Duncan L. Hunter 2008 presidential campaign: Difference between revisions
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===Focus on Veterans=== |
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In [[November 2007]], near the day of remembrance of American Veterans on [[Veteran's Day]], Hunter and his campaign reflected on the importance of Veterans to America and the security of freedom, "We cannot thank them [Veterans] all sufficiently...[they] have represented the finest of human qualities...Our veterans have made [a] sacrifice unflinchingly, with a character that General [[Douglas MacArthur]] described as 'stainless'. They make the sacrifice for their comrades in arms, their 'buddies' and the immediate mission at hand. But in a greater sense they have made the sacrifice for millions of Americans whom they do not know and who do not know them" <ref> {{cite news |
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}} </ref> Hunter was also selected to serve as the [[grand marshal]] for the 2007 San Diego Veteran's Day parade. The parade in downtown San Diego has the theme of "Honoring Those Who Serve Veterans" and Hunter has taken the selection as an honor.<ref> {{cite news |
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==Endorsements== |
==Endorsements== |
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Revision as of 01:11, 18 December 2007
Template:Future election candidate
 | This article reads like a press release or a news article and may be largely based on routine coverage. |
| Duncan L. Hunter 2008 presidential campaign | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Campaign | U.S. presidential election, 2008 |
| Candidate | Duncan Hunter |
| Affiliation | Republican Party |
| Key people | Sydney Hay (Manager) Roy Tyler (National Communications Director) |
| Receipts | US$US$1,890,873 (2,007−09−30) |
| Slogan | Let's make America great again! |
| Website | |
| www.gohunter08.com | |
Fourteen-term Congressman and Vietnam War veteran Duncan Hunter of California announced his intentions to run for the 2008 Republican nomination for President of the United States. Hunter has focused his campaign on the issues of border security, trade, and the war on terrorism. He is viewed as the strongest supporter of President George W. Bush and compares his campaign to Ronald Reagan. If elected Hunter would be the first sitting member of the House of Representatives to be elected president since James A. Garfield in 1880.
Hunter has expressed that he is in the campaign to win and will retire from his congressional seat once the election is over. Throughout 2007, Hunter was in the second tier of Republican candidates, consistently getting 3% or less support among Republicans in national polls.
Campaign development
Early stages
Hunter first made an announcement that he would possibly be seeking the Republican nomination for president of the United States in October 2006. Later that month he formed an exploratory committee to test the waters. [1] Hunter officially announced his candidacy for president on January 23, 2007 after filing papers with the Federal Elections Commission. [2] Since declaring, Hunter has created a website for his run, [2], and has opened accounts on MySpace,[3] and Facebook.
Debates
Hunter has participated in all televised GOP debates. He is most famously remembered for his role in the May 15 South Carolina debate when quipped in regard to border security:
Yeah, and I want to get into this, Chris, because you know, I built the border fence in San Diego. When I built that fence, we had massive illegal immigration across the border. We built the border fence; we reduced illegal immigration and smuggling of narcotics by more than 90 percent. And the crime rate in the city of San Diego fell by 50 percent. I wrote the bill that the president signed in October that takes the San Diego fence 854 miles across Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, and it's mandatory. I called up the other day, and they've done two miles of border fence.
This administration has a case of the slows on border enforcement. [3]
During the October 21 Florida GOP Debate, Hunter made a statement that tried to pull the participants together recognizing what their party stands for:
Well, Carl, you've been dividing the party for the last 10 minutes, so let me -- let me say something that I think unites them. This is a historic venue. You know, 300 miles off this coast is a place where another party, once a great party, the Democrat Party, lost its identity. And that's when, in 1961, the Cuban freedom fighters were struggling with a toehold on the beach, trying to take back Cuba from Castro and a Democrat president with an aircraft carrier sitting a few miles offshore said we will not help the freedom fighters. And a thousand miles away from there is El Salvador, where a Republican president, Ronald Reagan, hung tough, brought freedom to El Salvador. And you know something? Today, they are fighting side by side with our guys in Iraq. (APPLAUSE)
We're the party of freedom. (APPLAUSE) [4]
Donations
As of June 30, 2007, Hunter has raised $1,352,941 and has spent $1,140,014 leaving $212,927 cash on hand. Hunter has gained donations from some prominent individuals, Roger Milliken, chair of Milliken and Company donated $2,100. Bruce Bartlett, founder of Bartlett Holdings, a nuclear technology firm gave $2,300 and James Ritchie, CEO of International Foundation of Hope donated $500 to the Hunter campaign. [5].
