In New Hampshire, it’s Huntsman’s last stand

With the smell of French toast and maple syrup heavy in the air, Jon Huntsman Jr. stopped by a diner here Monday and told patrons that while he was feeling some momentum, “We need some votes.”

Sherry Thomas, 62, replied, “I’m a Democrat and I’m voting for you!”

Thomas voted for President Obama in 2008, but is impressed by Huntsman’s background as a Utah governor and ambassador to China.

“He completely outshines everybody who’s out there right now,” said the Warner, N.H., resident. “He speaks the truth, and I hope people give him a second look and a third look.”

And therein lies Huntsman’s predicament as New Hampshire holds the first presidential primary in the nation: His candidacy has sparked waves of excitement among the chattering classes and moderates, but has never been taken as seriously by the bulk of voters who will pick the GOP nominee.

For presidential candidates, New Hampshire’s quirky history feeds dreams and, occasionally, delusions. As Huntsman made his last stand here, he declined to say how well he must do to make his bid the former rather than the latter, but agreed that Tuesday would be decisive.

“Our strategy moving forward is getting a head of steam out of New Hampshire. We have got to prove the point of electability here. This is why the New Hampshire primary is so critically important,” he told reporters in Concord.

Because of Huntsman’s resume — a combination of executive and international experience, service under presidents of both parties, plus a non-flame-throwing personality and a picture-perfect family — there was great anticipation in certain circles about his presidential bid before he announced in June.

Huntsman has staked his campaign on New Hampshire, holding more than 170 events here and relying on the state’s voters, who have a deep independent streak and, compared with early-state voters in Iowa and South Carolina, are more concerned with fiscal conservatism than social issues.

But he’s never caught fire, either here or in national polls, in part because of a series of debate performances where he failed to make an impression or was largely ignored. But in recent days, he has seen a small rise, prompting speculation that he has an outside shot at second place behind Mitt Romney, who has a commanding lead here.

The candidate and his campaign refuse to speculate where they will come in.

“When you start at zero, as the margin-of-error candidate, to be where we are with the wind at our back, we’re confident we’ll be able to exceed expectations,” said campaign manager Matt David.

The candidate has seen movement in the polls whenever a pro-Huntsman “super PAC” — an independent effort on a candidate’s behalf that he can have no involvement in — airs commercials. The Our Destiny PAC is reportedly funded in large part by the candidate’s billionaire father.

Huntsman had his best debate performance to date Sunday, including what campaign aides describe as a defining moment.

After Romney criticized Huntsman for working as Obama’s ambassador to China while Romney was helping Republican candidates get elected, Huntsman responded, “This country is divided … because of attitudes like that,” prompting loud applause from the audience. “The American people are tired of the partisan division.”

The campaign is trying to capitalize on the moment, and made it the center of an advertisement that began running here Monday. And Huntsman, whose advisors have long urged him to engage Romney, is also being more aggressive in challenging his rival.

“It’s become abundantly clear over the last couple days what differentiates Gov. Romney and me. I will always put my country first. It seems Gov. Romney believes in putting politics first,” Huntsman said Monday.

He also slapped at Romney’s “I like being able to fire people” comment Monday, a remark that the former governor of next-door Massachusetts made in a discussion about health insurance providers. Romney later said the comment was taken out of context.

Huntsman said the remark showed how Romney was removed from the perils facing Americans.

“It may be that he’s slightly out of touch with the economic reality playing out in America right now, and that’s a dangerous place for somebody to be,” he said.

Whether such efforts — hours before Granite State voters begin casting ballots — can lift Huntsman remains to be seen, an uncertainty the candidate acknowledges.

“Everyone tells you what the order of the universe is supposed to be politically and then the good people of New Hampshire step up and they cast a vote based upon a message that works and real leadership. And conventional wisdom is turned upside down,” Huntsman told supporters at the diner. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to turn conventional wisdom upside down tomorrow night.”

seema.mehta@latimes.com