Jon Huntsman Shocks Right By Refusing To Deny Climate Change Is Real

Politics • May 2011 • Views: 1,071

From TPM:

This has been a hard week for the GOP’s presidential prospects. First Newt Gingrich laid into the House Republican budget plan with the force of a DailyKos diarist. Now another big name (likely) presidential candidate is refusing to admit that man-made climate change might be a hoax.

“If 90 percent of the oncological community said something was causing cancer we’d listen to them,” former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman told Time in a new interview. “I respect science and the professionals behind the science so I tend to think it’s better left to the science community - though we can debate what that means for the energy and transportation sectors.”

The reaction to that little nugget was about as you’d expect.

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6 comments

elizajane Wed, May 18, 2011 6:38:37am

The only reason he hasn't been totally eviscerated for that remark is that on the very same day Gingrich, with higher Republican polling figures, said something that enraged the Right-wing Messaging Machine even more -- that Ryan's Medicare plan was "radical." So they've been busy bashing him for this news cycle.

But if Huntsman moves ahead in the polls, expect AGW to be a key tear-down point from his home team.

jc717 Wed, May 18, 2011 7:16:39am

Wow, a pro-science GOPer? I thought they were all extinct.

(I Stand By What I Said Whatever It Was) Wed, May 18, 2011 9:17:18am

IMHO, he doesn't have a chance to get the nomination and didn't have a chance to begin with. So him opting for science is just a throw-away… almost like left cover.

lostlakehiker Wed, May 18, 2011 10:50:37am

re: #3 000G

IMHO, he doesn't have a chance to get the nomination and didn't have a chance to begin with. So him opting for science is just a throw-away… almost like left cover.

Don't be so sure. The Republicans desperately need a way to climb down off the denialist ledge, and nominating Huntsman would do the trick.

The establishment (I'd say "grownups", but maybe that's a stretch) is wary of populist candidates who may have a real chance of winning the nomination, but the chance of a snowball in a globally warmed hell of winning the general election. Or even carrying some congressional candidates in on his coattails in the course of a valiant loss.

Interesting Times Wed, May 18, 2011 10:52:40am

re: #4 lostlakehiker

Don't be so sure. The Republicans desperately need a way to climb down off the denialist ledge

The Killionaire Koch Brothers and other dirty energy masters will not permit that under any circumstances.

theheat Wed, May 18, 2011 12:11:10pm

re: #5 publicityStunted

Huntsmen also said that the economy is a factor on if and when anything should be done about it. In other words, until we're all on our feet as a country, there's still reason to pander to corporate pollution and consumption as usual. Basically, he acknowledges AGW without pledging action.

He's less than enthusiastic.

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