Huntsman on China-GOP comparison: I was "waxing philosophical"

Former Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman.

/ Getty Images/Joe Raedle

(CBS News) Former presidential candidate Jon Huntsman on Monday clarified remarks he made the previous night comparing the Republican party to communist China, arguing in an appearance on MSNBC that he had merely been "waxing philosophical" and that his comments had been taken out of context.

"You get these blogs out there, you know, Bottom-feeder, Buzzsaw, Buzzfeed, whatever they are, and they take a sentence out of context and it becomes a headline and pretty soon mainstream newspapers pick up on that," Huntsman said in an interview with "Morning Joe."

Buzzfeed reported Sunday night that the former Republican presidential candidate, in an interview at the 92nd Street Y, "took a battle axe to his own party, comparing it to China's Communist Party and criticizing its standard bearer."

"I said, you know, if you're not on-script and you get knocked out of an event like that - the parties are supposed to be big-tent, you're supposed to bring in all ideas - and I said, I thought for a moment about what they do in China if you're off-script. The party, they knock you out. We shouldn't be doing that here, we should be accommodating all voices," Huntsman said Monday.

The former Utah governor appears to be embracing the freedom that comes from not being a White House candidate. Huntsman's original comments were in reference to the fact that he had been disinvited to a Florida Republican party fundraiser after calling for a third party candidate to bring more moderate ideas into the national political conversation.

"This is what they do in China on party matters if you talk off script," Huntsman said of the rescinded invite at the 92nd Street Y Sunday night, according to Buzzfeed.

During the same interview, the former ambassador to China also criticized the GOP candidates broadly for their foreign policy, particularly with respect to the world's second largest economy -- though he did not mention presumptive nominee Mitt Romney by name.

"I don't know what world these people are living in," said Huntsman, who backed the former Massachusetts governor immediately after dropping out of the race in January.

Referring to the crop of candidates who shared a debate stage with him last summer, he said he asked himself "is this the best we can do?"

[sjc_1]

This is where communism and fascism come full circle. They are both totalitarian, intolerant, absolute and ideological.

[Lindag10]

Of course the rest of the Republicans hate him, he's sane.

[Fox_Rush_Zombie]

He said it, he meant it, he's right.

[marychgo]

Shocking! Former GOP presidential candidate commits truth! Rest of party is appalled!

[AttyFAM]

And rest of party responds to him in the same way Chinese Communists Party responds to heterodoxy.

[silvalgal]

Huntsman doesn't fit the GOP mold ... he would have been a very appealing and refreshing third-party candidate. But, when he makes these kinds of statements, he has to stand his ground or risk being labelled a loose cannon and a flake.

[sjc_1]

He would have been the best GOP candidate, but the Tea Party has dragged the GOP SO far to the right, they may never recover.

[JackLeanII]

Mr. Huntsman is spot on. And the fact that Republicans are climbing all over one another to vilify Mr. Huntsman in order to claim the 'I am the purest conservative' award only serves to corroborate his assertions.

Pure fascism.

[rightontarget]

Actually, Huntsman was the ONLY one of the GOP's idiot prez wannabes that I had any respect for. He was the best of the bunch BUT you know he wasn't going to last because the GOP has their own agenda. They ARE like China. Party over all.... B.S. B.S. B.S.....etc....
I remember when the Republican Party wasn't so bad and were willng to work with Democrats for the total good of the people. Now all we have are wealthy, special interest, bought and paid for politicians whose only concern is protecting their backers and getting their political party back in power no matter how HORRIBLE that would be for the country. They aren't for the good of the people anymore, they are all about partisan politics.

[Molly-Pchr]

And they shouldn't be knuckling under to these Tea Party types and signing these silly pledges.

[KPeters_from_UK]

"I said, you know, if you're not on-script and you get knocked out of an event like that - the parties are supposed to be big-tent, you're supposed to bring in all ideas - and I said, I thought for a moment about what they do in China if you're off-script. The party, they knock you out. We shouldn't be doing that here, we should be accommodating all voices," Huntsman said Monday.

Yep. What ever happened to the compassionate big tent GOP? If they continue on this path and if they win in 2012 the GOP Party - with their wild crazy pet projects and social fascist agenda - will start to alienate all of the moderate Republicans and then what? Talk about being dysfunctional!

[Molly-Pchr]

moderates and independents are already alienated-from both extreme sides

[web6242a]

Huntsman is correct. To be obstructionist (For Party Control) over national Interest is folly. David Frum ( A conservative Republican)has castigated the GOP for its obstruction - Plainly stating that the GOP should use its majority for compromise on the part of the Dems. Currently both Parties have used the last year for reelection purposes only. The corruption is very deep, indeed.

[Wayne_Mann]

Why doesn't it surprise me that the only rational, reasonable, intelligent and decent man in the Republican primary is now being ostracized by his own party?

[LisaMW621]

I've thought all along that Huntsman was the only sane candidate the GOP put forward.