In the HuffPo:
“The party right now is a holding company that’s devoid of a soul and it will be filled up with ideas over time and leaders will take their proper place,” he said.
“We can’t be known as a party that’s fear-based and doesn’t believe in math,” he added. “In the end it will come down to a party that believes in opportunity for all our people, economic competitiveness and a strong dose of libertarianism.” [emphasis added]
I’m not sure that Huntsman’s characterization of the Republicans as fear-based is anything more than a liberal talking point he’s internalized. However, I’d like to think he is right in the last sentence.
PILEUS 
Can you share with me one truly LIBERTARIAN idea that Huntsman is notable for advancing? I’ll wait……
Someone, somewhere…. said that Huntsman is a liberal’s idea of what a Republican should be. Seems to fit.
Well since Americans seem to overwhelmingly favor Democrats (they won the majority vote in the house as well, btw) it would probably be a good idea to eject the know nothings from your party. Huntsman may not appeal to the Red Blooded Right wingers, but the guy could win a national election if given a chance. But Republicans seem to care more about idealogical purity instead of winning elections.
And here is that Libertarian Huntsman you requested: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/40227540-cf58-11e1-a1d2-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2H1BMw0Uf
Republicans do not have a corner on the know-nothings market. I am frequently appalled by the ignorance displayed in the pages of leftist magazines like The Nation, whose editor is often now granted a platform in the Washington Post. The left hasn’t had a new idea in 100 years and all of their old ideas have been discredited. That doesn’t stop the Democrats and their allies from peddling them nor fools from believing them.
There is no way Republicans can adopt the policies of the Democrats and win. They would not be convincing and therefore would not attract any of the Democrats’ consituencies. Plus conservative voters would desert in droves.
RE: Huntsman’s comments of the GOP as fear-based.
The Republicans seem to fear demographic change. Specifically, they seem to view youth, minorities, immigrants, and unmarried women as alien and hostile. Also, Fox News’s bombastic and sensationalistic style incubates the siege mentality. I know that this is true because I have seen it happen in my own family. It is genuinely distressing and dispiriting to watch older people who had previously been conservative but mainstream being lead unwittingly into the fever swamps of jingoism, paranoia, birtherism, moral panic, etc.
Ironically, Fox News’s promotion of tabloidized, militaristic, dogmatic, anti-intellectual conservatism is a huge gift… to the Democratic Party.
The horror, the horror.