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Subscribe to RSSIn addition to that OTHER interview on MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports" today, former presidential candidate Jon Huntsman made some news on the program, saying he disagrees with some of Mitt Romney's statements on China.
Former US Ambassador Jon Huntsman talks about the complex relationship between the U.S. and China.
Mitchell: You support Romney. Romney bashes Obama today in op-ed piece on China-is Mitt Romney wrong?
Huntsman: Well, let's just say that it's not unusual for candidates to be saying certain things about China. I've seen a lot of candidates who later became president who use a lot of rhetoric. It's much easier to talk about China in terms of the fear factor than the opportunity factor. Uh, I would disagree with some of what Gov. Romney has said and it's not surprising that Republicans disagree with each other from time to time.
Mitchell: But why support him then?
Huntsman: Well, you're going to disagree on the issues from time to time. I happen to think that on the economy he's best placed to do what needs to be done in terms of economic development and the creation of jobs. When it comes to China, I think it's wrongheaded when you talk about slapping a tariff on Day 1.
Mitchell: What about those who say anything to play to audiences and then they have to live with it -- which leads to bad foreign policy choices. What would be your advice to Mitt Romney, Obama, or Rick Santorum?
Huntsman: Less pandering -- take a step back and analyze with a clear vision. The most complicated, the most challenging, and the most important bilateral relationship we have in the 21st century. It's not going to be based on sound bites, it's not going to be based on short-term fixes and solutions-it is a long-term play between our people.
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I'd love to say something about this but I am a little busy posthumously circumcising some Mormons.
ideology,
Funny, but completely irrelevant.
I am so disgusted by religion and sex dominating political news as of late. Here's a topic that provides a chance to maybe not include these subjects in discussion?
Sigh....
Mark in SoCal
My Jewish half is offended ... sigh ... the part I left at Birkenau one cold November day.
Ideology---I was absolutely amazed to see that piece last night on Mormons posthumously baptizing people from other faiths. I think that takes a lot of "chitzpah."
idealogy,
Fair enuf.
(you can be Jewish AND Canadian??)
Did the Mormons posthumously baptize anyone famous? Maybe Billy Graham or Red Skelton? Spiro Agnew?
you can be Jewish AND Canadian?? ... just about whatever pleases one Mark if you have the chutzpah.
ideology - funny :)
The thing I took from Huntsman's interview was this acknowledgement that almost all candidates play up a boogieman somewhere to win votes out of fear. And that's okay, because he seems to be saying he's backing one of those candidates.
Mark, the way you feel about sex and religion is the way I'm feeling about politics in general. We as a nation have really screwed this up and arguably don't ourselves deserve the democracy we try to force on everyone else.
Wayne-1656909
they baptized Adolf Hitler posthumously ... famous enough?
L'chaim to chutzpah, then, eh!!!!
Paul, we really do seem to all be bit whack, don't we?
Idealogy, I recant my objection to your initial post.
Ideology---they also baptized President Obama's mother.
I know they did not try to do this to my mother because she would have come back from the afterlife and taken them all out.
Maybe that's why Romney wanted the auto industry to die... so he could baptize that, too. You know those Mormons. Corporations are people.
Romney has ZERO foreign policy experience or understanding. With all the global crisis, in the Middle East alone, this is no time for a newbie. I love the president getting tough on China and currency, and of course his team including Hillary.
After reading the previous threads I was looking for something not part of the religious agenda of the GOP and their religious money backers and their superpacs.:(
Ideology ,you provided me the lead in....
Mormonism believes in a tiered afterlife/heaven. They baptize, in a temple, five generations of their ancestors in belief that they will all be reunited in the highest part of heaven.
That is why the LSD library in Salt Lake City has the biggest repository of primary records from churches, public records from all over the world. When Mormons go on mission they also ask to scan all public and church records in the country . They leave a copies in the country and file one back in their library.
I researched my Swiss Catholic ancestors back to 1600's from the records in their library. I am sure most of your ancestors have been "baptized" in their ceremony.
I saw Eli Wiesel on television last night. He spoke eloquently about this disservice to Jewish people everywhere.
Wayne, the Mormons posthumously by proxy baptised Anne Frank, Hitler, Stalin and President Obama's mother.
I saw that segment last night on Lawrence. Wonder how the Mormon's would like it if other faiths baptised them by proxy after they died. Disgusting practice.
Northstar---thanks for explaining the practice. I find this so troubling and beyond arrogant.
Steeler Fan, good for your mother!
Northstar, that interview with Eli Wiesel brought to light a practice I don't recall hearing about. He was both eloquent and outraged.
I don't know Jody. In martial arts the Japanese confer higher ranks posthumously. I know of at least one that was even elevated to 10th Dan.
I find their choice of people in question. Who would want to be allied with Adolph Hitler? Anne Frank I could see.
