Posted on 01/24/2007 8:57:53 AM PST by Antoninus
California Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter will formally announce his candidacy for president Thursday — less than two weeks after he took the first official step by filing paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to establish a presidential campaign “exploratory” committee.
According to a statement released Tuesday, Hunter will make his announcement at the Marriott Renaissance Park hotel in the South Carolina city of Spartanburg — located in the state’s overwhelmingly Republican northwestern region. The breakfast event is titled “America: The Strength of Freedom,” which also is Hunter’s campaign slogan.
“I will speak about a new American sunrise of opportunity, faith and freedom for the citizens of our great nation,” said Hunter.
The choice of South Carolina as the venue symbolizes the strategy Hunter is using, as he seeks to extend beyond his very limited political base in the San Diego-area 52nd Congressional District and overcome a big deficit in national name identification.
The 58-year-old Hunter, a 14-term incumbent who chaired the Armed Services Committee prior to the Democrats’ House takeover and now is its ranking member, is campaigning both on his hawkish views on defense issues and his equally staunch conservatism on financial and social issues.
In order to gain any traction in the presidential race, he must quickly make an impression on voters in places such as strongly conservative-leaning South Carolina, which in recent years has emerged as a Republican Party stronghold.
South Carolina has several military bases, so Hunter may at least get a hearing from voters there because of his background on national security issues. He is one of the staunchest defenders of the Bush administration’s policies in the Iraq war.
Hunter, who has served on the Armed Services Committee since he was elected to Congress in 1980, has a personal background of military service as a member of the Army from 1969 to 1971. He received a Bronze Star for participating in 25 helicopter combat assaults during the war in Vietnam.
In his release, Hunter touted his experience as well as his political leanings, stating that he is “considered by many to be the most conservative Republican in the presidential race.”
Along with his defense posture, Hunter is a fervent opponent of illegal immigration, and reaffirmed his socially conservative platform Monday on the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion.
Hunter, according to the Associated Press, told participants of the March for Life anti-abortion rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.: “If we have a judicial applicant, a judicial nominee who can look at a sonogram of an unborn child and not see the value of human life ... if I should become president of the United States, he will not receive a judicial appointment.”
Hunter, though, faces strong competition for the conservative vote from the only other Republican officeholder who is an official presidential candidate: Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, who received a 100 percent score from The American Conservative Union in 2005. The other official candidate, attorney John Cox of Illinois, is emphasizing his own socially conservative stances.
Among others who have set up presidential exploratory committees or are considering bids, there are social conservatives — such as Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo and former Virginia Gov. James S. Gilmore III — who would be directing appeals to that wing of the Republican electorate.
Hunter enters relatively unknown outside defense-related circles. Having never run for office on a larger stage than his congressional district, he will likely find fundraising a significant challenge.
That certainly will not be the case for prospective front-running candidates such as Arizona Sen. John McCain and former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, nationally known figures who have formed exploratory committees and currently lead the GOP field in national polls.
Last week, though, Hunter took a swipe at McCain by releasing a straw poll taken in Arizona’s Maricopa County (Phoenix), in which Hunter finished first and the homestate senator ran fourth. Though Republicans in the state’s most populous county called the results surprising, McCain’s maverick tendencies have angered members of his party in the past.
"And he won't be getting any help from the Leftist Propaganda Machine."
Just wait. When his campaign gets rolling, the media and Dem pundits will brand him as a whacko conservative extremist. Wait a minute, I'm a whacko conservative extremist, so that will only strengthen my resolve.
-TOI
Tancredo and Paul need to drop out so Hunter can stand alone as the conservative alternative to the Rinos.
Yes, it's just not their time. They don't seem to be as well rounded.
;o) I like Duncan Hunter a whole lot....I've watched him over the past 6 yrs and love the stand he has taken to protect this country and our troops.
"Rush brought up his name as one of the candidates not being mentioned much. It's good he's starting his run now."
For all my contentions with Rush in the past, he and others like Hannity and Savage could turn this thing around in a heartbeat by putting their support behind Hunter. Talk radio is a powerful vehicle for the conservative base.
It is up to Hunter, not talk radio. If he rises to the top of the list it will be because of his leadership qualities and ability to connect with the public (outside FR).
Dennis Kucinich is the human epitome of the liberal idealogy the mainstream media promotes, but he is forever destined to be a 1%er.
I am not saying Hunter is a nut like Kucinich (that comparison fits Keyes and Paul better), but his success in this election will depend on him getting in front of all kinds of voting groups, not just the choir that has formed on FR, and getting them fired up.
He can get a substantial faction of FR fired up. Can he put himself in front of audiences that don't initially understand his issues and do the same? We will see. Maybe he can. But if he continues to only be booked to speak to one issue audiences, he won't be trying very hard.
LIHOP?
Uh...no. I am a supporter of McCain as you are a supporter for Duncan Hunter.
But we will both be disappointed here. Giuliani will win the nomination and Hillary will win the Dim nod.
We will both end up voting for Giuliani. Won't you, Wolfcreek?
Hispanics will vote en bloc for the party that best serves their interests. Amnesty is in the hispanic communities interest. It will legitimize a large part of the community ( about 8-9 million hispanic illegals) and will enlarge their political base dramatically. Whoever wins their support wins the future. That is why Martinez was named chairman of the RNC over the strident objection of the anti-Amnesty folks.
Suits me. If the Republicans are hell bent on imploding as a party, we might as well help them out. Maybe then we can build a new party.
"The simple reality is you will vote for Rudy because you dislike Rudy less than you loathe Hillary."
Wouldn't Rudy have to win the primary first??????
What does an FR ping list have to do with FR polls?
The percentage and numbers on the FR polls are higher than your post.
The site traffic is higher than your poll domain.
"Won't you, Wolfcreek?"
You got the *won't* part right.
Therefore the more famous and renowned Mr. Webb grows, the more opportunity for Mr. Hunter.
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