Jim Messina: Huntsman was Obama's biggest threat

Obama's campaign manager says a general election campaign against Huntsman would have been "tough"

Published November 21, 2012 3:00PM (EST)

 Former Gov. Jon Huntsman, R-Utah    (Wikipedia/Gage Skidmore)
Former Gov. Jon Huntsman, R-Utah (Wikipedia/Gage Skidmore)

Jim Messina, President Obama's campaign manager, says that he was most worried about a general election campaign against former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman.

"We were honest about our concerns about Huntsman," Messina said, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. "I think Huntsman [as Republican nominee] would have been a tough general election campaign."

From the Tribune:

Senior Obama adviser David Plouffe had expressed such concern even before Utah’s former governor launched his failed presidential bid, with one journalist noting that a Huntsman candidacy made Plouffe a "wee bit queasy."

Huntsman suspended his campaign after landing third in the New Hampshire Republican primary.


By Jillian Rayfield

Jillian Rayfield is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on politics. Follow her on Twitter at @jillrayfield or email her at jrayfield@salon.com.

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2012 Elections Barack Obama Jon Huntsman Mitt Romney Republican Primary Republicans