Rick Moran has a thought provoking article on Jon Huntsman and the Rise of the Republican Governors. He gets a lot of grief in the comments, which is to be expected because of the venue. The Conservative base is angry and most people are very, very concerned about the direction the nation is headed. A majority say that we are headed in the wrong direction.
But is there anything particularly wrong with electing a pragmatic centrist Republican governor as President? Jon Huntsman has, after all, demonstrated the ability to do a good job managing the affairs of Utah.
In ordinary times, a Jon Huntsman may be a perfectly good choice. But these are not ordinary times. The country is in the middle of an economic crisis unparalleled since the Great Depression. The country is not looking for someone who can keep the country perking along on the track it’s on. With over 9% unemployment and about 20% underemployment, the American people are not looking for a manager, but a game changer. A few years ago, gold was the exclusive province of the “Gold Bugs.” Today, ordinary people are putting gold funds in their portfolios as an inflation hedge. They are buying gold and silver coins in fear of the collapse of the currency. They are checking out the back yard to see if they have enough to grow vegetables in case things get really bad. There have been reports of ammunition shortages; does that tell you anything about the concerns ordinary people have?
Managers are the people you hire when you need to do more of what you have been doing, but doing it a little better, a little more efficiently. When the wheels have come off, as they seem to be doing in America today, people are looking for a “turnaround artist.” They are looking for someone who has a new vision and a determination to right what’s gone wrong. When, and if, the country’s back on track the people will be ready for a competent manager.
Sorry, Jon, it’s just not your time.
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