I have watched Duncan on film and live. He has a command of the facts and the issues that he is strongest in. But he plays too few of them. Watching his debates and such it is China and Immigration almost all the time, with little Iraq tossed in. Important issues yes indeed. But this is not a congressional run, and he sounds like he is running in his district not nation wide. The guys in the big show have to play to a much larger audience than the core of staunch Conservatives. There are fiscal conservatives, social conservatives and the like, plus those in the middle we have to woo. Also there are dozens of issues that concern them.
If the election was just Free Republic or for conservative of the year, Duncan could score that in a heartbeat, but we are too few in number to make that translate into a national win. We have to win over the middle, and they do not want to be preached to, they want to be sold. Duncan is a great conservative preacher, but his sales skills need refining.
Another thing, while I know he has put out statements on his web site and such on a number of issues, he has to actually play on all those issues publicly as much as possible.
Also I have said often that this is a political game and after 27 years in the house Duncan has not really stood out. It is past the time that most politicians who end up as national players have broken out. I am told it is because he "does not bow down" or "does not play politics". Well guess what, the game the left and the middle have brought us is politics, so to win it we have to be in it. Otherwise we are just those whiny folks over on the fringe arguing with the wind.
As far as evidence, it is all simple observation. Where has he been the past 27 years, why has he not gained more notoriety and where is he in the polls after a year of being in the race. Blame the press or whatever, but a politician is responsible for his own destiny as much as anyone. To try and pass it off as some conspiracy or the like does him and his efforts a disservice, because it grants a scapegoat, not a solution, which in the end is what you are after, getting it fixed and moving up to victory.
We have to win over the middle, and they do not want to be preached to, they want to be sold. Duncan is a great conservative preacher, but his sales skills need refining.
***Thanks for the elaboration, I appreciate it. I think Hunter CAN win over the middle with his immigration and anti-fleecetrading policies, which are hot button items across the board with middle class republicans and democrats. It doesn’t even need to be a hard sell, he just needs the exposure.
Another thing, while I know he has put out statements on his web site and such on a number of issues, he has to actually play on all those issues publicly as much as possible.
***He is. It’s just a lot slower than all of us would have preferred. Thompson’s entry into the race took the wind out of his sails. Thompson’s tanking should put the wind right back in.
Also I have said often that this is a political game and after 27 years in the house Duncan has not really stood out.
***I don’t buy it. I have seen no evidence one way or the other that this is important to mainstream America. I never heard of Dan Quayle before he was chosen as VP. The PROCESS itself generates name recognition. That’s one reason why character is more important than name recognition.
It is past the time that most politicians who end up as national players have broken out. I am told it is because he “does not bow down” or “does not play politics”.
***I am not told that. So we need to find an objective middle ground where what you say is supported and factually accepted by guys like me. I do not know how to do it.
Well guess what, the game the left and the middle have brought us is politics, so to win it we have to be in it. Otherwise we are just those whiny folks over on the fringe arguing with the wind.
***This paragraph doesn’t make sense.
As far as evidence, it is all simple observation. Where has he been the past 27 years, why has he not gained more notoriety and where is he in the polls after a year of being in the race.
***He was doing just fine until Thompson showed up. Thompson had his chance and he squandered it. If Thompson had not entered the race, Hunter would be in the top tier right now.
Blame the press or whatever, but a politician is responsible for his own destiny as much as anyone.
***It is so much like the aRINOld/McClintock discourse that I would hope some freepers would take notice. McClintock was doing just fine until aRINOld showed up with his obviously superior name recognition. I can’t say I like how that went, but that’s the way politics works. We, however, are supposed to be conservatives posting on a conservative website (NOT a GOP website) and we should have all learned the lesson. Many have not. Thompson had his day in the sun and the numbers are in — he has squandered his lead. Let’s learn what we should have learned and get behind Hunter for the good of our party.
To try and pass it off as some conspiracy or the like does him and his efforts a disservice, because it grants a scapegoat, not a solution, which in the end is what you are after, getting it fixed and moving up to victory.
***When I see the conspiracy theories I’m reminded of how frustrated we all felt in 1997 and 1998 when I first joined FR. There were a lot of Conspiracy Theories in those days. They were scary, kooky, fun and I didn’t take most of them seriously. I think Conspiracy Theories are the smoke that rises from the fire of frustration. We saw a lot of funny ones from DUmmy Funnies because the DUers were frustrated. It is a simple sign of frustration.