NEW YORK--Ten days after dropping out of the GOP race, erstwhile candidate and former Utah governor Jon Huntsman has accepted his next job: chairman of the Salt Lake City-based Huntsman Cancer Foundation.

The foundation announced this morning Huntsman will succeed his father Jon M. Huntsman, who will serve as chairman emeritus.

Huntsman Sr. who founded the namesake organization said his son takes the position "with a wealth of leadership experience."

On the campaign trail, Huntsman often touted his experience "running a cancer institute" when answering questions from voters about his experience. He also regularly invoked the idea of cancer in his stump speeches.

"We have a cancer metastasizing in this country," Huntsman said hundreds of times across New Hampshire. "It's called debt."

"His unparalleled international reputation and experience will greatly enhance the life-saving work in which the Foundation is engaged," his father noted in a statement. "We join together with the entire Huntsman Cancer Institute team of more than 1,300 full-time faculty and staff in welcoming Jon to this new position."

This comes after the younger Huntsman told a voter at a GOP breakfast on Charleston's Daniel Island that his father "is not well." The elder Huntsman -- who was expected to bankroll his son's presidential bid via Our Destiny PAC -- attended his son's primary night celebration in New Hampshire and his announcement to leave the race in South Carolina.

Huntsman Jr., who dropped out on January 16, endorsed Mitt Romney after struggling to gain traction in the polls. He finished a distant third place in the New Hampshire primary after centering his entire campaign efforts in the Granite State. Unlike Romney's other major surrogates including former GOP rival Tim Pawlenty however, Huntsman is not expected to play a major role in Romney's national efforts, after recording a targeted auto-dial message to moderate voters in South Carolina shortly after dropping out.

Huntsman's new role is perhaps one of several he may assume in the coming months. Many have speculated what the future holds for the well-credentialed Huntsman, who has served in three Republican administrations and most recently as President Obama's top envoy to China.

This is also a return to the foundation for Huntsman, who served as an executive when the foundation was first launched by his father in 1995.

According to a release from the organization, the Huntsman Cancer Foundation is a cancer research center that provides patient care, education and outreach for ways to prevent and treat cancer, and "the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in the entire Intermountain West."

Jon Huntsman will drop his presidential bid and endorse Mitt Romney, according to campaign sources.

"He doesn't want to stand in the way of the person who is going to be the nominee," a campaign source said.

Huntsman will make the announcement during a speech in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Monday at 11 a.m. ET, spokesman Tim Miller said. Huntsman, who earlier Sunday was endorsed by The State (the largest newspaper in South Carolina), had vowed to stay in the race despite his third-place showing in New Hampshire. He boasted in a speech on primary night Tuesday that he had a "ticket to ride" and that it was "on to South Carolina."

The move to endorse Romney is especially ironic, considering Huntsman up until yesterday, was saying nobody wants a "coronation." Huntsman also delivered his most searing line of the campaign -- at Romney's expense -- in a debate just before the New Hampshire primary. Romney criticized Huntsman's service as ambassador to China under President Obama to which Huntsman replied, "This nation is divided because of attitudes like that."

NBC's Chris Donovan reminds that Huntsman also was harshly critical of Romney on Meet the Press, questioning his consistency. "When there is a question about whether you're running for the White House or running for the waffle house, you've got a real problem with the American people," Huntsman charged. 

He went on to add that he believed because of Romney's inconsistency, he was "unelectable."

"I think when you're on too many sides of the issues of the day, when you don't have that core, when there's that element of trust out there," Huntsman said, "I think that becomes a problem, and I think it makes you unelectable against Barack Obama."

He later went on to say he'd support Romney if he becomes the nominee, "but I think the electability issue is a, is a very real one."

Political reality apparently set in for the former Utah governor. He did not poll well in the Palmetto State, never rising above low single digits. The path for him was not at all clear after New Hampshire, and he acknowledged that his expectations in South Carolina were "very low."

"Gov. Huntsman is proud of the race he ran and his message of restoring trust in Washington," another campaign source said. "But he did not want to stand in the way of the candidate best prepared to beat Barack Obama and turn the economy around. That's Mitt Romney."

Slideshow: Jon Huntsman Jr.

Brian Snyder / Reuters

Businessman, governor and ambassador: a look at Jon Huntsman's public life.

