Jon Huntsman quits the Republican presidential race

To be fair to the man, he really had no path to the nomination.

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Jon M. Huntsman Jr. will announce Monday that he is ending his bid for the Republican presidential nomination and endorsing Mitt Romney, narrowing the field and erasing a challenge to Mr. Romney from the moderate wing of his party.

Mr. Huntsman, who had hoped to use the South Carolina primary this week to revive his flagging candidacy, informed his advisers on Sunday that he was bowing to political reality and would back Mr. Romney, whom he accused a week ago of putting party ahead of country.

Mr. Huntsman, who had struggled to live up to the early expectations of his candidacy, was to deliver a speech Monday morning in Myrtle Beach, where the five remaining major Republican candidates will gather hours later for a debate. His endorsement of Mr. Romney is indication of the party establishment getting behind Mr. Romney and trying to focus the party on defeating President Obama.

“The governor and his family, at this point in the race, decided it was time for Republicans to rally around a candidate who could beat Barack Obama and turn around the economy,” Matt David, Mr. Huntsman’s campaign manager, said in an interview Sunday evening. “That candidate is Gov. Mitt Romney.”

But Mr. Huntsman’s decision was unlikely to have any particular influence where Mr. Romney needs it most, among social and religious conservatives who remain wary of Mr. Romney’s ideological inconsistency. With the withdrawal of Mr. Huntsman, who despite his efforts to portray himself as more conservative than Mr. Romney was often viewed as the moderate in the race, the South Carolina primary is now Mr. Romney against an array of opponents coming at him from the right.

I have a theory as to why Huntsman could not win. Partially it is because of his association with President Barack Obama. However, there is another reason too; it is because the man was seen as too moderate, and the GOP had been down that road before. You see, for all of George W. Bush’s great performance during and after the attacks on 9/11; Bush was, for the most part a very moderate Republican. A Rockefeller Conservative, if you will. No child left behind, the bail out of the banks and other such things were seen by many of the rib-rocked Conservatives, as Big Government actions. The Republican establishment never forgot this, neither did the grassroots. So, they decided against a man, who I felt personally could have made a difference in Washington D.C.

I am not a fan of Mitt Romney, as you already have read here. However, I will concede on thing, he can debate very well and he can also think on his feet. I believe that, if anyone, Mitt Romney will be able to beat Obama in the general election. Santorum is too far to the right; a radical in some eyes. Romney strikes a more measured moderate tone, and I believe that is important. Because as Barry Goldwater found out in 1964, that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice and that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue; but it just does not win elections. Americans recoil away from extremist views and beliefs. This explains why people like David Duke or Madalyn Murray O’Hair were never President. 😀

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I respect Ron Paul and all, But…..

This is one of the stupidest things, that I have ever seen come out of Ron Paul’s camp:

LAKE JACKSON, Texas – Ron Paul tonight scored an historic second-place victory in the 2012 New Hampshire Primary. Below please find comments from National Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton:

“Ron Paul tonight had an incredibly strong second-place finish in New Hampshire and has stunned the national media and political establishment.

“When added to Paul’s top-tier showing in Iowa, it’s clear he is the sole Republican candidate who can take on and defeat both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama.

“The race is becoming more clearly a two-man race between establishment candidate Mitt Romney and Ron Paul, the candidate of authentic change. That means there is only one true conservative choice.

“Ron Paul has won more votes in Iowa and New Hampshire than any candidate but Mitt Romney.

“Ron Paul and Mitt Romney have been shown in national polls to be the only two candidates who can defeat Barack Obama.

“And Ron Paul and Mitt Romney are the only two candidates who can run a full, national campaign, competing in state after state over the coming weeks and months. Ron Paul’s fundraising numbers — over $13 million this quarter — also prove he will be able to compete with Mitt Romney. No other candidate can do all of these things.

“Ron Paul is clearly the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney as the campaign goes forward.

“We urge Ron Paul’s opponents who have been unsuccessfully trying to be the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney to unite by getting out of the race and uniting behind Paul’s candidacy.

“Ron Paul has the boldest plan to cut spending, a dedication to protecting life, and a lifelong dedication to the Constitution and limited government. He also has the necessary support to campaign nationwide against Mitt Romney.

“Our campaign is already planning ahead for South Carolina, Florida, and beyond. Soon Ron Paul will head to South Carolina to begin a feverish round of campaigning.

“Ron Paul is in this race for the long haul. And he is ready to fight.

“See you on the campaign trail.” — Ron Paul To Everyone But Mitt: Drop Out

I respect the man and all; However, I do not respect his newsletters, neither do I respect his tin-foil hat crap that he and his supports are known for; especially when it comes to 9/11. I also do not have any use for his foreign policy, which I feel is worse than Rick Santorum’s Wilsonian foreign policy.

In other words, the man has no business being President.

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Video: Jon Huntsman “Country First”

I tend to believe that if Mitt Romney was not running and the Republican Party was not so far in the right corner — this guy might have a chance.

Unfortunately, Mitt Romney is there and everyone hates him; and the rest of them cannot get elected. Poor ol’ Jon cannot get a break.

It is a good ad. It just will fall on deaf ears.