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Subscribe to RSSDespite his likely third-place finish in New Hampshire, Jon Huntsman will stay in the race, his campaign tells First Read.
"Of course, [We] were left for dead just three days ago, and look how much ground we've gained in that short time," Huntsman spokesman Tim Miller said when asked if Huntsman will continue on even if he finishes behind Ron Paul. "We are very excited about our momentum."
Huntsman senior advisor John Weaver says despite Romney's win, the campaign believes Mitt Romney leaves New Hampshire as a weaker frontrunner because of what Weaver calls Romney's verbal flubs over the last few days.
Reached just after NBC News projected Paul would come in second, Weaver said, "Our fundraising has picked up since the debate; our donor community is very excited about the way we finished the campaign, and we are heading to South Carolina."
Weaver added that Huntsman's message in his speech tonight is that he put "Country First" -- and Romney put politics first.
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Thank You Mr. Huntsman!
You are the ONLY candidate in the field who hasn't been certified as bat @!$%# crazy!
Should President Obama not be re-elected (which isn't going to happen) I could respect you!
Newsflash girly_bits.....Obama has as much of a chance of getting re-elected as you do of playing nice in the sandbox.......0
I agree, Feisty. I don't necessarily like all of Huntsman's positions (he supports Ryan's budget plan, for example), but he'd be a stronger president than Romney. I LOVE his line to Romney in the debate last week where he said that Romney's attitude was contributing to the division in our country. Republican voters might accept Huntsman's service abroad for the U.S. more than they would accept Romney's history with his health care plan.
Poor jonnie....can't even beat crazy L Ron Paul.
Time to pick up your chop sticks and go home (don't forget to take off your shoes before head in).
Gotta agree with Feisty. The sane Huntsman is the GOP's biggest fear once the fog lifts from the GOP voters.
justslapme,
you say.......the GOP "fear" Huntsman??
LOL, that's a laugh.
The only reason the GOP would fear HUntsman is because the GOP don't want him........Obama would beat his A#$.
Does anyone care that two small states whose population does not represent the make up of the US population decides who the candidate is? (And it is aided and abetted by the media)
phine ... I only get CNN live up here and they treat it all like a prize fight. Can't wait till they get to Florida where it may all wrap up or unravel if not in SC.
Ideology,
At least my home state, Florida, will be more representative of the overall population than the first three states. Wonder if that will matter by then?
phine,
I think so. It's not a winner take all this time around. Up here wannabes stick around till the end and sell their support for committee or cabinet postings, even better for senate postings as it is a life time appointment.
Ideology,
I hope you are right. And it is not just the GOP primaries I was talking about, but both parties. It is like a coronation now the Romney has won 2 states. It would be the same for a Dem.
I think Huntsman will have a hard time fundraising going forward. He needed a strong second just to have a shot at presenting himself as the anti-Romney. He didn't get that, coming up with half the votes Romney got, and less votes than Ron Paul got.
Santorum still has some claim because he followed a similar strategy in Iowa and finished in a virtual tie for first there. Huntsman camped out in New Hampshire and fell short.
Huntsman can stay in the race as long as he likes, of course. But in effect, he's out now. He doesn't have a ground game set up in South Carolina, he's not a candidate who is likely to cause a lot of buzz there anyway... and Florida? Unless he's willing to dip into family wealth and have a personally funded PAC run a bunch of ads, I have no idea how he's planning to compete there.
I suppose there's still an outside chance of an anti-Romney coming out of South Carolina. But that's somewhere between slim and none, especially now with Perry deciding he's going to hang around and try one more state. That will keep those looking for an anti-Romney divided between three choices (Santorum, Gingrich and Perry) instead of two. I don't even see Huntsman in that mix. And Paul is on a field by himself - in effect further cushioning Romney, because he can't be nominated and yet is still sucking oxygen from the tent.
Phine I agree! Fewer people voted in Iowa than all the voters in one of the smallest in counties in California. And this is supposed to portend what the nation wants in a candidate? Much ado about nothing! With a June primary California. one of the most populated states in the Country is now just an after thought!
I thought Iowans voting for Santorum was somewhat of a media backlash vote - it flew in the face of the media. The only thing worse to listen to than a candidate's spin is the media spin on the spin.
Huntsman should stay in - it ain't over til it's over.
The whole primary process has been up for debate and questioned for possible reforms for decades....I have been hearing about it forever, and yet we continue to do the same dog and pony show election after election. The concept of the caucus has been dragged into question, and the idea of electoral votes having more power than popular votes. And yet, despite all the debate, nothing changes. We can't even decide if it is safer to have computerized voting or possible hanging chads.
What's up with that guy over Ron Paul's shoulder?
And they're not cult members? Yeah right.
Gave me a laugh - a Romney supporter looking at Ron Paul supporters and using the word "cult."
I think Obama should ask Biden (the gaffe machine) to step down and ask Huntsman to take his place. lol
After all, Huntsman has already worked for Obama and we Republicans/Conservatives obviously don't want him for President. The Chinese are already eating us for lunch.
Romney will come unraveled in the national election and Obama will win.
Romney for more JOBS.....Obama for more DEBT.
"Romulian Romney" is for outsourcing all American Jobs to other countries. Read his record America. He has done this type of actions already when he was at Bain causing "Pain" Capitial. The "Romulain" is for sending jobs to nations that have no labor laws. The "Romulian" believes that all Labor Laws are European Socialism. The "Romulian" at Bain was against paying any wages to workers that effected their profits. The "Romulain" at Bain paid for NO health insurance benefits for the workers. Since all Labor Laws were not needed. The idea of a workers pension was not needed. The workers in other nations will slave in any conditions, and will die early. That is the "Romulian Romney" pension plan for pure profit. The "Romulian" caused alot of debt to the workers he fired, and more debt to the corporations that he destroyed/bankrupted. That is fact!
ummmmm......Staples and Sports Authority, etc. etc
If it is not our place to go into other nations and help them try to achieve a more democratic government by military support (everyone seem to universally feel that we had no business in Iraq, or Viet Nam, or Korea....) why then should we even deign to discuss the labor and health conditions that another nation is willing to tolerate, other people are willing to live under. Why isn't that equally abhorent.?
Huntsman is the real deal...obama made him our ambassator to china to try to keep him from running. keep an eye on this guy.....honesty and sincerity are written all over his face....
haha, maybe Obama should fire Biden (the gaffe machine) and put Huntsman in his place.
After all, China eats our lunch and Huntsman is OK with it.