Jamelle Bouie says Jon Huntsman‘s potential 2012 presidential campaign is a disaster waiting to happen. So why is he doing it?
For the last few days, the only big piece of news to linger in the mainstream media besides the turmoil in Egypt has been the fate of Jon Huntsman. Huntsman, a Republican and former governor of Utah, has served since August 2009 as President Barack Obama’s ambassador to China. When Obama was beginning his administration, picking Huntsman was an obvious, smart choice: He is a businessman with experience in the region and a firm grasp of Chinese.
While Huntsman was more than capable of representing American interests in the region, there might have been another reason for Obama to pick him. As a telegenic, moderate, and popular governor, Huntsman was a potential competitor. By appointing him ambassador, Obama neutralized a political threat at the same time that he gave his administration some needed credentials in China.
