Jon Huntsman

Chris Christie The 2024 Republican Version Of Jon Huntsman In 2012 And John Kasich In 2016!

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This author and blogger has always tried to find a Republican Presidential contender who he could consider “acceptable” if such candidate was to be the party nominee, and potentially win the Presidency.

So in 2012, former Utah Governor and Barack Obama’s Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman was seen as the “Best” choice of the opposition party, and seen as very competent and decent, although not preferred by this author and blogger over reelection of Obama. Of course, it turned out that former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney was the Republican Presidential nominee in 2012.

Then in 2016, it was clear to this author and blogger that Ohio Governor John Kasich was the “Best” choice of the 17 Republicans running for President. His record was not “preferable” over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, but like with Huntsman, Kasich came across as very competent and decent, over the eventual nominee, Donald Trump.

Now for 2024, while the Republican field of Presidential candidates is undesirable over the alternative of Joe Biden, it is clear that former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, particularly after last night’s CNN Town Hall, is by far the best choice of a horrible lot.

Christie is, however, far from as “decent” as Huntsman and Kasich were, and one almost wishes that either or both Huntsman and Kasich were running for President now!

But while disagreeing with Christie on many matters, he is strong in condemning Donald Trump, while no other Republican candidate is willing to do so, and he comes across as rational and reasonable.

However, the so called “Bridgegate” scandal that led to blockage of traffic on the George Washington Bridge between New York and New Jersey was a major stain on his record, and his brashness and bullying nature has some elements of Donald Trump.

And of course, he DID work with and support Donald Trump after his own failed candidacy in 2016!

This is more a case of looking for the candidate with the fewest evils, rather than the overall decency and competence of Jon Huntsman and John Kasich.

Christie is the least liked Republican candidate in the field, and is almost certainly to have very little chance of being the nominee, but again, in a field of terrible candidates, it would be “safer” for him to be the opponent of Joe Biden than anyone else in a horrendous field of candidates.

The sad situation that America is faced with in 2024 is that it is absolutely essential that Donald Trump never have a chance for a second term, and hopefully, Christie’s broad based attack on Trump will, at the least, prevent Trump from having the opportunity to be on the ballot at a time when he will be on trial for criiminal actions.

It is also urgent that the nation reelect Joe Biden as the only truly sane answer for the next term in the Presidency!

The Republican Party Potential Field (25) Seeking Presidential Nomination In 2024!

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When one looks ahead to the next round of Presidential contenders in the Republican Party for 2024, one sees clearly that it is a “Group Of Horrors” that awaits the nation, if the party does not reform itself and reject the extreme right wing extremists who are planning to seek the Presidency in 2024.

There is a long list of potential contenders, and it will be a question of how one separates responsible conservatives from the monsters that wish to make even Donald Trump look less extreme by comparison! Imagine that!

The most extreme Right potential nominees as now perceived include the eight following in no special order:

Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas
Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas
Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky
Senator Rick Scott of Florida
Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee
Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida
Governor Kristi Noem of South Dakota

Those less far Right but still unacceptable to any rational person include the five following in no special order:

Senator Marco Rubio of Florida
Senator Mike Lee Of Utah
Vice President Mike Pence of Indiana
Former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

And then there are those who are conservatives in the more traditional mold, including the nine following in no special order:

Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska
Senator Mitt Romney of Utah
Former Ohio Governor John Kasich
Senator Rob Portman of Ohio
Former Utah Governor and Ambassador to China and Russia Jon Huntsman
Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland
Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts
Former Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey
Congressman Adam Kinzinger of Illinois

And finally, there are the true long shot whackos, including:

Donald Trump, Jr.
Tucker Carlson of Fox News Channel

And of course, Donald Trump could end up running, and putting the Republican Party in total disarray!

Time For Republican Giants George W. Bush, Mitt Romney, Jon Huntsman To Endorse And Vote For Joe Biden, As Essential For Nation’s Future!

Ronald 11 Comments

Now that the Republican National Convention is done, and with Donald Trump acting more crazy and corrupt by the day, it is time for action by well known Republican leaders!

Many former Republican members of past Presidential administrations, as well as many who had worked for Donald Trump until they were forced out or quit on their own, have condemned Trump and crossed party lines to endorse and support Joe Biden.

Also, many former Republican members of Congress have done the same, and so have many conservative commentators who are columnists for newspapers and online media.

