I didn't know Hunter was a Ranger, so he doesn't come across as clearly as a Ranger as you may think. I just assume most men of my generation served in the military. I did know his son served in Iraq, but how that equates to John Wayne is simply beyond me. Patrick Wayne was shot at in the movie Big Jake, maybe that's your comparison. Yes, Duncan Hunter has served well and most admirably in congress for 25+ years. If memory serves me correctly he's been on the Armed Services Committee for most of that time, but forgive me for not seeing the correlation to John Wayne. Now the Duke did play Davey Crockett in The Alamo, and Crockett was a United States Congressman, but he was from Tennessee of all places. I'll leave the remainder of that argument and logical conclusion to you.
Your statement that Hunter has actually served and been an influential member of Congress doesn't sway me too much. I'm not quite sure that being one out of 435 congressmen wields much more power than that of a United States Senator. You also seem to slight Thompson for being in government since 1973 as counsel to many congressional and senate committees, governors etc., and even the fact that he was a sitting US Senator for nine years. To insinuate that a man that has been playing hardball politics inside the beltway since before you were even born, isn't as qualified as a congressman sounds a bit silly to me. The man was the special counsel to the Watergate Commission and hardball politics aren't played any faster than the first coup d'état in United States History.
You said that Hunter is nice looking and commands respect and the type women will look to as keeping our country safe. Well I'm a man and really have no opinion here other than to say that Fred does have a bloodhound look about him, but realize this... television is all about ratings and Thompson is on a long running very successful prime time show.
I have no idea how big Hunter is but I do know that John Wayne is 6'4" and Fred Thompson is 6'6". I'll trust that you know he's a big man and believe you. However, I fail to see your syllogism that's connects Hunter to Wayne because of height and not Thompson to Wayne.
You mentioned; Oh yes, how could I forget this 'slovenly' argument??!! I suggest you shouldn't forget it, at least not without peril. Steve Buscemi is a much better actor than George Clooney. Which of these two is likely to be a leading man in a movie this year? I don't make the rules. I just play by them.
I want to finish by explaining to you that I have no particular problem at all with Duncan Hunter, nor do I have a big problem with any of the candidates for the GOP nomination. I will support the candidate that my party puts forward next year period. Hell, I'd be proud to support Congressman Hunter. He's just simply going to have to contact a tailor and hire Senator Thompsons wife. She's a political media consultant at Verner Liipfert law firm in Washington, and works/worked for the Senate Republican Conference and Republican National Committee.