Huntsman was moving towards run before nomination

Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman was steadily moving toward a Presidential bid before President Obama nominated him to be Ambassador to China, the Salt Lake Tribune reports.

In one of the clearest signs that Huntsman was looking to mount a 2012 bid, he was in the final stages of forming a nation PAC to raise and distribute funds to Republican candidates, a common technique for politicians looking to raise their profile and curry favor with elected officials.

More from the Tribune:

He had also had been speaking with several top national political consultants — including John Weaver, the architect of Sen. John McCain’s 2000 campaign and an adviser in 2008, described as a long-time friend of the governor’s–and other party officials. The message he was getting was that he should take the plunge, a source told The Salt Lake Tribune on Sunday.

This makes Obama’s choice to tap Huntsman look even (politically) savvier.