Withdrawing Huntsman takes parting shot at GOP field

By Stephen Dinan
The Washington Times
Monday, January 16, 2012

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. dropped out of the Republican presidential race Monday and endorsed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, but not before firing one last shot at the rest of the field, accusing them of running a race “not worthy of the American people.”

The parting shot was in line with the rest of Mr. Huntsman’s campaign, which was defined by bashing fellow Republicans for trying too hard to win the party’s conservative voters rather than appealing to a middle ground.

“This race has degenerated into an onslaught of negative and personal attacks not worthy of the American people, and not worthy of this critical time in our nation’s history,” he said as he exited the race just six days before South Carolina’s primary.

As former governor of Utah and then as the U.S. ambassador to China for President Obama, Mr. Huntsman laid claim to both domestic and foreign policy experience that should have given him a boost.

But he proved to have little appeal to the GOP’s voters, winning the meager support he garnered chiefly among independents who voted in Iowa, where he didn’t campaign, and in New Hampshire, where he took third place.

His exit leaves no one in the race on Mr. Romney’s left flank, while those on the conservative side still are fighting to emerge as the former Massachusetts governor’s chief alternative.

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, one of those fighting for the nomination, said he wasn’t surprised Mr. Huntsman would endorse Mr. Romney.

“Moderates are backing moderates,” Mr. Santorum said.

Mr. Santorum, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Texas Rep. Ron Paul and Texas Gov. Rick Perry are all hoping to emerge from South Carolina’s primary on Saturday as the chief alternative to Mr. Romney.

Mr. Gingrich and Mr. Perry both have signaled they need to do well in South Carolina to continue, while Mr. Santorum said he’s looking forward to February, when he can evaluate how to shape his campaign for the rest of the long calendar. In one black mark for the trailing campaigns, none of them managed to make it onto the Virginia ballot.

Mr. Paul, meanwhile, has an operation he says is built for the long run. He and Mr. Romney are the only two candidates to secure spots on the ballot for Virginia’s March 6 primary, and Mr. Paul already is casting for votes in Nevada’s caucuses on Feb. 4.

Withdrawing Huntsman takes parting shot at GOP field - Washington Times