KEENE, N.H. -- Jon Huntsman has one glaring vulnerability as he prepares to seek the GOP's presidential nomination next year, and it's a big one in the minds of some conservative activists: His service for a Democratic president, who employed the former Utah governor for 20 months as ambassador to China.

In this state just two months ago, former Gov. John Sununu -- the immediate past chairman of the state GOP -- called Huntsman an "Obama-ite" in an interview with RealClearPolitics, unleashing the criticism that some in the Republican base think will bury Huntsman.

But if the initial reactions to Huntsman during his first foray into the Granite State are any guide, voters here may be the ones -- Sununu's crack notwithstanding -- that help him get past this hurdle.

Huntsman's explanation to voters is straightforward enough: At a time of great moment for the United States in global affairs, he answered the call from his commander in chief to represent his country in one of the most strategically important foreign capitals in the world.

John Weaver, Huntsman's chief strategist, says the campaign hasn't even bothered to poll on the issue or set up focus groups to try to craft a response. What's the point, Weaver says with a shrug: It's not as if the record can be changed. "You can't focus-group reality," Weaver said. "His record is his record."

As if on cue, here comes voter Marilyn Sober, who approached Huntsman at a get-together in a living room in Keene and thanked him for his service to the nation.

"We need to serve our commander in chief," she explained later. "We are here to serve our country." Sober, the mother of sons in the military, describes herself as a committed, conservative Republican and although she said she couldn't make up her mind about Huntsman based on one handshake, she admired his ability to act less political. "Frankly," she said, "I'm tired of politics."

Dante Scala, a professor of politics at the University of New Hampshire, explained that such independence is a common trait among Granite State voters.

"Here, in particular, I suspect there is a big number of people who voted for Bush in 2004 and moved over and voted for Obama precisely because of the direction of the party," he said in an interview. "And while they may regret their vote somewhat in 2008, they're looking at the current crop of candidates and saying, ‘Well, I'm still concerned about the direction of the party. And if it comes down to Obama, who wasn't what I expected, and someone far to the right, then I'm stuck without any good choices.' For that type of voter, whom I think you'll see more of here than elsewhere, I think people would be willing to say, ‘I can give him a pass on that whole ambassador thing.' "

"If he comes across as more authentic, and that he's sticking to these core principles, that's going to play well here in New Hampshire," Scala added. "It worked for John McCain, and he won here twice."

Sure enough, Huntsman has been plowing right into that during this five-day swing here, where he has chosen to roll out his stump speech. He served his president, he says when asked.

Rather than flee from the Obama connection by focusing solely on his governorship in that stump speech, he's embracing the ambassadorship as a key component of his record. His speech uses what he gleaned from his time in China as the context for his message: That the Chinese are practically giddy by how economically competitive they have become, and the United States should transform itself and fire up its competitive streak.

In Keene, he said, "Let me just give you a sense of what you see sitting 10,000 miles away. . . . China: Top of the game, everybody's feeling pretty good about life and pretty good about their future. Inexorable growth rates that go on forever -- 8, 9, 10 percent. I mean, they can do no wrong."

Pointing out that China holds $900 billion of America's debt plus other investments, Huntsman noted, "They are giddy with pride. And then you take a look and reflect on our mood here in this country. We feel that our hope has been dashed. We feel a little dispirited.

"Yet for every reason, we have to be seeing our future a little bit differently, because we still happen to be the envy of the world.