Launch slideshow

Huntsman decided "days ago" -- shortly after the New Hampshire primary -- that he would not go on with his campaign, according to a high-level source close to the campaign.

Senior staffers in South Carolina say the campaign struggled to get Huntsman to campaign in the state following his third-place finish in New Hampshire. They say the campaign had no infrastructure in the state and suffered from lack of resources and communication issues. Not even signs had arrived yet from New Hampshire. Many volunteers had no work assigned to them. 

One senior South Carolina staffer said he was disappointed with what he had been promised by the campaign and was already mulling returning to his previous job.

Senior supporters and consultants were continually frustrated, they said, by a lack of fundraising to support what the national campaign originally promised -- a full-fledged campaign. Senior sources also noted that many fundraisers questions why Huntsman chose not to fund his campaign with his personal wealth. They were frustrated also that more resources were not devoted earlier.

NBC's Garrett Haake reports that Huntsman's campaign advance director was told the candidate was dropping out by a Romney staffer, who had been told by an NBC reporter minutes earlier. According to that Romney staffer, Huntsman campaign staff were at the debate walk through (there's a debate tomorrow night) asking "real" questions and were seemingly fully involved.

Much, if not all, of the Romney campaign team was also unaware -- despite Huntsman endorsing him tomorrow. The campaign's political director, for example, found out via a news alert.

Several members of the Huntsman advance team, who flew down just this morning, were unaware of the decision. Huntsman's regional political director found of the decision via an NBC reporters' Tweet.

Huntsman's YouTube channel -- which used to have lots of anti-Romney videos on it -- has been scrubbed already and none of the anti-Romney videos are there any longer. Also taken down are www.scaredmittless2012.com and 10Kbet.com -- both were created by the Huntsman campaign.

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC -- On Wednesday, Jon Huntsman said his bronze-medal finish in the New Hampshire primary gave him a "ticket to ride" to South Carolina, but the former Utah governor is doing his best to keep his Palmetto State expectations low.

Or in his words, "Very low."

"But I think we'll exceed that," Huntsman quickly added.

Huntsman is realistic about his chances in a state to which he has only visited a handful of times with just nine days to go voting day. The former ambassador to China -- who did more than 170 public campaign stops in New Hampshire over a six-month period -- has lots of ground to make up in the Palmetto State.

He clocked in at 1% of support in the a recent CNN poll of likely South Carolina Republican voters.

"We don't have as much time as we did in New Hampshire," Huntsman conceded in Columbia, after speaking to more than 100 students at faculty at the University of South Carolina Moore School of Business. "But we have enough energy and we have enough of a message and enough  of a good team on the ground and that's what I think matters in the  end."
 
Huntsman's team in South Carolina is actually much larger than many realize -- with four field staffers and support from prominent leaders, including South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson. Another major supporter, former South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster, called Huntsman a "red hot" candidate who he believes can overcome a
massive name ID challenge in a state that is more conservative and evangelical compared to New Hampshire.  .
 
While Huntsman tries to mute expectations, he also remains his usual upbeat self.

“Ladies and gentleman, I am an optimist or I wouldn’t be standing here in front of you,” he said at a town hall meeting in North Charleston on Wednesday night.

However, caution prevails. When asked if he will definitely campaign in Florida -- a state where his campaign headquarters once was located -- a worn-looking Huntsman smiled, "Well, one state at a time. One state at a time."

EXETER NH--Ending his New Hampshire marathon exactly where he first began it, Jon Huntsman delivered his closing argument to his biggest ever crowd in the Granite State, hoping that his weekend surge will be enough to propel him to South Carolina.

“Something is happening out there,” Huntsman said, basking in deafening cheers at the quintessentially charming Exeter Town Hall. “I have no idea what it is going to mean tomorrow night, but I do know this:  we’re going to surprise a whole lot of people in this country.”

Alex Wong / Getty Images

Jon Huntsman speaks to voters during a 'Restoring Trust Rally' in Exeter, New Hampshire.

Huntsman launched his Granite State strategy on June 21 in the same town hall. Later, New Hampshire would become the singular focus of shoe-string strategy that was once a three-state approach. His sudden surge over the past several days has been a welcome change for a candidate who usually spoke to crowds of a few dozen until very recently.

