Republican presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman over the weekend said he will not vote for Texas Republican Congressman Ron Paul if he receives the Republican nomination.
“He brings a lot of the extreme ends of the political spectrum together,” the Utah Republican said during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” television program. Mr. Huntsman said Mr. Paul’s isolationist foreign policy and support for legalizing some illegal drugs means “that he is not electable in the end.”
Asked if he would consider voting for the Texas congressman at the end of the day, Mr. Huntsman replied that he would have a “very, very tough time” voting for Mr. Paul for president.
Mr. Huntsman’s comment comes as the Utah Republican continues to trail former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in a number of recently released polls out of New Hampshire and South Carolina. The Utah Republican has focused his campaign on securing a victory in the Granite state, however, it remains unclear whether Mr. Huntsman can garner the necessary support.
Meanwhile, Mr. Paul, who took third place in Tuesday’s Iowa caucus, has struggled to maintain momentum ahead of Tuesday’s primary. The Texas Republican has campaigned in the state in recent days, and has found himself immersed in a debate with Mr. Huntsman over a controversial ad released by a pro-Paul political action committee.
Mr. Huntsman, who often speaks movingly of his adopted daughters while on the campaign trail, said Friday that Mr. Paul’s supporters were out of line in using the girls to argue that Mr. Huntsman is un-American.
An online ad posted by “NHLiberty4Paul” includes video footage of Mr. Huntsman, the former ambassador to China, with daughter Gracie when she was an infant. It also shows Mr. Huntsman holding his daughter shortly after she was adopted from India.
“American values? Or Chinese?” the ad asks, ending with “Vote Ron Paul.”
