Posted on 01/24/2007 8:57:53 AM PST by Antoninus
California Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter will formally announce his candidacy for president Thursday — less than two weeks after he took the first official step by filing paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to establish a presidential campaign “exploratory” committee.
According to a statement released Tuesday, Hunter will make his announcement at the Marriott Renaissance Park hotel in the South Carolina city of Spartanburg — located in the state’s overwhelmingly Republican northwestern region. The breakfast event is titled “America: The Strength of Freedom,” which also is Hunter’s campaign slogan.
“I will speak about a new American sunrise of opportunity, faith and freedom for the citizens of our great nation,” said Hunter.
The choice of South Carolina as the venue symbolizes the strategy Hunter is using, as he seeks to extend beyond his very limited political base in the San Diego-area 52nd Congressional District and overcome a big deficit in national name identification.
The 58-year-old Hunter, a 14-term incumbent who chaired the Armed Services Committee prior to the Democrats’ House takeover and now is its ranking member, is campaigning both on his hawkish views on defense issues and his equally staunch conservatism on financial and social issues.
In order to gain any traction in the presidential race, he must quickly make an impression on voters in places such as strongly conservative-leaning South Carolina, which in recent years has emerged as a Republican Party stronghold.
South Carolina has several military bases, so Hunter may at least get a hearing from voters there because of his background on national security issues. He is one of the staunchest defenders of the Bush administration’s policies in the Iraq war.
Hunter, who has served on the Armed Services Committee since he was elected to Congress in 1980, has a personal background of military service as a member of the Army from 1969 to 1971. He received a Bronze Star for participating in 25 helicopter combat assaults during the war in Vietnam.
In his release, Hunter touted his experience as well as his political leanings, stating that he is “considered by many to be the most conservative Republican in the presidential race.”
Along with his defense posture, Hunter is a fervent opponent of illegal immigration, and reaffirmed his socially conservative platform Monday on the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion.
Hunter, according to the Associated Press, told participants of the March for Life anti-abortion rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.: “If we have a judicial applicant, a judicial nominee who can look at a sonogram of an unborn child and not see the value of human life ... if I should become president of the United States, he will not receive a judicial appointment.”
Hunter, though, faces strong competition for the conservative vote from the only other Republican officeholder who is an official presidential candidate: Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, who received a 100 percent score from The American Conservative Union in 2005. The other official candidate, attorney John Cox of Illinois, is emphasizing his own socially conservative stances.
Among others who have set up presidential exploratory committees or are considering bids, there are social conservatives — such as Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo and former Virginia Gov. James S. Gilmore III — who would be directing appeals to that wing of the Republican electorate.
Hunter enters relatively unknown outside defense-related circles. Having never run for office on a larger stage than his congressional district, he will likely find fundraising a significant challenge.
That certainly will not be the case for prospective front-running candidates such as Arizona Sen. John McCain and former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, nationally known figures who have formed exploratory committees and currently lead the GOP field in national polls.
Last week, though, Hunter took a swipe at McCain by releasing a straw poll taken in Arizona’s Maricopa County (Phoenix), in which Hunter finished first and the homestate senator ran fourth. Though Republicans in the state’s most populous county called the results surprising, McCain’s maverick tendencies have angered members of his party in the past.
"Saw it on another thread and thought it was very amusing."
I believe the poster who came up with that ditty, is a OBL Globalist. Where might you stand on the issue of illegal immigration?
I saw Hunter on Larry King last night, he is grey around the edges.
>>>"It's the economy, stupid."
That phrase was Clinton's during his 1992 presidential campaign against George H.W. Bush coined by Democratic Party strategist James Carville.
Now, I know to some here my observation might be a bit superficial.
Yes, in the context I do think your observation is a bit superficial but I believe your suggestion that he allow himself to gray a bit is valid. I personally have more respect for men(and women for that matter) who aren't afraid to be gray. Fake hair color makes me wonder what else they are covering up.
Yes, I know.
>>>>First, if you're going to tell the world who he is supporting, you should at least ping him.
To: proudpapa; Registered <<<<<< he was pinged.
Junk like: Have you notice Hunter looks like Delay!????
In Registered's defense, he's a long-time Freeper with a pedigree (If I may use that word??). Lots of FReepers (most too smart by half) have gotten on the Rudy McRomney bandwagon because they've bought into the fear factor--that the only way to defeat Hillary is to run a "moderate" Republican.
Many of them are slowly coming to the realization that this attitude is not only wrong, but likely to result in an electoral disaster for the GOP.
I put Registered in that camp. He's a smart guy. I think he'll come around before too long.
118 posted on 01/24/2007 2:27:29 PM EST by Antoninus
milquetoast RINO as the Republican nominee means Rudy is an ass kicker....and
Duncan Hines Hunter has as much chance of being the next POTUS as Custers Bugler.
Let me now when he reaches 2% in the polls..LOL
Better hit the road now and join a third party.
Before you are so quick to say you do not need those social conservatives and evanglicals, after all we standing the way of progress (sarcsm off). Remember how close the votes have ben in the last presidential election in critical swing states. Someting about Fl in 2000 and less then 100 votes.
100 = 1000
Well good....It appears Hunter as heeded my visual wisdom.
bump!
I see I missed the ping and Antonius corrected me already. I don't have my reading glasses on.
"I think you need to step away from the keyboard"
HMMM, everytime I think of Guiliani's face, it's in drag and he's taking away my guns. Is that the best ya'll can come up with? DeLay look-a-like?
I think we made a catastrophic mistake in not criminalizing hiring illegal aliens as a felony. Had we done that 20 years ago people would have been terrified of hiring illegals and they wouldn't. ( No one is gonna risk going to prison for a cheap lawn care or busboys). If employment opportunites ended for illegals they would quit coming.
But we didn't...Now illegal immigrants have become the fulcrum of US Politics. America will become a third world nation and the people who let it happen will be living in expensive gated communities with high security. The rest of us get to live in our formerly 350k homes now worth 150k because in the neighborhood there are five homes owned by hispanics with 30 people living in each one and eight cars on the front lawn while the song "Cielto Lindo" blasts out of the stereo at 3 am in the morning. Filea police complaint and your car tires are flat and acid is poured on the paint job by the end of the week.
Does this explain my position adequately?
Reality is it is too late....been too late for two decades now...
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