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Washington • The website pitches no candidate or philosophy, an unconventional move for a political action committee that may soon transition into a full-fledged presidential campaign.
But the Horizon PAC's new Internet presence does have a prominent "H," a hint at its unofficial and so-far-unaffiliated figurehead Jon Huntsman Jr.
The PAC, considered to be Huntsman's White House campaign-in-waiting, launched its new site Tuesday, teasing a new type of politician to emerge "someday."
"The firm handshake. The frosty smile. So often driven by ego alone," the coy website offers in a tab about "The Politician." "We forget we elect them to represent us. America can do so much better. Maybe someday."
Huntsman, a former Utah governor who has resigned as U.S. ambassador to China effective April 30, has yet to decide whether he'll mount a White House campaign. In the meantime, the Horizon PAC is filling out its team and moving forward with plans should Huntsman jump in.
PAC officials promise it won't be your typical political organization, which is evident by their website's tone.
"Neither the design nor messaging are what people have come to expect from traditional political organizations or campaigns," spokesman Tim Miller says. "You won't see the same tired tropes and images that are the hallmark every other PAC website."
The site, http://www.horizon-pac.com, asks what happened to America, its politics and its leaders.
It also seeks donations to the PAC, which is based in Utah where there are no contribution limits and corporate donations are legal.
The website doesn't mention Huntsman by name, a different tactic than employed by other potential 2012 White House contenders. Former governors Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty, for example, have PAC websites devoted to touting their accomplishments and their activities.
Mark McKinnon, who was President George W. Bush's chief media adviser, says the PAC's website is innovative and unique and that's telling about a potential Huntsman presidential race.
"It suggests Huntsman will be a different kind of a candidate and run a different kind of campaign," McKinnon says. "It's refreshing. And stands out. That's what you want in a campaign. Something that differentiates. This does."
Tom Love, president of the public relations and marketing firm Love Communications in Salt Lake City, says he's a fan of the website because it seems to speak to the majority of Americans who don't like partisan politics.
"It does, to me, profile Jon because that's who he is," says Love, a registered Democrat who says he likes Huntsman. "He's not tied into the rhetoric and the flamboyance. He is very much interested in substantive change."
The Horizon PAC, run by a team that includes Sen. John McCain's former strategist, John Weaver, has hired several people across the country that would be part of any presidential bid by Huntsman. The website lists its mailing address as in an office building a block from the White House.
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O To view the website, go to http://www.horizon-pac.com