As someone who specializes in the longer term trends and demographics of American Politics, and is perpetually sick of political pundits who are tasked with making predictions on Sunday, which can be proved wrong by the following Sunday. The Sunday shows are usually not a subject worthy of discussion. However Jon Huntsman ‘s comments on ABC Yesterday
seem to transcend this to make a broad point about the Republican Party, which is that its growing extremism is becoming a liability. This is a point that is in fact worth exploring.
This issue has been a gathering concern but one which was given a Texas face last week, as Rick Perry’s shoot from the hip comments [about everything from Ben Bernanke to Obama’s patriotism, to Global Warming and Creationism,] combined with his growing strength as a potential nominee placed this issue front and center. Michele Bachmann also contributed to this sense by claiming without evidence that she could get gas prices under $2 a gallon.
Jon Huntsman’s strident denunciation of both of them [along with savage language about Mitt Romney, it seemed almost just for fun], while very enjoyable for Democrats is a complete misread of the Republican Primary electorate by Jon Huntsman, even if you take the long term view that this is all an effort at running in 2016.
While example after example can be dug out, as this diarist will do with an upcoming preview of every State in the Republican primary contest, for now let us just remember the Delaware primary in 2010, in which Christine O’Donnell [who is basically nuts], used Mike Castle’s belief in global warming as part of the effort to dethrone him, and lest anyone believe this was a matter of a “small turnout” election, it should be remarked that considerably more votes were cast in The Castle versus O’Donnell race than the 2008 Republican Presidential primary contest in Delaware . Nor was the race particularly close as O’Donnell won by a solid 6% Delaware is either in the Center or slightly to the left when it comes to the Republican primary electorate. This means that the National Republican primary Electorate, which is where Jon Huntsman is competing is dramatically to the right of him and will short order devour him.
Republican extremism without a doubt puts them in serious danger in a general election a point that Jon Huntsman helpfully made this weekend and will hopefully continue this story line going forward. But long before it hurts them, it burns him. By attacking Republicans for being extreme you only permanently incense those extreme Republicans,perhaps overtime the Republican Party will moderate, but to do so requires subtly and deft. Something Jon Huntsman failed at miserably. The fire of the right wing extremism of the Republican Party will consume him, hopefully he will scream loud enough for all to hear.