Huntsman Slams GOP

[nickiknack]

Former Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman slammed his party during an interview this weekend at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. He compared his party’s demand for purity and discipline to the Chinese Communist party, BuzzFeed reports, saying that Ronald Reagan would “likely not” be able to win the GOP nomination today

http://thinkprogress.org/special/2012/04/23/469100/jon-huntsman-slams-gop-reagan-would-likely-not-be-able-to-win-today/

but later he backtracked a little

Jon Huntsman insists Monday that he was simply “waxing philosphical” when he compared the Republican party with the Chinese Communist Party

http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2012/04/23/huntsman-gop-acting-like-communist-party-of-china.html

Sad, because you're right, the GOP has become batshit crazy.

[Osama bin Bambi]

Jon Huntsman was the sanest GOP candidate who actually made it on TV. It's a shame that the age of rational Republicans is gone. We need more politicians like him.

[QueenofHearts]

He compared his party’s demand for purity and discipline to the Chinese Communist party

Except the Chinese Communist Party isn't ideologically pure, nor does it desire to be. It is extremely technocratic and can best be summarized by Deng Xiaoping's statement regarding communism, socialism, and capitalism "No matter if it is a white cat or a black cat; as long as it can catch mice, it is a good cat"

I would really like our former ambassador to China to, well, know a thing or two about China.

[Fpqxz]

He compared his party’s demand for purity and discipline to the Chinese Communist party

Except the Chinese Communist Party isn't ideologically pure, nor does it desire to be. It is extremely technocratic and can best be summarized by Deng Xiaoping's statement regarding communism, socialism, and capitalism "No matter if it is a white cat or a black cat; as long as it can catch mice, it is a good cat"

I would really like our former ambassador to China to, well, know a thing or two about China.

The Communist Party of China may be less than ideologically pure, but it does have pretty strict hierarchical leadership and discipline, so perhaps his comparison was fairly accurate.

[speshuled67]

the fact that he had to walk it back shows just how authoritarian the republican party has become. any member found deviating from party line risks major disciplinary action (remember phil gingrey groveling at rush limbaughs feet for forgiveness a few years back?).

moderates in the party are ostracized and treated as outcasts, which is why huntsman had to walk his statement back, if he wants to remain relevant in todays GOP, hes got to keep his moderation to himself

[kefkaownsall]

He compared his party’s demand for purity and discipline to the Chinese Communist party

Except the Chinese Communist Party isn't ideologically pure, nor does it desire to be. It is extremely technocratic and can best be summarized by Deng Xiaoping's statement regarding communism, socialism, and capitalism "No matter if it is a white cat or a black cat; as long as it can catch mice, it is a good cat"

I would really like our former ambassador to China to, well, know a thing or two about China.

He sort of did.  He had this idea that maybe we dont need to start a trade war with China and they need us as much as we need them. 

[QueenofHearts]

He compared his party’s demand for purity and discipline to the Chinese Communist party

Except the Chinese Communist Party isn't ideologically pure, nor does it desire to be. It is extremely technocratic and can best be summarized by Deng Xiaoping's statement regarding communism, socialism, and capitalism "No matter if it is a white cat or a black cat; as long as it can catch mice, it is a good cat"

I would really like our former ambassador to China to, well, know a thing or two about China.

The Communist Party of China may be less than ideologically pure, but it does have pretty strict hierarchical leadership and discipline, so perhaps his comparison was fairly accurate.

Yeah, that kind of hit me half an hour after I posted it, what if he meant its rigidly hierarchical and infallible in a similar way to the CCP. But even then, he said both purity and discipline (key word being "and"). Its hard to make that sentence work in a way that doesn't include ideological purity without him being redundant (assuming he meant purity as adherence to CCP ideals, which would be party discipline). Also, he's a moderate Republican, so criticizing his party for moving too far to the right isn't exactly a baseless assumption to make.

I also know Huntsman is very knowledgeable of China. I just find a comparison of the death cult that is known as the GOP to the pragmatism of the CCP being insanely flawed.

[Lt. Fred]

the fact that he had to walk it back shows just how authoritarian the republican party has become. any member found deviating from party line risks major disciplinary action.

That's not 'authoritarian', it's international best practice. All Australian parties, for example, do this to a far greater extent that the Republicans (and the Dems don't do it at all). Australia realised a couple of decades ago that a two party system is more democratic than a 500-candidate system.

[speshuled67]

That's not 'authoritarian', it's international best practice. All Australian parties, for example, do this to a far greater extent that the Republicans (and the Dems don't do it at all). Australia realised a couple of decades ago that a two party system is more democratic than a 500-candidate system.

yea, authoritarian wasn't the right word to use.

hunstman was right, however. its a shame that the republicans have moved so far right they have a tenuous grasp on relevance.

it is also a tragedy, that an observation like the one huntsman made puts him in jeopardy with the party elite. they don't like criticism at the top.

[Osama bin Bambi]

He compared his party’s demand for purity and discipline to the Chinese Communist party

Except the Chinese Communist Party isn't ideologically pure, nor does it desire to be. It is extremely technocratic and can best be summarized by Deng Xiaoping's statement regarding communism, socialism, and capitalism "No matter if it is a white cat or a black cat; as long as it can catch mice, it is a good cat"

I would really like our former ambassador to China to, well, know a thing or two about China.

The Communist Party of China may be less than ideologically pure, but it does have pretty strict hierarchical leadership and discipline, so perhaps his comparison was fairly accurate.

Yeah, that kind of hit me half an hour after I posted it, what if he meant its rigidly hierarchical and infallible in a similar way to the CCP. But even then, he said both purity and discipline (key word being "and"). Its hard to make that sentence work in a way that doesn't include ideological purity without him being redundant (assuming he meant purity as adherence to CCP ideals, which would be party discipline). Also, he's a moderate Republican, so criticizing his party for moving too far to the right isn't exactly a baseless assumption to make.

I also know Huntsman is very knowledgeable of China. I just find a comparison of the death cult that is known as the GOP to the pragmatism of the CCP being insanely flawed.

I think the GOP is being quite pragmatic - in how it goes about making sure its pockets are lined by the most lobbyist dollars. They're appealing to the fundamentalist Christian population because they have an exploitable herd mindset and are easy to sway with "divine endorsements." Their social policies and stances on civil liberties are just how they "repay" the interests of their most important fanbase voter base.