Matt Rourke / AP

Republican presidential candidate, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman looks on as students explore new iPads leased from iSchool during an event at Strong Foundations Charter School, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012, in Pembroke, N.H.

Matt Rourke / AP

Student Bryanna Valley holds on to an iPad autographed by Republican presidential candidate, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman during an event at Strong Foundations Charter School, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012, in Pembroke, N.H.

While the other Republican presidential candidates have chosen to focus their energies on the Iowa caucuses, Jon Huntsman chose to skip them to instead focus on New Hampshire.

AP reports:

After drawing about 150 people to his first stop [in New Hampshire], Huntsman told reporters Iowa plays an important role in narrowing the field, and said Rick Santorum's recent rise there shows that traditional grassroots campaigning is still important.

But it will be New Hampshire that "will set the standard going forward," he said.

"Electability isn't going to come out of Iowa, electability is going to come out of New Hampshire," Huntsman said later in Franklin.

Huntsman says the results of the Iowa caucuses will be forgotten within days, but that could be wishful thinking on his part — especially if former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney wins in Iowa and then heads to New Hampshire, where he has long been the front-runner. Read the full story.

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