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.
Evidently, Hunter is not destitute.
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.
Duncan Hunter running as a republican will be in a tight race with Jim Gilchrist running on the Constitution Party ticket.
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.
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.
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.
.......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)))
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.
First use of the brand new Duncan Hunter Ping List!
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.
Ah, darn, you alphabetized the list. i wanted to be first, as I was first to opt on. LOL!
Thanks for the ping!
"WE" have a candidate
Ok... now that would be cool.
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