Wednesday evening, I spotted a very interesting posting by Jonathon Martin in his blog on Politico. The headline read: Add to the 2012 prospect list: Jon Huntsman.

This peaked immediate interest (for obvious reasons) and Martin makes a strong case for Jon Huntsman – something I have been bantering about for weeks.

Huntsman, 48, cuts an impressive figure and has a fascinating personal and political story to tell, including the sort of foreign policy background most governors lack. The scion of a prominent Mormon family, he served as U.S. ambassador to Singapore for Bush 41 when he was in his early 30s, did trade stints in the Commerce Department and was a deputy U.S. trade representative under the current Bush, overseeing trade with Africa and Asia.  

The two-term Governor is an impressive figure. But Martin points out that his pedigree isn’t the only thing that puts him in the Presidential mix for 2012.

As any Utah governor would be, Huntsman is in line with the GOP base on social issues.  But he takes a more centrist tack on the environment, and had some blunt words for his party on an issue he believes is hurting them with younger voters.

“We as Republicans can’t shy away from speaking the word ‘environment,’ and we shouldn’t shy away from speaking the words ‘climate change,’” Huntsman told reporters at a press conference this afternoon.  “When you’ve got a body of science that already is rendering certain judgements about what is happening in our world, for us to shy away, say it doesn’t matter as an issue, I think is foolhardy, it’s short-sighted and it’s bound to do us damage in the longer-term.”

Huntsman also talked fluently about education, energy and health care, making the case, as many of his fellow governors have, that the GOP needs to come up with practical solutions on such day-to-day concerns.

Huntsman represents the sensible faction of the new GOP. The side that George F. Will so fondly deemed the “ABP Republicans” (Anyone But Palin). He’s pretty impressive, especially by Republican standards. There is no denying that Huntsman has done a superb job as Governor. I like Jon Huntsman, and I voted for him twice. I like him because he’s a true moderate and he takes business seriously without giving too much.

He’s worked for more modern liquor laws in Utah, but he’s stayed out of the messier moral issues. He’s not a moral police man – he’s more of a statesman. I like his international ties and his stance on the environment, and although he found himself on the wrong side of the school vouchers issue, that was not a huge deal for me.
 
The key with him is his ability to manage. He reduced the state budget BEFORE the shortfalls started rolling in. He knew we were having an economic downturn, so he reduced spending prior to the bottom dropping out on the State. That’s pretty gutsy, and quite intelligent. He understands the role of government, and he also understands the role of ACTUAL budgeting. He’s not like the rest of the GOP morons who spend like drunken sailors…he’s smart and he runs the budget like a family does. No money? No buy!

However, I don’t think the GOP will be ready for a serious run for the Whitehouse in four years. The walk through the wilderness is going to take at least eight. In two years, the Mormon issue will still be a caustic one, especially with the Prop 8 blowback. He will get killed by the newly empowered environmentalists because he used to run a chemicals company, and there’s no denying that his resume was padded by a father who was a generous donor to the Reagan campaign. The son of a billionaire Mormon chemical magnate that has had life pretty much handed to him on a silver platter will have a hard time relating to every “Joe the Plumber” that Republicans seem to be so hot and bothered over.

None of this is fair, but that’s politics.

He’s already stated that he won’t return for a third term as Utah’s Governor. Could it be a run at the Presidency? Could be. My hope is that he has designs on taking over for Orrin Hatch when he retires in four years.

Until then, at least we have a Governor who won’t have to borrow money from the RNC for shopping sprees.