Huntsman is a good choice

No one could seriously question Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s qualifications to become the nation's new ambassador to China. Nor, after hearing him explain Saturday how when the president "asks you to step up and serve in a capacity like this, that, to me, is the end of the conversation and the beginning of the obligation to rise to the challenge," could anyone question his loyalty to the nation, regardless of political considerations.

Utahns should be proud of their governor's new appointment, even if it does remove him from an office to which the people elected him twice, and for which his approval ratings are astoundingly high (84 percent in a poll commissioned by this newspaper in March).

Huntsman speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese. He and his wife have adopted a Chinese daughter. He was ambassador to Singapore and deputy U.S. trade representative. While governor, he has focused in part on building ties between Utah and China. Given how much U.S. debt is owned by China, and given its emerging status as a trading partner and a economic power, Huntsman would seem an obvious choice for the job.

Was there something Machiavellian in President Obama making this appointment? Indeed, there is evidence to support such a thesis. Huntsman has been discussed widely in media, especially along the East Coast, as a possible Republican presidential candidate in 2012. Obama's former campaign manager recently was quoted in U.S. News Weekly's "Washington Whispers" column as saying the thought of a Huntsman candidacy made him a "wee bit queasy."

The old political wisdom is to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. By accepting this appointment, Huntsman has to abandon thoughts of a 2012 candidacy.

However, the effectiveness of a Huntsman presidential bid was difficult to gauge so early. He comes from a small, politically insignificant state. His notoriety at this early stage came from his efforts to pull the Republican Party more toward the center of the political spectrum. The relative merits of such a move remain up for considerable debate, with or without Huntsman in the mix.

A more significant question, for the moment, has to do with Utah's future. Gary Herbert soon will be sworn in as governor — the second person to ascend to that office without being directly elected to it. His agenda and political skills will soon take center stage, as will the new contest for the governor's seat in the 2010 elections.

In the meantime, however, the Senate ought to quickly confirm Huntsman's appointment. The United States could hardly find a more suitable ambassador to China.