[hoosierpearl]

It is my opinion that Duncan Hunter probably won’t win. He’s been in this race awhile and not enough is happening. I would really like to see him get some traction, some good things happen for him. Any conservative I would love to see do well.

The voters will decide this. I’m actually wanting BOTH Fred and Duncan to do well.

Surprise me, be fairminded. I’ve not done negative campaigning in any sort but you have. Duncan Hunter does not do this, he’s had the opportunity and has not done it. And that shows his opinion of what you are doing.

I like Duncan Hunter but not negative campaigning.

I’m thinking I will have the opportunity to vote for Fred in the primary, and my state is one of the last ones.

Fredheads have only started jumping in with your threads because you’ve been so negative about him, trying to give some balance.

My opinion about Duncan probably not winning is my opinion and should not apply to you. I really hope he surprises me.
I still like Fred better, still stand with Fred. He has character and integrity.

[pissant]

Now that is the kind of post that leads to good dialog. Thank you. I'll reply in kind.

When I saw that one of my all time favorite "hawks" was jumping into the race, I knew pretty quickly I would support him 100%. I also knew, and stated, that the odds were HEAVILY stacked against him, just as they are for the other 2nd tier guys struggling to get traction.

Without the press willing to cover his every speech, campaign stop, and proclamation like it was doing for the big three (Thompson makes it big 4 now), I, as a supporter and Hunter as a campaigner, needed to do more than just glad hand folks and appeal for money. He needed to and needs to spell out not only his qualifications, but to take the others to task for their past silliness.

Hence, in the 3rd debate, Hunter blistered Rudy McRomney and said they were from the Kennedy wing of the republican party, after listing their liberal policies. It does not get much harsher than that. LOL

In addition, here's what the Hunter campaign used to help them do real well in the SC straw poll:

And just for the record, all camapigns have their "hatchet guys" to dig up dirt and expose their rivals. And leaving the candidate himself the ability to deny that they are slinging mud. Even Fred has them.

So Fred is gonna have to run the gauntlet, both in the primary, and if he wins, the general. Team Romney is all over him, as expected. Hunter has to scratch and claw his way up to the place where the other campaigns will be gunning for him. If he does, as I expect, reach top tier status, he will be the subject not only of many negative articles in the MSM, but also posted here on FR. It comes with the territory.

And no, Fredheads have not just started jumping into Hunter threads. There are more "he'll never get anywhere" and he's "nothing but a lazy pork barrel spender" then I can shake a stick at. Starting last january and accelerating once it looked more likely that Fred was gonna run.

Is it annoying? Yes. Have I claimed abuse and told folks not to come on to Hunter threads? No. I've been around here long enough to know that Fred, Duncan, Paul, Mitt or anybody else is gonna get torpedoes incoming.