Observations made by Jon Huntsman Jr. during the GOP primary

 Observations made by Jon Huntsman Jr. during the GOP primary

The former ambassador to China and Russia and Republican presidential contender offers his assessment of the field of candidates this time around, excluding Trump.

To say that Jon Huntsman Jr. felt the third Republican presidential primary debate on Wednesday was a complete waste of time would be an exaggeration.

Before he even picked up the remote, he said to me, "Let's be honest." "None of this is important."

Since politicians are usually too choreographed, too timed, and seldom meaningful, the Republican presidential candidate of 2012 was never a huge admirer of television debates in the first place. However, he sees the arguments in this year's contest as even more pointless formalities: "Who will survive tonight, and how will that happen?" said Huntsman. "Because whoever is still standing, before he heads off to prison, or wherever he goes, could probably be Trump's running mate."

Identify him as a realism or a pessimist. Even so, Huntsman was forced to lean forward and crank up the volume as soon as the cameras turned to the five contenders onstage in Miami.

He hasn't been on the stage in thirteen years. In Salt Lake City, he watched the debate on Wednesday night with his wife Mary Kaye, myself, and many other photojournalists from Deseret News. I asked him directly what he thought he saw on TV. He did as asked, and more.

It also helped that the majority of the evening was spent in Huntsman's primary field of competence. His 2012 term was positioned between appointments as American ambassador to China and Russia, the country's two main geopolitical adversaries. Foreign policy was the main topic of discussion that evening because of the continuing battles in Israel and Ukraine. Huntsman couldn't help but add his two cents with each response the candidates provided, rolling his eyes and nodding his head. Every time there was a commercial break, Huntsman supplied the missing words, explaining what they ought to have said.

What Huntsman observed was mostly favorable. Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott, and Nikki Haley were the only "three people that really matter on that stage," he informed me before I entered.

He believed that Haley had won the evening because she was fair on the deficit, strong on Israel, and forceful on abortion. Although Scott "speaks to your heart," in the latter parts he became "a little too over-the-top, a little too evangelical."

Huntsman was harsher with the others. DeSantis seemed worn out, as if he were watching a live colonoscopy on television. Furthermore, he was unable to decide on Vivek Ramaswamy. The businessman is the sharpest candidate for president "in a long time," with an IQ of 150. He seems "professorial" or like a McKinsey consultant at times, according to Huntsman, while at other times, "he's selling pillows at midnight on television."

Huntsman was quick to voice his criticisms. DeSantis was asked the first question: Why should you be the Republican nominee instead of Trump? 

Before DeSantis could say anything, Huntsman called out every prepared issue he had brought up. The privileged “Verify.” Gas prices: "Verify." "Check" the open border.

Huntsman said, "He's packing his first response with all of the catchphrases, and pretty soon he'll be out of stuff to say." "It is extremely condescending."

Huntsman seemed to narrow his eyes as Ramaswamy launched into his first response. Ramaswamy criticized the media, the Republican National Committee, and one of the moderators specifically, labeling her as "corrupt." 

Compared to the other two, "he's going full on populist," according to Huntsman. 

Huntsman shook his head and turned to face me as Scott appeared for the first time. In 2012, Scott ran for office with Huntsman, who also performed in Scott's band and visited Scott's South Carolina church. Huntsman described Scott as "a genuine human," yet despite this, he has been unable to get much traction this cycle, remaining at around 2% in national surveys. Huntsman said, "I think he'd be doing a lot better if Trump were not in." 

Huntsman observed that as the debate went on, each candidate established a distinct persona: DeSantis, the pragmatic governor, who would reference his own accomplishments in Florida in every response; Ramaswamy, the revolutionary populist, who could make light of DeSantis' high heels because “he's in single digits and has nothing to lose”; and Christie, the dignified statesman, who was likely aware that this was his last debate and hoping to “leave on a high note.”

When the discussion shifted to Israel, Huntsman's perspective got more intimate. Huntsman said last month that in response to the University of Pennsylvania, his and his father's alma mater, maintaining "silence" in the wake of the Hamas assault on Israel on October 7, his family foundation would "close its checkbook" to the institution.

Following the incident, antisemitic remarks were directed against Jewish students at Penn and other prestigious colleges. The Republican Jewish Coalition's president, Matthew Brooks, questioned about the "dramatic rise of antisemitism" on college campuses, and the moderators echoed his question. "How can university presidents who have not reached a point of moral clarity denounce Hamas terrorism with conviction?"

Huntsman lifted his hand, seemingly in jubilation. "This is the night's most important topic," he said.

The anti-Israel college demonstrators were reprimanded by Ramaswamy. For overseas students who take part in these kind of rallies, Scott pledged to revoke their student visas. "This seems a little excessive," Huntsman said. "It may sound good on paper, but it's not feasible in real life."

