Political Equinox

Ok. It’s re-he-he-eally early to discuss the presidential election of 2012. I’ve been one to bemoan those who rush into an election season too early, but I cannot help but applaud the politically shrewd move in Obama eliminating the only Republican that would have a shot at beating him. Moderate, youthful, Mandarin fluent Utah Governor John Huntsman will forego his foray onto the national political stage for at least another presidential election cycle. While this is at first glance a victory for Obama, this may actually help moderate Republicans in the long run. When Obama is no longer president, the still young Huntsman may be in the best position ever to bring moderation back to his now fledgling party.

I’m going to go out on a limb – Huntsman’s appointment to the ambassadorship in China is biggest political boon the Republican Party has had in the past two years. Michael “Urban-Suburban Hip Hop Settings” Steele, Rush Limbaugh and Dick Cheney are tussling over the table scraps of the current iteration of the Republican Party – this is not the time for a moderate newcomer to emerge. The crazies have to knock each other out first and Republicans have to loose another election before they’re going to realize just yelling your ‘core values’ louder will not get you more votes.

Huntsman may have seen 2012 as a must run year for him. With Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin and Tim Pawlenty lining up yet again to do battle for who’s the most Conservative, a fresh young face with moderate views may have appealed to a jaded Republican Party; Huntsman may have gotten the nomination. He would have to reconcile himself, however, with the still very strong ultra conservative base that lines up in Republican primary elections. He could have been forced to run with one of the aforementioned old players and have to tie himself to their misfortunes in 2008. He would have also had to run against Obama; a painful prospective path to the presidency (ask John McCain).

And so along comes this ambassadorship like Mana from heaven. Huntsman is removed from the potentially calamitous presidential election cycle of 2012 and placed in a safe position that will actually build his legitimacy as an international player with an expertise with the most important country in the world. Even in a globalized world, the economic relationship of China and the United States will be our single most important for the foreseeable future. Their ownership of our debt coupled with our constant purchase of their cheap goods and services proves to be a symbiotic relationship not easily untangled – even in an economic crisis. While the role of an ambassador has dissipated in our age of instant communication, Huntsman will nonetheless be able to speak on economic issues with our most important trading partner better than any candidate on either side.

As always, none of what I’ve said is a bygone conclusion. After all, Hillary had the election locked up from her announcement, right? Even so, Obama made a shrewd political move by bringing a potential political adversary into his administration. By doing this, however, he is helping to create a political monster the Dems will have to slay in 2016 – a still young moderate Republican who speaks the language (both literally and metaphorically) of the biggest nation in the world.