Former New Hamp. Senator Bob Smith announcing his endorsement of Duncan Hunter

DH Grass Revolt ^ | 12/21/07 | Bob Smith

[pissant]

Dear New Hampshire Friends:

After spending several weeks listening to all of the candidates, I have decided to support Congressman Duncan Hunter for President. I do not take this decision lightly. There are a lot of fine men running for this office and I know that many of you may have already made your choice.Your vote in the “First in the Nation Primary” is a very precious and personal right. Your decision will likely determine who will be the next leader of the free world. What an awesome responsibility! I only ask that you give serious consideration to the points that I make in this letter of endorsement for Congressman Hunter before you vote.

The Republican Party, but more importantly our nation, needs strong conservative and inspirational leadership as we continue to face the threats to our liberty in the form of immorality, corruption, terrorism, a mountain of debt, border insecurity, loss of jobs and attempts to weaken our national defense. Here is why Duncan Hunter is that leader!

I am sure that you are aware that I fought the battle for the conservative cause in New Hampshire for over 20 years. It was not an easy battle.Conservatives pay a heavy price for standing up for their principles. I can speak from personal experience on that. The Republican Party has lost it’s majority in Congress because it slowly and steadily has walked away from the “core values” that have made it a great party for the past 150 years in America. Remember Ronald Reagan? Liberals and moderates worked hard to defeat him in the New Hampshire primary in 1980 but he prevailed in spite of them! He will be remembered as one of our greatest Presidents because he stood on principle. but also because we conservatives in New Hampshire gave him the victory that propelled him to the White House! When President Reagan came into the oval office in the morning, he knew exactly where he wanted to take the country. He did not need an inbox full of directions, consultants, polls or focus groups to tell him what his core values were.

There will never be another Ronald Reagan but fellow Californian Duncan Hunter can pick up the Reagan torch and light the way for America to come back from the dangers we now face. Congressman Hunter is a moral man, an inspirational leader and a no nonsense conservative who will always put “principle above politics” in the image of the late great New Hampshire patriot Meldrim Thomson.

I had the enormous privilege to serve with Congressman Hunter for 18 years in Congress. He has been my personal friend for nearly 25 years. I can personally attest that he is a man of impeccable moral and family values, a great patriot and a leader.I have seen him fight even when others were prepared to give up. Congressman Hunter inspired me and many other young conseratives in the 1980s to continue the fight even when it was bleak.

This has not been an easy campaign for Congressman Hunter. While he has been out on the campaign trail his son has been serving in Iraq and the Hunters lost their entire home in the recent fires in Southern California. He has been largely ignored by the pollsters and the media. I urge the people of New Hampshire to send a message to the pollsters and the Washington media elite. The people elect a President not the pollsters! You have the opportunity to do for the nation what you did when you elected President Reagan in 1980 by sending Duncan Hunter out of New Hampshire with a big win and on to the White House in January of 2009! Can you imagine listening to CNN and all of the talking heads trying to explain how they were wrong as Hunter claimed victory? Wouldn’t that be worth the price of admission? You can make it happen with your vote in January! Do not be intimidated by these spinmasters. You control the destiny of America and not them!

The American people need to take control of this country. We are a republic, not a democracy. We elect leaders to stand up for us as they make decisions. Duncan Hunter has proven that he can lead. He has been tested. If given the chance as President, he will inspire people, young and old, to rally to our nation in this time of need. Congressman Duncan Hunter for 25 years has stood up for the rights of the unborn, to balance the budget, to cut the pork out of the spending bills, to strengthen our national defense by supporting our troops and providing them the weapons they need, to seal off our borders by building a fence along the US/Mexican border and to keep American jobs in America. He is a known entity. You do not have to guess about what he might do on these critical threats to our security.

Imagine President Duncan Hunter leading our nation and using the “bully pulpit” to lead on these issues! I am proud to support this great American patriot for President. If you really want to see change, then I urge you to vote for him. He is what American needs now more than ever ! Thank you!

Senator Bob Smith Tuftonboro, N.H. and Sarasota, Florida

[pissant]

Excellent endorsement for the NH primary.

[pissant]

DH Ping

[wastedpotential]

I agree with Hunter on the issues, but he is not going to win the nomination. My guess is that he will drop out after New Hampshire or Iowa and endorse Fred Thompson.

[jmaroneps37]

Bob who?

[lesser_satan]

Nice endorsement! Smith, unlike Tancredo, knows the score.

[OKSooner]

"There are a lot of fine men running for this office..."

There's got to be a good reason he couldn't make a gender-neutral statement to the same effect - wonder what it might be?

[Mr. Mojo]

Bob Smith was the most conservative Senator during his time in office.

[Bluegrass Conservative]

Not really . . .

2002 Republican Senate Election Primary:

John Sununu - 53%

Bob Smith (incumbent) - 48%

Kenneth Stremsky - 2%

[AuntB]

Do I see a trend here?

Romney N.E.

Hillary N.E./South

Clinton South

Carter South

Paul South

Rudy N.E.

Bush 1 N.E./South

Bush 2 N.E./South

Obama N.E.

Thompson South

Huckabee South

How come all our presidents and top tier candidates are from the South or the North East? Who decided that? We out here in fly over country are getting tired of politicians from the South and N.E. deciding what happens in our homes. Most of them have never been here. Maybe that’s why Reagan ‘got it’. We’ve had a long stretch of no representation. I want my turn.

Reagan California West.............Why don’t we try that again?

DUNCAN HUNTER 2008!!!! IT’S ABOUT TIME!

[Lexinom]

Thank you very much, Mr. Ant! ;-)

Great news!

[JohnnyZ]

The Left Coast is flyover country?!?

[ElPatriota]

No question that as time passes, his seriousness on issues and the quality of his character makes him the only conservative choice!

:)

[cinives]

If I’m not on the ping list please add me to it. Thanks.

[mkjessup]

This is a great endorsement, it will be interesting to see how much airplay it gets in the media.

My guess? 15 seconds tops, squeezed in between commercials, celebrity ‘news’ about who-got-knocked-up-today, and how bad it is to travel over the holidays.

But the Hunter Campaign will take this endorsement, and keep slogging through the trenches.

Duncan Hunter has never quit, and I don’t believe he will now.

[cinives]

western Cali :_)

[NormsRevenge]

Good news, Thanks!

[Velveeta]

Congressman Hunter is a moral man, an inspirational leader and a no nonsense conservative who will always put “principle above politics”

I mean...really...is there any other candidate who fits that bill?

I WILL be voting for Duncan Hunter.

[AmericaUnited]

Duncan Hunter is a very good man. But he has zero chance of getting the nomination. The best thing that could happen is if the nominee selects him for a substantial cabinet position.

[WildcatClan]

Bob Smith is a good guy and this a good endorsement for Duncan. I hope Smith is still able to draw some NH media.

I sometimes think Americans don’t vote anymore. It is less a vote for the candidate you think is best for our country, but more a guess, cast as a vote on who the voter thinks will win.

[AKA Elena]

May I repeat this: Excellent endorsement for the NH primary.

Those who can't remember Senator Bob Smith may be neo-cons or very young or short on memory!

A strong and HONORABLE endorsement indeed.

Too bad that we do not choose, but allow some "powers" to make our choices for us!

I cannot get around the fact that Fred Thompson had some kind of cancer that is "in remission".

Duncan Hunter is strong, principled against any adversity, a total patriot, healthy, a leader among his peers for so many years in Congress --- and an utter conservative.