Huntsman also hammered home a new mantra: “Country First.” The phrase
-- which was first used in John McCain's 2008 campaign -- is a ninth hour addition to his stump speech, after front-runner Mitt Romney questioned Huntsman's decision to serve as US ambassador to China under Democratic incumbent Barack Obama in two debates last weekend.
The Huntsman campaign began airing an television advertisement slamming Romney's position and generated new lawn signs emblazoned with the tagline to drive the point home in the final hours before New Hampshire votes.

“Our movement is here to put our country first. We’re tired of people putting politics first,” Huntsman said of Romney as his Exeter crowd roared.

The sizeable rally, which was utterly unfathomable just one week ago, featured an energetic Huntsman who spent the day crisscrossing the state drawing a contrast between himself and Mitt Romney. Clad in a leather bomber jacket, Huntsman brought up Romney's debate comments repeatedly.

"It has become abundantly clear over the last couple of days what differentiates Gov. Romney and me," Huntsman told reporters in Concord today. "I will always put my country first. It seems that Gov. Romney believes in putting politics first. Gov. Romney enjoys firing people.
I enjoy creating jobs."

Huntsman was referring to a comment on health care by Romney earlier in the day, during which Romney answered a question on health care.

"I like being able to fire people who provide services to me," Romney said this morning. "If someone doesn't give me the good service I need, I want to say I am going to get somebody else to provide that service to me."

Huntsman spent most of his final full day on the New Hampshire trail kissing babies, dropping by diners and bakeries, and shaking hands with any voter who would give him their attention. Starting from the northern reaches of the state and slowly working his way south, Huntsman told voters he wanted to "twist your arm and earn your vote."

"We're looking for a little help," a hopeful Huntsman told voters in Nashua. "We need help in getting out the vote tomorrow. We've worked very, very hard...no one has worked this state like we have."

By evening, a cloudy moment momentarily dampened the otherwise ebuillient mood.

Huntsman's application to appear in the Arizona primary ballot was rejected because of a missing notarized signature today, according to the Arizona Secretary of State's Office. This comes after the former Utah governor missed ballot requirements in Virginia and Illinois. The Huntsman campaign vowed that it did complete the application and plans to litigate to put his name on the ballot.

But Huntsman himself remained focused on leveraging his weekend surge into a performance worthy of the many days he has spent in the Granite State.

"Are we ready to rock and roll tomorrow?" Huntsman bellowed in Exeter.
"We are ready to rock and roll!"

HAMPSTEAD NH—Over the past week, Jon Huntsman has said he needs a “market moving event” to perform well in Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary. Today might have been his exactly what he was hoping for.
Throughout the day, the self-ascribed underdog Huntsman has turned an attack by Mitt Romney into an opportunities to hit back, expressing exactly how he feels about the front-runner.

At this morning’s Meet the Press/Facebook debate, Huntsman opened with a reference to an attack from Romney at another GOP debate last night, in which the former Massachusetts governor criticized Huntsman for
serving as Obama’s ambassador to China.

"I was criticized last night by Gov. Romney for putting my country first," Huntsman said this morning on the debate stage in Concord. "He criticized me, while he was out raising money, for serving my country in China, like my two sons who are in the United States Navy … I will always put my country first. I think that's important.”

Later this afternoon, at a coffee shop miles away from the stage, Huntsman was asked if he felt that he “found his voice.”

Clad in his signature bomber jacket emblazoned with “Governor Huntsman” and an American flag, Huntsman did not politely steer away from attacking his rival as he is wont to do. For once, he capitalized on the attack and fired back.

“Let's just be honest about it. I put my country first. Apparently, Mitt Romney doesn't believe in putting country first,” Huntsman told
reporters. “He's got this bumper sticker that says ‘believe in America.’ How can you believe in America when you're not willing to
serve America? That's just phony nonsense.”

Referring to Romney’s ubiquitous blue bumper stickers and signs that far outnumber his red counterparts along New Hampshire roads, Huntsman explained a position he and his wife Mary Kaye have articulated ad nauseam at more than 160 public events across the state.

“I say I served my country, I step up when my president asked and I always will, its part of my philosophy. I know it may be hard for Mitt Romney and some people to take, but most of America is with me because in the end they want this America to be working together.”