"The challenge lies in distinguishing between meaningless platitudes and practical concepts that can be put into practice," he went on. "And the breakdown is roughly 90 to 10: 10 percent usable lines and 90 percent throwaway lines."

Haley arrived next, cool, collected, and firm. She said, "The nation is out of sorts."

She went on, "Every college president would be up in arms if the Klan were doing this." This is also the same. It should get the same treatment from you. As terrible as racism is, so is antisemitism.

Huntsman said, "That might have won her the night." "And it might just get her the runner-up position (behind Trump)."

Huntsman became more interested when the topic of Ukraine came up. From 2017 to 2019, he served as the ambassador to Russia, where he did the unappreciated task of mediating the Trump administration's ties with a country that some have referred to as the United States' greatest geopolitical danger. Scott dodged a question on more help to Ukraine, opting instead to criticize Biden for his lack of transparency. Huntsman then attacked Scott for his "non-answer."

He said, "That could have been a home run."

Huntsman shook his head when Ramaswamy and DeSantis reaffirmed their isolationist foreign policy, arguing that the United States should stop providing help to Ukraine. 

There is a genuine shift in Republican doctrine when half of the stage essentially says we shouldn't commit to Ukraine, according to Huntsman. 

Which candidate on stage would frighten Vladimir Putin the most, I asked Huntsman? He said, "Well, Putin has already decided that we're in terminal decline—just like Xi Jinping." According to his perspective, "the United States is done, based on our financial imbalances and social divisions, regardless of who is president."

Huntsman grinned when Haley said that the United States "needs to modernize our military." He answered, "I could agree with that." However, DeSantis then started pressuring Haley for China's economic growth in her state. This is really absurd. Huntsman moaned, "This is a complete waste of people's time."

Huntsman again pushed in when Scott was asked what he would do to stop China from conquering Taiwan. "We're taking it a step further now." After Scott's response alluded to the Middle East, Huntsman sighed once more. He stated, "Instead of outlining the kinds of defense programs we need on the high seas, he's backing off the specifics." What type of weaponry should we be spending money on? What effects does this have on Taiwan?

Mary Kaye said, "He may not know."

"Well, he's a senator," Huntsman said. "He should know, without a doubt." It seems that Huntsman has a neutral view of the Senate; when I asked him whether he would think about challenging Sen. Mitt Romney in the next election, he declined. "As a junior senator, what can you accomplish?" he questioned. You are among one hundred. Really, except than criticizing Trump in rhetoric, what accomplishments has Romney made?

Ramaswamy started rhapsodizing about how the U.S. military was dependent on China for supplies and components, which resulted in supply chain entanglements and the military being in China's pocket. According to Huntsman, "these are actually very salient points, you know, what it takes to build a plane or ship." However, by the time Huntsman had done thinking, Ramaswamy had pledged to forbid American companies from entering the Chinese market. Okay, these are ad hoc remarks, Huntsman remarked. "There is a free market."

I inquired as to whether applicants were familiar with China. Huntsman paused, considering. "I don't think they've even been there, maybe one or two," he said.

Haley responded angrily, saying, "Keep my daughter's name out of your voice," after Ramaswamy had insulted her daughter for using TikTok.

Honestman grinned. He said, "She might win this one just for that reason." "You don't involve the family in it."

Huntsman pretended to be surprised when the topic of discussion reverted to DeSantis. "Oh!" He said, "I forgot DeSantis was there." "Ron DeSantis needs to start smiling eventually."

He seems dejected in his manner, Mary Kaye observed. "He appears somewhat melancholic, as though the balloon has burst."

According to Huntsman, "He really comes across as an overly coached, overly scripted candidate." 

Mark Kaye said, "I think that's one of the things people like about Trump—that there's no veneer, no script." Without a doubt, said Huntsman. 

Huntsman was done by the time the contenders gave their last remarks. Haley's was deemed "inspiring." "A little too over-the-top" was how Scott put it. "Horrible—a total wasted opportunity to inspire people," was how Ramaswamy described it. Christie seemed to have "nothing to lose" and was "beaten down," but it also seemed to bring out the best in him. One thing DeSantis did that the other contenders appeared to overlook was to solicit votes for himself.

Huntsman, Scott, and DeSantis were all certain that Haley had prevailed. He described Ramaswamy as "absolutely brilliant," but said that it is "challenging" to translate it into something "believable and comprehensible."

I asked him whether he believed any of these contenders could get the nomination. "No," he said. Except for a hypothetical vice president competition, "Tonight is completely inconsequential."

And who would he choose as vice president, if he were choosing? He paused to reflect. He said, "I believe Nikki Haley is displaying some moxie."

"Based only on instinct and experience, if I had to choose one of them in the job environment, who I would trust the most, and I think she'd definitely rise to the top pretty fast."