UT-Sen: Huntsman might jump in

[Zioneer]

As per Deseret News/KSL (they're the same thing owned by the same people, KSL just has video)

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Probably just a rumor picked up by CNN (why would they have it before local news sources anyway), but hey, it's of interest. I would definitely vote for Huntsman over Mike Lee.

[NewYorkExpress]

Huntsman may be liked by the establishment, but as 2012 proved, the base loves fire-breathers like Lee.

Lee 62%
Huntsman 35%

[pbrower2a]

Huntsman would have a chance against Lee in the general election -- but he would have to run as either an Independent or as a Democrat.

 

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Huntsman would be a formidable primary opponent, but he's a bit too moderate and doesn't have a famous family name. Lee by 8-10.

[Vosem]

Huntsman would be a formidable primary opponent, but he's a bit too moderate and doesn't have a famous family name. Lee by 8-10.

Are you for real?

[Maxwell]

Huntsman would be a formidable primary opponent, but he's a bit too moderate and doesn't have a famous family name. Lee by 8-10.

Are you for real?

Wulfric has never been known to joke. He is very for real.

[SWE]

Huntsman would be a formidable primary opponent, but he's a bit too moderate and doesn't have a famous family name. Lee by 8-10.

Agreed, nobody in Utah has any clue who Huntsman is.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Huntsman would be a formidable primary opponent, but he's a bit too moderate and doesn't have a famous family name. Lee by 8-10.

Are you for real?

by famous, I was implying romney-level famous. I of course realize that huntsman has considerable name recognition.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Huntsman would be a formidable primary opponent, but he's a bit too moderate and doesn't have a famous family name. Lee by 8-10.

Are you for real?

by famous, I was implying romney-level famous. I of course realize that huntsman has considerable name recognition.

The Huntsmans are bigger than the Romneys in Utah.

[Maxwell]

Huntsman is also a 70%+ approval rating Governor of the state. But hey, he doesn't have a name in the state.

[RogueBeaver]

He won't run against Lee, but won't rule out another run.

[Vega]

Why would he run in any race as a Independent or as a Democrat? He's not as moderate as some of you people give him credit for. 

[IceSpear]

Unfortunately, even if he ran, he'd never win. The GOP sees him as a far left communist because he's a rational conservative that doesn't throw red meat to the base or constantly say stupid outrageous things.

[Zioneer]

He won't run against Lee, but won't rule out another run.

Wow, that was quick.

Unfortunately, even if he ran, he'd never win. The GOP sees him as a far left communist because he's a rational conservative that doesn't throw red meat to the base or constantly say stupid outrageous things.

He's actually still quite popular in Utah, but being Obama's ambassador to China has degraded his approval a bit.

[porky88]

Hunstman strikes me as someone who wouldn't be afraid to jump in as an Independent. Hell, Democrats would probably endorse him as well.

A repeat of Kansas.

[LeBron]

I don't find this all that shocking. The Huntsman family, most notably Huntsman Sr. and Abby Huntsman are strong backers of Romney. Abby did say on her show recently that she would love nothing more than to see Josh Romney challenge Mike Lee.

Huntsman would obviously be a formidable candidate and even I would consider voting for him if I was a Utah Republican, but he's simply not firebrand/conservative enough for the base.

[H. Ross Peron]

I'd enjoy seeing a Huntsman vs. Anderson race although that'd never happen.

[Zioneer]

I'd enjoy seeing a Huntsman vs. Anderson race although that'd never happen.

Rocky Anderson? Yeah that would be hilarious, though Rocky would get pummeled; he failed badly against the very moody Merill Cook, after all.

[Stranger in a strange land]

I'd enjoy seeing a Huntsman vs. Anderson race although that'd never happen.

Rocky Anderson? Yeah that would be hilarious, though Rocky would get pummeled; he failed badly against the very moody Merill Cook, after all.

I wonder if Anderson would even crack 20% in such a scenario. Huntsman's main threat would come from a right-wing independent or 3rd party.