Doubts about the campaign dispelled
Duncan Hunter's communications campaign director, Roy Tyler was mis-quoted when it was stated that he said the chances of Hunter winning the nomination were about the same as "pushing a string through a maze." After speaking to students at the Brown-Lupton Student Center about border security and trade with China Hunter continued campaigning, winning the Texas straw poll a few days later with his long time friend Roy Tyler at his side. [6]
Cutting funds to Columbia University
In response to Columbia University's decision to allow Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak on its campus, Hunter declared that he would seek to pull any federal funding of the New York City university,[7] on the grounds that, "At the same time President Ahmadinejad will be addressing the Columbia University audience, Iranian agents will continue smuggling weapons across the Iraqi border with one goal in mind: arming insurgents to attack and kill U.S. military personnel."[7] Hunter's bill, the Restore Patriotism to University Campuses Act (H.R. 3675), was introduced on September 26, 2007; it got only one co-sponsor and no hearings have been held on it as of December 2007.[8] In spite of its title, it mentions only one university, i.e., Columbia.
California wildfires
Duncan Hunter's congressional district has been affected by the California wildfires of October 2007. During the October 21 GOP Debate, Hunter was informed that San Diego was burning again. He was directly affected by the 2003 fires that swept Southern California which burnt down his residence. Hunter has stalled campaigning for president to help his constituents with the recovery effort. [9] He has applauded the efforts of the fire department and military in dealing with the fire and stated that San Diego is tough and will rebuild from the crisis:
I don't look at San Diegans as victims. We're tough. The middle name in the trademark for San Diegans is 'Character'. We're going to bounce back from this. We're going to rebuild.
And, you know, these are the shores from which American Marines and sailors go forth to fight for freedom all over the world. We're used to sacrifices. We're used to burdens. We're going to get through this fire.
Hunter has sharply criticized Democratic politicians who connect the wildfires to the war in Iraq. He stated that this assessment was wrong because San Diego has more access to troops, helicopters and equipment than anyplace in the country. During an interview with Neil Cavuto, Hunter gave his assessment of the wildfire situation and comments by Democrats:
You know, they have got to have some creative writers to somehow link these — these natural disasters with — with troops in Iraq, because, first, we have got thousands of Marines who are available right now at Camp Pendleton.
And you get a 60-mile-an-hour wind, and a lot of brittle sagebrush in front of you, and this — this what you might call a perfect storm of wind patterns, and a lot of — a lot of heat, and you get these fires moving at an incredible speed across the California sagebrush, you could put the entire U.S. Army in front of them, and you can't stop them. You can mitigate them. You can try to block them at the pass, and you can try to neutralize them and back them down as the conditions improve. [10]
Endorsements
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List of People endorsing Duncan Hunter |
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Hunter's endorsers include:
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Chuck Yeager
Hunter has been endorsed by former United States Air Force Brigadier General Chuck Yeager. Yeager is the first pilot to have broken the sound barrier, a feat he accomplished in 1947. Hunter has named Yeager as an honorary national chairman.[11]
Ann Coulter
Controversial figure and political commentator Ann Coulter has joined the Hunter bandwagon calling him her "first choice" for president. The comments Coulter has made regarding former Senator John Edwards' have been condemned by many, even by some conservatives. When asked about a call Elizabeth Edwards made to Coulter during one of the latter's appearances on MSNBC Hardball Hunter defended Coulter saying, “Well, I think what Senator Edwards’ wife said was very consistent with what lots of Democrats and lots of liberals have said...and that is that we need to silence conservative voices.” He described Coulter as “a particularly articulate spokeswoman for the conservative view” and jokingly added: “Especially since Ann Coulter said nice things about me, I think she’s closely approaching that level of being a great American.”[12]
Missouri Republican Assembly
Hunter received the endorsement of the Missouri Republican Assembly (MRA) in November 2007. They cited Hunter as a true Republican who shares their conservative values. MRA state president Chris Brown stated, "Congressman Hunter is a true social conservative and honestly represents the Republican Wing of the Republican Party, when you add together Duncan Hunter's commitment to the military, American jobs, and fighting for family and life issues, there is no better choice for President. America needs Hunter's integrity, courage and proven leadership." Hunter accepted the endorsement and thanked the MRA:
"I thank the Missouri Republican Assembly for their trust and I appreciate their endorsement, ss I travel across our great country, I am finding more and more that my message of a strong national defense, enforcement of the border, the protection of American jobs, lower taxes and the sanctity of life is what Americans want in a candidate. The Missouri Republican Assembly is looking for someone that will have the same priorities they have in the Oval Office and I am happy to work with them on these important issues." [13]
Polls
Hunter's performance in polls has been notably inconsistent.
