Tag: Jon Huntsman

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Gov. Huntsman: “All Americans should be treated equally under the law”

Wow. This is pretty amazing AND important.

In an article for the American Conservative, former Utah governor and presidential candidate Jon Huntsman writes that “the marketplace of ideas will render us irrelevant, and soon, if we are not honest about our time and place in history.” Huntsman underscores the importance of Republicans to embrace marriage equality:

While serving as governor of Utah, I pushed for civil unions and expanded reciprocal benefits for gay citizens. I did so not because of political pressure—indeed, at the time 70 percent of Utahns were opposed—but because as governor my role was to work for everybody, even those who didn’t have access to a powerful lobby. Civil unions, I believed, were a practical step that would bring all citizens more fully into the fabric of a state they already were—and always had been—a part of.

That was four years ago. Today we have an opportunity to do more: conservatives should start to lead again and push their states to join the nine others that allow all their citizens to marry. I’ve been married for 29 years. My marriage has been the greatest joy of my life. There is nothing conservative about denying other Americans the ability to forge that same relationship with the person they love.

All Americans should be treated equally by the law, whether they marry in a church, another religious institution, or a town hall. This does not mean that any religious group would be forced by the state to recognize relationships that run counter to their conscience. Civil equality is compatible with, and indeed promotes, freedom of conscience.

I often write that I’m in many ways a moderate Democrat. I like to see compromise on some issues and see the government come together to solve problems. That’s why I can’t get behind a GOP candidate that runs far to the right of the political spectrum to get their party’s votes and then try to pretend they represent me.

That being said, Gov. Huntsman showed himself to be a fair, smart and moderate Republican in the last campaign cycle that when I watched and listened to him, I thought – “if I had to have a Republican president, I could deal with this guy.” Of course, he wasn’t nearly “far right” enough for the GOP and he had to drop out of the race. Mittens got the nod, and the rest is history.

I think Gov. Huntsman is being honest with his party about marriage equality. It is the law of the land in many states now, with more to follow. This is the course of history.

Time to get with it, GOP kids. Or soon you could be as outdated as the KKK.

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Jon Huntsman sees a rise in NH poll

A Suffolk University poll conducted this weekend shows Mitt Romney dropping from 43% to 33% while Huntsman moved up to 13% from his 8% during the same survey last week, putting him in third place behind Ron Paul at 20%.

Huntsman tried using the weekend’s double-header of debates to separate himself from the rest of the field as a less partisan player. At one point he even lectured fellow Republicans for demagoguery about gay people.

“Talking about gays, talking about unions, everybody’s got something nasty to say,” he told them during Sunday’s Meet the Press debate. “You know what the people of this country are waiting for? They want a leader who is going to unify, who is going to bring us together, because at the end of the day that’s what leadership is all about. It’s not about taking on different groups and vilifying them for whatever reason, it’s about projecting a vision for a more hopeful tomorrow.”

During the Saturday night debate on ABC, Huntsman made the case for civil unions even while others onstage, such as Rick Santorum, argued for invalidating existing marriages of same-sex couples and amending the U.S. Constitution with a ban on same-sex marriage that Santorum said would ensure gays and lesbians can’t adopt or foster children.

Huntsman also opposes same-sex marriage but has not signed onto antigay pledges that would require him to back a federal amendment. Huntsman has said he eschews pledges as a rule. Santorum signed pledges from the Iowa Family Leader and the National Organization for Marriage. Romney signed the NOM pledge.

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Jon Huntsman and Ron Paul say “no” to the Donald

Via CNN: Texas Rep. Ron Paul and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman will both skip the debate to be moderated by real estate mogul Donald Trump, citing concerns about the seriousness of the event.

In a campaign statement released Saturday, Paul’s campaign called the debate a distraction from the real issues of the campaign.

“The selection of a reality television personality to host a presidential debate that voters nationwide will be watching is beneath the office of the Presidency and flies in the face of that office’s history and dignity,” Jesse Benton, Ron Paul’s national campaign chairman, said in a statement.

He added, “Mr. Trump’s participation as moderator will distract from questions and answers concerning important issues such as the national economy, crushing federal government debt, the role of the federal government, foreign policy, and the like. To be sure, Mr. Trump’s participation will contribute to an unwanted circus-like atmosphere.”

In an “I-know-you-are-but-what-am-I” moment, Trump slammed Paul as a non-electable candidate.

“As I said in the past and will reiterate again, Ron Paul has a zero chance of winning either the nomination or the Presidency,” Trump said in a statement to CNN. “My poll numbers were substantially higher than any of his poll numbers, at any time, and when I decided not to run, due to the equal time provisions concerning my hit show The Apprentice, I was leading the Republican field.”

Trump also took a swipe at Huntsman as “inconsequential”:

“Few people take Ron Paul seriously and many of his views and presentation make him a clown-like candidate,” Trump said. “I am glad he and Jon Huntsman, who has inconsequential poll numbers or a chance of winning, will not be attending the debate and wasting the time of the viewers who are trying very hard to make a very important decision.”

Huntsman’s campaign said Friday the former Utah governor wouldn’t be making an appearance at the event.

“We have declined to participate in the ‘Presidential Apprentice’ Debate with The Donald,” Huntsman spokesman Tim Miller said in a statement. “The Republican Party deserves a serious discussion of the issues so voters can choose a leader they trust to defeat President Obama and turn our economy around.”

On Friday, the conservative online publication Newsmax announced they were sponsoring the Trump-moderated debate on December 27. It will be held in Des Moines, Iowa, just days before the state holds its first-in-the-nation caucus.