Huntsman hopes to build steam in NH primary (AP)

CONCORD, N.H. – Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman says if he can chug out of the New Hampshire primary "with a head of steam" he can prove he's the Republican candidate who can defeat Barack Obama.

With Mitt Romney favored in Tuesday's voting and most of the rest of the field vying to become the conservative alternative, Huntsman is taking a different path. He says the GOP needs a nominee who can reach beyond Republicans to win over people who voted for Obama in 2008. Huntsman says his supporters include independents and even a few Democrats.

Asked on NBC's "Today" show whether he would leave the race if he doesn't place at least third in New Hampshire, Huntsman declined to say.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman likes to express his excitement about running for president by exclaiming: "Gimme a break! It's the New Hampshire primary!"

It's part of the awestruck, aw-shucks shtick Huntsman uses in when he marvels at the small state's outsized influence on presidential politics. But it also sums up his whole campaign: He needs a break in New Hampshire to keep going.

Huntsman, who skipped the Iowa caucuses to stake his candidacy on a strong showing in Tuesday's primary, has struggled to win over New Hampshire's conservative Republicans. He's been making an aggressive play for independent voters, who can vote in the GOP primary, and has shown signs of gaining ground in the last few days.

Huntsman, 51, also has been making the most of his weekend debate response to front-runner Mitt Romney, who criticized Huntsman for serving as the Obama administration's ambassador to China.

Huntsman quickly adopted Sen. John McCain's old campaign slogan "Country First" and had large signs displaying that message at his final campaign event Monday night, a rally in Exeter. He told the crowd to remember the word "trust" when they vote Tuesday, saying it encompasses his entire campaign.

"It's going to take us all the way to the finish line tomorrow," he said, "and we're going to surprise the heck out of `em!"

That confidence was reminiscent of the Huntsman who proclaimed months ago that he would win the New Hampshire primary. But he switched to predictions about "beating market expectations," and two weeks ago suggested that anything below a third-place finish in New Hampshire would mean an end to his campaign.

In the past week, Huntsman cast himself as the underdog fighting against Romney, whom he called the "status quo candidate." After he campaigned in seven communities Monday, Huntsman's only public appearance scheduled Tuesday is a noontime visit to a Manchester polling place.

View the original article here

Huntsman picks up Boston Globe endorsement (AP)

NEWPORT, N.H. – Republican presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman on Thursday won the endorsement of The Boston Globe, marking the second time Massachusetts' largest newspaper has snubbed its former governor, Mitt Romney, ahead of the New Hampshire primary.

"There's something happening in this state!" Huntsman said announcing the endorsement at a town hall meeting attended by about 250 people.

The former Utah governor, who skipped the Iowa caucuses to focus on New Hampshire, is counting on a strong finish in Tuesday's primary to stay in the GOP race. He acknowledged earlier Thursday that the "tyranny of the clock" is working against him given his late entry into the race and his position far behind the front-running Romney, but said he'd be in first place if he had enough time to cover every corner of the state.

After criticizing Romney as the "status quo" candidate every day for the last week, Huntsman added a new jab Thursday night, noting that Romney was campaigning in South Carolina instead of New Hampshire on Thursday and Friday.

"The people of New Hampshire will not be told for whom to vote," he said. "They want people to earn their vote, as opposed to sitting down in South Carolina, so certain of victory."

The Boston Globe, which has subscribers in southern New Hampshire, endorsed Sen. John McCain over Romney for the 2008 election. On Thursday, it said both Romney and Huntsman stand out as presidential, but where Romney has been cautious, Huntsman has been bold.

"Rather than merely sketch out policies, he articulates goals and ideals. The priorities he would set for the country, from leading the world in renewable energy to retooling education and immigration policies to help American high-tech industries, are farsighted," the Globe said.

The paper acknowledged that Romney may well win the nomination, but it said he is being pushed in "unwanted directions" along the way.

Earlier Thursday in Portsmouth, Huntsman with a voter's assessment of him as David to Romney's Goliath.

Huntsman pointed to former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum's near-win in Iowa as proof that running a grass-roots campaign can pay off.

"You can't Twitter your way to prosperity. You can't Facebook your way to prosperity. You have to be in the state. You have to be felt. You have to be seen," he said.