[Rockefeller GOP]

I would love this, and I honestly think that he has a much better shot than people here give him credit for.  Most of the comments about the base of the GOP seem to more be describing Southern Republicans ... Utah Republicans are definitely socially conservative, but I don't see them as quite as nativist and uncompromising as evangelicals and Tea Partiers in the South.  They certainly wouldn't stop Huntsman at the door.

[Maxwell]

I would love this, and I honestly think that he has a much better shot than people here give him credit for.  Most of the comments about the base of the GOP seem to more be describing Southern Republicans ... Utah Republicans are definitely socially conservative, but I don't see them as quite as nativist and uncompromising as evangelicals and Tea Partiers in the South.  They certainly wouldn't stop Huntsman at the door.

You're actually probably right here. Huntsman is universally loved in the state, so in this scenario against an unpopular Mike Lee, he probably wins.

But he's not going to run.

[Maxwell]

I would love this, and I honestly think that he has a much better shot than people here give him credit for.  Most of the comments about the base of the GOP seem to more be describing Southern Republicans ... Utah Republicans are definitely socially conservative, but I don't see them as quite as nativist and uncompromising as evangelicals and Tea Partiers in the South.  They certainly wouldn't stop Huntsman at the door.

You're actually probably right here. Huntsman is universally loved in the state, so in this scenario against an unpopular Mike Lee, he probably wins.

But he's not going to run.

Huntsman is not loved. He merely relied on pleasing as many establishment types as possible in a state were voters have minimal expectations. Besides, having high approval ratings won't save you in the Utah GOP, as Mike Leavitt learned the hard way.

Mike Leavitt won re-election three times?

[Zioneer]

I would love this, and I honestly think that he has a much better shot than people here give him credit for.  Most of the comments about the base of the GOP seem to more be describing Southern Republicans ... Utah Republicans are definitely socially conservative, but I don't see them as quite as nativist and uncompromising as evangelicals and Tea Partiers in the South.  They certainly wouldn't stop Huntsman at the door.

You're actually probably right here. Huntsman is universally loved in the state, so in this scenario against an unpopular Mike Lee, he probably wins.

But he's not going to run.

Huntsman is not loved. He merely relied on pleasing as many establishment types as possible in a state were voters have minimal expectations. Besides, having high approval ratings won't save you in the Utah GOP, as Mike Leavitt learned the hard way.

Mike Leavitt won re-election three times?

There's also rumors that Leavitt might give a Senate run a go against Lee.

[Simfan34]

Let's keep an eye on this.

[Zioneer]

I would love this, and I honestly think that he has a much better shot than people here give him credit for.  Most of the comments about the base of the GOP seem to more be describing Southern Republicans ... Utah Republicans are definitely socially conservative, but I don't see them as quite as nativist and uncompromising as evangelicals and Tea Partiers in the South.  They certainly wouldn't stop Huntsman at the door.

You're actually probably right here. Huntsman is universally loved in the state, so in this scenario against an unpopular Mike Lee, he probably wins.

But he's not going to run.

Huntsman is not loved. He merely relied on pleasing as many establishment types as possible in a state were voters have minimal expectations. Besides, having high approval ratings won't save you in the Utah GOP, as Mike Leavitt learned the hard way.

Mike Leavitt won re-election three times?

And he wanted a fourth term, but was a "flaming liberal" in the eyes of Utah County by the early 2000s, so George bailed him out with a federal job before his party dumped him. They nearly did in 2000. Same thing with Huntsman, now that I think about it. No way the Tea Party would have let him get nominated a third time in 2012.

Mike Leavitt, a "flaming liberal"? An establishment conservative maybe, but living in Utah, I don't think even Utah County would consider Leavitt a "flaming liberal" back in the 2000s. Same with Huntsman; he consistently had extremely high approval ratings, and he knew how to use the convention system (that's how he took down Olene Walker, after all).