In the current issue of Time, political columnist Joe Klein refers to the GOP presidential field as "Romper Room," and adds that they are "an embarrassing spectacle for Republicans." As an example, he cites the debate where not one of the candidates said they would accept a deficit-reduction deal that included $1 in revenue increases for every $10 in budget cuts.
Although fans of Jon Huntsman insist that his moderate brand of politics sets him apart from the rest of the field and its craven Tea Party mentality, the fact of the matter is that Huntsman stood alongside his Republican colleagues in saying that such a "compromise" simply wasn't good enough.
Huntsman was scheduled to be in Pinellas County Sunday afternoon, though his strategy of seriously campaigning here has taken a backseat to making New Hampshire his make-or-break state.
Huntsman appeared on NBC's Meet The Press earlier in the day, where moderator David Gregory looked like he wanted a Mormon catfight by repeatedly asking the former Utah Governor if Mitt Romney was viable against Obama in a general election.
This article appears in Nov 3-9, 2011.