Yeah, so the John Huntsman campaign was pretty much a non-starter. As a former governor of a western state who has significant foreign policy experience, he had as much luck as Bill Richardson in 2008. And I know Huntsman has not quit yet, but he will. The question is whether or not he will accrue any additional punching power before he does. My hunch is that he sticks in through Nevada to pick up some clout from a western state.
Why does he need clout? Certainly not for twitter. Huntsman needs clout because that is how he will get the job he wants: Vice President. Well, that’s not really the job he wants, but it is the job he will settle for. Problem is, Romney doesn’t need a western governor to come on board, and he definitely does not need a former Obama administration official. What he needs least is another Mormon on the ticket. So the best Huntsman can hope for is State, which is not a bad thing to hope for.
Still, Mitt will need a running mate. Balancing the ticket is the goal, although having a “balanced ticket” has never seemed to help a candidate. Yet balance we must. What Romney needs is edge and a certain amount of standing with the Tea Party. A person with executive experience as well as appeal to “values voters.” Ideally, this person would be from the South and have the energizing personality of a Sarah Palin. It would help if this person demonstrated early loyalty to Mitt at a crucial time. Where in the world can he find someone like that?
