Posted on 04/07/2008 7:53:37 AM PDT by pissant
It can't be much fun, once someone has conceded defeat in a political contest, to be forced to dredge up all those memories – of stumping along the campaign trail, meeting admiring voters, raising hopes among supporters, speaking to throngs of well-wishers.
It may be even worse to rehash the details of a poorly funded campaign.
Yet here we find Duncan Hunter – the 28-year veteran of the San Diego County congressional delegation who will retire soon – having to relive, sort of, the nearly doomed-from-the-start presidential campaign he launched in fall 2006. That's because the Federal Election Commission requires defeated candidates to file campaign disclosure reports months after they've dropped out of an election.
Hunter's latest filing with federal regulators has some interesting revelations about the White House candidacy that he reluctantly put to rest in late January.
COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE
First, the no-brainers: Right up until he dropped out, Hunter, a Republican from Alpine, trailed most of the dozen or so GOP competitors in the money-raising department. He raised $2.5 million last year, according to the mid-February reports required from all candidates, whether still running or not.
While that amount is more than double the $1 million or so Hunter typically pulled in for his congressional re-election campaigns, it couldn't touch the more-than-$60 million mark reached by the GOP field's top candidates.
The only three who trailed Hunter in fundraising were former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore at $393,000, former U.N. Ambassador Alan Keyes at barely $300,000 and former Wisconsin governor and Cabinet secretary Tommy Thompson at $1.2 million. Gilmore and Thompson dropped out well before Hunter. And we still can't figure out what Keyes was doing.
“Hunter proved a competitive fundraiser in Congress, but his total after 2007 for the presidential race was less than remarkable compared to other candidates, which surely factored into his decision to leave the race,” wrote the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks fundraising in elections.
Hunter dropped out in mid-January after gaining little support in the Nevada caucus. He spent almost every penny he raised and is in debt nearly $250,000.
WHERE IT CAME FROM
Retirees were among Hunter's top contributors. So were Contran Corp., a Dallas-based diversified holding company with interests in chemicals, titanium metals, steel, wire and waste management; Milliken & Co., the textiles and chemicals firm; Maxor Pharmacies; metals manufacturer Allegheny Technologies, San Diego's Trex Enterprises; and the U.S. House of Representatives, which means Hunter's buddies in Congress either contributed directly to his candidacy or transferred cash from their own campaign accounts to his.
Among the more interesting of his “top” contributors – those who gave him more than $4,500 – were La Mesa-based Collins Plumbing Inc.; the Mattress Connection; and Taste of Texas Restaurant, one of those Angus beef steakhouses that Hunter is so fond of and that lies “in the heart of west Houston.”
Forty-four percent of Hunter's overall haul came from California, but an additional 14 percent – almost one of every seven dollars raised – came from Texas. The explanation: The Lone Star State is home not only to the Republican president, but also to one of Hunter's key presidential campaign advisers – Roy Tyler. Top contributing ZIP codes: Alpine, El Cajon and El Centro – as one might expect – but also La Jolla, Dallas and Amarillo, Texas.
Men were far and away Hunter's biggest supporters. More than two of every three campaign dollars came from a man.
What's up with that? Hunter's conservative stands – which include an emphasis on “traditional” family values and repeated attempts while in Congress to make abortion illegal – probably didn't sit well with some women. Men also might have been drawn in by his status as a military expert in Congress, and as a hunter on down days.
Finance, insurance and real estate were among the top business sectors from which the congressman drew his money.
FINALLY, A WINNING SCORE
Hunter was one of only four candidates still in the race at the end of last year who lent money to their own campaigns. The others were former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a Republican, and Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, both Democrats.
Hunter lent his campaign $50,000 – nowhere near the $35.4 million that Romney shoveled into his race.
Finally, the Center for Responsive Politics gave Hunter high marks for the quality of his fundraising disclosure – a score of 97.5 percent. Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Sen. John McCain, the Arizona Republican, scored 91 percent.
A singer in a smokey room
A smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on
Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlight people, living just to find emotion
Hiding, somewhere in the night
Working hard to get my fill,
Everybody wants a thrill
Payin anything to roll the dice,
Just one more time
Some will win, some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on
(chorus)
Dont stop believin
Hold on to the feelin
Streetlight people
Did it ever occur to you that he just might be uninspiring? Or was it just one big conspiracy to keep him down?
He was extremely inspiring to those who took the time to listen.
Considering the options now, I’d bet there are lots of people who wished they had listened more closely to Hunter.
When Rudy McRomney pulls in upwards of 150 million, and a conservative Reaganite gets 2.5 mil, it is a certainty that the GOP is in for some very bad times.
We went to a Duncan D. Hunter fundraiser breakfast the other morning and both Rep. Hunter and Duncan D. had such positive, uplifting speeches. They didn’t read them, it came from their hearts. The Hunter’s are such a contrast to the depressing tones of the Clinton, Obama, and McCain campaigns.
Cool. I will make a contribution to Duncan D’s campaign soon.
couldn't touch the more-than-$60 million mark reached by the GOP field's top candidates.
Where are those "top candidates" now?
This seems like a "kick 'em while they're down" piece written for what purpose?
Hunter is not down, I reckon. Heck, he could be FALCON’s 2012 candidate. ;o)
And John McCain is "inspiring"?
Caption:
McCain: Yo, Liebs, Hillary has a major fat ass
Lieberman: Pains me to look
Obabama: Let’s get Teddy to drive her home
Kennedy: Hic!
Great! Thank you!
Heck, he could be FALCON’s 2012 candidate.
If FALCON could arrange it for 2008, I would be the happiest Nobody in the world!!!
With the current lot, I do not see any real election taking place in 2012. Heck, I don't consider what we are witnessing now a free and fair election.
Circus, dog-and-pony show, theatrical performances, sham, joke...to name a few that come to mind.
“We need at least one Hunter in the House!”
You are so right!
Funny, it’s probably the longest article on Hunter since he announced his candidacy.
I don’t think Falcon can have any impact on the 2008 election, alas.
True! I find it more pathetic than funny, however. ;*(
Actually there were several conspiracies’)
Think back to the immigration bill debacle. Remember how motivated Americans were in stopping it. They wanted the fence! Seems they forget quickly, or have low attention spans. Whatever the cause, they sent the message to congress that they really weren't that serious, even though they acted like it at the time. Had they been, Hunter would have been a shoe in. But he had many other priorities too, in fact, was the single most qualified candidate running. Americans are a fickle lot.
I wish he would go for Gov. of CA, and then run again!
Such as it was - I think we had our chance in 2008.
Not to me, I can assure you....OTOH, the blowhard knows how to get his name in the paper. Hunter could use some tips on that, IMO.
McCain spent years sucking up to the MSM by being their "maverick" who enjoyed sticking it to the conservatives, just like the MSM likes to do. I wouldn't be taking any tips from McCain unless they were tips on how to be a backstabbing liberal who still has an R by his name.
I voted for him in the MD primary (he was on the ballet)
Self promotion is part of politics, like it or not. Look at Huckleberry with his banal best sellers and his incendiary NYT attack on Mormons,etc. Even Reagan had a think tank behind him and lots of speeches to friendly groups.. You gotta go along to get along.. Get out there and rub palms!
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