CONCORD, NH — Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman talked campaign strategy and college football on Monday afternoon at a small rally with supporters.
Huntsman has spent more time in New Hampshire than any other candidate by far, and hopes a solid finish will give him the momentum he needs to head into South Carolina and Florida.
“Our strategy moving forward is getting ahead and steaming out of New Hampshire,” he said in a response to a reporter’s question. “We’ve got to prove the point of electability here. This is why the New Hampshire primary is so critically important. Having established that — and I think you’re going to find that tomorrow night — we can then move on to South Carolina. But you’ve got to prove that you can move a market, first and foremost, and that’s what we’re in the process of doing here.” (RELATED: Key Huntsman strategist no longer counting on NH win)
“I’m the underdog,” he continued. “We’re working aggressively to the finish line. It’s about getting out the vote. It’s about getting to the polls. And I’m not going to rest until we do that.”
When asked by The Daily Caller whether he was rooting for LSU or Alabama in tonight’s college football championship, the former ambassador to China demurred.
“I’m not sure I want to take sides right now,” he said. “I’ll have to continue to wear my diplomat hat at this point.”
A Suffolk University tracking survey released on Monday found Huntsman currently polling in third place, with 13 percent support in the state.