by Patrick Appel
Douthat questions Huntsman's strategy:
Given that this is a recession election, not a culture war election, a candidate trying to successfully brand himself as a “different kind of Republican” would be far better off breaking with conservative orthodoxy on an economic issue — by calling for looser money, maybe, or attacking the totally unpersuasive right-wing conceit that we need to raise taxes on the American working class. Instead, Huntsman is toeing the party line on pocketbook matters, and picking fights on boutique issues that are at best tangentially related to the major controversies of the Great Recession.
Larison chips in his two cents. Josh Marshall attended a Huntsman Q&A yesterday:
He skirted the issue of taxes by saying he's for revenue neutral tax reform — closing loopholes, lowering rates etc. The implicit message seemed to be: I'm not some hidebound Norquist type who's not going to let any tax go up or any loophole get closed. Sort of gave him a little wiggle room. But still, no net new revenues.
The Dish 