Huntsman eyes independent path Seattle Post Intelligencer

23.06.11

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Jon Huntsman sketched out a path to the Republican nomination Wednesday that bypasses the conservative base in key early states, an exercise in needle-threading that hinges on his ability to capture a large swath of independent voters.

In an interview with POLITICO, Huntsman made clear that he plans to capitalize on election rules in New Hampshire and South Carolina that allow independent voters to cast ballots in the GOP presidential primary.

"These are wide open primaries, we forget that," Huntsman said, predicting an independent turnout in New Hampshire as high as 40 percent. "[I] think, given the fluidity of the race in these early states, that we stand a pretty good chance, and we're putting that to the test."

The former Utah governor's strategy is an attempt to make a virtue out of necessity. His moderate positions on the environment, immigration and civil unions-and his time as Barack Obama 's ambassador to China-are formidable obstacles to victory in a party where the energy is concentrated in the conservative core.

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