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Hunter airs first GOP ads of 2008 presidential race
San Diego Union Tribune / Copley News Svc ^

Posted on 12/20/2006 3:25:36 AM PST by hos11

Hunter airs first GOP ads of 2008 presidential race

TV spots say China is stealing U.S. jobs By Finlay Lewis COPLEY NEWS SERVICE December 20, 2006

WASHINGTON – Rep. Duncan Hunter appears to have scooped other presidential hopefuls in both parties by becoming the first potential candidate to air television commercials aimed at smoothing a path to the White House.

Hunter, an Alpine Republican, started airing two 30-second ads over the weekend in South Carolina, North Carolina and South Dakota. Both ads focus on Hunter's assertion that China is stealing U.S. jobs and threatening its security by “cheating” at trade. The ads will air for two weeks.

Joel Rivlin, deputy director of the Wisconsin Advertising Project, said Hunter's commercials appear to be the first of the 2008 presidential campaign with the possible exception of ads aired recently in New Hampshire urging that Illinois Sen. Barack Obama be drafted as the Democratic nominee. The commercials were prepared and financed independently of Obama.

The Wisconsin project studies how candidates, political parties and special interest groups communicate with voters.

Hunter's congressional and political aides weren't available yesterday to say how much the ads cost to produce and broadcast. The costs are being picked up by Hunter's leadership political action committee – Peace Through Strength – which offers links to the ads on its Web site.

Hunter, who will lose his position as chairman of the House Armed Services Committee when Democrats take over Congress next month, established the PAC as a vehicle for promoting his views on national security and for supporting GOP candidates with a similar philosophy.

The committee can air the ads because they focus on issues, such as trade and national defense, and do not overtly seek support for Hunter as a candidate.

Hunter, who has said he is likely to become a formal candidate, has yet to establish an exploratory committee that would allow him to raise money to assess his chances against other possible candidates.

After avowing an interest in seeking the presidency, Hunter made his first foray to a key battleground more than two weeks ago when he spent two days in South Carolina. A politically crucial state, it will hold the nation's second presidential primary after the traditional first-in-the-nation primary balloting in New Hampshire. During the trip, he discussed issues relating to national defense, trade and border security and did not overtly solicit votes.

He also paid a visit Saturday to Iowa, which will cast the first presidential votes of the campaign when its two state parties hold caucuses to begin the process of choosing national convention delegates.

Hunter's decision to air the ads in South Dakota's Rapid City media market puzzled political experts, including GOP officials in that state. They pointed out that South Dakota's sparse population and early June primary date guarantee it will likely have no effect on the choice of the presidential nominees of either party.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; duncanhunter; elections; gop
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To: Torie; Antoninus; nopardons

Evidently, Hunter is not destitute.


21 posted on 12/20/2006 5:07:30 AM PST by jwalsh07
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To: ZULU

Look up "Alpine, CA" on mapquest. There's one in Mendocino County (north) and then one in San Diego County. The link seems too long to copy.


22 posted on 12/20/2006 5:13:57 AM PST by scrabblehack
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To: wolfcreek
I'm sure they're planning their smear campaign as We type.

You can take that to the bank. I can almost hear Rudy's Ruffians shifting into high smear as I type.

Expect a lot of "He's an unknown, He's unelectable, he's just TOO conservative", etc. garbage in the weeks and months to come.
23 posted on 12/20/2006 5:14:24 AM PST by Dr.Zoidberg (Mohammedanism - Bringing you only the best of the 6th century for fourteen hundred years.)
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To: hos11
okay, I'll say it:
W H O ? ? ?

24 posted on 12/20/2006 5:14:45 AM PST by Tanniker Smith (I didn't know she was a liberal when I married her.)
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Duncan Hunter running as a republican will be in a tight race with Jim Gilchrist running on the Constitution Party ticket.


25 posted on 12/20/2006 5:33:07 AM PST by Ben Ficklin
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To: scrabblehack

Alpine is east of El Cajon which is east of the city of San Diego. It's all in San Diego County. He lives in El Cajon now, since his Alpine home was destroyed in that big San Diego fire a few years ago. I also live in El Cajon and heard him speak at a Memorial Day service. He was very inspirational.


26 posted on 12/20/2006 5:58:49 AM PST by llmc1
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To: ZULU; Fierce Allegiance; TommyDale; jla; Reagan Man; Condor51
....Hunter's a true-blue social conservative - the kind of guy the Mehlmans and Esienbergs, Keans, and Whitmans, Snowes, Hegels, and Chaffees hate.....

All of the above detest social conservatives.

That alone places Hunter in VERY exalted company......

.......in the company of loyal, dedicated social conservatives---- conservatives who know how to win elections.

