Thomas MacMillan Photo
Huntsman on the hunt.
Bedford, N.H.— Nick Masci voted for Barack Obama in 2008. After hearing a Republican presidential candidate “who’s not a radical” challenge his party’s line on immigration, he considered pulling a different lever this time.
The pitch came from former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, the longshot pundit-adored candidate who has pinned his hopes for the Republican nomination on posting a strong showing in New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary Tuesday.
On Sunday night, he showed up at the home of Jason and Heidi Cole on Hitching Post Lane in Bedford, outside of Manchester. The house party was one of a day full of campaign events as Huntsman sprints to the Tuesday New Hampshire primary along with the rest of the pack of Republican contenders.
He made an impression on at least one member of the group of voters Republicans will have to win over if they hope to win the White House in November: independents and moderates who voted for Obama in 2008.
In the process, his appearance reflected a dilemma facing candidates like Huntsman and Romney who have conservative but moderate histories compared to other GOP candidates. To win their party’s nomination, they need to appeal to the right-wing, Tea Party-oriented base that disproportionately votes and volunteers in primaries (as the left does in Democratic primaries). But to win a general election, they need to appeal to the center — especially the rising number of independent voters, like the Coles. Those voters made Barack Obama president.
Immigration is an example of the issue such candidates navigate carefully. Most of the candidates have taken a hard stand on immigration — electric fences, deputized local law enforcement, echoing suggestions that immigrants are harming the country. When candidate Rick Perry tried to take a somewhat different stance, for instance, Romney attacked him for it, and Perry retreated. That has left Huntsman as the last moderate standing on the issue.
Huntsman arrived after 5 p.m. Sunday at the Coles’ hillside house, which was brightly lit up by a cadre of camera crews. After a brief gaggle with the press outside, Huntsman squeezed into the living room, where he gave a stump speech from the family hearth.
“This is a state that loves its underdogs,” said Huntsman, who despite fawning media attention has trailed so far behind in the polls that he sometimes appears as “other” in results.
“Today we find ourselves in a hole,” he said. The nation is more divided and less competitive and productive, he said.
He promised, if elected, an “industrial renaissance” and an end to the “revolving door” that turns civil servants into lobbyists. He promised action on banks. “If you’re too big to fail, you’re too big.” And he promised to work on term limits for Congress.
Huntsman took three questions, including one on stopping illegal immigration.
“We’ve already stopped immigration,” he said. “We’ve screwed up the economy” so bad that “no one’s coming over.”
He said he was joking, but also said the stats show that immigration has slowed down.
He said the border needs to be secured, but people can’t just be sent home if they’ve been here for years. “We’ve got to sit around and find a solution.”
After a few personal greetings, another scrum with reporters, and an exclusive TV interview in the Coles’s garage, Huntsman slipped back into his waiting SUV. But not before Masci shook his hand and told him he liked his answer on immigration.
“I like his message about term limits,” Masci said. Huntsman’s answer on immigration was “very balanced,” he said.
“He’s not a radical,” Masci said. “A lot of Republicans would take down the country to take down Obama.”
Masci said he’s registered as an Independent and plans to vote in the Republican primary. But he still might vote for Obama again in the general, he said.
His wife Liz said she’s voting for Obama again. She said Huntsman lost her on his “crazy right-to-life” stance on abortion.
After Huntsman’s motorcade rolled out of the driveway, the Mascis headed back to their house to finish watching the Steelers and the Broncos.
Previous primary coverage:
Unexpected last few nights were the ABC television, NBC Facebook debates with no questions about a major issue, a complete disinterest in the issue of illegal immigration which cannot be disregarded? It is important today as any other ardent situation that is wrecking the economic recovery in America. This problem has been seen as gathering momentum since the beginning of the race to the White House, yet only certain social and foreign policy issues were bounced towards the candidates by the Narrators? Like millions of Americans and certainly the teeming members of the TEA Party want to know, what each contender will do about this gathering storm? We hear rhetoric everyday from the Liberal press, edged on by the hard left, but all the other side has done is divide the country. ...
Illegal immigration is far from insignificant—it is very significant and costing taxpayers billions of dollars. In the last few years according to the Hermitage Foundation, costs have risen to $113 Billion dollars a year, with $64 Billion dollars in illegal workers currency transferred to foreign banks. Each state is unfairly committed by the federal courts to subsidize their illegal residents; health care, children's education must be paid for by taxpayers. This is average outlay to legal-natives and resident households of $1,117 annually. Since the burdens of illegal immigration are not equally dispersed, the costs are much higher in states with large illegal alien populations. Even with this major problem with this invasion, for decades the different administrations have been pouring in at least just over a MILLION LEGAL IMMIGRANTS per year. This should be reduced to the top occupations, based on ability and skills at the highest level. But the Dept of Labor is still allowing corporations, placing work permits on medium skilled, which should be unacceptable when there are 22 million Americans jobless?