All of the Mormons I have known are precious, kind, humble people that seem to like keeping their religious practices private. The more I see of Mormons the more I like them. We met some Mormon folks from my son's swim team and they are such nice people. I would trade 5 Christian couples for association with them.
Just sayin'.
GOP, Jody,
I have a hobby of doing genealogy research. I even had a buisness here in MN doing research for private requests for MN records. This was all before there was a internet. You can find most information on line now. So I met many Mormons when I took trips to Salt Lake City. Even sat next to one of their bishops on the plane one time. Fascinating theology and the way they structure their churches. Joseph Smith, their founder,was part of the Great Awakening that happened in the US during the 1800's. His is a unique take on Christianity with a American flavor.The US is the promised land...of the lattter days.
Fascinating Northstar!! Had no idea genealogy was a fancy of yours.
My brother recently did our family genealogy back a few generations. Interesting history from my brother, the genius. No,....really. His I.Q. is 158.
"Huntsman: Less pandering -- take a step back and analyze with a clear vision. The most complicated, the most challenging, and the most important bilateral relationship we have in the 21st century. It's not going to be based on sound bites"
And there, in a nutshell, is why Huntsman's campaign was doomed from the start. He just doesn't fit in with the rest of the nuts and the shells.
Right on, JoAnne. Hope to see Mr. Huntsman back for '16, with a more central-leaning Republican Party.
They're going to need more than 5 years to lean the other way. Huntsman will be too old to run by then.
You could be right, Wayne.
Mark -
I could go for less pandering and sound bites across the board in politics. But do either of us honestly think that's going to happen? Isn't it more likely that we're just going to keep on sliding down that slippery slope instead of taking the time and effort to climb back up to where we used to be? Do you see any evidence that the electorate as a whole is getting smarter instead of dumber? Do you see the media ever again focusing on in-depth analysis instead of cheap headlines and red-meat quotations taken out of context? And even if they did, would anyone pay attention? Is the same party that elected George W. Bush - twice! - and who is still making superstars out of the Palins and Bachmanns and Perrys and Cains - really likely to make a 180 degree turn in four years and suddenly embrace someone who can string two coherent sentences together? If we really valued American exceptionalism, wouldn't we be demanding more of it from our candidates?
I know.....lots of questions. I wish I wasn't so sure I already know the answers.
JoAnne,
A term Mr. Huntsman used at least once during the debates was "historical perspective," meaning it often takes time to truly realize the ramifications of a policy or action. The one thing candidates do not have during a campaign is time. The electorate wants promises of solutions and they want them now. The sad fact is the media publishes what they believe the electorate wants to hear - news outlets are businesses and as such will distribute what sells. They give us what we want.
To "step back and analyze with a clear vision" is, in my opinion, largely incompatable with campaigning. The candiates are all looking for the killer sound bite that will vault them up over their competition. I see the electorate overall has a rather short memory and attention span, giving the candidates multiple opportunity to test out their latest zingers, hoping to hit big.
Lots of questions here too!
Are you kidding? Look at St. Reagan?
They keep running these clowns until they croak!
First there was the crypt keeper McCain & now we have grumpy old Ron Paul...
Mark -
Of course, "the electorate overall" excludes you and me, right? :)
The only part of your post I might argue with is that "to step back and analyze with a clear vision" is, in my opinion, largely incompatable with campaigning", and here's where I'm going to go all partisan on you. Back in 2008, the day that I drove out to the local Obama headquarters and - for the first time in my life and against my normally shy nature - signed up for several months of intense volunteer work, was the day he gave his speech on race here in Philadelphia after all the Jeremiah Wright flap, and to this day I think it was one of the clearest analyses of a complex situation I've ever read - it was full of historical perspective, and noticeably short on sound bites or easy answers. I was in tears as I read it and re-read it. And that was right in the heat of the campaign, too - so it can be done. Can be, but will it? We'll see.
Anyway, thanks for the discussion. My attention span right now says I need to go home and feed the cats. Have a good evening!
Huntsman would make an excellent SecState. He seems to have a clear view on world affairs.
Agreed, phine - clear and also calm - two good traits in a diplomat. Since I keep hearing that Hillary wants out after this year, maybe President Obama can hire him back for his second term? :)
Now there's an intriguing idea. Jon Huntsman serves as Secretary of State for Obama's second term, then is elected president. Nice thread of continuity.
Not the first time Obama would include republicans in his administration. A lot of the current administration were repubs, from Geitner to Paulson.
He tried to recruit Judd Gregg, but the twerp turned him down. Anybody recall any Democrats appointed to posts in the Bush administration? Just askin.'
I really think Jon Huntsman would have been better off waiting 'til 2016 to run for Pres. If he had waited until Pres Obama was re-elected, resigned and spent the next two years prepping for a run, he may have had much more success. As it is, he now has the decision to resign to run against his boss as an asterisk in his resume and that's too bad as I think he would have had a great chance to be a successful Presidential candidate.
