Identity politics: Why Huntsman’s sinking despite his conservative record
It’s identity politics, and Huntsman is identifying as a liberal or a moderate. That MSNBC hosts and liberal writers fall for this trick is telling, but just as telling is how much conservatives also buy into it.
The depth of the Republican base’s immersion in identity politics first struck me when Christine O’Donnell began to surge past liberal Mike Castle in the 2010 Republican Senate primary in Delaware. Conservative writers who criticized O’Donnell’s ethics, temperament, seriousness, or electability were blistered as RINOs (Republicans in name only) by radio hosts, emailers and commenters.
The same attacks befell those of us who criticized Newt Gingrich for lobbying for bigger government. “RINO” once applied to Republicans who held many liberal views. It’s come to mean any conservative who criticizes the politician who most stridently identifies himself as a conservative — even when we’re criticizing the politician for being liberal.
Huntsman chose to play the game of identity politics, and it hurt him. There’s an apt saying that voters don’t need to like a candidate, they just need to believe that the candidate will like them.
Blowback
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The requirement to be a republican nominee is now this according to a Romney surrogate
” This is not about picking someone who shares your beliefs and principles, it about voting for who can beat Obama.”
liberal4life on January 9, 2012 at 7:26 PM
From Ace:
aquaviva on January 9, 2012 at 7:28 PM
Sinking?
unlisted on January 9, 2012 at 7:32 PM
Heh…
Romney : I’m mean and I got loads of PAC money.
Meanwhile Huntsman just seems like a snob, a rich out of touch snob.
residentblue on January 9, 2012 at 7:35 PM
Yes, that was quite the embarrassing moment in our party’s history. It’s hard to believe that some people tried to pretend that O’Donnell was an intelligent conservative with an impressive record. So far from the truth. As bad as Obama worship.
McDuck on January 9, 2012 at 7:36 PM
Yeah, who would expect we conservatives would “fall for the trick” and see Vyacheslav Huntsman as a “liberal or a moderate,” just because he openly longs for an evolved “sane” Republican party?
Crazy identity politics that make liberals not look like conservatives or whatever…
Gingotts on January 9, 2012 at 7:41 PM
Liberals, circa 2008: “This is not about voting for a qualified candidate, it’s about voting for a black guy so I can brag to my friends that I actually voted for a black guy.”
Bishop on January 9, 2012 at 7:42 PM
Never understand the style/substance remark and it escapes in this article too. My reason for disliking Huntsman is simply that I see him as lacking the courage to fight a real campaign. He tepidly and tentatively sticks a cautious toe in the waters of NH. Either do it with fire or don’t do it at all. Don’t be so needy for voter approval to determine how to proceed. Do you want it or not?
jeanie on January 9, 2012 at 8:00 PM
TLDR. I can sum it up in three words: He’s d0uchebag lite
Lawdawg86 on January 9, 2012 at 8:06 PM
It might have something to do with calling his own party insane.
Also, how is falling from 2% to 1% in polls considered ‘sinking’?
BadgerHawk on January 9, 2012 at 8:09 PM
Identity politics? What’s he identifying with?
Dr Evil on January 9, 2012 at 8:13 PM
Funny, 500 people packed inside Exeter’s town hall just now. Huntsman didn’t look to be sinking from what I could tell. All the media leaving the Romney event to head over to the Huntsman event, hmmm, we’ll just see won’t we?
SuperBunny on January 9, 2012 at 8:35 PM
Why Huntsman’s sinking despite his conservative record!!!!
BAHHHHH!!!!! HAHHAHAHHHHAHAHAHHAH (gasp, choke)
BWAH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHHAHHHAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
cableguy615 on January 9, 2012 at 8:38 PM
What’s funny, exactly? His record IS conservative. His campaign rhetoric, however, has been moderate or worse.
Good Solid B-Plus on January 9, 2012 at 8:45 PM
Timothy Carney seems to have left out the “letters to Ø” segment that also suggested Eric Huntsman was a “liberal, at best a lefty moderate” along with the other cues that conservatives depend on. Being clueless is just as bad as being venal or out-of-sync with the base.
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AGW has been a dog whistle for conservatives since Al ManBearPig Gore used it to try to establish a New World Order based on false science masquerading as consensus (not a scientific principle). Likewise, belief in evolution approaches religious dogma for non-conservatives.
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So, who ya gonna believe, what Timothy Carney wrote or your lyin’ ears and eyes?
ExpressoBold on January 9, 2012 at 9:13 PM
The reason it was such an embarrassing moment in the party’s history is because the party insisted on supporting such an unacceptable candidate, Mike Castle, thereby necessitating a challenge. That Christine O’Donnell turned out to be the nominee is regrettable, but far preferable to rewarding Castle. Addition by subtraction.
fitzfong on January 9, 2012 at 9:22 PM