Excerpts of Governor Huntsman's speech to CPAC
Orlando - Below are key excerpts of Governor Huntsman's speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference today in Orlando, as prepared for delivery.
Nothing long survives without advocates, and that includes those rights, penned by Thomas Jefferson, upon which our nation was founded: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
How quickly those rights could be eroded – if not for this organization, and all of you. So thank you for your work.
I’d like to speak today about life and liberty, without which there can be no pursuit of happiness.
Let me begin by telling you about the life of my daughter, Gracie Mei. She’s 12 years old….I can’t imagine our world without Gracie and her younger sister Asha, who’s adopted from India. Every day we look in their eyes and thank God their mothers chose life, and did not throw it away.
As governor of Utah, I supported and signed landmark legislation to protect life – including parental consent and fetal pain laws – and as president I would do the same.
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The pursuit of happiness is imperiled not just by infringements on life and liberty, but by the inability to find a job… Our most urgent priority must be putting the American people back to work and restoring America’s prosperity.
President Obama believes that we can tax and spend and regulate our way to prosperity. We cannot. We must compete our way to prosperity.
I’ve lived overseas four times, most recently as Ambassador to China.
I know our nation’s biggest competitor, and what it takes to compete in the 21st Century global economy.
I’ve also been governor of a state that under my leadership led the nation in job creation, and whose economy grew at triple the national rate – even faster than Texas under my good friend Rick Perry.
But I would never describe what happened in Utah as a “miracle,” because that is something unexplained. And we know exactly why we led the nation. We passed the largest tax cut in state history; streamlined regulations; honestly balanced the budget; tripled our rainy day fund; created certainty and an environment for growth.
We must do the same for America.
My jobs and economic plan is the only one endorsed by the Wall Street Journal, and described by one conservative economist as “the most pro-growth proposal ever offered” by a presidential candidate.
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We should not be nation-building overseas, when we have nation-building to do here at home. We should not rest until we rebuild our core.
And when our military is overextended, we risk being unable to aid our allies in times of crisis, such as Israel staring down a nuclear Iran. I cannot live with a nuclear-armed Iran. If there was ever a reason to use American force, it would be that.
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I also hold some beliefs that I know some in this room may not share.
I believe in science – including as it relates to evolution and climate change.
I believe in civil unions, though I also support traditional marriage.
I believe immigration is a human as well as an economic issue, and that children of illegal immigrants shouldn’t be punished for the sins of their parents.
I realize we may disagree on some of this. But in our party, we can disagree in some areas and still be united by our core beliefs: life, economic liberty, low taxes, balanced budgets, free markets, limited government.
To win in 2012 and beyond, we must appeal to the tea party and to conservative Republicans. But we must also bring into the tent moderate Republicans, independents and yes, conservative Democrats.
I’m sure many of you remember Reagan Democrats. They were brought into the fold because of Reagan’s sunny optimism. His inclusive nature. His real solutions.
It was Reagan who reminded us that the person who agrees with you 80% of the time, is an 80% friend, not a 20% enemy.
It was Reagan who worked and compromised with a democratic speaker, Tip O’Neill.
This doesn’t mean we must abandon our core principles; just the opposite. We need a party that can SELL those core principles to the broadest possible audience.
President Obama’s only hope for reelection is if we fail to broaden our appeal and make that sale.
We cannot let that happen.
I am running to be my party’s nominee on my record: the largest tax cut in Utah history, balanced budgets, first in the nation in job growth, free-market health care reform without a mandate, pro-life and pro-2nd amendment, and yes, support for civil unions.
I’m not pretending to be someone I’m not. I’m not pandering to what you want to hear. So before believing the hype or rhetoric, I just ask you to take a look at the records.
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This is our election to lose.
We have the economics on our side.
We have the solutions on our side.
We have the vision on our side.
Now we just need to get the people on our side.
I look forward to working with you to make it happen.
President Obama won in 2008 by offering false hope. We are going to win in 2012 by offering real solutions.
