US News Weekly reports that while former Barack Obama campaign manager David Plouffe fears no Republican candidate, Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, who has caught flak for openly criticizing GOP leadership and supporting gay civil unions, makes him a "wee bit queasy."

I think he's really out there and speaking a lot of truth about the direction of the party.

Kirk Jowers of the University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute of Politics told Channel 4's Chris Vanocur that Huntsman is a "top five" presidential candidate who is creating buzz nationwide:

Huntsman has positioned himself in a great place right now because he is the only presidential candidate really running in the middle right now.

Conservative pundit Ross Douthat says a moderate like Huntsman or Louisiana's Bobby Jindal may be what the GOP needs to achieve greater appeal:

But to succeed, such a faction will have to represent something legitimately new in right-of-center politics. It can’t sound like Rush Limbaugh — but it can’t sound like Arlen Specter either.

Huntsman is scheduled for a phone conversation with top national GOP strategist Frank Luntz today.

Reading Plouffe's comment, Politico's Ben Smith jokes:

With Frank Rich in his camp as well, Huntsman's just one prominent Democrat away from running away with the wrong primary.