In the end, neither proved to be damaging to Obama in the general election.
BY MICHAEL A. MEMOLI | MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS
WASHINGTON — Jon Huntsman Jr. may have purged his website and multimedia channels of any hard-hitting attacks on Mitt Romney before he turned around and endorsed him Monday. But some promise to live on courtesy of Democrats, who never miss an opportunity to jab at the man they’ve long viewed as the likeliest Republican nominee.
On Monday afternoon, the Democratic National Committee began circulating a video that has a choice selection of the Republican-on-Republican combat.
In one segment, Huntsman questions Romney’s electability, accusing him of “pandering,” and attacking him over his recent remark about “firing people.”
“209 days later. It’s all still true,” the ad concludes.
Huntsman attack websites, ScaredMittless2012.com and 10kbet.com, now redirect to Yahoo’s home page. Videos targeting Romney on Huntsman’s YouTube channel are gone.
Romney, meanwhile, tweeted Monday afternoon: “I salute Jon Huntsman & his wife Mary Kaye. He ran a campaign based on unity not division, & love of country. I appreciate his support.”
The two men also reportedly spoke Sunday night to discuss further cooperation in the campaign.
If Romney does end up as the GOP nominee, as it appears now he is on track to be, Democrats will have an endless supply of Republican attacks to call upon in the general election, and not just from the likes of Huntsman or the other Republican candidates.
The same was the case four years ago on the Republican side, when John McCain’s campaign tried to make the most of the prolonged Democratic primary fight between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.
One McCain ad recycled some of the then-New York senator’s jabs at Obama in debates, and said she wasn’t chosen as his running mate because she spoke “the truth.”
Another used comments from Obama’s eventual vice presidential choice, Joe Biden, who also initially ran against him for the nomination.
In the end, neither proved to be damaging to Obama in the general election.