Jon Huntsman declared himself a candidate for
president Tuesday, offering himself as a strong leader capable of
restoring the nation to greatness.
The former Utah governor used a scenic backdrop that
included the Statue of Liberty to begin a campaign against a president
he served under just months earlier as ambassador to China.
His speech included its share of swipes at President
Obama, as he said the nation was in need of new leadership “that knows
we need more than hope. Leadership that knows that we need answers.”
“We will not be the first American generation that
lets down the next generation,” he said. “We have the power, we have the
means, we have the character to astonish the world again by making from
adversity a new and better country.”
Huntsman’s speech spanned roughly 15 minutes,
offering a cursory overview of his resume and the outlines of his
economic-focused message.
Under his leadership Utah weathered the economic
downturn better than most, he argued, proving that “government doesn’t
have to choose between fiscal responsibility and economic growth.”
He said the nation must make “hard decisions that are
necessary to avert disaster,” or else the nation will be overwhelmed by
entitlement and debt spending, and forced to go deeper into debt.
“Our influence in the world will wane. Our security
will be more precarious. The 21st century then will be known as the end
of the American century. We can’t accept this, and we won’t,” he said.
Playing off Obama’s “win the future” slogan, he said the nation “can and will own the future.”
In a brief discussion of foreign policy, he appealed
to a war-weary public in saying that the “best long-term national
security strategy is rebuilding our core here at home.”
Tuesday’s announcement caps an unusual and heavily
thematic multiweek roll-out. Short videos posted to his website over the
last week show a man riding his motorcycle through scenic Utah, with
vague one-line messages such as “The candidate for president who rides
motocross to relax.” On his Facebook page Monday, dozens of photos from
throughout his life were posted.
“In order to beat the president, we’re going to have
to beat him at his own game. And that involves being big and being
bigger than the president,” a campaign aide said Monday of the buildup.
“We’re introducing a fresh candidate; we’re introducing an outsider to a
lot of the country. … The ramp-up is part of our effort to introduce
him and his unique background.”
Huntsman has already drawn fire from Democrats and
the Republican candidates he will have to defeat to win the nomination.
In his speech, Huntsman promised to “conduct this campaign on the high
road.”
“I don’t think you need to run down anyone’s
reputation to run for president,” he said. “I respect my fellow
Republican candidates. And I respect the president. He and I have a
difference of opinion on how to help the country we both love. But the
question each of us wants the voters to answer is, who will be the
better president, not who’s the better American.”
After his announcement, Huntsman is to travel to New
Hampshire. Other stops this week are planned in South Carolina, Florida,
Utah and Nevada.
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