…from the June/July 2008 edition:
Name: Jon M. Huntsman, Jr.
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
Occupation: Governor of the State of Utah
Previous Jobs: U.S. Trade Ambassador (2001-2003); U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore, (1992-1993); Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce, Trade Development Bureau (1989-90), Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for East Asia and the Pacific
Individual(s) who inspired me as a child: My Uncle Hal Robison gave me better perspective about the world around me. He was a humble prairie philosopher and World War II veteran who believed in the role of the individual in our society. I learned from him that the value of our government resides with the people it serves.
Historical figure(s) I would most like to meet: President Theodore Roosevelt. He was so many things, as a great head of state, philosopher, peacemaker, environmentalist, father, Nobel Prize recipient, just to begin. He managed to accomplish everything one could ever want to do in life, all before the age of 48.
Issue facing America that no one is talking about: The most fundamental of all issues for government is to provide support for basic scientific research. It is research that will ultimately address our needs in transportation, environment, medical science and health care, and by doing so we will spawn the new generation of jobs and economic success for our country. Government should engage in partnerships with the private sector to fund strong research institutes to focus innovation and creativity around the big issues affecting us. We need to invest in a nationbuilding exercise, in the form of basic and advanced research, in our own country.
What the Republican Party must do to be successful in the elections this year: We need to reestablish our foundation as the Republican Party, focusing on our commitment to free markets, a strong defense system and confident foreign policy. The existence of our party rests on actively listening to the voter and providing equal doses of inspiration and solutions.