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Jon Huntsman Campaign Fisks Mitt Romney’s Disastrous Fox News Interview

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by Tommy Christopher | 10:06 am, December 1st, 2011

» 29 comments

In the competition for the GOP’s Best in Show, the junkyard dogs are barking. Yesterday, Rep. Ron Paul released a brutal attack ad against national polling leader Newt Gingrich, and this morning, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman put out a web spot that takes apart New Hampshire frontrunner Mitt Romney‘s interview with “overly aggressive” Fox News anchor Bret Baier. Looks like Paul and Huntsman, each polling double digits in early voting states, are duking it out to be the next Not-Mitt.

Romney’s poor performance, compounded by his later complaints that Baier was “overly aggressive,” is on full display in Huntsman’s ad, which interrupts Romney’s protests with smoking-gun clips that drive the fork in deeper. Substantively, it’s very effective, but Huntsman really ought to hook up with Paul’s campaign, or with Bill Burton, to get past the cheesy underproduction that has dogged his ads. This one, for example, has a great hook with “Mitt-stant Replay,” but has no score, and uses an arcane rewind effect.

Here’s the spot, via YouTube:

With scant weeks before Republicans go to the polls, Huntsman’s New Hampshire numbers wouldn’t ordinarily look too scary. In the most recent Rasmussen poll, he’s at 11%, 23 points off the lead. If this year’s race has taught us anything, though, it’s that a lot can happen in a few weeks, and in fact, does happen. Huntsman and Ron Paul, who’s at 14% in NH and is polling in second place in one Iowa poll, each have decent cause for optimism.

The mercurial nature of this primary has been blamed on the combination of a weak field, and a fundamental distaste/distrust for consistent polling leader Mitt Romney, but the 2011 media machine also has a lot to do with it. Even in the scant years since 2008, the media has changed a lot, with social media and the ever-shrinking news cycle playing a much more influential part. Every little thing these candidates say matters, and it’s all available for embedding on your favorite website.

The most tangible result of these changes is that the debates matter more than ever. They have become social media Super Bowls, with the highlights and lowlights disseminated far and wide. That’s a distinct advantage for bubble candidates like Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman, who can make gains on wounded frontrunners like Romney and Gingrich quickly. Huntsman’s failure to qualify for the next debates in Iowa hurts, but he’ll still have a shot in the New Hampshire debate, days before that state’s primary. Ron Paul, on the other hand, will have ample opportunity to take Romney and Gingrich out, but he also has to deal with a mainstream media that simply refuses to acknowledge his existence.

Even without the debates, though, Huntsman can benefit from another growing media phenomenon: the completely free web ad. Nowadays, any candidate or committee can produce an ad very cheaply, and if it’s compelling enough, cable news channels will play it incessantly, free of charge. On Morning Joe today, for example, host Joe Scarborough played a very long stretch of Ron Paul’s two-and-a-half minute nuclear attack on Newt Gingrich. That’s why Huntsman could really use some production mojo.

Paul’s ad showcases the most compelling reason to think that Newt Gingrich’s days at the top are numbered. In the search for the anti-Romney, Newt Gingrich turns out to have out-Romneyed Romney. Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, and Jon Huntsman are all that’s left of the GOP bench. The next few weeks will determine who can make the best case to “Put me in, coach!”

2012 Election, Bret Baier, fox news, Jon Huntsman, newt gingrich, Ron Paul

Gloves P. Donahue

Last night at one of Obama’s many fundraisers ( “What the hell are we paying him for?”) in New York, Barry told the crowd of 50 donors:

“I’m going to need another term to finish the job,” he said.”

So,he hasn’t finished us off yet, and wants more time to do it.
There’s no Dem primary, but I bet a lot of Dems wish there was.
Anonymous

And what does that have to do with the story on this thread? Absolutely nothing. Just like all the rest of your inane comments. The “Bizzaro” world you live in moron is about to get a rude awakening. Your faulty logic, distortions and lies will be kicked to the curb next year as the people in the US realize the Republican party has been protecting the rich, stomping on the middle class and creating class warfare for the last 30 years. On the topic at hand, Huntsman is the only candidate you have with half a brain. You should be talking about how to make him your nominee.
http://gregingleright.weebly.com/ Greg

Steve is paid to change the topic from the real to the fantastical.
Anonymous

This reminds me of Sarah and Katy, and we know which one is Sarah!!
Anonymous

what does your silly comment have to do with the romney interview??
Anonymous

Mitt is taking a page out of Obama’s book. Defiantly argue the facts and assume people forget the truth. Maybe he is ready for the presidency…
Rex derWunderGott

Tell us how this G-D isn’t a professional Rrrr troll. Every single post on one of the GOP Game Show Contestants, and up pops this puppet G-D with his OTT shot at Obama or Biden or the Dems, never once dealing with the post itself.

I’m going to Flag this G-D post as abusive and see if the brain trust at Mediaite notices what’s going on with this turkey.
Rex derWunderGott

I dunno, Tommy – how is this Huntsman ad NOT effective? I really like the justapositioning or superposition of Mitt the Young Empathetic Guy with Mitt the Old Guy Guarding His Lawn, and I don’t see so much ‘cheapness’ being the reason for the rough looking graphics early on, as I see an effort to match some of the older grainier clips they have from that other Mitt who this new Mitt just despises. Actually, I think from an EFFICACY perspective, this works BETTER than the DCCC ad attacking Mitt.

