Huntsman’s stances attract independents, lose conservatives

By Shira Schoenberg

Globe Correspondent / January 7, 2012

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Jon Huntsman faces a dilemma as he tries to gin up support in Tuesday’s presidential primary. His rhetoric, and to some extent his record, are more moderate than that of many of his Republican opponents. For example, he supports civil unions for gay couples and believes in the science behind climate change. But while Huntsman has been successful attracting independent and moderate voters, his moderate reputation has made it difficult for him to attract conservatives, who form the base of the Republican Party. Huntsman has been making an effort to portray himself as a conservative candidate, but with limited success.

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