The presidential candidate has shied away from calling himself a conservative. Here are some alternative labels.
With the Statue of Liberty in sight and flags waving in the background, Jon Huntsman officially joined the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination on Tuesday. Leading up to his announcement, Huntsman has striven to carve out an image as an unconventional candidate and has shied away from calling himself a conservative. Here are 10 things you can call him, however.
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1. Former Governor of Utah
Huntsman, who was first elected as governor of Utah in 2004, won re-election in 2008 with 77 percent of the vote. He had an 80 percent approval rating when he resigned to accept the position of U.S. ambassador to China.
2. Former Ambassador to China, and Obama Admirer
Huntsman, who is fluent in Mandarin, resigned as governor of Utah in 2009 to serve as ambassador to China in the Obama administration. It was a surprise move by the Republican who was already being eyed as a potential challenger to Obama in 2012, even by Obama's former campaign manager . During his tenure as ambassador, Huntsman wrote letters to Obama praising his leadership skills, which have already been used as fodder by Democrats.
3. Laid-Back Campaigner