Ex-GOP Presidential Candidate Supports Gay Marriage

Jon Huntsman's days in Republican politics are probably finished

Supporting gay marriage probably isn't the best way to endear yourself to Republican primary voters. And that means Jon Huntsman's days in GOP politics are likely over.

The former Utah governor and ambassador to China he favors marriage rights for same-sex couples and encouraged other GOP politicians to follow suit. "There is nothing conservative about denying other Americans the ability to forge that same relationship with the person they love," Huntsman wrote in an American Conservative op-ed. "All Americans should be treated equally by the law."

Huntsman supported civil unions as a governor, but Thursday's announcement marks a shift from the position he took during the Republican primary.

Huntsman's candidacy never took off in the 2012 primaries. Having served in the Obama administration didn't help.

"Jon Huntsman got 0.44% of the aggregate GOP primary vote in 2012," noted Slate's David Weigel (@daveweigel) on Twitter.

Via The American Conservative.

How would you characterize Huntsman’s support of gay marriage:

[AntiPorcheria]

Evolved.

[marine1]

Reality is something both parties could use a lot more of.

[BossTweed]

Amen!

[talkenhed]

CPac banned, Log Cabin ( gay ) & GOProud (lesbian) Republicans from attending. I guess he's "dead man walking" in today's GOP

[AntiPorcheria]

@talkenhed - Really? Links?

[talkenhed]

@AntiPorcheria
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/20/gopr...

[dabedur]

If only this man would have made it farther in primaries...

[PNWest]

Reasonable. Which by the way was the reason he only got 0.44% of the GOP primary votes.

[happyhenry]

yes most likely. may be best for him to get lost from politic,s

[DARSB]

I wish Mr Huntsman would speak out more often. I think there's a vacuum in the GOP where a reasonable moderate could step in and help revive the party.

[PNWest]

A better alternative would be for Mr. Huntsman and Mr. Christie to leave the GOP and join the democrats. The GOP doesn't respect their opinions. They are called RINOs. The democrats could use a few more conservative voices.

[jessejaymes]

@PNWest that vote up was by mistake. Hunstman and Christies are NEVER going to be SCREAMING "progressives". To their Credit. We have just as big a problem with the far left as we do the far right. You just don't see it that way anymore than the right does. But true moderates are sick to death of both the extremist sides. Huntsman and Christie need to start a center moderate party.

[frigginhell]

@PNWest Huntsman and certainly Christie are not democrats. Leaving the GOP does not make them an automatic democrat by default. Just because a hurricane hit his state doesn't suddenly make Christie a democrat despite what whiners in his party might say. They could run as independents or show real character and stay in their chosen party and try to wrestle it away from the looney fringe known as the tea party.

[PNWest]

@jessejaymes "Huntsman and Christie need to start a center moderate party. " - Well if they do and you join up that will make 3 of you.

[talkenhed]

Huntsman & Christie are both " dead man walking" in today's GOP. CPAC would rather hear from Wayne LaPierre than either of them, CPAC has banned both Gay and lesbian groups from attending Gay marriage not compatible with GOP

[LGRepublican]

Sounds like the beginning of a run for President as an independent.....

[AntiPorcheria]

Perhaps then we would have some real "Hope" and some positive "Change". Of course the Heffalumps and Jackasses would finally unite in a solid bi-partisan attack to kill any third party...

[FollowTheMoney]

Politicians like Huntsman have been gaining ground on the power parties lately. It really gives me hope that Americans, the silent majority anyway, are starting to find their voice.

[AceLuby]

I could only hope

[wonka45ACP]

politix found a sensitive topic thats three in a row.

[Chromalord]

What a con artist. Talk about your blatant pandering. Is this a sign of just how desperate the GOP is getting? People can spot phony.

[VVP]

I would vote Huntsman is Mormon.

Really that explains it all anyway.

[jessejaymes]

I would suggest that Jon Huntsman's days were already over in the Republican Party. He's far FAR away too intelligent for the right wing.

[Vance1]

Jon Huntsman's days in Republican politics are probably finished
G O O D !!!

[Knightkore]

Indeed....he is a progressive liberal anyway....can he take Colin Powell away with him while is at it?

[Malitia_Man]

I supported him!!! Along with my other two guys, Gary Johnson & Ron Paul!!!

[Zazziness]

I like a lot of Gary Johnson positions, too. I hope we see more of him on the national scene.

[mwr]

pandering for independant votes. Is he also changing his religion?

[Santiagoquijan]

I think Huntsman has had a tryst in the gay community and that's why he feels
compelled to support the sodomites, on the other hand as a polititian he doesn't
have a future.

[Speedieg]

Are you against gay people, and sodomites? Just gay people who are sodomites? Are you sure you haven't committed sodomy maybe just once?

[Denizen_Kate]

Sodomites. How quaint.

[Santiagoquijan]

@Speedieg I did not say I was against or in favor I was talking about Jon
Huntsman, that's all. Question is are you a sodomite? I ask you because
you were eager to ask me about it.

[Santiagoquijan]

@Denizen_Kate Nicely bizarre eh?

[Speedieg]

@Santiagoquijan well you used the term sodomites, and the thread was about gay marriage. The two are not the same I was trying to help you clairify. There are many sodomites that are man and wife and legally married in all 50 states. I was curious for you to explain.

[harold_lloyd]

Huntsman was the only Republican I considered worthy of my vote.
A moderate conservative with rational tendancies.

So of course he was dumped for being a RINO.

[neopatriot]

Insane. I thought he was a Mormon???

[Jet_Silverman]

More and more people are beginning to realize there just isn't a good, rational argument against gay marriage.

[Vance1]

sure there absolutely is..........Its Immoral!!!!!

[Jet_Silverman]

@Vance1 why do people like you think that using several exclamation points makes up for the fact you don't' have a rational argument? There is nothing immoral about gay marriage. For something to be immoral, a non consenting party has to be involved. Unless someone is forced to marry someone of the same sex against their will, there is nothing immoral about gay marriage. So, tell us, why do you think it's immoral? Some make believe god said so?

[Vance1]

@Jet_Silverman

what ever man!! You are an Atheist......Figures!!

[jaybebo84]

I have digressed...I think homosexuals should be permitted to be married...do I have to like it? No, but hey...each to his or her own...as their day will come...as long as they don't say they are born with it...I am good...

[Speedieg]

@jaybebo84 The evidence suggests otherwise. It is clearly something passed genetically that in combination with another series of factors triggers it. A recent study of twins separated at birth and raised in completely different environments found that if one was gay then the other 60% of the time was also. While certainly not 100% it does appear to have some validity. The other factors were family size and birth sequence. More often for boys those families with multiple boys showed that those born later were more likely to be gay.

[UScentral]

Can someone really get kicked out of a political party?

[ConserveUSA]

Another Politician that does not know where he belongs.

[ErnestPayne]

Huntsman. Too intelligent for republicans.