution.

We live in disturbing times.

It's absolutely crazy that no one is capable of winning the Republican presidential nomination unless he/she is anti-science and pro-creationism. But the good news for us progressives is that it won't be possible for a wacked-out Republican nominee to beat Obama in the general election.

Yay! Four more years! Thank you, Tea Party. You're going to hand Obama another term, even in a terrible economy, because you dominate the Republican primary process.

Comments

[Roger]

Brian,

Perry stated, "Galileo got outvoted for a spell."

--Who, in Galileo's time, out voted him?

[Blogger Brian]

Roger, I heard that Perry comment also. Didn't really make sense. Wouldn't Galileo have been "outvoted" by Christian/Catholic fundamentalists, the medieval equivalent of Rick Perry?

[Bob]

Unless we see a significant improvement in the economy, with more jobs, etc., Obama's chance for re-election is slim to zero.

With the media focus on Perry - at this point in time, I'd put my money on his election next November.

It's all so unfortunate.

[Roger]

I'm guessing, the spell must have been Galileo's observations and writings on Heliocentrism.

wikipedia: Heliocentrism is the astronomical model in which the Earth and planets revolve around a stationary Sun at the center of the solar system.

And, yes Galileo must have been outvoted by religious fundamentalist of his time.

That said, the point Perry was trying to make, seems kinda confusing.

[tucson]

"For example, Ron Paul ranted on about the uselessness of building a fence along the Mexican border to deter illegal immigration. He said that this fence could just as easily keep people in the country, not allowing them to leave."

--I think he was trying to make a philosophical metaphor but botched it up. I don't think he meant literally that it would physically impede Americans wishing to escape to Mexico.

Regarding the religious views of some of the candidates which you hold in contempt because it indicates a fragility of intellect that renders them unfit for office...

Remember that you once believed that a certain turbaned figure had magical powers including being able to reduce your karmic load and to place an astral image of himself at your third eye which would guide you through a vast cosmology of inner spiritual realms to God. To accomplish this end you believed that avoiding egg whites, among other things, was necessary.

Yet, despite this, you were able during those years, I assume, to carry on the duties of your job rationally.

[Roger]

Hi tucson,

Glad to see you are around.

[Rain]

Someone like Perry running for an office which enables him to influence regulations and sign laws, who has a fundamentalist view of life, is a lot different than say a car salesman with the same kind of view. One can impact my life. The other only if I want to go buy a car from him, and unless he tried to convert me, it wouldn't make much difference as I likely would not know.

Perry showed a lot of other ignorant views in that debate like that he could totally trust the legal system and didn't have to worry that someone would be found guilty of murder who is innocent. He has to know, doesn't he, that it has happened; and if you know much about our legal system, you wouldn't have too much faith in the way it's handled. Juries are limited as to what they must base their decision upon.

He was wrong also about Social Security which is an insurance system not a Ponzi scheme. It can easily be fixed by adjusting upward the cap. It will be there for young people even if not the same amount as it is today. He has used that simply to be able to attract the righties. Remember this is the guy who supported Al Gore in 2000. He says what he needs and what does that mean he truly believes?

If someone is a religious fundamentalist, it isn't necessarily bad that they become president. Someone like Perry though who seems a lot like an Elmer Gantry, he will be. He'll be worse than Bush for how he will make decisions. His record in Texas isn't that great if you look at the statistics on say health care or even the income of the people.

Those who vote based on someone's religion always find it offensive that someone else might do the same in the opposite way. Given what we have seen with the House and the governors elected in 2010, we, who don't like fundamentalism, have reason to take into consideration religious talk-- negatively.

[Rain]

oh and add to it how he has handled the fire departments, taking away funding for their equipment. Now with the fires, what does he want? Federal government help. He's a hypocrite.

Jon Huntsman was the only guy up there who sounded like a conservative as the word used to mean anyway.

[Mark Neupert]

The more I see and listen to Jon Huntsman the more I see him as the real deal.The man has the whole package.He speaks better than---well you know where I was going with that---He shows the true ability to lead this country out of the mess that has been created by our last few leaders.I like the guy.He makes sense and has the ability to deal with anyone in the proper manner.Diplomacy is the key to all great leaders. With that quality firmly in hand Jon Huntsman is the clear choice to undo what has been a true faltering in the great American ideals of all.