Even Republicans Who Endorse Mitt Romney Don’t Think He Can Beat Obama

Last updated on August 10th, 2014 at 04:43 pm

Jon Huntsman is about to become the latest Republican to endorse Mitt Romney who doesn’t think he can defeat Obama

Here is the video of Huntsman on CNBC:

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On The Kudlow Report last Monday, Huntsman declared Romney completely unelectable after the GOP frontrunner said that he liked to fire people. Huntsman also shared his opinion that Romney would get chewed up by the Obama campaign, “Words and statements matter . . . when you are in a heated campaign. I just want to make sure we can get somebody who can go up against Barack Obama and not be chewed up by the political machine that’s going to have a billion dollars to spend on it…In order for someone to beat Barack Obama this year, they’re going to actually have to convince people who supported Barack Obama last time to support them. If you can’t come out of New Hampshire or any other primary state with the Republicans and also a whole lot of independents, than we’re not going to have an electable candidate at the end of the exercise.”

Jon Huntsman was arguing for his own candidacy at the time, but his candid remarks offered a great deal of insight into just how little faith Republicans have that Romney can beat Obama. Huntsman is about to go from telling the world that Romney can’t beat Obama to endorsing him. It would be one thing for Huntsman to be questioning Romney’s electability in the midst of heated primary campaign or at the end of a long primary cycle, but the former Utah governor made these remarks before the second contest on the calendar.

Jon Huntsman really believes that Romney can’t beat President Obama, which means that sometime this week he is going to have to share a stage with Romney and lie through his teeth about the GOP frontrunner’s electability.

The never was GOP contender turned insincere Romney endorser is not the only one with big doubts about Mittens. There is a noticeable lack of enthusiasm surrounding Mitt Romney’s candidacy. The Internet is not buzzing with pro-Romney chatter. A recent Gallup poll found that GOP enthusiasm is on the decline. Republicans and Democrats are almost even as we head into 2012.

The 2012 election is turning into a carbon copy of 2008, which looked an awful lot like 1996. Republicans are lining up behind Mitt Romney because good party soldiers always get with the program. The truth is that Huntsman is just like every other Republican. The GOP seems to be coming to the realization that they have to nominate somebody, so it might as well be Mitt Romney.

However, nothing is more telling than the fact that Mitt Romney’s next big endorsement will come from someone who doesn’t think he can win. A never was endorsing a never will be is a fitting description for the freak circus that has been the race for the Republican nomination.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association