Jon Huntsman, the former Utah governor trying to cast himself as the moderate alternative in the Republican race to challenge Barack Obama next year, has declared his party’s field of candidates has “zero substance” and rebuked rival Rick Perry for making inflammatory comments that risk alienating centrist voters.
In an interview with ABC’s This Week on Sunday, Mr Huntsman said the US was “crying out for a sensible middle ground” now lacking in the country’s politics, with Mr Obama too far to the left and Republicans veering too much towards the right.
The former ambassador to China adopted a more aggressive tone than he has in the past in an attempt to bolster his struggling campaign by appealing to independent voters and establishment Republicans.