The amount of rejection of Donald Trump is a record breaker, and has never been matched by any previous President so outraging party members that they abandoned ship.

Sadly, the same cannot be said for Republican office holders in the House of Representatives and US Senate, although privately, many have expressed unhappiness, but are unwilling to speak up in opposition, particularly if they are on the ballot themselves this year. So, as a result, many of them will go down in a flaming and crashing defeat this November, and have, in the process, lost all their dignity and self respect!

But at this time, there are three high profile Republicans who need to stand up and show their principles, reject Donald Trump openly, and endorse Joe Biden to save the nation!

The first is former President George W. Bush, who had through confidential sources, made clear he is not supporting Donald Trump, who has trashed him and his family for years, including the departed George H. W. and Barbara Bush, brother Jeb Bush, and the former President himself.

It is time for Bush to speak up, as a retired President, and openly condemn Trump and endorse Biden, who he knows very well, gets along with, and respects. Party lines do not matter now, but the nation and its future, so come on, George W, and redeem some of your reputation harmed by your eight year Presidency!

Secondly, Utah Senator and 2012 Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who voted for impeachment conviction of Donald Trump on one of two counts, and has been a strong critic of Trump, needs to go further than not voting for Trump, as in 2016, and then voting for his wife.

That is silly, and passing the buck, and what Romney needs to do is endorse Joe Biden as the person he might not agree with on many issues, but is a safe choice to lead the nation, but leaving Romney the opening to disagree on future policies if he feels a need to do so.

There is no gamble on doing this, as Romney does not face election for his Senate seat until 2024, and may very well choose not to run for another six year term at then the age of 77. And if he did, as a Mormon in Mormon dominated Utah, which saw Independent Evan McMullin, a conservative, won 21.5 percent of the popular vote in 2016, and with Hillary Clinton winning 27.5 percent, it meant together they had more popular votes and percentage than Donald Trump, as Mormons do find Trump distasteful. So Mitt Romney needs to step up like a man and endorse Joe Biden!

And finally, another leading figure, former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, who served as Ambassador to China under Democrat Barack Obama, and ambassador to Russia under Donald Trump, needs to show courage and endorse Joe Biden over his former boss. Huntsman was very quiet while in Moscow, but it seems clear he was uncomfortable, and chose to leave before this campaign year.

This author and blogger has always admired Huntsman, going back to when he agreed to go to China for Barack Obama, and then sought the Presidency in 2012 as a Republican contender. Huntsman is solid on foreign policy, and very decent and principled and rational in a party which has had horrific contenders for the most part in 2012 and 2016.

Seriously, other than Huntsman in 2012 and John Kasich in 2016, no one else made this blogger and author comfortable enough to imagine being able to accept as a potential President, with Huntsman more so than Kasich.

As a fan of Huntsman, and respecting him despite differences on some domestic issues, since I am a proud progressive, I say it is time for Huntsman to condemn Trump, and fully endorse Joe Biden.

And after the hoped for election of Biden, it would be appropriate and smart for Joe Biden to offer Jon Huntsman a top Cabinet position, such as Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, or Secretary of Homeland Security. It is common for a Democratic President to have one Republican in his Cabinet, and who better than Huntsman, who has been bipartisan and is only nearing 61 years of age in March 2021.

Come on, President Bush, Senator Romney, and most significantly, Ambassador Huntsman, do the right thing and fully endorse Joe Biden for the safety and security of the nation!

Donald Trump Totally About Himself: The Ultimate Narcissist, Even As More People Have Died In Last Month Under His Presidency!

Ronald 109 Comments

Donald Trump put on another disgusting performance this evening, all out to defend himself, despite clear evidence that he ignored the CoronaVirus Pandemic threat, and has caused the deaths of 23,000 people in the last month, a greater loss in one month than anytime since the Civil War!

Trump is totally about himself, the ultimate narcissist, who is willing to sacrifice the lives of Americans for his own pathological need to lie, and to win reelection at all costs.

This man will likely have to be taken out in handcuffs and chains from the Oval Office, as it is hard to imagine him accepting the massive defeat that he is likely to suffer on November 3.

Meanwhile, he is trying to do everything conceivable to make it hard for people to vote, when already one third vote early, or by absentee ballot, or by mail.

Republicans are unwilling to stand firm for the basic element of democracy, the right to vote, and they do not care about the horrific damage Donald Trump has brought to this country over the past four years.

