Huntsman draws 100; many still undecided
As published in the Dec. 12, 2011 edition of The Keene Sentinel, and online.
SWANZEY CENTER -- For some, it's a process of elimination.
Others see a set of options to be carefully weighed.
Still others will rely on a feeling in their gut.
But no matter how the decisions are made, voters have less than a month to go before New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation presidential primary.
"When New Hampshire weighs in, everyone else takes notice," Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman said Sunday night, warming up the crowd at a town hall meeting at Monadnock Regional Middle/High School in Swanzey Center.
About 100 people turned out to see the former Utah governor and former U.S. ambassador to Singapore and China. Five minutes before the meeting was scheduled to start, organizers were scrambling for chairs in the school library, which had been set up for a gathering of about 30.
Elisabeth Langly of Dublin, who is co-leading the Huntsman team in Cheshire County, helped organized the event.
Republicans and independent voters she spoke to were eager to attend, she said, and not necessarily because they were Huntsman supporters.
"They really haven't made up their minds. This is really unusual -- it wasn't like this in other campaigns," said Langly, who supported Sen. John McCain in the 2008 primary.
Part of the challenge for voters is the size and shifting makeup of this year's Republican field.
"I was really interested in Herman Cain, but now that he's out I'm not sure," Bri M. Tom, 18, of Fitzwilliam said before Huntsman's appearance.
Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich both appeal to Tom, but she was also interested to hear what Huntsman had to say.
She's looking for "someone who isn't a politician, and has some set goals they're trying to reach."
Huntsman covered a lot of ground in his talk. He supports Rep. Paul Ryan's plan to reduce the federal deficit, and wants to see individual states take more control of education and health care, he said. He called for restoring manufacturing jobs in places like Keene and shrinking financial institutions so that none are "too big to fail."
Huntsman mentioned his Republican rivals only once ("I will not sign those silly pledges that everyone on the debate stage has signed," he said, to a round of applause, referring to commitments such as the group Americans for Tax Reform's promise that lawmakers will not increase taxes.)
Instead, he took aim at President Barack Obama, who he criticized for failing to lead, failing to fix a faltering economy, and foisting an expensive and unpopular health care reform on the country.
That sounded good to Republican voter Thomas Blodgett of Peterborough, who said the stakes in this year's primary are high.
Compared to the 2008 election, "the need to elect a Republican is so much greater," he said. "Our current president is academic, disconnected and indifferent."
Blodgett is still making up his mind about a candidate, he said, but he was impressed with Huntsman's leadership and experience.
"I think this fellow thinks really well," he said.
Independent voter Vaughn R. West of Keene is also still making up his mind.
"I know who not to vote for," he said. "I've eliminated most."
West, who supported Obama in 2008 and McCain in 2000, had narrowed his choice to Huntsman or former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.
He hadn't ruled out voting for Obama again next year -- "It totally depends on who the other nominee is," he said.
That's not the case for Kyle Bowie, 22, of Keene.
He voted for Obama four years ago, he said, but won't do it again because he's disappointed in the president's foreign policy.
But who will he vote for?
"I have favorite points in all of them, so I'm trying to narrow it down," he said.
Twenty-nine days to go.
tagged with: 2012 presidential primary, Jon Huntsman, presediential election
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