27 posted on 12/20/2006 6:07:22 AM PST by Liz (Nearly all men can stand adversity, but to test a man's character, give him power. Abe Lincoln)
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To: Liz

I will be watching for his TV commercials here in NC. Running them in SC is wise, as it undermines McCain and the unpopular VP-wannabe, Lindsay "Light In The Loafers" Graham.


28 posted on 12/20/2006 6:10:17 AM PST by TommyDale (Iran President Ahmadinejad is shorter than Tom Daschle!)
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To: Liz
*** That alone places Hunter in VERY exalted company......

.......in the company of loyal, dedicated social conservatives---- conservatives who know how to win elections. ***

Hunter sounds excellent. "WE" have a candidate :-)

(Then FR could go back to being a CONSERVATIVE website and ZOT all the pro Rudy threads and his cultist liberal followers. (bada-bing, ((rim-shot)))

29 posted on 12/20/2006 6:20:22 AM PST by Condor51 (Tagline Under Construction - Kindly Wear Your Hardhat)
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To: hos11

This is good news. I'm pulling for Hunter, the first real conservative to put his hat in the ring. If he gets grass roots support and is articulate enough to overcome some of the MSM din, he should be viable. Name recognition will come with time--two years is forever in politics.


30 posted on 12/20/2006 6:20:51 AM PST by LadyNavyVet
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To: Condor51
FR could go back to being a CONSERVATIVE website and ZOT all the pro Rudy threads and his cultist liberal followers.


31 posted on 12/20/2006 6:31:45 AM PST by Fierce Allegiance (Merry Christmas! SAY NO TO RUDY!)
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To: abigailsmybaby; Antoninus; Brad's Gramma; CompSciGuy; cuz_it_aint_their_money; Fierce Allegiance; ..

First use of the brand new Duncan Hunter Ping List!


32 posted on 12/20/2006 6:33:45 AM PST by Antoninus ( Rudy McRomney as the GOP nominee = President Hillary. Why else do you think the media loves them?)
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To: hos11
Saw this commercial. It's pretty good and should get him some traction in the early primary states.
33 posted on 12/20/2006 6:36:54 AM PST by Antoninus ( Rudy McRomney as the GOP nominee = President Hillary. Why else do you think the media loves them?)
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To: scrabblehack

Alpine doesn't sound very South California like, but in this case it does exist.

As one heads east from San Diego city, while still in San Diego county, one starts climbing the mountains just east of San Diego (the road eventually reaches about 4100 ft elevation). This is not much compared to the Alps, but compared to coastal San Diego, it must have seemed appropriate to whoever named it.


34 posted on 12/20/2006 6:38:47 AM PST by sd-joe
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To: Antoninus

Ah, darn, you alphabetized the list. i wanted to be first, as I was first to opt on. LOL!

Thanks for the ping!


35 posted on 12/20/2006 6:39:50 AM PST by Fierce Allegiance (Merry Christmas! SAY NO TO RUDY!)
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To: Condor51
Hunter's in the exalted company of "WE" conservatives who know how to win elections.

"WE" have a candidate

36 posted on 12/20/2006 6:41:25 AM PST by Liz (Nearly all men can stand adversity, but to test a man's character, give him power. Abe Lincoln)
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To: hos11
"Both ads focus on Hunter's assertion that China is stealing U.S. jobs and threatening its security by “cheating” at trade."

Somehow, I'm reminded of the South Park Gooback episode. Dey turk ma jugh!

Ironically, the protectionist neanderthals in the mold of Buchanan/Nader among us have the nerve to call others RINOs. I suggest they review economic history, starting with the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act.
37 posted on 12/20/2006 6:42:51 AM PST by JHBowden (President Giuliani in 2008! Law and Order. Solid Judges. Free Markets. Killing Terrorists.)
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To: bushfamfan
Alright, he's in the arena! Great news. I was thinking about donating some money to his committee but I think I'm going to wait until he gets his official campaign site so it can go all towards campaigning for him.

Agreed. As soon as he forms the exploratory committee, I'll be sending some $$.
38 posted on 12/20/2006 6:48:06 AM PST by Antoninus ( Rudy McRomney as the GOP nominee = President Hillary. Why else do you think the media loves them?)
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To: Fierce Allegiance; Condor51

Ok... now that would be cool.


39 posted on 12/20/2006 6:50:37 AM PST by Dead Corpse (Anyone who needs to be persuaded to be free, doesn't deserve to be.)
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To: Fierce Allegiance
Ah, darn, you alphabetized the list. i wanted to be first, as I was first to opt on. LOL!

No worries. I'll put you first and then alphabetize the rest of the list.
40 posted on 12/20/2006 6:56:10 AM PST by Antoninus ( Rudy McRomney as the GOP nominee = President Hillary. Why else do you think the media loves them?)
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