Huntsman, projected to finish third, says onward to South Carolina

Tuesday delivered disappointment to Jon Huntsman, who stakes his presidential bid on this state and came in third in the first-in-the-nation primary.

Huntsman, who for most of the year was doing so poorly in the polls that he described himself as the “margin of error” candidate, had been surging in recent days, leading to hopes among his supporters that he could take second place behind Mitt Romney, who has long had a commanding presence and lead in this state.

Huntsman tried to paint his third-place finish as a win, jubilantly taking the stage at a pub with his wife, Mary Kaye, and clasping her hand and raising it in victory.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I think we’re in the hunt,” he said, as the crowd roared and chanted “In the hunt! In the hunt!” “I’d say third place is a ticket to ride, ladies and gentleman. Hello South Carolina!”

His team tried to paint a bleak picture of their straits to highlight their finish.

“We were dead,” said spokesman Tim Miller. “We were dead in the water three days ago.”

Huntsman focused intensely on New Hampshire, campaigning the old-fashioned way by reaching out to voters with more than 170 events, an effort that he said paid off Tuesday night.

“We have worked hard and diligently, we have pounded the pavement, we have shaken hands, we have had conversations, we have won people over person by person,” he said. “My confidence in the system is reborn.”

Huntsman, speaking for a little over 10 minutes, delivered a version of his stump speech, calling for an end to American military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan and term limits for Congress, among other proposals. He delivered a sunny speech, and said he could restore the American people’s faith in government and end the bitterness that divides the country.

“Because the people of this great nation – the greatest nation that ever was – they’re tired of being divided,” he said. “They want leadership that will stand up and tell all, first and foremost, tell us all we need to come together as Americans to solve our problems.”

Despite his sunny remarks, Huntsman’s path to the GOP nomination, already unlikely, grew dimmer with his finish on Tuesday. The next state to hold a voting contest, South Carolina, features socially conservative, religious voters who are not Huntsman’s base. And then there’s Florida, which has multiple expensive media markets and typically features an airwaves war that the candidate is unlikely to be able to afford. Huntsman’s fundraising has been weak, though a pro-Huntsman super PAC largely funded by Huntsman’s billionaire father has helped his candidacy.

Huntsman supporters tried to remain optimistic that Huntsman could emerge as an alternative to Romney.

“We certainly hope so,” said Thyra Galli of Portsmouth. “Third’s still really good. He’s the only alternative to Obama.”

The retired history teacher and registered independent supported Barack Obama four years ago, but has grown disillusioned with the president because of his handling of the economy among other matters. She went to see Romney and came away unimpressed – the former Massachusetts governor struck Galli as a “used-car salesman.”

Galli said she admired Huntsman’s resume as governor and ambassador to China, as well as his blemish-free personal life. She noted that he has not been dogged by controversy from his past, either professional or personal, as the rest of the field has.

“No one is digging out bad things about him,” she said.

Jim Culveyhouse, 56, said he was hopeful Huntsman would continue his run.

“I don’t know,” said the Goffstown resident who voted for Ralph Nader’s third-party bid four years ago. “It would have been big to come in second. But it’s a good showing. He should be happy.”

Huntsman’s supporters had crowded into a downtown Manchester pub, where the candidate put out a buffet of hot wings and nacho chips and salsa. New Hampshire voters appeared to be outnumbered by the crush of press and casual observers, and as it became clear that the former Utah governor was going to come in third, they intermittently chanted “Country first! Country first!” – a phrase he borrowed from 2008 GOP nominee John McCain – and rang a cow bell.

seema.mehta@latimes.com