Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Presidential Candidate: Jon Huntsman

Synopsis:  Not well known Technocrat, Mormon ex-governor of Utah throws his hat in the ring for 2012 presidential nomination.

Current Job: Recently vacated his job as Ambassador to China; now running for president.

Spouse: Mary Kaye

Kids:  7 - 5 bio-kids and 2 adopted - one from China and one from India, who is Hindu and as such, the family does celebrate Diwali.  Additionally, even though Jon was raised Mormon, his wife was raised Episcopalian, Jon did attend Lutheran school, and his kids attended Catholic school.

Stance on:
  • Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act:  Repeal
  • Roe V Wade: Would like to overturn Roe v Wade.
  • Funding Planned Parenthood: Against.  Is fine with PP's non-abortion health services, but has said he will veto any budget that includes funding of Planned Parenthood.
  • Embryonic Stem Cell Research:  Supports Stem Cell Research, but not of the embryonic kind.
  • Afghanistan: If we don't have a winning strategy, we should just cut our losses and get out.
  • Iran:   Unclear
  • Budget: Is pro tax cut, and thinks we need to spend less
  • Taxes:  would like to implement a flat tax rate
  • Mexico/US border: Does not like the idea of a fence, but also feels that we're at a point where there's no other option
  • Education:  Feels the government shouldn't be running schools, but should be a clearinghouse of ideas.
  • Energy:  We need to end our dependence on foreign oil and need to start researching new energy sources
  • LGBT issues:  Is against gay marriage, but is pro gay union.  Feels that it should be the states' right to decide.
Miscellaneous:
  • Professes a firm belief in Science and rejects the theory that faith and evolution are mutually exclusive.
  • Believes that we should trust scientists when it comes to global warming.
  • Is pro-life but also refused to sign a pledge to only appoint pro-lifers to the cabinet and stop federal funding of abortions in the event that he became president.
    Chances of Winning:  Probably not very good since most of the independents that are voting in republican primaries are leaning toward Ron Paul.  Also, he doesn't get much media coverage which means most people don't know much about him.  It's possible that he could become a running mate for someone trying to appeal to the younger generation.

    Who would vote for him:  younger, more liberal leaning folks.  Would possibly do better running as an independent or democrat.

    Clips from the fake news (since that's all I need):
    -Colbert Report: Huntsman Interview
    -The Daily Show: Scientists?!
    -Fox News:  Are you a candidate?




    Campaign Talking Points (from his website): 
    Huntsman has one of the most comprehensive websites of the candidates I've researched.

    Tax Reform
    • Simplify the the personal income tax code and lower rates which will eliminate all deductions and credits, but would also lower the brackets to 8%, 14% and 23% (currently 15%, 25% and 34%)
    • Eliminate the alternative minimum tax
    • Reduce the corporate tax rate from 35% to 25%
    • Shift to a Territorial Tax System which will allow US based multinational corporations to bring jobs to America.
    • Implement a Tax Holiday for repatriation of corporate profits which will allow companies to make capital investments 
    • Eliminate taxes on capital gains and dividends in order to eliminate the double-taxation on investments - He feels that people do not invest their money in the stock market because whatever they earn is going to be taxed even though the money that was initially put up was taxed via income taxes.
    Regulatory Reform
    • Repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
    • Repeal Dodd-Frank
    • Streamline the FDA approval process
    • Enact comprehensive patent reform (it takes too long to get a patent)
    • Repeal Sarbanes/Oxley
    • End the EPA regulatory overreach by nixing the Ozone Standard Revision and Joint Fuel Efficiency rules (the fuel efficiency rules ban converting heavy duty equipment to natural gas)
    • Develop and deliver new alternative energies by expediting the environmental permitting process
    • Implement a cultural change in regulatory agencies by mandating that timelines are kept and citizens are treated as customers
    • Will instruct the National Labor Relations Board to allow Boeing to move to South Carolina (otherwise Boeing will have to move to a foreign country) in order to keep American jobs in America.
    • Will require the Commodities Future Trading Commission to do a cost-benefit analysis before implementing any regulations
    • Privatize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
    • Will require all government agencies (including the 'independent' ones) to do a cost-benefit analysis before implementing any regulations.
    Financial Reform
    • End "too big to fail"
    • Maximize derivatives transparency
    • Repeal Dodd-Frank
    • End Wall Street's reliance on excessive short term leverage
    • Eliminate the tax deduction of interest paid which puts an emphasis on debt instead of equity (it's unclear if this is meant for corporations only or if it's also meant for homeowners)
    • Fix the Basel 3 Accord which makes it easier to invest at a lower rate in sovereign debt
    • Ensure a stable dollar policy
    • Dismantle Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae as they stand now
    • Restore the rule of law to prevent things such as the Robo-signings
    • Work with Europe to end the European Sovereign Debt Crisis
    Energy Independence
    • Streamline approval for new energy production (drilling can be done in the US, in the Gulf, and in Alaska)
    • Break down barriers to using Fracking to obtain natural gas
    • Embrace emerging technologies like Coal-to-liquid fuel
    • Purchase more oil from Canada
    • Eliminate the subsidies that make us more dependent on one type of fuel source (read:  gas prices are going to skyrocket)
    • Ensure that Transportation Fuel markets are competitive
    • Eliminate regulations that limit energy innovations and transportation fuels from reaching the consumer
    • End regulatory road blocks to alternative fuels
    • Spur investment in modernizing our power grid (what happens if everyone decides to go with electric cars that require being plugged in at night?)
    • Encourage state-based solutions to air quality and other problems - Iowa has wind, but not geothermal power, California has geothermal, but no wind.
    • Force Washington to face the facts - energy policy must be based on sound science, transparent government, and thorough public debate.
    Energy Security
    • We must break oil's monopoly as being our primary fuel
    • We should open American lands to oil drilling - including the Gulf and Alaska
    • We should research oil shale as a viable oil supply
    • We need to create other means of energy
    Trade
    • The US needs to pursue new free trade agreements across the pacific.
    • Support World Trade Organization Negotiations
    • Complete the the Trans-Pacific Partnership
    National Security
    • We are done with Iraq and Afghanistan
    • We must alter our methods in order to fight the new methods employed by the terrorists
    • We must take care of our veterans
    • Above all, we cannot allow the terrorists to obtain weapons of mass destruction.
    Education
    • Parents know what's best for their kids - Washington should just be a clearing house of ideas and should encourage a more innovative education system
    • Establish meaningful and transparent national standards benchmarked against the world and let the states determine how best to get there  (The US should be setting standards not trying to just meet them)
    • The federal government shouldn't be in the habit of running schools, but schools that do well should be rewarded and those that do poorly should be punished.
    • Scale down the department of education
    • School should allow kids to find out what they're good at and let them capitalize on it - when a kid graduates from high school, they should be both college and career ready
    • We shouldn't push for all kids to go to college
    • We should fund early intervention and preschools
    • Will work to make sure that colleges have the means to attract the best and brightest while trying to bring the cost of college down
    Foreign Policy
    • To be good abroad, we must be great at home - we need to manage our resources well and choose where to exercise our power even better
    • Aggressive promotion of trade liberalization
    • We should remain steadfast in our traditional alliances, but we also must work on creating strong and lasting relationships with world powers - specifically mentions working with India and China.
    • We need to create a better and more lasting relationship with Mexico
    • We need to maintain our military as one of the leading forces by allowing the military to adapt to threats of the 21st century.


    1 comment:

    lon said...

    your posts seem to be a kiss of death to the candidates. Please hold off on the Ron Paul post. :)