Posted on 10/23/2007 7:48:38 AM PDT by pissant
WASHINGTON ---- He doesn't draw throngs like Barack Obama or Rudy Giuliani, but U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter has admirers in his longshot bid for the presidency.
The El Cajon lawmaker, who hasn't been able to move his campaign from the bottom tier of GOP candidates, met one of those fans in his Capitol Hill office recently.
"I really admire you and I'm glad you're running," Joe Sangiorgio, a George Washington University political science student and congressional intern, said while getting his picture taken with his choice for president. "I plan to vote for you, and I would give your campaign $50 million if I could."
Sangiorgio must not be paying much attention to the polls or standings in the race for campaign cash: Hunter is polling no more than 3 percent outside California and has raised a relative pauper's sum of less than $2 million.
Despite those numbers, the congressman told the North County Times earlier this month that he has no thoughts of dropping out.
Hunter also reflected on his record in Congress during the last 26 years, saying he is proud of his efforts on behalf of the military and defense industries, and that he believes large numbers of U.S. troops would leave Iraq next year.
Tough odds
Hunter's odds of getting elected president are pegged at 200-1 in Las Vegas, and his chances of raising anywhere near $50 million that Sangiorgio wished for, or suddenly winning favor among a large portion of the electorate, are seen by most observers as slim and none.
Despite that, the affable Hunter has nothing to lose by staying in the race, said Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College who specializes in national politics.
"There's really no reason for him to withdraw yet," Pitney said last week. "He gets to take part in national debates standing next to the party's eventual nominee. This could be his last chance for national television exposure, so why give it up?
"He's retiring from Congress, where his party is now in the minority, so staying in and taking part in the primaries is all gain and no pain."
The low numbers Hunter has been getting don't appear to bother the folksy politician, whose 52nd Congressional District includes parts of Poway and Ramona. The former chairman and now-ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee claimed he's had no thoughts of abandoning the effort and suggested surprise at even being asked the question.
"I'm not afraid of an election," he said. "To get out before the first numbers come in doesn't make any sense."
In debates, Hunter speaks forcefully about his desire to protect American jobs, and the needs to improve border security and maintain a strong military.
As the major candidates raise many millions to pay for media buys and dozens of political operatives, Hunter's Oct. 15 campaign finance report shows he has raised a paltry $1.7 million with only $132,741 in available cash. That compares with another bottom-tier candidate, U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, who dropped out of the race Friday despite having raised more than twice as much as Hunter.
"We don't have a bunch of consultants that we have to pay," Hunter said as he munched on a turkey sandwich during a break in a series of votes taking place on the House floor. "We run a highly efficient operation."
'Great effect'
Rather than spend his campaign cash on media buys and staff, Hunter gets his message out through the "free media" at presidential debates and as a frequent guest on conservative radio and television. He travels to campaign events by commercial airliner, often relying on volunteers or a single paid staffer to shuttle him around once he's on the ground.
And despite only winning a couple of straw polls, the hawkish conservative will look you straight in the eye and say he is in to win.
"The real contest doesn't start until the January primaries, and I intend to do well in those elections," he said during a conversation in his congressional office, a large room adorned with numerous mementos and pictures of Hunter and his supporters during his time in office.
Hunter said he believes he has influenced the debate, pointing to his criticism of U.S. trade policy with China, which he says gives the Asian giant an unfair advantage over American manufacturers. He also claims to be the first to call for pre-emptive military action against Iran if it's shown that country is near production of an atomic weapon.
The leading GOP candidates have followed suit on Iran, building a fence along the majority of the border with Mexico and improving the trade and economic climate for U.S. manufacturers to preserve American jobs, he said.
"I think we're having a great effect. I'm out there every day trying to do the best I can to communicate my ideas and see if we can't draw a crowd."
But the crowds haven't responded in the way he had hoped. Nonetheless, he said plans to stay around after the first round of primaries and caucuses.
How long after that?
"If you get to the point where you're not getting any numbers at all and can't possibly recover, you don't stay in just for symbolic reasons," he said.
Congressional career
As he wraps up the penultimate year of his congressional career, Hunter said he will always be proud of his relationship with the military.
"The Armed Services Committee is one where you can really get things done," said the Vietnam War veteran, who was the panel's chairman until this year. "I was able to help rebuild the military during the Reagan era and work through the start of the missile defense system and the Contra wars."
In recent months, he has helped speed the development of new mine-resistant armored personnel carriers and increase funding and attention on efforts to defeat roadside bombs.
"We're in a new era of terrorists with technology and we've got to be able to respond. You take the best positions you can and try every day to do something good for this country.
"It's a long war, and there's not going to be any surrender ceremony like we saw on deck of the battleship USS Missouri at the end of World War II."
Despite some accusations of ties to men convicted or charged in the scandal of his friend and former U.S. Rep. Randy Cunningham, that relationship has not dogged Hunter on the campaign trail. Beyond a defense attorney's failed effort to subpoena him and other lawmakers, Hunter's name has not surfaced in any of the investigations linked to the now-imprisoned Cunningham.
When Hunter leaves Congress, his replacement could be his son, Duncan Duane Hunter, a U.S. Marine now serving in Afghanistan. The younger Hunter will face at least two other GOP challengers during the primary in his bid to keep a Hunter hold on the 52nd District and the family philosophy a part of California's congressional delegation.
Iraq and beyond
Somewhat surprisingly, Hunter is opposed to seeing the Marine Corps leave Iraq and assume major combat responsibility in Afghanistan, which Marine Commandant Gen. James Conway is advocating.
Hunter said he would rather see the 25,000 Marines come home from Iraq, as that country's fledgling army assumes responsibility for security with quick reaction forces called in if needed.
