Huntsman's primary dilemma

OK, I admit it. I like Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman. If you haven't heard of him, it's because his campaign has yet to catch on with Republicans. Among GOP primary voters Huntsman is wrongly perceived as something of a squish — that's a conservative code word for moderate. It's also the kiss of death if you're running in a Republican presidential primary.

But the facts are, as governor he was a fiscal conservative and a tax-cutter. He supports the Ryan budget plan, and he has said repealing Obamacare is a top priority if elected.

On social issues Huntsman is just as conservative as most of the field.

He is what I call "quietly" pro-life, having signed every piece of legislation restricting abortion that crossed his desk as Utah's governor. But he hasn't made the "life" issue a defining part of his campaign. On immigration he reluctantly calls for a border fence. On Second Amendment rights, the NRA said, "NRA would like to thank Governor Huntsman … for [his] continued support for the Second Amendment." He opposes gay marriage but has supported the notion of same-sex civil unions.

As Politico's Daniel Allot noted, "Don't confuse Huntsman's moderate disposition with moderate policy positions. Huntsman governed as a conservative. Though often expressed in a moderate tone, Huntsman's vision is one most conservatives can support."

Former RNC chairman and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said, "Jon Huntsman and I served together, and while we don't agree on some issues, there's no question that he's a conservative. … So if you're asking me if Jon Huntsman is qualified to be the Republican nominee for president of the United States, the answer is, of course he is."

More of a statesman than a politician, on the stump Huntsman is serious and deliberative – which in this age of 24-hour sensational journalism is almost a fault.

His résumé also includes having served under presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush as well as President Obama, for whom he served as U.S. ambassador to China — arguably one of the most critical ambassadorial posts. He is an Eagle Scout and a huge motocross fan.

Despite these bona fides, Huntsman has avoided the in-your-face social and emotional issues Republican voters prefer to dwell on. These are what I call the "I-GAG" issues that turn general election voters off from the Republican Party; the issues are: immigration, guns, abortion and gays. Huntsman's lack of attention on these divisive issues is feeding the portrayal of him as a moderate.

Meanwhile, others in the field are wrongly perceived as being more conservative than Huntsman. Rest assured, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney and Herman Cain have chinks in their collective conservative armor. Perry is so unsure of where he stands on things he can't even talk straight. Romney is such a flip-flopper; I think he wrote the book, "Always be sincere — even if you don't mean it."

And now Cain is giving social conservatives pause with the seemingly contradictory statements he recently made about abortion and same-sex marriage.

Unfortunately for Huntsman, in politics, perception is reality, let the facts be damned.

But today, America is in decline and in need of real leadership — not "convenient conservatives" who will say whatever their pollsters tell them. That Huntsman doesn't feel the need to wear the "I-GAG" issues on his sleeve demonstrates his serious focus on jobs, the economy and American foreign policy.

Nearly every GOP activist I speak with says defeating Obama is their No. 1 goal. So why not go with the guy who can win in November by appealing to moderates and conservative Democrats?

Reagan was a social conservative who similarly never felt the need to wear his philosophy on his sleeve. Like Reagan, Huntsman is avoiding coming across as a zealot. His authentic and non-threatening demeanor is what makes him the GOP's best opportunity to beat Obama. But while Huntsman is like Reagan in his approach to social issues, he lacks Reagan's warm, at-ease style. That lack of a feel-good demeanor, combined with the misperception about his conservative views, is what's hurting him.

In short, Huntsman is a statesman in a period when we're apparently not yet convinced that's what we want — even if it is what we need.