Hunter is shown in some polls as having less than 1% support in the Republican field. According to a Gallup poll taken July 12-15 Hunter is placing in 10th place among the Republican field taking only 1% support,[14] but in another poll done by Gallup on July 6-8 without Newt Gingrich, Hunter places fifth with 3% support trailing only Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney, and John McCain putting him atop all other second tier candidates.[15] In a more recent poll, Duncan Hunter is (as of December 2007) statistically tied with Fred Thompson for fourth place (undecided voters excluded) in the early battleground state of Nevada, this coming from an American Research Group poll released December 8. Los Angeles Times columnist Don Frederick points out that Hunter's support in the polls comes almost entirely from Republican men, where he polled 6% among that demographic in an L.A. Times/Bloomberg poll in December 2007. Among women, his support is nearly zero.[16]
In straw polls, Hunter has sometimes done much better.
On January 13, 2007, Hunter won Arizona's Maricopa County straw poll, beating Arizona Senator John McCain.
On March 1, 2007, a South Carolina straw poll was conducted in the Spartanburg area, where Hunter finished a close third (by six votes) in a statistical tie with McCain (1st) and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani (2nd). Commenting on Hunter’s showing, Spartanburg Republican Gerald Emory said, “Now we have a true Ronald Reagan conservative that we can support. This is a proud night for the Grand Ole Party.”[17]
On April 17, 2007, Hunter won the Anderson County (South Carolina) straw poll with 48 percent of the vote. He defeated former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney (25 percent), Senator John McCain (7 percent), and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani (5 percent). Hunter also tied for second place in Geenwood County and second place Pickens County. South Carolina is the nation's third primary state. "I am grateful to the great conservatives of Anderson, Greenwood, and Pickens Counties for giving our campaign a huge boost. It is clear our message of maintaining a strong national defense, securing our border without amnesty, holding China accountable on trade, and protecting life are resonating with the voters. Our campaign is one of issues, not flash and expense. We don't have a jet or an army of consultants and paid staff. We do have the conservative message that is true. In the end, that will be what Americans want." [18]
He has also finished second place in straw polls in Greenwood and Pickens Counties. He finished third place in a Spartanburg poll and also finished a close third, only two percentage points behind John McCain, in a Nevada straw poll in October 2007. However, in Iowa, where he has done very little campaigning, Hunter finished without a single vote in a "just for fun" Crawford County poll and finished in 9th place out of 11 (with 172 votes) in the Ames Straw Poll, although he spent far less than most of the candidates and among those who put little to no resources into the race, he finished nine votes behind Rudy Giuliani and well ahead of McCain.
Hunter handily won the Townhall.com Texas Straw Poll on September 1, 2007, in Fort Worth, Texas, with about double the votes of second-place Fred Thompson. He received a total of 534 votes, well ahead of Fred Thompson who came in second with 266 votes. Texas Congressman Ron Paul finished in third with 217 votes. [19]
Campaign focuses
On his website Hunter focuses mainly on border security, the War on Terrorism, trade and his conservative record. He boasts that he has been given a 92% lifetime rating from the ACU indicating a strong conservative record, he calls himself a "true conservative".
Border security
On his website Hunter states this in regard to border security:
"The cornerstone of our responsibilities as elected officials is to defend and protect the American people. This was reinforced with the attacks of September 11th, which immediately made border security a national security issue. Protecting our homeland begins at our nation’s borders and it is imperative that our border enforcement agencies be provided with the necessary resources to ensure that we know both who and what are entering the country. I believe in providing Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement corps with sufficient strength to secure our borders and providing for interior enforcement throughout the country because it is imperative in our fight to protect Americans. To not do so can only be characterized as irresponsible."
