Mitt to run 1.4 MILLION in ads in Iowa - Next week alone

[Dos Equis]

^ Thought you guys were talking about Mitt  

Huntsman isn't any better than Mitt. Club for Growth gave him an "F" on spending, since government spending increased over 30% under his watch as Utah Governor. Another guy with a horrid record.

No worries.  

Regarding Huntsman, what I posted above (from Wiki) is hardly a horrid record.  

[howardroark]

No worries.  

Regarding Huntsman, what I posted above (from Wiki) is hardly a horrid record.  

Increasing the size of government by one third isn't horrid? You realize that Obama has increased spending less than Huntsman, right?

[Dos Equis]

Increasing the size of government by one third isn't horrid? You realize that Obama has increased spending less than Huntsman, right?

I'm talking about this:

Huntsman maintained extremely high approval ratings as Governor of Utah hitting 90% approval at times. In 2008, he won re-election with 77.7% of the vote, defeating Democratic Party nominee Bob Springmeyer.[26] He left office with his approval ratings over 80%.[27][28][29] Utah was named the best managed state by the Pew Center on the States.[30] Following his term as governor, Utah was also named a top 3 state to do business in.[31] The 2006 Cato Institute,(libertarian think tank) evaluation gave Huntsman an overall fiscal policy grade of "B"; the institute gave him an "A" on tax policy and an "F" on spending policy.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Current Population Survey, Utah was ranked number one in the nation in job growth during Huntsman's tenure, a rate of 5.9% between 2005 and 2009. However, according to the Bureau's Current Employment Statistics survey, Utah ranked number four in the country in job creation, with 4.8% growth. Utah trailed Texas (6.5%), North Dakota (7.5%), and Wyoming (9.5%).[32]

The Utah Taxpayers Association estimates that "tax cuts from 2005 to 2007 totaled $407 million." Huntsman proposed eliminating the corporate franchise tax for small businesses making less than $5 million. During his term as governor, he was successful in having Utah replace its progressive income tax (with a top rate of 7%) with a flat tax of 5%; cut the statewide sales tax rate from 4.75% to 4.65% and sales tax on unprepared food from 4.70% to 1.75%; and raise motor vehicle registration fees. He proposed a 400% increase in cigarette taxes, but the measure was never signed into law.




All of that is pretty good.  I don't agree with everything he proposed or did, but on balance he did a good job. 

[howardroark]

An "F" on spending isn't what you want in a President dealing with a budget that will never be balanced without real spending cuts. Besides, some of those other statistics are suspect. For example, Utah was ranked #3 to do business in 2007, but by the end of Huntsman's term in 2009 that ranking fell to #5. Regarding job growth, you have to ask yourself how much of that was thanks to Huntsman and how much of it was due to other economic circumstances (e.g. how Perry's job growth numbers are mainly thanks to an energy boom). And then there are other problems with Huntsman, like how he supports cap-and-trade and how he stated that Obama's stimulus was not big enough.

In some ways Huntsman comes off more as a Blue Dog Democrat than as a true Republican.

[Dos Equis]

I don't like the fact he supported the stimulus. 

[Mr. Magoo]

campaign expenditures should be limited

[howardroark]

campaign expenditures should be limited

Why? To leave voters uninformed?

[240 is Back]

I don't like the fact he supported the stimulus. 

Mitt supports whatever is popular in the environment he's in.

He supported liberal policy in Mass.
He supported RINO policy in 07 when that was popular.
He support tea party in 2010 when that was popular.

Now he suddenly loves the constitution and accuses anyone who mentions his flipflopping as 'uninformed', including Brent Baier.

You can bet as president, he'll be John Boehnner II.  It's that simple.  A traditional moderate repub who believes in nation building, was rhetoric, lots of speeches and spending as usual.  ROmney will be obama, so liberals can't complain.  Ron Paul will shake some shit up.  Bachmann would too.

Romney will be Obama II.  And he's the guy yall want.  You will get what you support.  Enjoy.