Why John Huntsman is a member of the 1% Club

Howard Dean, darling of the extreme left wing of the Democratic Party, has nothing but praise for supposed Republican John Huntsman, reports The Daily Caller today:

“Jacob [Weisberg, of Slate] wrote this was ‘the thinking man’s candidate,’” said Dean. “There aren’t any thinking people in the Republican Party. I’m serious. Name a few thoughtful policy analysts in the Republican Party — not Rick Perry, not Michele Bachmann. Look at all these people. Huntsman is the real deal.”

Note to the uninitiated: When a Dem calls a Republican a “thinking man’s candidate”, he means the Republican’s world view agrees more with the Democratic Party than with the Republican Party.   Dean eventually comes right out and says it: 

“I learned that Jon Huntsman is a great candidate for president but he is in the wrong party,” Dean said. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to hear that from me.”

Maybe Huntsman would be happy to hear that.  I suspect that he might take the compliment as evidence that he’s more “electable” than any of this GOP opponents.

Huntsman is polling at about 1% among likely GOP primary voters, so I wonder where he thinks his base is.   The Democrats?  They already have their candidate, and I doubt they’d exchange him for a candidate who seems to agree with them but doesn’t have the courage to affirm this by changing his party affiliation.

The Republicans?  Huntsman used to work for Obama.  That’ll whip up enthusiasm among the GOP masses in the general election.

Enjoy the spotlight while it lasts, Mr. Huntsman.  When the Dems and the media are done with you, you’ll suddenly find that nobody will return your calls any more.

GOP base begs NY ex-gov Pataki to jump into 2012 race

Not really, but he may do it anyway, according to an August 22 AP article:

A spokesman for Republican former New York Gov. George Pataki says he's taking a harder look at running for president in 2012.

But what makes him think he could pull this off?  The only one he'd likely rob votes from is Romney. And maybe Fred Karger, if anyone had been planning to vote for him.

Au contraire, says the former governor.  Here’s how his triumphal march through the primaries would begin:

He cites his own moderate views that could attract independent voters in the important New Hampshire primary.

In other words, apparently he thinks that garnering the favor of enough of "important" New Hampshire's independent voters will trigger a groundswell of support for his "moderate" views in other parts of the country. 

Good luck with that.