"Al-Qaida has been defeated on the battlefield in Anbar because of the hard work of the Marines," he said. "I would like to see the Marines rotate out of Iraq, and Afghanistan should be a place where our NATO allies really start participating in a more robust manner."
He predicted that the number of U.S. troops in Iraq next year will be far lower than the current 160,000. Putting greater pressure on the Iraqis to provide their own security could lead to substantial withdrawal of U.S. troops in the coming months, he said.
"The Iraq army can take over a lot faster than many people think," he said.
Just rubbernecking I suppose. And if pissant and the other DH Kool-Aid JonesTowners weren't responsible for 99.99% of all of the FDT hit pieces that are posted on FR then I wouldn't feel a need to refute anything about DH's alleged ability to walk on water. DH would be immune to scrutiny due to obscurity. But pissant and Co. have their knickers in a knot over Fred. So I would say if you want to be pro-Duncan Hunter, great go for it, but expect a reaction when you start bashing other conservative candidates in the forum.
Rubbernecking and tapdancing. Ben Hooks fan?
Ok, I'll try this one more time. I was replying that Fred's views on China doesn't help or hurt Duncan Hunters chance of winning the primary.
Thats the question I was being asked repeatedly, and I'm trying to be crystal clear.
My answer was that it doesn't make even a tiny bit of difference to DH's chance of winning the primary. He will or he won't, and my opinion is that he hasn't gained enough traction to break into the 1st tier of candidates.
Sell all your worldly possessions and donate right now. Think about selling a kidney even. You could single handedly double Hunter's campaign funds.
Let me put it in the simplest terms I can possibly muster...
Hunter will go nowhere because
1. He has NO money.
2. He has NO name recognition, partially because of #1, but not solely.
3. He's not a great speaker, doesn't evoke a great deal of emotion, is physically stiff
4. He's staunchly conservative - on every issue... After getting shellacked 55-45 last election, what makes ANYONE think the country's ready to go extreme right, just 2 years later
5. Has absolutely nothing that will appeal to moderate dems or many indies...
6. Will be painted as an extremist to the nth degree. He'll need, in my estimate, over $300 million just to even compete if he were to win the primary. The media will destroy him.
7. He hasn't polled above 2% in any single poll-of GOPers! He's usually below 1%...
Argue any of these points if you'd like, but collectively, they paint a clear picture, in my book... His candidacy is going nowhere - fast... and I really do like the guy.
Huh??? Who’s Ben Hooks??? You must get that question asked a lot of you but with a different name.
So I would say if you want to be pro-Duncan Hunter, great go for it, but expect a reaction when you start bashing other conservative candidates in the forum.
***That’s what I’ve been doing, supporting DH and keeping relatively quiet about Fred. You won’t find me on the FredHead threads except where they intercepted with Dobson because I’m a Dobson fan. If you think what Pissant is posting is heat, wait until you’re in the hildebeast kitchen.
Yes. It is a bright sunny day outside, but it is a very dark day for America.
We’ve seen numerous stories about Chinese weapons finding their way into Iraq and Afghanistan by way of Iran but no one in the top tier has the manhood to make so much as a peep over it. That tells me that they’re more concerned about their big money campaign donors than the guys on the ground over there. Not exactly presidential in my opinion.
Duncan Hunter on the other hand has proven himself to be a good American all his life. He dropped out of college and volunteered to fight in Vietnam. When he went he didn’t take photographers with him in hopes that he would be able to use them in a future run for elected office. His time on the armed services committee has proven that he truly cares for the troops and the fact that his son is serving only makes it personal to him.
The democrats would be completely disarmed if they were forced to face Hunter in a presidential election. Unlike the current crop of RINOs, Hunter won’t be following the democrats ever leftward hoping to pick up crumbs of support. Hunter will be digging his heels in and acting as an anchor on the right.
Thanks.
see post 102
Not very astute freepers in that they've had years now to review Senator Inhofe's June 23, 1999 Senate Floor chinagate speech.
Google: Clinton National Security Scandal and Coverup
Then leave us alone. Quit wasting your time. This is a Socon forum, not a GOP forum, so stop harrassing a socon candidacy. Go take down tootyfruity rudy and his cousin, Hildebeast. If Hunter’s candidacy is truly going nowhere, we socons will wander into someone else’s conservative camp eventually.
In fact, we must wonder if these select few have even bothered to review alamo-girl.com.
www.alamo-girl.com
downside legacy bump
AG is one of my favorite freepers.
Read it again pal, and don't put words in my mouth.
I still don’t get it, rubbernecking is a term used to describe someone who slows down on the freeway to look at a mangled wreck and slows down traffic for miles, what does that have to do with Ben Hooks????
Thompson/Hunter
Hunter/ Thompson
What everyone throwing in the towel on Hunter at this stage is overlooking is that polls and news stories all over the place indicate that most GOP voters aren’t thrilled with the top tier choices. That, combined with the potential of a significant numbers shift once Tancredo and Huckabee withdraw make Hunter still mathematically viable, especially given the amount of time before the election. As the field narrows, it becomes more and more difficult for the mainstream press to ignore any given candidate, especially one who makes such a positive impression when he gets exposure. If the supporters of Tommy Thompson, Brownback, Huckabee, Gilmore and Tancredo should rally behind Hunter on ideological grounds, we won’t be talking about “bottom tier” any more. I know a number of them have migrated to Fred, but I think in most cases they’d prefer Hunter from the standpoint of experience and issues.
Remember the Dem who in the Spring of ‘92 was labeled a “political corpse” by the pundits? He spent eight years in the White House.
An uphill battle? Sure. Long odds? Clearly. But an impossibility? Hardly.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.