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Jon Huntsman: Mitt Romney Is A ‘Highly Lubricated Weather Vane’

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If there is one thing the entire 2012 Republican presidential field seems to agree on besides the inadequacy of President Barack Obama, it is that Mitt Romney appears to be a bit of a flip-flopper. As this point is being hammered home ad nauseum by every candidate, it has driven them all to get increasingly creative with their insults. But none has really come up with the level of poetry that Jon Huntsman delivered on CNN yesterday when he called his rival a “highly lubricated weather vane.”

Huntsman was explaining to Wolf Blitzer his strong belief that leadership required conviction, and that America needed someone that would be willing to stand up for an opinion no matter how unfavorable it may be. “You need to show leadership,” he argued. “You can’t be a perfectly lubricated weather vane… whether it’s Libya, whether it’s the debt ceiling.”

RELATED: TGIF: Jon Huntsman’s Daughters Made Their Own Herman Cain Campaign Ad Parody

Blitzer, apparently a little surprised by the metaphor, clarified using another one from George Will, noting, “you’re both saying he’s a flip-flopper.” Huntsman agreed that that was his intention, noting that in the “issue of life,” the fact that Romney had had varying opinions was particularly damning.

The segment via CNN below:

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  • Anonymous

    Highly lubed… HA!

  • Anonymous

    yeah you mentioned it, over and over and even changed your damn avatar…..we got it damn you lol

  • Texan

    jon, go back to licking obamas hightops.

  • http://twitter.com/grimcity Neal Boyd

    Thanks to Mr. Huntsman, I shall be using the term “highly lubricated weather vane” in as many contexts as possible.

    THANK YOU, SIR.

  • http://www.davidjkramer.co.cc// DavidKramer

    The last time they won, I was in Parks College of St. Louis U. The huge banner over the freeway proclaiming the St Louis win mysteriously ended up hanging over the cafeteria in the morning. I wonder how THAT happened?

  • http://www.davidjkramer.co.cc// DavidKramer

    And people did not believe me when I said that Jon Huntsman was going to be Obama’s tool. I said he was going to be the stalking horse for the entire Republican Party. Heh, right again.

    It is just so sad that no one cares what he states.

  • Anonymous

    :)

  • Anonymous

    My wife got her Masters from SLU. Nice school. Downtown was NUTZ last night. Glad to see we can win a championship without torching cars or rioting. Proud of my city… :).

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NWVKX2P2QBPQ6FHQHCHVIC2ALQ Fedup in Florida

    So David, who can you get behind in the primary race, personally I am having a hard time with the field, I almost hate to say this because I know that it will bring alot of hate, but the more I get to know about the republican candidates the more I like Huntsman, especially since he has qualified some of his previous statements.  For me this is not an election where we are going to support a great candidate, it has come down to selecting from one of the many flawed candidates, at least that is how I view this field.  

  • Anonymous

    Mittens can’t even catch a break from his fellow mormon governor. Guffaw.

  • Anonymous

    Huntsman is lubricated a bit lower down and to the rear.

  • Eolsen

    Huntsmen suffers from terminal jealosy

  • Anonymous

    The target is Obama , Governor Huntsman .

  • Texan

    nice to see you’ve expanded your vocabulary, cakes

  • http://www.davidjkramer.co.cc// DavidKramer

    The last person I actually went out and worked for was Ron. There has been a long and blindingly bad run of folks running for Republican Presidential office. Not one since Reagan actually called for stopping the behemoth that is the Federal government. Heck, we are hearing from the Dems now that it is okay if the private sector takes hits as long as the public sector keeps growing. THEY ARE STATISTS!

    I will hold my nose whomever gets the nod. I am leaning more towards Cain and even Ron Paul now. I think RP may be the only one in the field that would actually begin taking down the government bureaucracy. But I do not think he has a chance. My pick decided not to run. I had numerous sites ready to go and other things set up but, oh well. I guess we have to transition to a smaller government. Even though that has never happened, does not mean it is not possible.

  • Anonymous

    One of Obama ‘s core values is his opposition to gay marriage .

    Prediction: He will flip-flop on this the Wednesday after election day  2012 , no matter what happens .

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NWVKX2P2QBPQ6FHQHCHVIC2ALQ Fedup in Florida

    Thanks for your thoughts, the more I watch this field the more I have been pushed towards Huntsman, not because I agree with his platform but because the other candidates I find to be more worrisome.  Huntsman did a fair job of explaining his stance on AWG which helped me a great deal as that has been a big concern of mine with him, he basically said that you can’t restrict our economy to lofty ideals while China and India play by different sets of rules. 

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_A4OJ2F7ADXSD7OMEUUEQDQDZ2Y Dustin Baker

    Jim Huntsman still polls at 1% btw.  You wouldn’t know it by all the coverage he gets.

  • Anonymous

    Criticizing his opponents in a Presidential race? *gasp* Look at that Perry criticizing Romney too he must be for Obama…

  • Anonymous

    Congrats – I don’t like that they eliminated my Braves, but the Cards deserve it – great series.

  • http://www.facebook.com/ericupperman Eric Upperman

    a highly lubricated weather vane… and hes also a flip/flopper!

  • Anonymous

    Its called a primary….