With just over 36 hours hours to go until voting begins in the first-in-nation primary, Huntsman declared he will continue to make his case to voters until the final hour. He has told reporters he doesn’t have to come in first, but only needs to “beat market expectations.” With polls ticking up for him in recent days, Huntsman is optimistic that his decision to focus his entire campaign in the Granite State will propel him to the next stop, South Carolina.

"We're going to barnstorm this state as we have been doing for months, more so than any other candidate," Huntsman said. "We're going to remind people that the underdog is out there, the underdog that can change this country. But in order for the underdog to perform at the top, we need the help of the people."

CONCORD, NH -- GOP presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman today strongly objected to a video made by an apparent Ron Paul supporter about his two adopted daughters and his ability to speak Mandarin Chinese.

"It's just stupid," he told a group of college students today. "If someone wants to poke fun at me for speaking Chinese, that's okay. What I object to is bringing forward pictures and videos of my adopted daughters, suggesting that there is some sinister motive there."

Huntsman went onto describe how 12-year-old Gracie, who often appears on the campaign trail at his side, was found in a vegetable market in China and taken to an orphanage, from which Huntsman and his wife Mary Kaye adopted her. At campaign stops throughout New Hampshire, Huntsman often playfully introduces Gracie his "senior foreign policy adviser."

Send in your questions for Sunday's NBC News-Facebook debate on Meet the Press

The video, posted by a user named NHLiberty4Paul on YouTube, questions Huntsman's American values and calls him a "Manchurian candidate," before showing Huntsman with a Mao Zedong suit super imposed on his likeness. The video also features images of him with his adopted daughters Gracie Mei and Asha, who were born in China and India, respectively.

Yesterday, Huntsman's campaign spokesman Tim Miller condemned the video as "offensive" and called on Ron Paul and the people who created the video to apologize to the Huntsman family.

The Paul campaign immediately responded and called the video "utterly distasteful."

"Anyone who would post something like this is clearly not a supporter of Dr. Paul's principles," said Kate Schackai, Paul's New Hampshire media coordinator.

The user did not immediately respond with comment, and NBC News has not yet been able to confirm if NHLiberty4Paul is indeed a Paul supporter.

When asked whether Paul himself should apologize, Huntsman told reporters, "If the group is in any way affiliated with his organization of course he should. It's just political campaign nonsense. It happens from time to time."

But ever the diplomat, Huntsman steered the conversation to a larger lesson, telling his college-aged audience that Gracie and Asha are "a daily reminder that there are a lot of kids in this world who don't have the breaks that you do and who face a very, very uncertain future that lacks health care that lacks the ability to dream and plan and any sense of upward mobility."

"Now these two girls are on the presidential campaign trail," Huntsman said. "I say, how cool is that?"

Huntsman's oldest three daughters have been particularly active on Twitter, campaigning for their dad as the @Jon2012girls.

MANCHESTER, NH -- As the saying goes, better late than never?

With less than one week to go before New Hampshire votes, Jon Huntsman's campaign has announced he has raised enough money to air his first TV ad on the state's largest television station, thanks to a special fundraising effort along with a major personal contribution by Huntsman himself.

Spokesman Tim Miller told NBC News that the ad will go up "in a day or two" on WMUR, New Hampshire's largest television station. The 30-second advertisement, entitled "Only One," calls Huntsman a "consistent conservative" and runs through Huntsman's resume and hits on what has become his closing argument: the "trust and economic deficits."

"The ad will drive home a message Gov. Huntsman is uniquely qualified to deliver to New Hampshire voters about closing our economic deficit, creating jobs and restoring trust in Washington," Miller said on Wednesday.

Huntsman's inaugural ad will hit the airwaves just as the campaign spotlight shifts to New Hampshire from Iowa, which Huntsman skipped.

The ad is only possible thanks to a targeted online appeal for contributions to get Huntsman on the air starting late last week, coupled with Huntsman's own wealth. Two days after fundraising started, Huntsman and his wife Mary Kaye decided to inject personal cash into campaign in the ninth hour.

As of this writing, the campaign had raised $88,115 from donors alone, according to its website. Most of this will be matched by Huntsman, though the campaign could not yet confirm exactly how much will be matched by the candidate and how much was raised before his pledge to match.

