Huntsman Approaches 'Witching Hour'

The “witching hour” for the team formed around the presidential campaign-in-waiting for U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman comes at midnight Saturday.

That’s when his resignation from his current post becomes final, allowing Huntsman to jump into the political fray for the GOP presidential nomination, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

He has staff and volunteers in New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida, a polling firm and a fundraising operation all set and ready to go. But even many of them don’t know for sure if the former Utah governor will be running. They’re all working for the political action committee, Horizon PAC, which was formed to back Huntsman.

"The last communication I had with him was a Christmas card," said John Weaver, the committee’s political director, a well-known GOP operative and senior aide to Sen. John McCain’s 2000 White House bid.

Still, they all believe he’ll jump into the race. They expect Huntsman to make his intentions clear within a week.