As the kids say
by digby
Looks like Jon Hunstman is going to challenge Obama youth vote in a big way:
In a graduation speech Saturday morning at the University of South Carolina, former U.S. Ambassador to China and potential 2012 Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman tried his best to look like a cool, young dad instead of a traditional politician.
He kicked off his remarks to the 1,150 graduates by thanking the university’s president, Dr. Harris Pastides, for an introduction that “made me sound pretty cool.”
Huntsman then went on to recount his time as a young man playing in the rock band “Wizard” noting that he once had Rod Stewart-like hair and “I wouldn’t wear anything but super skinny jeans.”
He ended his remarks with a reference to Ben Folds, a musician who was popular when most of the graduates were in diapers. He ended his speech by telling the soon to be grads “never forget to rock and roll.”
But the former ambassador and Utah governor also addressed more weighty matters, including the issue that both Republicans and Democrats appear intent on using against him if he launches a White House bid — his service in the administration of a president he may now be seeking to run against.
“Work to keep America great. Serve her if asked. I was, by a president of a different political party,” Huntsman said. “But in the end, while we might not all be of one party, we are all part of one nation — a nation that needs your generational gift, energy and confidence
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I have no way of knowing how that sounded to the graduates, but there’s something about it that reminds me of Tim Pawlenty going on about his “smokin’ hot wife” and Charlie Sheen. #FAIL (as the kids say)
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