The GOP has this thing where everyone has to take their turn and thus Mitt is supposedly the next in line, but for many, his expiration date ran out along time ago and now where do they go? Rick Santorum aint going to cut it, and Romney is damaged goods...even before Michigan. So can President Obama get any luckier.
Huntsman should know. As ambassador to China he has dealt with and saw first hand what is happening in China. Some love to reule by fear and when someone comes along to ease the fears it is a relief.
Romney wants war on two fronts, a shooting war with Iran and a trade war with China. Lies and lunacy are a disagreeable platform to run on. As far as his business ability is concerned, Detroit is far more impressed with Obama's success than Mitt's flip flopping. His business for Chrysler would have been to sell all its assets, pocket the money, and leave them bankrupt and helpless. The American symbol under Obama is a soaring eagle. Romney would substitute a gorged vulture.
Affinity, you are hilarious!! I love the imagery of the vulture. Mitt is here right now, just north of me in prosperous Farmington Hills, Michigan. Mitt is speaking to their Chamber of Commerce. The republican party of Macomb County meanwhile is hosting Rick Santorum. More than a bit of a split / schism going on here in republican land!! In Michigan, Detroit is the only blue area, the rest of the state is ruled by knuckle dragging repubs.
You would figure that after his comments Mitt would be run out of Michigan on a rail, or tarred and feathered, but the republican robots just love him. As far as getting his party's nomination? I think the Mormon thing with the evangelicals is putting the kibosh on that deal.
If nominated I'm not sure he's electable. Dyed-in-the-wool evangelical repubs will sit out election day and wait for 2016. The Democrats beating up on these repub candidates is low-hanging fruit. Easy pickins. And by the way, it makes for some of the best free entertainment anywhere. Just wait'll Obama opens up on him.
Hello GOPisextinct, I've been getting much enjoyment from Affinity and your comments tonight.
"knuckle dragging repubs" LOL Too funny
***waves to UAWMichiganJim***
Any friend of GOP's is a friend of mine! ;o)
Thank you Feisty! I've been getting GREAT enjoyment from you comments for about a month now.
Hey Jim, so good to see you out and about this evening!! You on an a$$ kickin' mission?
No, not really, just correcting some seriousy FACT starved teabaggers. It just amazing how far off some of these Mind Giants can be!
Cool. Keep em on the straight and narrow. Independent Redneck's entry was legendary today. Clears up a lot of misconceptions about the auto loans. Too bad I couldn't log on to thank him for that one, but I think I'll send him a thank you email later. He usually doesn't "talk" to me though.
WOW you can say that again, I read that, it was Spot On!
Regulars to this blog, please introduce yourselves to my friend Jim, a Progressive Freedom Fighter of the first order. We are coworkers at Chrysler, and proud Union members.
If you get a spare moment please duck your head in and say "hi", and welcome him to the "pit",..just as you welcomed me here almost a year ago.
Thank you, my friend!
No prob Jim, and I officially welcome you to the war.
You know what they say about having a battle of wits with an unarmed enemy. LOL
I’m not worried about this election, considering the three stooges that the GOP is
running for president…
Newt – Mr. ethics running on Family Values … OMG LOL
Romney - The professional Flip Flopper. “Let the Auto Ind fail” err I mean “I’ve always supported the auto ind.” Errr I mean “We never should have bailed them out” errr I mean “I’ve always supported Michigan and it’s domestic industries” Wow how can anyone keep up???
Then we have Rick, all I can say about him at the moment is he is WAY to Conservative
for this country’s voters. I’m sure like all Repubs, he will surly give me boat loads of ammo to use against him. It’s just a matter of time.
Hello Jim! Welcome!
Hello Sailcat, and thank you!
Whoops too fast... see my comment above @ #6.2!
Welcome to the circus!
Who cares?
Huntsman's best shot for a future run is for Santorum to beat Romney for the nomination this year, then get creamed in the general election. If Republicans run an ultraconservative, fundamentalist candidate and lose big, they'll have to rethink the party's current direction and change course. If Romney wins the nomination and loses, Republicans will likely run even harder to the right. If Romney wins the Presidency, then he's the nominee in 2016. And if Santorum wins the Presidency...well some things are just too terrifying to contemplate.
I'm not sure Nathan. I think these republikans ave only one setting: "conservative moonbat". Their base likes this connie stuff, and I think nothing will break them loose from it.
Like I say, all Democrats have to do this election is remind America who was driving the last time America crashed.
Election won!
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012
Yep GOP, Americans need to ask themselves ... Am I better off with a party that is ONLY concerned about the wealthiest few or a party that actually cares about the country and her people?
Remember G.O.P. --> Greed Over People
Don't forget that when you go to the polls this November