Huntsman for President in 2012.

KSL is reporting that former Governor of Utah and current US Ambassador to China, Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. is preparing to resign his ambassadorship and run for President.

Now is the time for a relative unknown like Huntsman to get into the race, even though it might be a little early.  There is no clear front runner in the race at this time, and a dark horse like Huntsman, a successful former governor can actually win the whole thing.

Huntsman has two main liabilities in the race for President.  First, he is a Latter-Day Saint like Mitt Romney and there may be some GOP voters who will not vote for him because of his religion.  In fact, his late maternal grandfather is David B Haight, who was an Apostle in LDS church...in a manner of speaking, the Mormon equivalent of a Cardinal.  The other liability is that he is not considered a staunch conservative, especially in the environmental arena.  But chances are the people who will hold his environmental record against be the same people that will hold his religion against him.  Some consider Huntsman to be the man who will carry the banner of the "Establishment" Republicans.

Jon Huntsman has some definite strengths.  Huntsman will do well in "Romney Country" and does not have the stigma of a failed state health care plan like Romney does.  If he would win the nomination, he would do well in states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and even California, states that the GOP candidate needs to carry if they expect to win in 2012.  He is considered a fiscal conservative and pro-business which will help him win traditional Republican states that McCain lost in 2008, like Virgina.

His accomplishments as the Governor of Utah show that he can reign in an ultra-conservative legislature, which means that he should poll well with Republicans who are scared of the TEA Party.  He changed the tax structure in Utah to partially break the legislative dependence on a sales tax on groceries.  (Too bad that Herbert has not been able to complete the job.)  He implemented other tax and regulatory policies in Utah that are considered to be business friendly, and those efforts have borne fruit as Utah's unemployment rate is 2.5% below the national average.

In the health care arena, his views are to encourage the insurance industry to help people with preventative health care measures.  This will reduce demand pressure on prices.  It will also help the insurance companies to reduce their costs. (Preventative focus is one of my Eight Points.)  His fiscal policies in the state of Utah have ensured that the state has been able to keep the books balanced without raising taxes nor producing a large debt, so far.  Utah is considered one of the best managed states in the United States.

He also has the historical precedence to unseat a sitting President.  He has served as a state governor for 5 years before becoming the ambassador to China, and was elected twice.  He also has across the isle appeal.  In 2008, many Salt Lake County residents voted Obama for President and Huntsman for Governor.

It is a crowded GOP field already for 2012 and no clear front runner.  Someone like Huntsman could emerge from the pack.

This article compares Romney and Huntsman.