Republicans Make or Break Their Best Option Today in New Hampshire

Huntsman gaining ground in NH

For months former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman has deserved more attention than he has received from both the media and the Republican base. With a slight bump in the polls in New Hampshire and some noteworthy moments in recent candidate debates, Huntsman has gained prominence in the news, but it may be too late to impact his bid for the Oval Office.

The New Hampshire primary, which is underway even as I type this morning, will tell the tale by the end of today.

The inability of Huntsman to gain traction with right-wing voters may be the biggest tragedy to befall the Republican party since the re-election of George W. Bush in 2004. Jon Huntsman's experience in foreign policy, his demeanor, and his tenure as an executive leader in government, along with the serious and intelligent focus he places on the substantive policy issues of this election, should earn him a top three finish in every primary, and an occasional first place finish in states with more moderate electorate populations, like New Hampshire. Should, but may not. If only Huntsman had challenged the President's birth certificate instead of his economic policies.

Huntsman's clear qualifications for the presidency and his electability have not been sufficient thus far in moving him significantly closer to his party's nomination. Most Republicans would find themselves relatively comfortable with Huntsman's economic and national security positions (if they learned about them), and because of his consistently right-wing stance on deal-breaker issues like abortion and taxes, they could probably overlook his moderate views on gay rights and other social issues. The problem for the former governor and ambassador to China is his refusal to participate in the fiery, albeit groundless, Obama-bashing that energizes Tea Partiers, and his preference for reasonable policy-talk over the kind of divisive bullshit sideshow rhetoric that dominates the broadcast news cycle.

What Didn't Happen When Mitt Met a Gay Vet

Romney and gay veteran Bob Garon

At the Chez Vachon diner in New Hampshire this week, cheese sandwiches weren't the only thing being grilled.

Presidential candidate Mitt Romney got more than he bargained for when he saw two older gentlemen in a booth at the restaurant, and then invited himself to sit down for a quick campaign chat. The man Romney slid next to in the booth, Bob Garon, was dressed in a red flannel shirt and a Vietnam vet baseball cap. The fellow seated across from them was Bob Lemire, who we can only imagine to Mitt's surprise, was Bob Garon's legal husband.

Garon, who did in fact serve in Vietnam in the 1960s, wedded Lemire in New Hampshire where gay marriage is legal. When Mitt Romney sat down at his four-top booth, Garon took full advantage of finally having a "seat at the table," posing several questions to Romney about his stance on gay marriage and a gay spouse's eligibility for veteran's benefits.

You've probably read about this encounter already, but if you're interested, you can find the full text of their conversation here, or watch a video clip of their interaction here.

Romney deserves some credit for how he managed himself in this situation once he realized where the conversation was headed. He didn't quickly slink away to the next table as Michele Bachmann might have done (for fear of gay cooties, no doubt), he didn't cut Garon off in mid-sentence as Newt Gingrich might have done, and he didn't duck Bob Garon's very pointed questions about gay marriage. In fact, Romney gave concise and straightforward answers, even though they weren't the answers he knew Garon wanted to hear. Of course, knowing his response was completely in line with what his Republican base would want to hear probably made being "direct" a little easier for Romney. Still, I give him credit for not pacifying "the Bobs" on the spot.

Perry Attacks Gay Marriage Law in New Hampshire

Rick Perry has called for the repeal of a New Hampshire law passed in 2009 that legalized gay marriage. During a New Hampshire campaign stop on Friday, Perry applauded the efforts of a small group of Republican legislators who are working to repeal the state law, despite the fact that 62% of the state's citizens support the law.

This exemplifies the kind of desperation politics that cost the Republicans the White House in 2008. When the solutions posed to address the nation's real issues ring hollow with a majority of voters, far right candidates fall back on anti-gay, anti-abortion, anti-immigrant hate messages in an attempt to rally their conservative base.

This strategy will garner headlines and it may raise a candidate's profile with the fringe, but it solves nothing and ultimately loses elections. Keep up the good work, Mr. Perry, and don't worry, Texas will take you back when it's all over.

Bachmann Campaign Staffers Give Up in NH

The six or so folks who comprised Michele Bachmann's New Hampshire campaign staff have resigned en masse. Now, if we can only get Michele to follow suit.  

Doesn't she know there are things she could still be screwing up in the House of Representatives?

Of course the bigger question is when will she resign from her congressional seat so she can have time to write a book about her journey, moderate a Fox News show, begin collecting mammoth speaking engagement fees, and start preparing to pretend to run for office in 2016?