That's a fair question. In the general, assuming there's a DEM running against the GOP, I doubt the GOP candidate can ever be more abhorrent than the DEM candidate, so really, there's probably no limit. I thought GWB was pretty incompetent, but I voted for him. Even after he'd peed all over the Constitution.
In the primary, one should pick the candidate they like the best. I can't see how any conservative can pick Fred over Hunter on that score. Why pick a first amendment desecrater like Fred (CFR) when you can have a solid conservative? Splain me that?
Hunter didn’t run a good enough campaign and didn’t appeal to enough conservative voters. It’s as simple as that.
A lot of Hunter folks spent more time on FreeRepublic trying to tear down Fred Thompson than they did actually going out and trying to promote their candidate.
Hunter also didn’t manage to work in the right places at the right time to win the nomination. He hasn’t behaved like a serious candidate.
I’ll be picking Fred over Hunter, because Hunter hasn’t proven to me that he has any of the necessary traits to get his agenda enacted. Also, I don’t agree with much of his protectionist rhetoric.