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Jon Huntsman China Ambassador

January 27, 2012 by · Comments Off on Jon Huntsman China Ambassador 

Jon Huntsman China Ambassador, One of the biggest questions following Jon M. Huntsman Jr.’s decision to drop out of the GOP presidential race was not who his exit would benefit — the former Utah governor and ambassador to China had struggled to break the single digits in the polls — but rather what would come next in Huntsman’s career.

A position in the Obama administration would seem to be out of the picture — Huntsman left his post as Obama’s ambassador to China to pursue his White House bid. And Huntsman’s lack of traction among Republican primary voters hasn’t made him the kind of sought-after surrogate like New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) or South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R).

But now, the question of Huntsman’s next step has been answered, at least in part.

The Huntsman Cancer Foundation announced Thursday morning that the former GOP White House hopeful will become its new chairman. In doing so, Huntsman will succeed his father, Jon M. Huntsman, who will become chairman emeritus of the foundation.

The elder Huntsman said in a statement that his son — who previously served as president and CEO of the foundation — “comes to the Foundation with a wealth of leadership experience.”

“His unparalleled international reputation and experience will greatly enhance the life-saving work in which the Foundation is engaged,” Jon M. Huntsman said. “We join together with the entire Huntsman Cancer Institute team of more than 1,300 full-time faculty and staff in welcoming Jon to this new position.”

Huntsman Drops Out

January 27, 2012 by · Comments Off on Huntsman Drops Out 

Huntsman Drops Out, Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman withdrew from the Republican presidential race Monday and endorsed front-runner Mitt Romney, providing a potentially pivotal potential boost for the former Massachusetts governor.

Huntsman made the announcement in South Carolina, site of the critical first Southern primary this Saturday. His decision could provide an extra cushion of votes for Romney, who is facing stiff conservative competition from Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich.

“Our campaign for the presidency ends, but our campaign for a (better) American continues,” Huntsman declared. “I believe it is now time for our party to unite around the candidate best equipped to defeat Barack Obama. Despite our differences and the space between us on some of the issues, I believe that candidate is Gov. Mitt Romney.”

Huntsman urged the remaining candidates to stop attacking each other, warning that “the current toxic form of our political discourse does not help our cause.”

“This race has degenerated into an onslaught of negative and personal attacks not worthy of the American people and not worthy of this critical time,” he said.

Romney’s campaign already is bolstered by a huge campaign war chest and a wave of momentum after wins in Iowa and New Hampshire. It’s hoping for a possible knockout blow with a first place finish in the Palmetto State. South Carolina has picked the winner of every GOP presidential nomination fight since 1980.

“Governor Huntsman did not want to stand in the way of the candidate best prepared to beat Barack Obama and turn our economy around. That’s Mitt Romney,” a senior Huntsman campaign official told CNN.

The endorsement represents a notable shift for Huntsman. He recently declared Romney “completely unelectable” during an interview on CNBC.

“Jon Huntsman made a basic calculation here, let’s be honest,” said CNN Chief National Correspondent John King. “If you look at the polling, he’s doing miserable in South Carolina. He’s not going to win the state next Saturday and so if he wants to run in 2016 … this is a chance … to try to get a little bit of goodwill in the party, a little bit of leverage.”

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