It's a good thing for Mitt because it removes the only player left in the field with whom he competed for "moderate" Republican votes. Fiscally conservative, socially ambivalent Republicans didn't have a lot of choices in this race--and now there's one less.
It's a good thing for the Republican Party because it removes a minor candidate from the distraction status that he'd achieved during the race. Huntsman had a good New Hampshire, but not good enough. He's getting no traction in SC or FL.
And it's a good thing for Huntsman. Let's face it folks, he ran a strategically flawed campaign. Rather than run as the conservative Governor who got things done, he decided to run as the "to the left of Mitt" guy who speaks Chinese. Republicans wanted more red meat than he was willing to serve up. I hope he goes home to Utah and spends the next eight years (the Romney terms) refining his message for a 2020 run--because he could be the real deal.....someday.
Maybe pronouncing everyone else in the field 'extreme' the second he was out of the gate was not the best approach for Mr. Huntsman. He really did (and I suppose still does) have great promise, but he was such a sanctimonious turn-off.
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