“When you discover an effective deterrent to crime, you use it. I know fencing helps secure our nation’s borders because criminal activity in every statistical category has been eliminated or decreased since we built the border fence in San Diego County. What was once a porous border, susceptible to illegal aliens, drug trafficking and terrorism, is now the standard mode in preventing drug smugglers from bringing narcotics into our neighborhoods and allowing border enforcement personnel to reinforce areas of greater need. These results led me to write the Secure Fence Act, extending the San Diego fence 854 miles across California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Building fences in strategic locations along our international borders is a proven method of keeping America safe and, despite recent attempts to undo the Congressional mandated funding provided for this effort, I am committed to this effort and confident the fence will be built.” gohunter08.com
War on Terrorism
In regard to the war on terrorism, Hunter had this to say:
"Our success in protecting America from terrorists is completely dependant upon our ability to obtain and utilize reliable intelligence data. Our national intelligence and defense communities must be provided with the tools necessary to identify, track, stop and prosecute terrorists before they have the opportunity to strike. The fact that America has not been attacked since September 11th indicates to me that we are on the right course. I am confident we can remain on that course by providing our intelligence agencies with the resources they need while, at the same time, maintaining our commitment to the continued protection of our civil rights.” gohunter08.com
Trade
In regard to trade, Hunter wrote this on his website:
American workers are the most productive and innovative labor force in the world. Unfortunately, they are asked to compete in an unfair environment against other workers who make only a fraction of a living wage and are employed by companies that face few, if any, responsibilities to the environment or the long-term prospects of their employees. Our domestic manufacturers are forced to compete against foreign companies that benefit from their country’s currency and regulatory regimes. Ominously, China is cheating on trade and using billions of American trade dollars to build ships, planes and missiles at an alarming rate while, at the same time, taking millions of American jobs. I will reverse this “one-way street” with a new policy of fair trade for the American worker. gohunter08.com
Criticism
Hunter's campaign has been ridiculed for not having the voter visibility needed to break through to the top tier. MSNBC.com recently demoted him from lightweight to "flyweight" among the Republican field.[20]
Parents’ Empowerment Act of 2004
Hunter introduced legislation in April 2004 that would enable parents to sue retailers who could possibly sell obscene items described as “harmful to minors”. This could possibly hurt his campaign among business rights voters and those opposed to legislation allowing what they call "frivolous lawsuits". Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is the group that is leading the opposition to his legislation. Their director, Charles Brownstein had this to say about Hunter's bill, “It is something we find philosophically repugnant...It would allow the minor or guardian to sue anybody in the distribution food chain.”[21] The bill was never voted on and was sent to a subcommittee perhaps never again to resurface.[22]
Tax break on house
Hunter has come under fire for supposedly understating the size of his home. It was first reported in October 2006 that Hunter saved money in taxes by filing that his home was smaller than it actually is. Melanie Sloan, director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington stated “This could be an appearance problem [for Hunter]”. It is unknown how this may affect his campaign.[23]
References
- ^ "Rep. Hunter joins 2008 presidential race". FoxNews.com. 2007-01-14. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "2008 Presidential Candidates". CNN.com. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Republican Debate Transcript, South Carolina". cfr.org. 2007-05-15. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Republican Debate Transcript". New York Times. 2007-10-21. Retrieved 2007-10-21.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Duncan Hunter". CNN.com. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Larson, Brett. "Little Hope for White House run". DailySkiff.com. Retrieved 2007-08-30.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b Carter, Sara (2007-09-24). "Columbia funds linked to speech". Washington Times.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ http://www.thomas.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.3675:
- ^ Caifa, Karin. "Wildfire politics". wptv.com. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "California Congressman Duncan Hunter Says Dems Are Playing Politics with The California Wildfires". Fox News. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Duncan Hunter". CNN.com. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Hunter defends Ann Coulter against critics". MSNBC.com. 2007-07-02. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Missouri Republican Assembly Endorses Duncan Hunter for President". News Blaze. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Gallup Poll 2008 Presidential race". Gallup.com. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Promising news for Duncan Hunter". Free Republic. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Frederick, Don. Duncan Hunter hurdle disclosed. Los Angeles Times. 5 December 2007.
- ^ [1]
- ^ Hunter Wins Big in Anderson, April 17, 2007
- ^ Brown, Angela. "Hunter wins state's first GOP straw poll". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2007-09-02.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "The Contenders". MSNBC.com. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Bill takes aim at material deemed 'harmful to minors'". Student Press Law Center. 2004-04-28. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Library of Congress (Thomas)". THOMAS. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ McDonald, Jeff (2006-10-08). "Hunter got break on taxes for home". SignOnSanDiego.com. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help)
External links
| Duncan L. Hunter |
|---|
 |
- Official sites
- Official Presidential Campaign Website
- Official Congressional website
- Official Congressional Campaign website
- Official MySpace
- NATIONAL "meetup" Group
- Documentaries, topic pages and databases
- Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- New York Times — Duncan Hunter collected news stories and commentary
- Spartan Internet Political Performance Index Weekly Ranking for Duncan Hunter
- Genealogy of Duncan Hunter
- On the Issues — Duncan Hunter issue positions and quotes
- OpenSecrets.org — Duncan Hunter campaign contributions
- PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer - Vote 2008: Duncan Hunter
- Project Vote Smart — Duncan Hunter profile
- SourceWatch Congresspedia — Duncan Hunter profile
- Washington Post - Congress Votes Database: Duncan Hunter voting record
- Duncan L. Hunter 2008 presidential campaign at Curlie
- Media coverage
- USA Today — Duncan Hunter associated with Randy "Duke" Cunningham/Brent Wilkes scandal, November 29, 2005.