President Obama names Republican John Huntsman as ambassador to China

President Obama has stated previously that of all the likely Republican challengers, the administration fears Utah Governor (and Mormon) John Huntsman.

Obama's campaign manager fears Jon Huntsman the most in 2012
While no republican presidential candidate yet makes Obama's team "shake in {their} shoes...," President Obama’s campaign manager, David Plouffe, tells the U.S. News and World Report that Governor Jon Huntsman makes him, a "wee bit queasy...I think he's really out there speaking a lot of truth about the direction of the party."

It's also worth noting Huntsman polled 6th of the "Current crop of Governors with brightest political future" as voted by GOP insiders, besting Sarah Palin by one.
Strategically President Obama has named Huntsman as his ambassador for China neutralising a formidable 2012 contender and swerving the Republican base.

Obama naming Huntsman ambassador to China
President Barack Obama named Republican Utah Gov. Jon M. Huntsman Jr. as his pick for ambassador to China, likely removing one of his strongest potential challengers in the 2012 presidential campaign from the running.

In an unusual Saturday announcement broadcast live on some cable networks, Obama acknowledged that Huntsman’s decision might not be easy for him to explain to the Republican Party.

And Huntsman said he, as a former national co-chairman for Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign, never expected “to be called into action by the person who beat us,” but added that "When the president of the United States asks you step up and serve in a capacity like this, that to me is the end of the conversation and the beginning of the obligation to rise to the challenge."

AllahPundit of HotAir provides his analysis on Obama's shrewd move and John Huntsman's turn

Shock: Huntsman quits as Utah gov to be Obama’s ambassador to China
So much for the great moderate hope in 2012. What’s his angle here? Three possibilities: (a) Despite all appearances, he was never thinking of running for president. (b) He was thinking of running, but he’s enough of a patriot that he couldn’t say no when the president called on him. (c) He was aiming at 2016 all along and this is actually a brilliant move to burnish his bipartisan cred and his foreign-policy gravitas in advance, especially insofar as it makes him a player with a rising superpower like China.

The best moderate Republicans can hope for is that John Huntsman is planning the biggest swerve of all come "decision time" in 2012. A la wrestling, note the pun that Sting is choosing between a team that is half black/half white or Red.
VIDEO: Sting joins the NWO (but which one?)