Dover, New Hampshire (CNN) – Jon Huntsman spent Saturday making campaign stops in this important early primary state as many of his rivals sought to convince Iowa voters to support them in a Republican Party-sponsored straw poll.
Huntsman, who is seeking the GOP presidential nomination, appeared at a debate in Iowa on Thursday and returned to New Hampshire this weekend to engage in retail politicking - meeting people at restaurants and businesses throughout the state to talk about his vision for the future and his candidacy for the nomination.
In all, Huntsman made five stops including a meet-and-greet at a home in Hampton Falls – the kind of face-to-face interaction that New Hampshire residents have come to expect.
Huntsman sounded his campaign themes on the economy and foreign policy and took questions from voters at a diner, a pizza restaurant and hardware store.
In between campaign appearances, Huntsman told CNN that New Hampshire is a critical key for him in winning the nomination, and vowed to run an aggressive campaign in the months leading up to next year’s primary.
The former Utah governor also took the opportunity to take a not so veiled shot at rival Mitt Romney, who served as governor of neighboring Massachusetts and owns a summer home in New Hampshire. Polling shows that Romney is leading in the state, but Huntsman contended that people are still shopping around for a candidate.
“A front-runner should have had this place buttoned down,” Huntsman said. To that point, he noted that he will spend his time introducing himself to voters, working on increasing his name identification and eventually making his case on television commercials. Huntsman shrugged off Rick Perry’s decision to seek the nomination but noted that the Texas governor’s entry could help him. Perry is considered to be the biggest threat at this point to Romney.
Huntsman noted that the more people in the mix, the more the primary vote will be divided. “Just do the division,” he said.
Huntsman has more events planned Sunday in New Hampshire – a state that will begin to see more visits from the GOP contenders now that Iowa Straw Poll is over.
From CNN Politics
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When it comes to rights, Republicans say corporations are people. But when it comes to the responsibilities of personhood – like paying taxes, being sued for negligence or criminal manslaughter, that sort of thing – their response is "Are you crazy? We're talking about corporations here, not people."
Huntsman should look on the bright side, possibly by 2016 some sanity will have returned to the GOP.
Too reasonable,,, too moderate... not hateful enough to be a Republican.
Gotta admit they are a very attractive couple. If appearance were the deciding factor, Huntsman would win, hands down.
Now this is another handsome and educated couple America can be proud of just like President Obama and Mrs. Obama and unlike, well you know.
Why is it that all of the left forgets that in Bush's last term the democrates were in control of the house and senate?
So how is it that the republicans and Bush screwed everything up. Does it not take a mojority to pass law, who was that majority? ummmmm yea dems! This is just like that famous dems pres who said he didn't inhale. I mean really who believed that? If you did I see why you have your views.
You just can't believe anything that comes out of their mouths! So shut up!