Who is Jon Huntsman and Why is He Running for President?

I ask the question in all honesty. A reporter asked former Barack Obama adviser David Plouffe who he anticipated would be the toughest Republican opponent to face in 2012. He named then governor of Utah Jon Huntsman. Even the most politically astute observers responded, “Who? What?” Huntsman was shortly thereafter appointed ambassador to china by Obama, presumably to get a major potential opponent for 2012 out of the way.

Huntsman’s appointment as Ambassador to china does make some sense. He speaks fluent Mandarin because he spent time in Taiwan as a Mormon missionary after college. One wonders how the Chinese feel about a representative who has spent time in Taiwan, but that apparently has not caused any tension. What is puzzling is the assumption Huntsman is such strong presidential material. He obviously believes it himself. He will resign effective April in order to lay groundwork for a 2012 bid.

Huntsman was not a particular shining star in Utah.. He deliberately separated himself from the conservative wing of the Republican party and especially the tea Party on a number of key issues. He was for the stimulus and supports cap and trade. One suspects he is actually more comfortable as a centrist Democrat, but could not have gotten elected as one in Utah.

Obviously, Ploiffe was trying to puff up a weak opponent for 2012, one whom he knew must have had a wild hair to run anyway. Daddy huntsman is a billionaire, so he has the cash to blow on a long shot White House bid. Is there supposed to be some added drama that he is a former ambassador in the Obama administration? Beats me, but that angle has not really taken hold if so.

Here is the kicker--his nascent campaign is loaded with former John McCain staffers from 2008. As far as Republican circles go, I hope that is enough for everyone to dismiss him, but one wonders if the cocktail party conservatives of New York and DC find that as much of a detriment as the rest of us do. Nevertyheless, it looks like Obama’s 2012 campaign strategy is to run against McCain again if at all possible. We do not need to accommodate!