So the Republican Party needs to be severely punished for their transgressions, and needs to be rebuilt after the election, with responsible leaders in the vein of Jon Huntsman and John Kasich!

Republican And Conservative Anti Trump Groups Who Want Trump Held Accountable On Eve Of Impeachment

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The Lincoln Project and Republicans for the Rule Of Law are two Republican and Conservative anti Trump groups which have formed, and want Donald Trump held accountable on the eve of his impeachment by the House of Representatives.

The Lincoln Project Super PAC founders are George Conway (husband of Trump aide Kellyanne Conway), Steve Schmidt, John Weaver, and Rick Wilson.

The Republicans for the Rule Of Law is headed by Bill Kristol, and many conservatives have bitterly denounced Trump for years, including Jennifer Rubin, Max Boot, and George Will.

It is time for former Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman to denounce Trump, joining John Kasich, former Ohio Governor in that direction.

Former Florida Congressman David Jolly has been a major personality working against Trump on MSNBC commentary.

The only hope for the Republican Party future is to start the fight to redirect the party away from the cancer of Donald Trump!

Former Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh As Challenger To Donald Trump

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Suddenly, with time short, Donald Trump is starting to gain opposition to his nomination for a second term as President.

Former Governor William Weld of Massachusetts, who was the Libertarian Vice Presidential nominee in 2016, announced months ago, with little to show for it, as polls indicate 85-90 percent of Republicans are ready to back Trump.

Weld is at least seen as a “legitimate” candidate, but now we have others who are much more right wing than Weld, and lack credibility as national candidates, who are emerging.

Already, former South Carolina Governor and former Congressman Mark Sanford, he of the sex scandal that forced him out of the Governorship a decade ago, saying he might join.

And now, this past weekend, we have a definite challenger, but of no greater reputation, former one term Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh, of Tea Party fame, who was a believer in the “birther” theory used against Barack Obama, and spewed poison and hate in his one two year term, followed by defeat and retirement to a career as a talk show host.

Walsh was reckless and confrontational in his one term, and came across as a mean spirited and nasty Congressman, with a record of driving on a suspended license, and failure to pay child support, and using racist and sexist language, often considered “a loose cannon”. And he supported Donald Trump in 2016, but now has regrets for that and has apologized and expressed regret on his treatment of Barack Obama.

The fact that Walsh is willing to attack Trump, and tell the truth about him as a horrendous man and President is great, but his own record and background, despite his trying to make amends now in 2019, make him suspect as someone to fully trust.

This is not a way to revive Republican fortunes, to consider Mark Sanford or Joe Wash as legitimate alternatives, when the real alternatives, as suggested in an earlier blog entry last week, would be Jon Huntsman or John Kasich.

The only good thing about Walsh is that he might, somewhat, convince a small number of Republican voters to abandon Trump, and weaken him enough that he will not win reelection. Any effort in that regard is certainly welcome.

And Walsh made an important statement, when he said that young people, women, and suburbanites were totally alienated from Trump. Let us hope that as if they are, in mass numbers, against Trump, and one adds African Americans, Latino Americans, Asian Americans, Jewish Americans, college educated people, and those that possess compassion and empathy towards the victims of Donald Trump, then we will be liberated from the cancer of Donald Trump.

Need For A Challenger To Donald Trump In Republican Party–But Jon Huntsman Or John Kasich, NOT Mark Sanford!

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It is past time for some legitimate Republican to challenge Donald Trump, and attempt to save the Republican party brand.

As much as former Governor William Weld of Massachusetts is attempting such a challenge, he is not strong enough, or well known enough, to have any real chance.

The only legitimate challengers would be the two best in the 2012 and 2016 Presidential sweepstakes—Jon Huntsman, former Utah Governor, Ambassador to China under Barack Obama, and now resigning as Ambassador to Russia under Donald Trump; and former Ohio Governor and long term Congressman John Kasich.

The idea that former South Carolina Governor and former Congressman Mark Sanford might run is not a realistic or worthwhile endeavor, as Sanford had a sex scandal a decade ago that forced him out of the Governorship, and he is no model for Presidential leadership skills and ability, which at least William Weld does have.

Huntsman or Kasich would be a realistic alternative for conservatives who are appalled by Donald Trump in every way possible!

