Time for a Huntsman Surge? Santorum? Someone Else?

By Matthew Cooper // November 30, 2011 | 5:55 p.m.

Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman, Former Governor of Utah, speaks at the CBS News/National Journal foreign policy debate at the Benjamin Johnson Arena, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011, in Spartanburg, S.C. The debate covered foreign policy, which has gotten little attention from the GOP candidates in recent weeks. When they have touched on it, they've criticized Obama's handling of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, his support for NATO's intervention in Libya and his treatment of China's currency, among other issues. (AP Photo/Richard Shiro) (Richard Shiro/AP)

The conventional wisdom has whipsawed with particular speed during this campaign. A few weeks ago, Newt was dead. Now he's the not-Mitt. And, of course, the not-Mitt has swung from Bachmann to Perry to Cain and now to Newt. The conventional wisdom is that with just five weeks to go before real people start casting real ballots that the Flying Fickle Finger of Fate Award has settled on the former Speaker.

Could there be a Santorum moment coming? A Huntsman moment? It's hard to imagine, really hard. But so was a Newt moment back when his staff quit, he went off on a cruise and everyone was making fun of his Tiffany fetish. A two term Senator from one of the biggest swing states would seem at least as plausible. So would a serious governor from Utah. Yes, they both have their flaws--that whole man-on-dog thing for Santorum and Huntsman's odd belief in science. But they're less implausible than the pre-alleged-harassment-and-affairs Herman Cain. We'll see.