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Duncan Hunter's Long-Shot Conservative Bid
RealClearPolitics ^ | George Will

Posted on 02/14/2007 9:42:51 PM PST by Antoninus

WASHINGTON -- When Bob Hunter, a Riverside, Calif., businessman, would hear of a conservative's campaign that needed volunteers, he would pile his family into the station wagon and drive off to ring doorbells. Hunter's son Duncan grew up believing in retail politics.

When Hunter returned home after serving as an alternate Goldwater delegate at the 1964 Republican convention in San Francisco, he told Duncan about chatting with another alternate, an amiable fellow, some actor, named Reagan. Who two years later was elected governor. Duncan learned early on about rapid upward mobility in politics.

In 1969, he dropped out of college, joined the army and was sent to Vietnam. From there he mailed his pay to a friend who purchased for him an island in Idaho's Snake River, where Duncan farmed after his discharge. Then another friend said a San Diego law school would admit him without a college degree. In 1980 he was a lawyer with a storefront office in San Diego's Hispanic community when his father walked in and told him he could be a congressman. Never mind, his father said, that this district was only 29 percent Republican. Reagan was at the top of the ticket.

Duncan says his Baptist minister, respecting the separation of church and state, told parishioners they should vote for the Reagan of their choice. They distributed 400,000 Duncan brochures. Today Duncan is in his 14th term representing eastern San Diego County. Three weeks ago he formally launched his presidential candidacy.

Why does he think he can become the first House member elected president since James Garfield in 1880? Why does he think he can do better than the two strongest House candidates in recent elections?...

"For some candidates,'' Hunter says, "the conservative constituency is an inconvenience. For me, it is my hope.''

(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; badfortrade; duncanhunter; duncanwho; election; fringe; hunter; president; protectionist; unelectable
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To: johnthebaptistmoore

Candidly, I really don't think DH has any reason to look over his shoulder at any of those candidates. They all have too much baggage of some kind. Hunter's only real negative is his lack of exposure, and he's gaining ground on that every day. It's pretyy early in the cycle.


41 posted on 02/14/2007 11:20:07 PM PST by Kevmo (The first labor of Huntercles: Defeating the 3-headed RINO)
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To: hosepipe
"Duncan Hunter would make a good VeeP for Newt.. -OR- maybe NEWT would make a good VeeP for Hunter.. or even campaign operative.."

...agreed! Any real conservative nominee for '08 should have a backup with a nearly identical voting record.
42 posted on 02/14/2007 11:22:54 PM PST by familyop ("Nice girl, but about as sharp as a sack of wet mice." --Foghorn Leghorn)
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To: Antoninus

Respectfully, I have one question for Duncan Hunter.

"Will you support Rudy Giuliani if he is the party nominee?"


43 posted on 02/14/2007 11:23:49 PM PST by Gelato (... a liberal is a liberal is a liberal ...)
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To: Antoninus; Paleo Conservative; dennisw; ex-snook
It isn't hard to be the conservative. Rudy, Romney, and McCaine aren't. Gilmore may or may not be running anything. Newt keep evolving and has a baggage train a mile long. Ron Paul lives in an imaginary world without Islamists, and Tancredo has serious baggage regarding Nam.

I'm going to see Newt tonight, so I may come back a Newt fanatic. I used to intern for him before that word became dirty.

44 posted on 02/14/2007 11:39:17 PM PST by rmlew (It's WW4 and the Left wants to negotiate with Islamists who want to kill us , for their mutual ends)
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To: Antoninus

I'm starting to take notice!


45 posted on 02/15/2007 12:23:24 AM PST by wouldntbprudent (If you can: Contribute more (babies) to the next generation of God-fearing American Patriots!)
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To: Antoninus
Yes that's possible but there have to be massive grassroots movement to get the name "Duncan Hunter" or other like-minded Conservative out there so sheeple will know who he is.

Not everyone knows who Duncan is because they don't read FR.

46 posted on 02/15/2007 1:38:32 AM PST by MinorityRepublican (Everyone that doesn't like what America and President Bush has done for Iraq can all go to HELL)
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To: Antoninus
This might sound kind of a like hostile question, just letting you know up-front, but what is Hunter's stance on free trade/international commerce? Also; is he a states' rights advocate -- one who believes that most values &@cultural-based legislation should typically be formed at the lowest levels of government possible?

See, I grow quite concerned that Hunter is the isolationist and nationalist that others (sometime proudly) make him out to be. And this is off-putting to me.