Bill Weld Begins A Quixotic Race Against Donald Trump For Soul Of Republican Party

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Former Massachusetts Governor William Weld (1991-1997), who also was the Vice Presidential nominee on the Libertarian Party line with Presidential candidate Gary Johnson in 2016, has begun what is seen as a Quixotic race against Donald Trump for the soul of the Republican Party.

The question is whether the GOP has a soul, and there is much doubt about it, as they have allowed themselves to become an extremist right wing party that is against the American tradition of fairness, equity, and its own early history of support for civil rights under Abraham Lincoln, and progressivism under Theodore Roosevelt.

This is the time for two others, who are much more likely, if they ran against Trump for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2020, to have a real chance of stopping him, or at least, of tarnishing him enough to cause his defeat in the election.

This blogger is referring to former Ohio Governor and former Congressman John Kasich, and former Utah Governor, former Ambassador to China, and present Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman.

These two were the only decent, reasonable candidates of the Republican Party for the Presidency in 2012 for Huntsman and 2016 for Kasich.

Both have their shortcomings, as all candidates do, but have a distinct record of accomplishments, competency, and decency to revive the Republican historical image that has been lost in recent years, and accelerated by the disgrace that is Donald Trump.

The Need For Top Advisers Around Trump To Resign, Or Lose Their Credibility

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It is now three days since Helsinki, and the President is totally off the wall in his view of the Russian involvement in the 2016 campaign, constantly changing his language, demonstrating total confusion and mental instability.

And we see his top advisers standing by smiling or having a poker face, and contradicting everything he says when not in his presence.

This includes his intelligence advisers, and his national security team.

Meanwhile, except for the few Republicans who are leaving Congress (Senator Bob Corker, Senator Jeff Flake, Congressman Mark Sanford), or Senator John McCain, who is in his last term even if he survives long term from his cancer battle, no one else is speaking out. There is the additional exception of John Kasich, who is leaving the Ohio Governorship, and also of Ben Sasse of Nebraska (who will face reelection in 2020 but has always spoken out), and Senate candidate Mitt Romney who is keeping his independence, knowing he will win the Utah Senate seat easily in November.

Everyone else is putting their career ahead of the country, absolutely despicable behavior.

As stated yesterday, US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman needs to resign in protest, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, White Chief of Staff John Kelly, National Security Adviser John Bolton, and others in the cabinet, including Defense Secretary James Mattis, all need to group together and go to the White House and demand Trump resign, or they will announce their joint resignation.

One might say this would create total chaos, but it would be a public statement by the entire group, showing patriotism over political loyalty, and Vice President Mike Pence might be forced to join with them to insist, that for the good of the country, it is time for Trump to go!

We need a Barry Goldwater and Hugh Scott, as with Richard Nixon and Watergate in 1974, and the people named above have the ability to restore their integrity and reputation by doing the right thing, and soon!

Jon Huntsman Needs To Resign As Ambassador To Russia, And Consider A Presidential Challenge In The GOP Primaries In 2020

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The US Ambassador to Russia, Jon Huntsman, has been urged by his hometown newspaper in Utah to resign, after the disastrous performance of Donald Trump at the summit with Vladimir Putin on Monday in Helsinki, Finland, and not made any better by Trump’s claim that he misspoke one word, meaning “wouldn’t” instead of “would”.

Disillusionment with Trump, and concern that he is “owned” by Putin, who has some deep, dark, scandalous secret about Trump, is spreading, and as this author and blogger stated last week, we could be witnessing a “Manchurian Candidate” situation, as well as possibly a “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” and a Multiple Personality Disorder President, with the danger of his access to nuclear weapons.

Huntsman, who this author and blogger believed was the best Republican Presidential contender in 2012, and even better than John Kasich, believed to be the best 2016 Republican Presidential contender, has seen his daughter Abby, who is on Fox News Channel, condemning Trump’s press conference in Helsinki, Finland.

It is believed that Huntsman is unhappy over the circumstances, and it would be a badge of honor for him to resign now, and consider a Presidential challenge to Donald Trump and or Mike Pence in the 2020 Primaries.

While this author and blogger is not a fan of Republicans in general, the one way possible to revive the image of the party of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush, would be if we were to see a ticket of Huntsman and John Kasich, or possibly the opposite.

I would not vote for such a ticket, but IF we were to be “stuck” with another four years of Republicans in the White House, far preferable to have Huntsman-Kasich or Kasich-Huntsman than Trump-Pence or Pence and whoever else!