When the ad makes it on the air, it will be the fourth spot featuring Huntsman to go up here. Three pro-Huntsman ads from Our Destiny PAC, a super PAC supporting his candidacy, have aired in New Hampshire over the past several months.

Our Destiny, according to NBC's ad-tracking numbers, has spent $1.8 million in New Hampshire -- more than any other campaign or political action committee. That's followed by Ron Paul at $1.5 million, Mitt Romney at $1 million, and Rick Perry at $230,000.

PITTSFIELD, NH -- Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman had this reaction to the news that John McCain -- whom Huntsman endorsed four years ago -- was backing Mitt Romney today in New Hampshire:

Nobody cares.

"I have great regard for Sen. McCain. I love the man. But it's another example of establishment piling on," Huntsman told reporters at Globe Incorporated, a first-responder fire suit manufacturer today.

"It seems the more establishment piles on, Dole, McCain, all the rest, nobody cares. Nobody cares about this. I mean, none of the endorsements that Romney picked up have been a thing in terms of how people respond, because the people are looking for a new generation of leadership. They're looking for a new approach to problem solving in this country. You can get all the Doles and McCains in the world as Romney probably will, but in the end, nobody cares."

Last night, Huntsman -- who has focused his entire campaign here and skipped Iowa -- had the same message for the eventual winner of the Iowa caucuses, Rick Santorum Mitt Romney: "Welcome to New Hampshire. Nobody cares."

BEDFORD, NH -- As Rick Santorum is surging toward a strong finish in Iowa, his campaign believes he is well positioned for a better-than-expected performance in the next contest: the New Hampshire primary.

"We are ready," Santorum state director Nick Pappas told NBC News. "We are not going to be behind the eight ball on this one. It's just a matter of time, we are definitely prepared for what is coming."

Even before he began to rise in the Iowa polls, Santorum was bullish on his chances in the Granite State, where he plans to campaign immediately after the Jan. 3 caucuses. "I guess I feel very confident we are going to do well here, but we're just taking it a day at a time and working hard at it," he told NBC News in Merrimack, back in early December.

Santorum's strategy here is nearly identical to his Iowa ground game: old school retail politics that is all about frequency. His events, like in Iowa, often only garner a handful voters each (and sometimes just this NBC News reporter). But Santorum has built an organization that his campaign thinks will be able to wage a noble fight in the final days ahead of the first-in-the-nation primary.

For starters, Santorum's national campaign director, Mike Biundo, is a New Hampshire political expert who has been involved in local politics for the better part of 20 years. He has directed successful mayoral and congressional campaigns for Rep. Frank Guinta (R-NH). Chosen early on to head up Santorum's New Hampshire political action committee, Biundo is also no stranger to presidential campaigns; he worked for Tommy Thompson in 2000 and helped drive Pat Buchanan to a New Hampshire primary victory in 1996.

In October, when Biundo was elevated to national political director and then national campaign manager, it was clear New Hampshire would remain a key state for the shoe-string campaign, and Biundo would help Santorum learn from others' mistakes.

"We talked about what happened with Huckabee in New Hampshire in 2008," Biundo told NBC News, recalling his first conversation with Santorum in December of 2010. "Huckabee was up coming into New Hampshire but without spending a lot of time or groundwork here. So we knew, to bring momentum to South Carolina, we had to put together a very good organization in New Hampshire early -- so if Iowa did what we thought, we would come into New Hampshire with something work with."

"New Hampshire strategy starts with hard work and it can't happen in a week," Biundo added.

The efforts has produced six-person staff that looks very much like the "little engine that could" that Santorum often refers to in Iowa. A small army of faithful volunteers manage daily responsibilities and have put out more campaign road-side signs than any campaign except Mitt Romney. If signs indicated campaign strength, Santorum would place a close second.  The navy blue signs dotted with a white eagle are in every corner of the state.

In addition, Santorum has a modest -- yet pronounced -- base of conservative support. Today, five more state representatives endorsed him, adding to a list that now totals 22. Despite his low polling, Santorum managed to snag rare state senator and county sheriff endorsements, the latter from the same county where Mitt Romney owns a vacation home.

