The Hill News

Former Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman's political team was riding high following the potential presidential candidate's visit this weekend to New Hampshire.

Huntsman adviser Tim Miller circulated a group of clips containing positive coverage for Huntsman following a five-day tour of the Granite State, where he delivered a major speech and made 13 stops throughout the state.

"This traditional New Hampshire style swing reflects the kind of campaign that Gov. Huntsman would run - high energy and lots of access," Miller wrote to reporters.

New Hampshire would be a centerpiece of a potential Huntsman campaign, and judging by the clips his team circulated on Monday, his hopes for winning the nomination were buoyed by the visit.

Huntsman wrapped up his trip to the Northeast with a lunch with former President George H.W. Bush, another former ambassador to China.

Still, Huntsman's rivals in New Hampshire's first-in-the-! nation primary took careful note of his visit, and some of the 12 interviews he sat for during his time in the state. Huntsman's beginning to forge the basis for his candidacy, and told ABC News on Friday, for instance, that he would support repealing healthcare reform, would have opposed military operations in Libya, and that he viewed the current economy as poorly-positioned for a cap-and-trade environmental system.

Huntsman also told the Salt Lake Tribune that the idea of a border fence with Mexico "repulses" him, though he s! aid such drastic measures could be needed to curb illegal immi! gration.