Politics

Huntsman takes to Twitter to ding Perry on evolution

Amanda Carey Contributor
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Jon Huntsman took to Twitter, Thursday, to ding Texas Governor Rick Perry for hedging on evolution. Along the rope line during a campaign event in New Hampshire, the Texas governor told a nine-year old that evolution is “a theory that’s out there, and it’s got some gas in it.”

The child was coached by his mother during the exchange, and the whole thing was caught on tape. “In Texas we teach both creationism and evolution in our public schools, ” Perry said before moving on. “Because I figure you’re smart enough to figure out which one is right.”

But on Twitter, Huntsman took a solid, unapologetic stance on evolution, even if it’s unorthodox for the party he’s hoping will make him its 2012 presidential nominee.

“To be clear. I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me Crazy,” the former Utah governor wrote.

The confrontation on evolution came just one day after Perry told a gathering in New Hampshire he believes global warming has become politicized.

“I think there are a substantial number of scientists who have manipulated data so that they will have dollars rolling in to their — to their projects,” said Perry.

But Thursday’s tweet isn’t the first time Team Huntsman has thrown stones at Perry since his entry into the race this past weekend. On Wednesday, Huntsman’s chief strategist, John Weaver, was quoted in the Washington Post as saying, “We’re not going to win a national election if we become the anti-science party.”

Weaver went on to say that “science clearly was not a mandatory course for Governor Perry.”

The tweet, however, fits into the image Huntsman is trying to sell to primary voters: That of conservative problem-solver who is running on his record.