Is Jon Huntsman the New Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr.? Political Pundits Look for a Parallel in History

By resigning his Democrat-appointed position as Ambassador to China and (as rumor has it) seeking to run as a Republican in the 2012 Presidential election, Jon Hunstman, Jr. is doing something unique: He is running for President against the man (Barack Obama) who appointed him as ambassador. Despite the uniqueness of this proposition, political observers cannot help but look for parallels.

Salon.com found a parallel of sorts today when it compared Jon Huntsman, jr. to Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. Salon notes that Lodge was appointed ambassador to South Vietnam by John F. Kennedy, and then had some success as a write-in Republican Presidential candidate in 1964 (after Kennedy's assassination). After making the comparison, though, Salon dismissed it stating that "that was a different era -- and a different Republican Party, one with plenty of moderates and liberals who could understand why a Republican would take a position in a Democratic administration." [Source: Kornacki, Steve. "How not to run for president as a Republican," Salon.com, 1/31/11, downloaded from: http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/?story=/politics/war_room/2011/01/31/elbaradei_biography_mohamed_egypt]

Salon's dismissal of the comparison is somewhat ironic. On the one hand, Salon dismisses the comparison of Huntsman and Lodge because today's political world is supposedly different from 1964, but, on the other hand, much of the article is devoted to ridiculing Huntsman's short-sightedness for believing the post-Obama world was different than prior decades of American politics (and that it was therefore okay for him to accept an appointment from Obama).

Leaving aside Salon's inconsistencies, though, the comparison between Huntsman and Lodge is actually interesting. Unlike Huntsman, Lodge did not step down from an ambassador post to pursue the Presidency. He continued to serve as Ambassador in Vietnam while the 1964 Republican primaries progressed. Rabid supporters back home in the U.S. pushed for his candidacy, with considerable success. Lodge's early win in New Hampshire was as surprising to him as anyone, but, despite, the win, he vowed to stay in Vietnam. [Source: Life Magazine, March 20, 1964, "The pros size him up back home," page 39.]. Consequently, his run for the presidency petered out, if it ever really was a run.

Contrast Lodge's accidental campaign to the calculated campaign of Jon Huntsman, Jr. Although Huntsman does have supporters on the ground, he is firmly in control of his own campaign. By resigning as Ambassador to China, he has signaled that he is going to give his entire effort to the run for the Presidency. He is also significantly less compromised politically than Lodge was, because he will not continue to serve in the Obama administration while running as a Republican.

The history of Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr.'s run for the presidency should be encouraging to supporters of Jon Huntsman, Jr. Serving as an Ambassador in a Democratic administration simply is not fatal to a Republican presidential candidate. Huntsman has solid Republican credentials and is positioned to make a real run for President in 2012.

Sources

Kornacki, Steve. "How not to run for president as a Republican," Salon.com, 1/31/11, downloaded from: http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/?story=/politics/war_room/2011/01/31/elbaradei_biography_mohamed_egypt

Life Magazine, March 20, 1964, "The pros size him up back home," page 39.