Money is a must too and Romney has plenty of that. Huntsman, meanwhile, last week had to match donations from supporters to raise $100,000 to begin airing his campaign's first TV commercial.

The voter, John Troiano, a 50-year-old financial planner, said he had been leaning toward Huntsman before seeing him in person. He said he was walking away as a committed supporter.

"He needs to get a lot of rocks in his slingshot, so count me as one of his rocks," Troiano said, referring to the biblical story of David, who brings down Goliath with a slingshot then kills the giant with his own sword.

Troiano said he most appreciated Huntsman's sincerity, a quality he said he found lacking in Romney.

In a sign that Huntsman is looking ahead to South Carolina's primary on Jan. 21, Michele Bachmann's campaign chairman in that state said he took a call from Huntsman's campaign on Wednesday, the day Bachmann announced her departure from the race.

Lee Bright, a South Carolina state senator, said Thursday that Huntsman's campaign wanted to arrange a personal phone call between Huntsman and Bright, but that it had yet to take place. Several campaigns are looking to woo Bachmann's supporters, though Bright said he intended to remain neutral for the time being.

___

Associated Press writer Brian Bakst in St. Paul, Minn., contributed to this report.

View the original article here

Huntsman: Issues not religion will decide GOP race (AP)

RENO, Nev. – Former Utah Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman said Friday that he doesn't believe his Mormon faith will be an issue in his bid for the White House, adding that he's running for president — not to be the nation's spiritual "guru."

Huntsman spoke to reporters in Nevada during an hour-long campaign stop at the Reno Livestock Events Center, where the Reno Rodeo was about to begin.

Three days after formally announcing his candidacy, the former ambassador to China said his list of priority states includes the early caucus swing state of Nevada, where Republicans sided with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in 2008.

Romney also is Mormon. So is Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who said earlier this week he'd pick Huntsman over Romney if he had to. Polls show many voters have reservations about electing a Mormon president.

But Huntsman said Friday that he didn't believe religion would be a concern for voters choosing the 2012 Republican presidential nominee.

"Nor should it be," he said. "I'm not running for guru here."

A candidate's track record, as well as "who has a world view that will get us where this country needs to be" will be much more important, he said.

Huntsman met earlier Friday with Washoe County GOP leaders and had lunch with Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval, Reno Mayor Bob Cashell — a Republican who voted for Reid last election — and a number of local business officials.

Huntsman said contrary to conventional wisdom, he doesn't believe Romney is the heavy favorite to win the Nevada caucus.

"Yes, some might have a head start in terms of fundraising and name recognition," he said. "But given the nature of the media market and our ability to network with social media tools, you can overcome any gap like that over time."

Nevada's presidential caucuses are set for Feb. 18, after Iowa and New Hampshire get their turns and before South Carolina picks its favorite candidate.

In announcing his candidacy Tuesday in Salt Lake City, Huntsman stressed his record as governor of Utah, where he won praise from conservative groups for cutting taxes and recruiting new business to the state. He served as governor from 2005 to early 2009, when Obama offered him the China post. He resigned that position in April.

During a conference call with reporters on Tuesday, Democratic leaders in Utah and Nevada criticized what they said was Huntsman's apparent move to the right on issues such as taxes, health care and the environment to court conservatives GOPs in the primary after developing a reputation as more of a moderate.

"We were looking forward to a campaign of ideas and having a moderate Republican in the race," Utah Democratic Party chairman Wayne Holland said. "Instead we've seen pandering that is disappointing."

View the original article here

Paul wins straw poll, Huntsman ranks second (AP)

NEW ORLEANS – Rep. Ron Paul of Texas has won the presidential straw poll at the Republican Leadership Conference.

The perennial libertarian candidate won 612 votes from the gathering that brings presidential candidates, party elders, grassroots activists and donors. Coming in second place was former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, who served three Republican administrations and then worked as President Barack Obama's ambassador to China.

Huntsman got 382 votes, but did not address the conference. Aides said he was ill.

His wife, Mary Kaye Huntsman, came to meet privately with activists.

Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, a tea party darling, collected 191 votes. Former pizza executive Herman Cain won 104 votes and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney skipped the event and picked up 74 votes. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich got 69 votes.

View the original article here