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 states overwhelmingly Republican northwestern region. The breakfast event is titled America: The Strength of Freedom, which also is Hunters 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 administrations 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 Courts 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 Arizonas Maricopa County (Phoenix), in which Hunter finished first and the homestate senator ran fourth. Though Republicans in the states most populous county called the results surprising, McCains maverick tendencies have angered members of his party in the past.
Duncan Hunter supporters should make sure that the campaign has access to them once they are ready for efforts in that supporter's area.
Go here:
http://peacethroughstrengthpac.com/Contact.aspx
and make sure that you leave your Name, Address, Email and Phone Number.
Make it clear you are looking to support Congressman Hunter's presidential campaign.
Every week or so serious supporters should drop a little jingle in the campaign at
https://secure.yourpatriot.com/services/donate.aspx?g38vPlxkn+k/GhdlUDxluNQXQ==
$10 or $20 bucks a week will add up in a serious way with just a few thousand people helping.
Now here is a big one. Google bomb this site:
http://www.gohunter08.com
Every day at least once a day!
Google bombing works like this:
1) go to google.com
2) type in "President" and hit enter
3) scroll to the bottom and hit the link that says "Dissatisfied? Help us improve"
4) type or paste "http://www.gohunter08.com " into both boxes and hit enter
5) repeat steps 1 - 4 as often as possible, changing step 2 each time by using words like "GOP", "Presidential Candidate", "US President", "Bush", "Hillary", "McCain", "Guilliani", "Romney", "Bill Richardson", "Newt", etc. (Anything that anyone ELSE researching the presidential race might put in.)
Google bombing will mean tremendous increase in exposure for Duncan Hunter.
Make sure you hit some other blogs several times a week and drop a note that you are leaning favorably towards Duncan Hunter and that you have been to his site at "http://www.gohunter08.com " as well as his PAC site at "http://peacethroughstrengthpac.com " . This helps create a tremendous level of cross exposure and target ID for the search engines.
If folks can't do the FREE stuff, what can they do?
Good ... He looks like a good, conservative candidate. He has just over a year, now, to show America who and what he is. And he won't be getting any help from the Leftist Propaganda Machine.
Or from some who think Rino Rudy is St Rudy the Hitlery Slayer. He has already once failed to challenge her.
Besides a lack of both money resources and name recognition, Rep. Duncan Hunter also needs to fully discuss with the general public his entire record on pork barrel spending, on trade issues (of which he's on the opposite side of those who are "pro-free trade"), and on how past history doesn't look that well on all politicians running for President from Congress if their past political careers also don't include a duration of time as Governors. Everyone running for political office has some weaknesses about them, and these I mentioned above are Duncan Hunter's main weaknesses. I hope that Rep. Duncan Hunter is the final nominee for President in '08, and I also hope that he chooses either Michael Steele, J.C. Watts, or Herman Cain as his Vice Presidential running mate.
No...I'm not that creative. Saw it on another thread and thought it was very amusing. Kinda points out Hunter's name recognition problem and his relative obscurity. Hunter is trying to remedy that with some high profile , but frankly quixotic endeavors. His " congressional pardon" effort was just such a gambit. It would never pass constitutional muster and points out just how odd Hunter is.
I'll keep checking too.
One thing I do admire about Duncan Hunter enthusiasts is their unabashed joyous zeal. They remind me of Alan Keyes Supporters...dedicated,energetic, passionate tilters at windmills.
Doing my part to help the web crawlers:
Duncan Hunter's Border Fence Commercial
Beltway Boys Fred Barnes on Duncan Hunter
Duncan Hunter on Chinese Trade Policy Imbalance
Duncan Hunter on Chinese Military Buildup funded by said Trade Policy Imbalance
Duncan Hunter Blasts CNN for offering aid and comfort to the enemy
To my knowledge, Hunter is the only candidate who seems awake to the China threat - which will still be there even after the WOT dies down. This is a brilliant, non-shortsighted man.
I left the party in 2003. I am a conservative independent. I decided long ago to put principles ahead of party.
He just keeps getting better and better.
Don't mind tom. He is a virtual expert on most any subject. I believe it comes from his love affair with Google and Wackopedia.
"... he's on the opposite side of those who are "pro-free trade..."
I will keep the fire warm for you. If Rino Rudy wins the nomination ti will swell the ranks of the third parties.
His stance on fair trade is appealing to many. I know it is one of the reasons I am supporting him.
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