Ron Paul Supporters Sink to New Low By Attacking Huntsman’s Adopted Daughters

Republican Presidential candidate Jon Huntsman has rightfully condemned a television ad by a supporter of Ron Paul that claims that Huntsman is somehow unpatriotic and un-American because he and his wife have adopted two children from China and India.

A campaign ad posted online by someone calling himself “NHLiberty4Paul” shows images of Huntsman holding his daughter Gracie Mae, who was abandoned by her parents in India.

Huntsman was formerly the U.S. ambassador to China under President Obama and speaks fluent Chinese.

The spot also shows him with his adopted daughter from India named Asha.

The pro-Paul asks: “American values? Or Chinese? Vote Ron Paul.”

Even more amazingly, the ad finishes with an image of Huntsman dressed as the infamous Communist leader Mao Zedong.

Huntsman and his wife have five other children as well.

Campaigning in Concord, N.H., Huntsman (who has often blasted Paul as an unelectable candidate) told reporters: “If someone wants to poke fun at me, that’s OK. What I object to is bringing forward pictures and videos of my adopted daughters and suggesting there’s something sinister there.”

He also told a crowd of university students that the ad was “stupid.”

Kate Schackai, a spokesman for Paul’s New Hampshire operations, denied the Paul campaign had anything to do with the tasteless ad.

“The video was utterly distasteful and no one who actually supports Dr. Paul’s principles would have made it,” she told reporters.
“Nobody who actually supports Dr. Paul’s principles would put together something like that.”

Huntsman said Paul needs to condemn the ad explicitly.

If the [Paul] group is in any way affiliated with his organization of course he should, Huntsman said.

It's just political campaign nonsense. It happens from time to time.”

Even if Ron Paul had nothing to do with the ad (and I don’t believe he did), he needs to repudiate it immediately (which he has yet to do). Children should be off limits in any political campaign.

Moreover, this shows what type of amoral, creepy, vulgar people support Paul – it makes them look bad, and makes him look even worse. Paul, who performed surprisngly well in the Iowa caucus, has already faced accusations of racism. If he were to take a bold step and strongly condemn the Chinese ad, he might go a long way to making himself look more respectable, responsible and statesmanlike.

But I doubt he will say a word about it for fear of alienating his base of rabid supporters.