Santorum also hopes to be on the air soon with television and radio ads. He has not aired any spots to date with little money to spare.

On the issues, Santorum's socially conservative credentials have been an unlikely advantage in a state whose Republicans are considered more moderate than those in Iowa. Conservative activists like Karen Testerman -- who previously served Michele Bachmann as a New Hampshire adviser -- have signed on because of his unabashed support of traditional family structures and anti-abortion rights position.

"Voters realize these issues are tied into their pocketbook," state director Pappas said. "Especially abortion, Planned Parenthood taking tax dollars, and broken families. Social issues are attached to the pocket book."

Lastly, Santorum has been a familiar face in New Hampshire, having campaigned in the state as much as Mitt Romney  has, and being second only to Jon Huntsman (who nowadays doesn't campaign anywhere else). And when he's on the ground here, he draws attention to his northeast roots, saying that his home of Pennsylvania "looks a whole lot like Manchester and Nashua."

Pappas, the New Hampshire director, says they aim to lock down 70 to 80% of voters at every event, big or (mostly) small. And Santorum has no problem doing campaign stops with attendees counted on one hand. In the far reaches of north country, Santorum told NBC News he hopes the personal touch will be remembered when voters walk into the voting booth January 10.

Still, Santorum has an enormous uphill battle to do well in New Hampshire. In addition to receiving just single digits in the latest Suffolk/7News poll, the survey finds him with a net-negative image.

"They have the core of a very solid foundation here because they've worked hard over the past year. But ... the big challenge is his image ratings are poor. He is upside down in his favorability ratings, and probably over 80% of the state already has an opinion of him," explained Rich Killion, an unaffiliated political consultant who formerly supported Tim Pawlenty.

Killion expects to see a bump from Santorum's Iowa performance, but believes it's unlikely the candidate can pull off a miraculous victory. National campaign manager Biundo is realistic but hopeful.

"We just have to do better than people expect here, and I think we'll be able to do that," said Biundo.

As for Santorum himself, Biundo says the former two-term Pennsylvania senator believes in his on-the-ground model more than ever and refuses to be anything but positive in the face of an enormous Romney campaign that has largely dominated the state.

"When Iowa ended up lighting the fire, we knew there would be plenty of kindle in New Hampshire to build on the momentum," Biundo said.

FRANKLIN, N.H. -- While the rest of the pack campaigns in Iowa, here in New Hampshire Jon Huntsman is playing the electability card aggressively, calling himself the only viable alternative to Mitt Romney. Today, the former Utah governor who is skipping Iowa said that while Iowa is key in "winnowing down" the Republican field, he believes the New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary will determine the candidates' electability in a race against an "establishment" candidate.

"Electability is not going to come out of Iowa, it is going to come out of New Hampshire," Huntsman told voters in Franklin, referring to his 6 rivals campaigning in Iowa this weekend. "Electability is what people are going to be looking for in South Carolina and in Florida."

"I think there's a natural winnowing out process that takes place in Iowa," he added earlier in Derry. "There will be an outcome and that outcome will be quickly forgotten and then you have New Hampshire."

Huntsman argues that New Hampshire "will set the standard going forward." As he tries to downplay his absence from the Iowa caucuses, he added that he believes the Jan. 3 results will be forgotten "within a day or two."

It is an ideal but unlikely scenario for Huntsman, regardless of which GOP candidate walks away with the Iowa win on Tuesday. Despite the fact he has invested everything in New Hampshire, he has trailed front-runner Mitt Romney by double digits in state-wide polls since he got into the race last spring.

However, the wide gap has not stopped Huntsman from painting the New Hampshire contest as a two-man race. The former ambassador to China has targeted the lion's share of his attacks on Romney, calling him a "serial flip flopper" and predicting he would be an "status quo" president."

"You want Romney? Everybody wants an alternative," Huntsman said. "Let's face it, they want competition in the marketplace. And they are still looking for that key alternative."

Huntsman took every opportunity to draw clear distinctions between himself and the former Massachusetts governor.

"We are two different people. How can you bring change to Congress and capitol hill when you have half of congress supporting you?" Huntsman said in Franklin today, referring to a long list of prominent endorsements Romney has received. "No way, no how."

