Huntsman Quits: Ironically Offers Support for Romney

After a campaign as a moderate in a party that has given reigns to its most extreme ideas unsurprisingly fell short, Jon Huntsman dropped out today after poor showings and the recognition there is no place for a centrist in the GOP (even though Romney might be one, while wearing a radical cloak to suit his cause at the moment). Huntsman, who seemed to be a principled nominee in a field of misfits and liars, called on the Republican party to stop with the negative advertising and "toxic politics" that now reign supreme: MSNBC: "As candidates for our party's nomination, our common goal is to restore bold and principled leadership to the White House," he said. "Yet rather than seeking to advance that common goal by speaking directly to voters about our ideas … this race has degenerated into an onslaught of negative and personal attacks not worthy of the American people." It's a lovely thought, of course, but unlikely to stir a party that seems to win most of its campaigns at all levels of government in this fashion. In fact, the Citizens decision should make this the ugliest Presidential race in history, particularly as Romney has already shown a moral  laxness in his own advertising that rivals his strategically mercurial position on core issues.

Ironically, Huntsman then threw his endorsement behind Romney, the man he has been critiquing throughout the campaign. One assumes it is the pragmatic nature of the man and the party in general, which ironically will probably lead to the selection of Romney -- just as it did McCain four years ago. But for a party that prides itself on conviction, selecting two candidates in a row that they just feel are more apt to win certainly highlights the "win at any cost" mentality symptomatic of a party that has largely run out of ideas. In announcing his decision, Huntsman actually offered the opposite perspective claiming: "At its core, the Republican Party is a party of ideas. But the current toxic form of our political discourse does not help our cause. Today I call on each campaign to cease attacking each other and instead talk directly to the American people."

Again, a lovely thought, but what exactly can they say to the American people at the moment? Can they continue to blame the government for our economic troubles while pretending wall street and big business are innocent? Can they continue to offer tax cuts to the rich even as inequality and poverty increase? Can they seriously continue to call for deregulation after the debacle of 2008? Of course they can and will, hoping that the American people forget how bad things got toward the end of our eight-year affair with one of the worst Presidents in history.