Darkhorse 2012

Here's my (dark horse) nomination: Jon Huntsman.

He's the departing ambassador to China. That's right, an Obama administration ambassador. He is a Republican though. And former governor of Utah (wanna guess his religion?).

Now, what interests me about this guy is who is father is - Jon Huntsman Sr. He is a billionaire. He pioneered the Styrofoam egg cartons and McDonald containers via Huntsman Chemical. He (the father) also founded the Huntsman Cancer Institute. And before you laugh my little known dark horse off the stage, consider the company I'm in:

"There are at most 5 plausible GOP candidates for 2012: Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, former Utah Governor and departing ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney."
-George Will 3/7/11 (source)

Personally, despite Will's stellar, long time reputation, I think he's been in DC a bit too long. The governors battling the budget deficits such as Walker, Kasich, Christie and a senator or 2 like a Demint, Rubio or Rand don't get anywhere near his list, and I think they have a real opening here (& he wrote Gingrich and Huckabee off completely). But just bare in mind one name when the "experts" start rattling off the "plausible" top 5's - Bill Clinton. Where was he 20 months before the 91' primaries? I'd imagine being escorted through the McDonald's drive through by an Arkansas state trooper at 1am, on the arm of some babe with more breasts than brains.

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Oh, and on a side note - we are still in Afghanistan and Iraq; GITMO just got new life and will resume at full capacity, never having fully shut down the detention center; unemployment is still at 9%+; gas prices are on the rise; the GOP owns the House; the Middle East is on fire; and we haven't moved an inch with Iran. And ALL OF THIS has resulted in one very tangible result... for me... the Libs at work won't even make eye contact as we pass in the hall!!! They all suddenly have to "hurry and eat", get to their game, check the schedule, glance at the road map, and go clock in. I couldn't shut these guys up during the campaign and now they don't want to give me a second of face time, not a sliver of an opening. It's FANTASTIC!

But fear not Obama acolytes! Don't fret that the economy continues to limp along while your man Barry maintains a foreign policy that's about as coherent as Otus from Andy Griffith. For he'll soon be on the case, working hard to remedy all of these broken campaign promises, personal blunders and national problems... right after the Motown/NBA pregame party he's hosting at the White House concludes tonight (yes, that's really happening). And that's one thing the Barak-meister and I will always have in common, cheering for the Bulls.