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Jon Huntsman
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Jon Huntsman quits GOP race

Republican presidential hopeful backs out of bid for party's presidential nomination; endorses Mitt Romney

Jon Huntsman abandoned his once-promising campaign for the Republican presidential nomination on Monday and endorsed Mitt Romney as the man "best equipped to defeat Barack Obama."

 

The former Utah governor coupled his announcement with an appeal to the remaining contenders to stop attacking one another in television commercials. "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," he said.

 

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He noted that he and Romney have had differences, and he did not respond when asked if he still believes – as he said while campaigning for last week's New Hampshire primary – that the former Massachusetts governor is out of touch and unelectable.

 

Huntsman said he was suspending his candidacy, but his endorsement made it clear that was a euphemism. He dropped out less than a week after finishing third in New Hampshire, where he had staked his candidacy. While he has campaigned in South Carolina for nearly a week, he lacked the money to pay for TV commercials or other essentials of a modern campaign.  

 

 

Huntsman's resume had suggested he could be a major contender for the Republican presidential nomination: businessman, diplomat, governor, veteran of four presidential administrations, an expert on China and foreign trade.

 

But Huntsman (51) was almost invisible in a race often dominated by Romney, a fellow Mormon. One reason was timing. Romney and other declared or expected-to-declare candidates drew media attention and wooed voters, Huntsman was half a world away serving as ambassador to China until he resigned in late April.

 

Although Huntsman was viewed as having little chance of finishing strong in South Carolina, his endorsement of Romney could give the former Massachusetts governor, who leads in state polls, even more of the look of inevitability.

 

The move comes as pressure has been increasing on Texas Gov. Rick Perry to leave the race to allow South Carolina's influential social conservatives to unify behind either former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum or former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

 

Santorum worked over the weekend at consolidating conservatives, trying to parlay into support in South Carolina the decision Saturday by an influential group of national Christian conservatives to back him.

 

"I think it's important that we eventually consolidate this race," Santorum told reporters Monday at a news conference in Columbia. He stopped short of urging Perry, who has shown little traction in South Carolina, to quit the race.

 

"That's up to the candidates themselves to decide," Santorum said.

 

 

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פרסום ראשון: 01.16.12, 21:53
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