Huntsman has received almost no national-level endorsements except for former Homeland Security secretary Tom Ridge.

Yet at the same time, the candidate's campaign staff also seem threatened by Ron Paul. Starting last week, the campaign have put out a series of direct attacks on Paul, who also tops Huntsman in the polls in New Hampshire. Huntsman has called the libertarian-minded Paul "unelectable" and his foreign policy untenable to audiences across New Hampshire. And last night shortly after midnight, the campaign unveiled a new Twilight Zone-themed web video that features controversial statements by the Texas representative.

When asked about the new spot today in Derry, Huntsman tried to play down Paul's role as his competition.

"You have to compare and contrast with the leading candidates in the race here in New Hampshire," he told reporters. "It's only natural and that's what people expect. That's how people can better understand you and your message."

He quickly pivoted back to the electability factor.

"But I don't believe Ron Paul can go on and win the general election," Huntsman said. "I don't believe he can put together enough mainstream support to be successful in the general election and that's increasingly the question people I think need to ask."

EXETER, NH -- As Jon Huntsman campaigns in New Hampshire for votes one handshake at a time, the pro-Huntsman Super PAC Our Destiny has purchased $218,000 of air time in the Granite State labeling Mitt Romney a "chameleon."

It is the first TV ad of the cycle to single out and criticize Romney, the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination.

The ad, which will appear in both New Hampshire and the greater Boston area, attempts to paint a narrative that Huntsman and Romney are the "two serious candidates" left in the race.

"Two serious candidates remain. One willing to say anything; be anything. One who can actually do the job," the narrator says in the ad. "Stop the chameleon, vote Jon Huntsman."

The new spot coincidentally aligns with Huntsman's new -- and more aggressive -- verbal jabs at both Romney and Ron Paul in the past two weeks.

Last night in Wolfeboro -- the New Hampshire town where Romney owns a vacation home -- Huntsman called Romney "establishment." Two weeks ago, he also named the former Massachusetts governor a "serial flip-flopper."
 
"You know the establishment wants to tell you that we've already got somebody chosen in Gov. Romney. I say nonsense," Huntsman bellowed to an audience of more than 200 last night in what is considered Romney country. "The last thing this country needs is a status quo president at a time when change is so desperately required."

In the past, Huntsman has told NBC News he is grateful for any outside support. Operating on a shoe-string budget with little fundraising, Huntsman consolidated his campaign from a multi-state strategy to just New Hampshire this fall.

PORTSMOUTH, NH -- When former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson decided to leave the GOP to pursue the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination two days ago, his former New Hampshire staffers chose not to go with him.

This morning, Johnson's New Hampshire staff declared their support for Ron Paul -- with just four days to go until the Hawkeye State votes and 11 days to the New Hampshire primary.

"Like many political observers, we see clear and compelling differences between Congressman Ron Paul and the other candidates who will garner significant support in New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary," the staffers said in a statement.

They explained their move to Paul was born out of necessity.

"We think the people who care about the things we care about should get behind Ron Paul....we wish Gov. Johnson well," Matt Simon, Johnson's former New Hampshire communications director, told NBC News on Friday.

The decision to back the Texas congressman came two months after Johnson suspended his New Hampshire-centric campaign in October. His staff left shortly thereafter in search of a new candidate.

Simon added that they would be willing to continue support Johnson in the general election -- assuming Paul does not win the GOP nod and Johnson wins the Libertarian nomination.

But for now, supporting libertarian-inspired ideals as early as possible is the top priority for the former Johnson staff.

"I've never been someone who votes for the lesser of two evils," said Simon, referring to New Hampshire front runners Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich.

In addition to Simon, Johnson supporters who are now backing Paul include Brinck Slattery, the former New Hampshire state coordinator; Nick Murray, former Seacoast field coordinator and college coordinator; Andy Hauger, former Merrimack Valley field coordinator; and Eric Jackman, former Southwestern New Hampshire field coordinator to Paul.

The five will simply support Paul -- and, as of now, they will not formally join his organization or be paid. The Paul campaign could not be immediately reached for comment.

Joe Hunter, Johnson's communications director, told NBC: "With the New Hampshire primary coming and with Gary having announced he is running as a libertarian, it makes perfect sense for them to be supporting Ron Paul in the primary."