47 posted on 02/15/2007 1:56:48 AM PST by LowCountryJoe (I'm a Paleo-liberal: I believe in freedom; am socially independent and a borderline fiscal anarchist)
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To: Kevmo
And,

"do not let the enemy choose the site of the next battle"

Gen. Patton
48 posted on 02/15/2007 2:47:06 AM PST by tiger-one (The night has a thousand eyes)
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To: NorCalRepub
...on the other hand, George Will wrote a column on Rudy the other day and said he was a conservative.....go figure

George Will gets his paychecks from the limousine liberal media establishment...

49 posted on 02/15/2007 3:01:35 AM PST by Sir Francis Dashwood (LET'S ROLL!)
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To: LowCountryJoe
Also; is he a states' rights advocate -- one who believes that most values &@cultural-based legislation should typically be formed at the lowest levels of government possible?

States vote to ratify Constitutional Amendments...

50 posted on 02/15/2007 3:03:29 AM PST by Sir Francis Dashwood (LET'S ROLL!)
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To: rmlew
Ron Paul lives in an imaginary world without Islamists, and Tancredo has serious baggage regarding Nam.


51 posted on 02/15/2007 3:05:50 AM PST by Sir Francis Dashwood (LET'S ROLL!)
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To: upsdriver
What happens because of the compressed primaries if a candidate is nominated and the base angrily rise up in protest?

I have to think that even the Stupid Party can figure this one out. A lot of conservatives were suspicious of W. But, we swallowed our spit and went for him. He, at least mouthed the right words.

52 posted on 02/15/2007 3:07:54 AM PST by don-o (Duncan Hunter for President. Inform yourself. You won't have to hold your nose!)
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To: Sir Francis Dashwood
OK, but I am not aware that PT Barnum had ever said that.
53 posted on 02/15/2007 3:16:50 AM PST by LowCountryJoe (I'm a Paleo-liberal: I believe in freedom; am socially independent and a borderline fiscal anarchist)
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To: Sir Francis Dashwood

What's Merry and Pippin got to do with it?


54 posted on 02/15/2007 3:17:29 AM PST by James Ewell Brown Stuart (I support the President and the war on terror!)
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To: LowCountryJoe
OK, but I am not aware that PT Barnum had ever said that.

"There is a sucker born every minute." (P.T. Barnum)

55 posted on 02/15/2007 3:50:47 AM PST by Sir Francis Dashwood (LET'S ROLL!)
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To: Antoninus
I agree with the assessment. Apparently you must be his campaign manager,because you more than anyone else is promoting his cause. I like his politics, but there is just something about him that I don't like. I just haven't been able to put my finger on it.

IMO.. I think there is a better conservative candidate out there, That person just hasn't shown up yet.

56 posted on 02/15/2007 3:53:36 AM PST by catfish1957 (Pelosi, Kennedy, Reid, Remember those names as you firmly hold on to your pocketbook and rights.)
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To: Antoninus; ReagansRaiders; Flora McDonald; P8riot; areafiftyone; PhiKapMom
Duncan Hunter Aims to Be the Conservative in the Race

Jim Gilmore's not gonna like this. He says he is the only "true conservative" in the race.

57 posted on 02/15/2007 4:03:52 AM PST by Corin Stormhands (http://www.virginiaisforrudy.com)
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To: Antoninus

Full steam ahead!

HUNTER BUMP!!


58 posted on 02/15/2007 4:25:57 AM PST by panaxanax (Ronald Reagan would vote for Duncan Hunter!)
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To: Antoninus

Enough of this you CAN'T. Substance will prove the naysayers wrong in Hunter's case. We are at a turning point in our country and with the GOP in what direction we are going in. If conservatives don't stand up for their principles now, we are going to be settling on these naysayers saying conservatism CAN'T win because the public wants liberalism. Hunter will run a great campaign and finally bring a great messenger that has been missing from the GOP for some time.


59 posted on 02/15/2007 4:40:28 AM PST by bushfamfan (DUNCAN HUNTER FOR PRES. 2008)
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To: SoCalPol

All We can do is keep hammmering home the point so the anti-Hunter crowd can't convince the uninformed We should closet our principles for yet another RINO. A Rudy McRomney candidate is like voting for *the man behind the curtain*....by the time We know who he really is....it will be too late.


60 posted on 02/15/2007 4:41:54 AM PST by wolfcreek (Please Lord, May I be, one who sees what's in front of me.)
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