I will not be attending this year 's convention , nor any Republican convention in the future until the party focuses on a bigger , bolder , more confident future for the United States — a future based on problem solving , inclusiveness , and a willingness to address the trust deficit , which is every bit as corrosive as our fiscal and economic deficits . In early November 2012 , just days before Barack Obama was re-elected as president , the '' Associated Press '' named Huntsman as a possible successor to Hillary Clinton as the United States secretary of state . This speculation was echoed by various media outlets , particularly after Huntsman came to the defense of United States Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice , describing the criticism of her response to the 2012 Benghazi attack as being " overblown " . On November 20 , 2012 , Obama 's campaign manager Jim Messina suggested that the Obama campaign believed Huntsman would have been a particularly difficult candidate to face in the general election . Messina said that the campaign was " honest about our concerns about Huntsman " and that Huntsman " would have been a very tough candidate "
2012 Benghazi attack
2012 Benghazi attack
Jon Huntsman Jr.