And you yourself, Tommy, point out this really doesn’t costs Huntsman much to make.
http://gregingleright.weebly.com/ Greg

G-D is this fearsome looking fellow…
http://biggovernment.com/author/sgrammatico/
Part of a clan of errand runners with one obvious goal.
Rex derWunderGott

Can I just do a small shout-out to Tommy for coming up with “fisks”. I’ve heard of “fisking”, way way back in the 19aughts when I came across the corporate pirate and scourge of government Jim Fisk of the late 1800s and the railroad swindles; and I’d hearing of it also in relation to Bob Fisk, the Brit reporter who I’m almost surprised pol campaigns don’t hire to go after opposition candidates, but “fisks”, whoa – just a hint of the naughties there, but TECHNICALLY still onside.
Anonymous

Let me be the first to say that Huntsmann is a RINO.
Anonymous

The repubs of today arn’t smart enough to understand that Huntsman is the best of the bunch.
Anonymous

Maybe if all of us ignored him he would go away. Hmmmm
Rex derWunderGott

Well, there’s 3 approaches to infestation: ignore, bring in the bug specialists and swarm the bejabbers out of the pest, or call on a higher power (ie, the Flag button). I’m thinking this is a persistent case, one of a half dozen who for all we know are one single breit bulb, so it may take all three.
Rex derWunderGott

Yeah, and Tommy I looked at the DCCC ad on the same subject, and yes it’s got slicker production values (I still question whether that equates to efficacy.), but there’s no way that works with Chuck Todd so up front, someone Rrrrs see as a commie agitator; and to a lesser extent with Scarborough in it, given Joe’s getting hammered in the wingosphere these days a Super RINO and a stealth Obamanite. I know it’s SEEMS silly to anyone who’s brains haven’t already been infected by the zombie hordes, but that’s what’s happening, and anyone can check for themselves, Hot Air and that hive particularly.
Anonymous

Yet he has one of the most consistently conservative records… Hm… Science + Civil Unions =/= RINO
Rex derWunderGott

Dang, another thing to add, ANOTHER small shout-out to Tommy on the Guest shot.*

(*Christopher Guest, that is, as in the main troublemaker behind the entire series of Americana in which Best in Show may be the best show. Everyone loves Spinal Tap and I really dug A Mighty Wind, but BiS, man, that’s a classic. Staying with Guest’s character in BiS, that dawg kin hunt.)
Rex derWunderGott

Yeah but that puts him in the middle of even the D caucus in the Senate, and the vanishing Blue Dogs in the House.
The Real Royal Emperor

What will his name be if he is banned and when he returns?
Anonymous

That’s how liberals are trying to paint him. Overlook his economic and foreign policy strengths and paint him as a social liberal… b/c if the race comes down to the economy, as it should, Huntsman beats Obama.
Anonymous

You probably have tons of names you aren’t currently using, perhaps you would share some.
Anonymous

I want to know if Tommy is going to do a story on Barney Frank co-sponsoring the repeal of the Obamacare death panels.
Rex derWunderGott

Yeah, that’s the mantra, but frankly I’m not buyin’ it. And I use “frankly” purposefully here, because the exception that proves the rule, or puts the lie to the meme or whatever, is FDR.

The Big Myth about FDR is that he was the “traitor to his class” who brought in the New Deal right away. Na-uhn. FDR did Jack Squat but give “hope” speeches his first 2 years, then came up with the alphabet soup approach to federal works, because he had Jack Squat as in zip else to do – then sent almost all the gains from that on fire in going in with Rrrrs in become Frank the Inflation Fighter for a year or so til he realized there was, uh, never a problem with that in Depression anyway.

And yet, the American people liked him (those that didn’t hate and despise him and want his dead, that is) and kept on VOTING for him. This was DESPITE how crappy the economy was, because people figured the cause of the Depression was 1. Wall Street 2. Hoover and the Rrrss and THEN maybe FDR came in for some criticism.

And in the modern equivalent, Ye Olde The American People continue to blaim the economy being crappy on 1. Bush and the Rrrs 2. WallStreet 3. BHO.
Anonymous

So you’re saying it really doesn’t matter who is in the WH? Everything is gonna come out roses in the end? Keep believing that, but while you’re at it, vote for Huntsman.
The Real Royal Emperor

No, but he might to a story on a media outlet or publication doing a story on the repeal. You see, Mediaite is about news of the media, not news itself.
Anonymous

If there’s one thing Republicans hate more than the truth, it’s one of their own telling the truth.
Anonymous

I guess it must hurt seeing what a compulsive liar your candidate is that you just had to change the subject. Guffaw.
Anonymous

Wrong. I don’t see any Republicans coming out to support this interview. It’s a straight up bad interview.
Anonymous

I’ve been saying all along that the web was a game changer for 2012 because a “free” ad can go viral and anyone wanting information about a candidate can get it on his or her web site, or Wikipedia. This does not negate Mitt’s millions, but it does make it much less valuable. NO candidate can reach most unwilling viewers with a big buy because the media is so fragmented.