“Are motorcycles and REO Speedwagon really the right touchstone to galvanize the youth vote?” he says. “Maybe not. Harleys and prog rock fit much more comfortably with the mid-40s crowd.”

But more broadly, Fischer says he thinks the quirky personal details could appeal to young voters—if they ring true once the candidate hits the campaign trail. “When you talk about communicating with younger people today, really the most valuable currency is authenticity,” he says. “The real, true, unguarded details tend to cut through the clutter.”

And when all those “unguarded” details about Huntsman’s youth are strung together, a personal narrative emerges that may be familiar to the so-called millennial generation. As a teenager, Huntsman dropped out of high school to focus on playing keyboard in his band, Wizard. He and his friends split time between practicing in a converted radio station in Salt Lake City, riding around in a Scooby Doo van, and dining at a grubby local restaurant called Bill and Neda’s.