Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. is already hunkered down planning his next political moves, just days after returning to the U.S.
The Washington Post reports Huntsman "will be spending this week meeting with the advisers and strategists who would run his campaign should he vie for the Republican nomination. He's had little contact with them while in China, because of rules that bar officials in the executive branch from involvement in political campaigns." Along those lines, the Wall Street Journal dissects the infrastructure of Huntsman's campaign-in-waiting.
Politico published a longer piece Sunday that analyzes the consequences of Huntsman's time in China and examines an overarching question: Who benefited most from sending Huntsman to China — Pres. Barack Obama or the ambassador himself?
"When President Barack Obama tapped Jon Huntsman in May 2009 to serve as ambassador to China, the move was viewed in official Washington as a political masterstroke. … While the White House won accolades for the pick — which at once sent a qualified emissary to Beijing and exiled a talented potential foe to the other side of the world — it's the former Republican governor of Utah who may have managed to parlay the China post into something of political value."
In a segment that aired on its "Weekend Edition Sunday" program, NPR succinctly profiles Huntsman's journey from high school dropout to presidential contender.
While so much of what the future holds for Huntsman remains to be seen, at least one thing seems certain: where Huntsman will be this coming Saturday.
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