The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) States:
President Obama has persistently promised that his aim is to pass any form of Amnesty, and that he is accomplishing this without the consent of Congress. It is obvious that this has been approved for the abundant votes for President Obama's reelection, as this will accommodate all those here illegally and favorable to families with roots here. I just want to know how the Obama administration is going to add $2.6 Trillion dollars to arrange this covert amnesty, since Robert Rector of the prestigious Heritage Foundation has reported. For decades now the majority of Americans have been blatantly clear, that they don't want any amnesty and just to follow the law. Not only is this a key issue--but in a Rasmussen national telephone survey released in November shows that 65 percent of voters oppose birth-right citizenship, for babies of illegal alien mothers.
Of course now we have to depend on the new presidential candidates, to rescind any laws that are inherently not constitutional? We have already seen the court-forced appropriations of taxpayers' money to support not only the 20 million illegal aliens who have arrived here and stayed, but the most deplorable judicial response to the 14th amendment. It's clear that Americans are angry at having to pay for the smuggled babies of illegal alien mothers. These Individuals have violated our laws to enter the United States and in thousands of cases intentionally becoming pregnant, so they have a chance to override the citizenship law and able to stay. Once pregnant, illegal females are usually not applicable for deportation, so then they can take full advantage of the child's right to citizenship. Owing to the massive expenditures to county and municipal hospitals, each year over 300--to 450.000 illegal alien mother or parent can ride the child's welfare, food stamps, low income housing. That only 'Birthright Citizenship Bill' (H.R.140) can rescind this judicial misinterpreted assessment piece in the 14th Amendment.
Part of the conundrum of the illegal immigration quagmire, is that once illegal aliens get a foothold in America by having a baby here, they can then sponsor family members and this starts the whole chain of events called "Chain Migration" To sponsor direct family members you must have enough income to support them. The travesty is that if the petitioner, either fails to keep up of the financial support or loses their job and so the taxpayer ends up footing the bill in welfare and other public assistance.
Along with 'Legal Workforce Act,' (H.R. 2885) or publicly known better as Mandatory E-Verify, we can begin to arrest and eventually halt illegal immigration. If our incoherent lawmakers introduce the Lamar Smith bill in the House, then aliens now working illegally throughout the United States will be unable to find work. The core problem is that businesses have ignored these laws, because they were able to strongly influence Congress. But with H.R.2885 passed in Washington, these company owners will be facing harsh penalties, including prison. There is relevant information for you to read at the pro-sovereignty and limited legal immigration at NumbersUSA web-pages.
The liberal press and open border opponents have in desperation tried hard to asphyxiate these mentioned laws, explicitly Mandatory E-Verify. This is predominant policy of the Left wing in the Democrat party who has been incessantly pressing to stifle the TEA PARTY. They cannot comprehend that tens of millions of people are joining the TEA PARTY or that the TEA PARTY is succeeding in its recruitment of uncountable numbers of ordinary voters. Thousands of citizens and legal residents of all nationalities have been greeted and are now paralyzing the 'Pro Quid pro', or simple put "favor for a favor"; what has always been the established way of corruption in Congress. The TEA PARTY is 'everybody' in America, which is an every racial mix and not just white people? Although special interests have rotted away at our politician's sense of integrity, a new hierarchy of earnest TEA PARTY leaders is overhauling the House, with their honest tenancy. Long term career politicians have seen the writing on the wall and packing their bags, already assured of a new job at the distasteful K street lobbyist Den. The legislator favor-buyers have already made millions from their special privileges, but the door is closing and a new 'hopefully' honest tier of fresh faces are in the Senate and House, by the behest of the peoples vote.
Everybody is complaining about both parties in Washington, but are hesitant to find a few minutes to contact their Senators or Congress persons at 202-224-3121, demanding their lawmakers vote for both federal mandatory E-Verify and amending the 'Birthright Citizenship' Bill. These two laws must find passage before the offset of the 2012 election. Once enacted into law a massive exodus will commence, as illegal aliens and family members will return to their country of origin. The average American does not seem to understand they have all the power in their VOTE? They remain unconvinced that their angry voice can change the insidious direction we are facing in a Socialist inspired future, evident of this engorged current government who are changing the 'Rule of Law'.
The TEA PARTY will never relent in their determination to enforce all 1986 immigration laws. Tea Party politicians once they get an overruling number of politicians In Congress will rescind any Sanctuary City ordinances, Dream Act laws, 287 G federal training programs, mandate "Secure Communities" and anything that rewards illegal aliens, which Obama is forcing to enact.
To ALL CITIZENS! BE WARNED! ILLEGAL ALIENS DO VOTE AND WILL DO IN UPCOMING ELECTIONS.