I much admire Obama, not for the ideology or necessarily policy, but for his political chess.

Obviously you all remember him placing, or trying at least, to hook much of his powerful Democratic primary foes into his cabinet: Biden (Vice-President), Clinton (State), Richardson (Commerce before he withdraw because of the Federal probe), Edwards (would have been Attorney General if not for the Love Child), etc.

Then there is the appointment of Utah Governor Huntsman (R) as Ambassador to China, who might have been a contender for the GOP nomination in 2012. An outside shot, but still a threat.

We must remember that like Nixon in 1972, the Obama White House is trying its best to pick the GOP oppositional candidate of their own choosing for 2012. Huntsman was at best an outside shot for the GOP nod, but still a threat to the Administration. Apparently they feared Hunstman the most of all the speculated/expected 2012 GOP candidates. To quote what a senior aide told the National Journal: "He's much like the President: Young, charismatic, and Moderately appealing."

I'm reminded of 1996, when Dick Morris (back when he was Clinton's re-election advisor) said that the Clinton White House's hoped that Bob Dole would be their opponent (which they got) and the man they wanted to campaign against the least was Lamar Alexander (who got buried in the GOP Primaries).

Well, Obama I'm sure wants Sarah Palin (or am I wrong?) for his team probably thinks she is the weakest national candidate of the GOP field, or is it Huckabee? You tell me. Regardless, Huntsman took the Ambassadorship because he's I guess planning for a 2016 run after the GOP get schlacked with their base fringe candidate...much like Walter Mondale in 1984 or McGovern in '72.

Besides, we've had U.S. Presidents who previously were Ambassadors, like John Quincy Adams (Prussia/Netherlands/Portugal), James Buchanan (UK), and George H.W. Bush (U.N./China). Point is, Huntsman is a possible national future route for the GOP. Possible.