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.
“..Hunter is polling no more than 3 percent outside California..”
Bill Clinton was only 2% in Oct.
Swooning over celebrities is now in vogue. I guess GOPers are part of the Paris Hilton generation too.
Not only the GOP, but hypocritical conservatives who would rather sit around and wait for Fred or Romney because they were "well-known" or electable. I have always liked Hunter and have donated to his campaign even. On the other hand Hunter did hurt himself by relying on traditional media instead of doing what Paul and Thompson have done.
That's very sad and discouraging to hear, that you don't respect someone who put their life on the line (the ONLY presidential candidate to do so) for our country and has been a warrior in Congress.
Today I was happy to hear a woman call Hannity’s show and complain that Duncan Hunter didn’t get enough time in the debate on Sunday.
Hannity said that he had Hunter on his radio and tv shows (which Sean did & I wish Rush would).
But the woman said, in so many words, that what she was talking about was the debates. If Hunter had equal time in the debates, his poll numbers could get higher, this nice woman said.
Any good talkers out there, please call a talk show for Hunter.
I’m a nervous wreck when I call, but I called a couple of shows so far.
That’s great, Sun. You are braver than I am, and much more clever, I am sure.
Unfortunately the people with the big bucks have all the power. Because they want to insure their own elite positions at the expense of the conservatives, it looks as though the American people no longer have a free and fair country.
You must read VoteScam, the Stealing of America by the Colliers. The RNC is in charge of all Republican polls, and polls are as manipulated as are election votes. Corruption thrives! Look at all the people on FR who buy into it.
God bless the woman who complained about the debate inequality. And God bless you, Sun. Keep it up the good work. I can write but I’m not good at talking. :(
...With the GOP pushing RINO’s...
^^^
The GOP is pushing RINOs because Hunter’s positions on China and on the illegal invasion threaten big money contributors who want to keep the cheap China labor and the cheap illegals’ labor.
The powers that be don’t want us to vote for a real conservative. That’s how CA got Arnie.
^^^
So true.
The fact that there are many “conservatives” that do not want Hunter’s ascendancy tells me there are many fake conservatives.
^^
You are so right, my FRiend, and they are piling on here big time to dis DH. Perhaps they are some of Hitlery’s people, like the bloggers who get paid by her.
It’s pretty sad, isn’t it, that you have to work so hard to find something on Hunter? Say hi to Hillary for us.
Fred should get behind Hunter. As should all conservatives
I think what you basically had was a defacto understanding that the Bank of Congress would give free overdraft protection to its members. Congressman like Duncan Hunter took advantage of this and viewed as a perk - much the mail franking privileges that they also get. I think you make a good argument that people should have seen this practice as unethical - however, it was not illegal and it appears to have been widely accepted by the bank and other Congressman at the time. I am dissapointed that Congressman Hunter didn’t hold himself to a higher standard but at least he did eventually act to make things right and he has had an otherwise completely ethical career. So, at the end of the day I am willing to cut him some slack for this though it is a dissapointment.
Nah, that’s the kind of thing they accuse me of for not supporting Fred. They are just happy moderates, and do not see the need for a turn away from the mushy middle.
Let's put aside the sleezy way your insinuating this 'scandal' happened. Do you think being one of the over 300 congressmen who got caught up in a LONG standing house practice should disqualify a good man for running for president? How 'bout VP?
" Accused in 1992 House banking scandal In 1992, Cheney was named along with a number of representatives in the House banking scandal. He acknowledged overdrawing his account 21 times, but in a military-style briefing featuring blowups of canceled checks, Cheney showed the amounts ranged from $12 to $1,945."
http://www.ontheissues.org/2004/Dick_Cheney_Government_Reform.htm
Do you know what Duncan Hunter did when this came down? He announced he would be in his home district and asked people to show up. He got a card table and laid out all the checks and the records for his constituents to see and proved that all you have suggested never happened.
Newt Gingrich was caught up in this too. Know how he handled it? He tried to pass a resolution for no one to find out about him and some others by setting a very high total amount of checks for disclosure.
See post 235
My lobbying paid off?? ROFL
“better yet, a Ranger!”
Ranger it IS!
“I can write”
You sure can, judging by your posts and editor’s letter.
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