Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman is the first national candidate for president to base his campaign in Florida. It is a testament to Florida's importance in national politics with potent meaning for 2012 and possibly, beyond.
Huntsman points to the success of Utah's economy under his leadership, but he was no more responsible for that success than Bill Clinton was, during the 1990's, for the national economy. In addition to an industrial base in mineral extraction and a key role in the military industrial complex, Utah has the virtue of proximity to California. It wasn't just low taxes that drove businesses to Utah; employers and skilled employees were drawn to Utah's natural attributes; its mountains and national parks.
In comparison, Florida turned its natural wealth into burnt toast (a point Huntsman apparently did not make at his initial appearance with Jeb Bush, at the Everglades Lumber and Supply in West Dade); and not just Miami but Orlando, too, whose Everglades watersheds are similarly riddled with ghost suburbs and underwater subdivisions. For Republican campaign contributors, Everglades Lumber and Supply is a totem or signpost: here, it says, we build jobs by wrecking the environment to put money in the pockets of builders and developers. You can almost see Everglades Lumber and Supply through Salt Lake City's air pollution.
Governor Jeb Bush, who lent his support to Huntsman at Everglades Lumber, advocated positions on Florida's environment by the state judged to be illegal in federal court. The Bush positions on water quality and water management stain Florida to this day. Rick Scott, who used $70 million of his own fortune to win the governor's mansion-- ignoring Florida's newspaper editorial boards along the way-- just declared success by eliminating the state land use planning agency. Utah's sprawling suburbs, like Florida's, are abysmal reminders where poor planning leads: profit for a few at the expense of taxpayers.
A few reasons why Huntsman basing his presidential campaign in Orlando, relying on Scott and Bush, is tinged with irony.
5 comments:
Just side note, but isn't that what Guliani (sp) did in 2008? He lost just about every primary too......I'm not sure this is a good idea, and I guessing no one bothered to look at the political history of 2008 in Huntsman Campaign!
FYI it was not Gov Bush with Huntsman. It was Jeb Bush Jr his son. You might want to do a little more research next time. I know this cuz I was there.
Huntsman Said: WE ARE DELIGHTED TO HAVE JEB BUSH HERE in the video....
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/23/v-fullstory/2280558/gop-candidate-john-huntsman-makes.html
So, big deal, father and son share the same name. And what is a "someone" who was in this
"informal presentation" (?) -- and who writes "cuz" -- leaving a comment? I bet you the subject in question is a member of the LBA, a friend of Marquito Rubio... and a Jeb Bush asskisser. LOL
I don't like Jeb or Rick, but Huntsman is smart for doing it. Lots of conservative Floridians would like Jeb for Pres. It is what it is. Yuk.
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