Republican presidential candidates Jon Huntsman and Ron Paul have intensified their attacks on each other in recent weeks, but Mr. Huntsman is taking a new ad by Paul supporters personal.
The online advertisement was not created by the Texas congressman, however, it is drawing a lot of criticism from Mr. Huntsman. The ad is a YouTube video uploaded by “NHLiberty4Paul,” and features video footage of Mr. Huntsman with his adopted Chinese and Indian daughters.
The video also shows Mr. Huntsman speaking Chinese as traditional Chinese instruments play in the background, followed by phrases asking things like “Chinese values or American?”
Mr. Huntsman is the former U.S. Ambassador to China, appointed to the position by President Barack Obama in 2009. He retired from the post in January of last year to pursue the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. His international experience has widely been viewed as an advantage for his candidacy hopes, as China continues to emerge as a growing world power.
However, the video created by supporters of Mr. Paul seeks to turn his term as the U.S. Ambassador to China into an indictment of his commitment to “American values.” The video ends by saying “Vote for Ron Paul.”
During a campaign stop at New England College in New Hampshire Friday, Mr. Huntsman called the video “stupid,” and objected to the images of his adopted daughters.
“What I object to is bringing forward pictures and videos of my adopted daughters, and suggesting there is some sinister motive there,” said Mr. Huntsman Friday, The Boston Globe reports. “She was picked up by the police and sent to an orphanage. No future, nothing to look forward to. Now she’s in my family,” said Mr. Huntsman referencing his adopted Chinese daughter Gracie.
This is the second back and forth exchange between Mr. Huntsman and Mr. Paul’s campaign teams this week. Tuesday, during the Iowa caucus voting, Mr. Paul’s camp posted a tweet poking fun at Mr. Huntsman for his lack of support among voters in Iowa.
Mr. Huntsman’s camp called the tweet “childish,” although Mr. Paul denied sending the tweet the following day, stating that he has campaign staff members controlling his Twitter account.
Mr. Huntsman’s three American daughters, reacted to the video via their popular Twitter account “@Jon2012girls” Thursday, calling it “un-American.”
“@RonPaul this crosses the line and should be condemned, hurtful, spiteful and un-American,” said Mr. Huntsman’s daughters.
The Ron Paul campaign has reportedly called the ad “distasteful,” according to MSNBC. Mr. Paul himself has not commented on the video.