  • Fallenchicken

    Teabloggers are funny. Jon Huntsman is consistently more conservative than Mitt Skinchanger, but Jon’s a liberal because he worked for a black man and believes in science. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Caroline-M-Corman/1790826629 Caroline M. Corman

    Congrats baby!  I wish the White Sox would do  better next year. Oh well, maybe the Bulls can pull off a  championship.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Caroline-M-Corman/1790826629 Caroline M. Corman

    Love that Arch and the French Quarter.  I miss MO. especially Kansas City.

  • Anonymous

    Frances I’M BOYCOTTING ALL OF YOUR ARTICLES AND CALLING ON MY FELLOW AMERICANS TO DO THE SAME.  Your attempt to delegitimze and smear Michael Moore by labeling him a communist in order to feed red meat to the masses needs to be shunned by decent honest citizens of the USA. You need to be starved of traffic or left to sit within a populist that is willing to support this sort of “journalism”.

    IT FALLS UNDER THE HEADING OF PROPAGANDA!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_A4OJ2F7ADXSD7OMEUUEQDQDZ2Y Dustin Baker

    Not sure if serious.

  • Anonymous

    Republicans are upset because one of their candidates is telling the truth.  You gotta love it.

  • Lenny

    Game 6 was the best game I ever watched and I am a die hard Yankee fan…Congrats on your victory-I thought Tony had blown the series.
    Highly lubed weather vane has to be one of the greatest insults I have ever heard from a politician…
    Mitt is like Himey the Robot..

  • http://www.davidjkramer.co.cc// DavidKramer

    I miss LaClede’s Landing. I think that is what it is called. Been a few years.

  • Anonymous

    talk about a 1%er!

    LOL

    John, it was over before it started!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_TWK2YYJTTIDLZIVV7NKZM23Z6Q Tyler

    I liked Hunstman he does seem to be fair and balanced and doesn’t sound like he wants to be vice president. 

  • Anonymous

    Some people were born with a sliver-spoon in there mouth- you were born with a silver fish in yours!

  • Anonymous

    Thank you for proving my point.

  • shonangreg

    A stalking horse for the Republican Party? What secret, unsure idea of the Republican Party did Huntsman represent?

    Obama’s tool? I don’t understand how Huntsman is serving Obama’s interest now either. Are you sure you know what those words mean?

    From the beginning, it was speculated that Obama asked Huntsman to be his Ambassador to China precisely because Huntsman was seen as one of the strongest Republican rivals. It was speculated that Huntsman working for Obama would taint Huntsman in the eyes of the far right and remove him from the competition. That doesn’t make Huntsman tool; it makes the nutjobs of the far right Obama’s tool. Pathetic, isn’t it? And Republican leadership is absent in not pointing this out. Huntsman was just being patriotic exactly as he has been saying.

    Obama’s plan to take down Jon Huntsman?

    ======================
    |                                             |
    | MISSION ACCOMPLISHED |
    |                                            |
    ======================

  • Anonymous

    I really like Huntsman. He’s probably the most reasonable person on the ticket. Honestly he would have been the person most likely to beat Obama. But because the GOP is so far right, anybody that comes off reasonable, and doesn’t seem to hate Obama’s guts would never make it past a GOP primary. Its a shame though. I thought he was a good candidate.

  • Anonymous

    Some in tea party asking Bachmann to quit, Perry and Cain sliding down, Romney flip floping evert day , why can;t Republicans get behind Huntsman.

  • Anonymous

    Boom….you got me…peaches!

  • Anonymous

    I thought we were done after “phonegate” in game 5. Still can’t believe they pulled this one out.

  • Anonymous

    ‘Mitt Romney Is A ‘Highly Lubricated Weather Vane’ Jon Huntsman

    It sounds wildly inappropriate, but you get away with for the sheer humorous audacity…

    …Wonder what his fellow Republicans will make of it?

  • Anonymous

    Huntsman has a snowball’s chance.

    He should run against Obama.

  • Anonymous

    Since no one watches CNN nor like Huntsman, nada.

  • Anonymous

    Alas, there are all the newspapers and media like Mediate reporting on interviews conducted for all Candidates.

    Considering also, that everyone loves to hear about…some ‘highly lubricated’ controversy!

  • Anonymous

    Agreed. He has some serious cred on governing and leadership, but b/c he won’t pander to the far right, he gets no love. Sad state for the Republicans…

  • Anonymous

     Um, because Huntsman served in the Obama administration, and the other thing Republicans agree on is that they want no taint of Obamaism on their candidate?

  • Anonymous
  • http://mediamatters.org/ Leedog

    Huntsman is a Moderate, and Republicons hate Moderates!! You have to be the most extreme, ignorant pile of sh*t running for President to get the Republicon vote!!

  • http://mediamatters.org/ Leedog

    It’s laughable that the Republicons are going to get stuck with a flip-flopping “RINO” for their nominee as President!! That’s got to burn!!  =)

  • Anonymous

    The race to the end of the political spectrum to win party nomination, and subsequent sprint back to the center to appeal to the ever-important independent vote is what dooms many challenges to the incumbent.  Obama and his campaign have got to love this 9-way Battle Royal which has a new front runner every month.  From an independent perspective, it makes any GOP nominee look unelectable because they are all buoyed to one another and spending precious campaign dollars to defeat each other.  In the meantime, Obama’s massive campaign war chest continues to grow. 

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