It just dawned on me, why Hunter endorsed Huckabee:
Hunter doesn’t WANT to be a counterculture hero.
Hunter’s motivated by one thing, and one thing only: what is best for America.
He reads FR, and sees what his cult of personality has become since he left the race, and decided the only way to prevent his own name, from being the rallying cry which brings Hillary to office - is to endorse someone completely unlike himself.
That seems like a logical explanation.
Especially from someone like Duncan Hunter.
Presidential candidates don't do this. You are reading way to far into his motivation. It seems to be payback. It won't help.
Your circular logic is almost too clever.
If Hunter had been polling better, then perhaps he would not want his “name” to be a rallying cry when he dropped out.
But in reality, he only had 2-3% support consistently, whether in lib Northeastern states or heavily conservative Western states.
I know many on FR don’t want to believe it, but there are other factors which enter a person’s mind when choosing a candidate, other than “Is he the MOST conservative?”
Republicans ALSO want an affable, likable candidate — one they can relate to.
One they think understands their personal situation, even though that’s impossible.
Duncan would make a GREAT Sec.Defense .... but he was a lousy Presidential candidate.