Duncan Hunter presidential campaign, 2008
Encyclopedia
Fourteen-term Congressman
and Vietnam War
veteran Duncan Hunter
of California
announced his intentions to run for the 2008 Republican nomination for President of the United States
in January 2007. He focused his campaign on the issues of border security, trade, and the war on terrorism
. If he were elected, Hunter would have been the first sitting member of the House of Representatives to be elected president since James A. Garfield in 1880
.
Hunter expressed that he was in the campaign to win and would retire from his congressional seat once the election was over. Throughout 2007, he was in the second tier of Republican candidates, consistently receiving 3% or less support among Republicans in national polls. He dropped out of the race on January 19, 2008 after a poor turnout in the Nevada Republican caucuses
of which he placed last among candidates on the Republican ballot.
The following is an account of the Duncan Hunter presidential campaign, 2008.
to test the waters. Hunter officially announced his candidacy for president on January 23, 2007 after filing papers with the Federal Elections Commission.
, Facebook
and YouTube
.
He participated in all televised Republican Party
(GOP) debates until January 5, 2008. He was noted for his role in the May 15 South Carolina debate when he stated his position and experience with the issue of border security. Hunter stated that he "built the border fence in San Diego
" and claims it resulted in reductions in the smuggling of narcotics by 90% and a 50% drop in crime. Hunter spoke of the bill passed by Congress to build 854 miles (1,374.4 km) of border fence across the Southwest. He continued by stating that as of that moment (May 15, 2007) only two miles of the fence had been built. He went on to quip that "this [Bush] administration
has a case of the slows on border enforcement."
In next month, Hunter participated in the third GOP debate, featured on CNN
. During the forum, he discussed his support for the war in Iraq, his experience as chairman of the Armed Services Committee and articulated his belief in the importance of training Iraqi battalions for security in Iraq. In regards to Iran, Hunter expressed his belief that the Iranian regime was helping to arm the insurgency in Iraq. If it was found that Iran was developing a nuclear weapon
, Hunter stated that he "would authorize the use of tactical nuclear weapons [to end development] if there was no other way to preempt..." After discussing foreign policy, Hunter turned his attention to the issue of immigration. He again argued on the importance of a border wall and evoked the audience's memory about the fence he helped build in his congressional district, quipping "if they (illegal immigrants) get across my fence [in San Diego], we sign them up for the Olympics immediately." At the end of the debate, Hunter took the opportunity to criticize the three frontrunners: John McCain
, Rudy Giuliani
and Mitt Romney
; furthering his belief that Democratic Senator
Ted Kennedy
of Massachusetts
had exerted too much influence on the three men, describing them as the "Kennedy Wing of the Republican Party" and expressing his belief that the Party should avoid a move in that direction.
with China
. He continued campaigning after hearing of the statement and won the Texas Straw Poll
a few days later with Tyler at his side.
After his victory in the Straw poll, Hunter received media attention for his response to Iran
ian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's invitation to speak to students at Columbia University
. He criticized the school for its decision while campaigning, stating that "if the left-wing leaders of academia will not support our troops, they, in the very least, should not support our adversaries..." He went on to call for federal funding of the University to be pulled. These statements resulted in criticism from liberals such as Glenn Greenwald
, who described Hunter's proposal as "dangerous", "improper" and "unconstitutional".
Later in the month, it was revealed that Hunter's campaign website had been hacked by anti-war
activists for a few hours. The activists added the words, "hacked by Adnali f0r TurkStorm [dot] org No War!" above images of children in a warzone. The website Turkstorm.org, cited in the hacking appeared to have no connection as IP
analysis identified that the hackers were from Germany. Roy Tyler revealed that hackers had attempted to change the website at least six times and that this was the first successful alteration.
At the October 21 Florida
GOP Debate, after stating that he felt that questioner Carl Cameron
was trying to divide the Republican Party, Hunter spoke of a situation that he thought might bring the participants together. He reminisced of a time when he felt the "Democrat Party [sic] lost its identity". He discussed his perception of the failure of the Kennedy administration over the Bay of Pigs Invasion
, comparing this to President Ronald Reagan
's actions in El Salvador
, which he described as being successful in advancing freedom in the nation. Hunter continued by remarking that at that moment the military of El Salvador was "fighting side by side with our guys (The United States military) in Iraq
." He finished his remark by stating that the Republican Party is "the Party of Freedom."
Following the October 21 GOP Debate, Hunter was informed that parts of his congressional district were burning as a result of the California wildfires of October 2007. He immediately stalled campaigning for president for a short time in October in order to help his constituents with the recovery effort.
Hunter sharply criticized politicians who connected the wildfires to the war in Iraq. He stated that these assessments were invalid because San Diego had more access to troops, helicopters and equipment than any other place in the nation. During an interview with Neil Cavuto
, Hunter gave an update on the wildfire situation and explained that the politicians "have got to have some creative writers to somehow link these — these natural disasters with — with troops in Iraq..."
In November 2007, near the day of remembrance of American Veterans on Veteran's Day, Hunter and his campaign reflected on the importance of Veterans to America and the security of freedom, "We cannot thank them [Veterans] all sufficiently...[they] have represented the finest of human qualities...Our veterans have made [a] sacrifice unflinchingly, with a character that General Douglas MacArthur
described as 'stainless'. They make the sacrifice for their comrades in arms, their 'buddies' and the immediate mission at hand. But in a greater sense they have made the sacrifice for millions of Americans whom they do not know and who do not know them" Hunter was also selected to serve as the grand marshal
for the 2007 San Diego Veteran's Day parade. The parade in downtown San Diego had the theme of "Honoring Those Who Serve Veterans" and Hunter took the selection as an honor.
The candidate participated in the November 28, 2007 CNN/YouTube GOP Debate, receiving a question about the military's "Don't ask, don't tell
" policy. The questioner, former Brig. Gen. Keith Kerr
first announced that he was homosexual and proceeded to ask "...why you [Republican candidates] think that American men and women in uniform are not professional enough to serve with gays and lesbians?" Hunter thanked the general for his service and then stated that he believed the sole issue was "unit cohesion
," mirroring a statement made by former Secretary of State
Colin Powell
. After the debate, it was found that Kerr was a member of Hillary Clinton's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transexual Americans For Hillary Steering Committee. Because of this revelation, footage of the question was removed from future CNN telecasts. The next day, Hunter sent a letter to Hillary Clinton that read: "Dear Hillary Clinton, Regarding the "plant", retired Brig. Gen. Keith H. Kerr, that you sent to ask me the question at the CNN-YouTube debate last night in Florida. Send more!!! Merry Christmas, Duncan Hunter." The Hillary Clinton campaign
did not respond to the letter.
receiving only .5% (515 of the 100,593 votes cast) and no delegates. He was subsequently denied an invitation to the ABC News
Debate held on January 5, 2008 because he did not meet the 5% polling threshold necessary for participation. However, Hunter focused only minimally on the state of Iowa putting more resources into the first primary state of New Hampshire
. Unlike the other GOP candidates, Hunter traveled to Wyoming
for the January 5, 2008 Wyoming Republican County Conventions. The convention was largely ignored by the mainstream media and Hunter had campaigned in the state more than any other candidate; he won one national delegate from the convention and one alternate delegate, finishing in third place behind winner Mitt Romney
and Fred Thompson
, not counting uncommitted delegates. At the first in the nation primary in New Hampshire
on January 8, Hunter finished in seventh place with only 1% of the vote. After finishing in last place in the Michigan Republican primary
(receiving 1%), the Nevada Republican caucuses
(2%), and the South Carolina Republican primary
(0%), Hunter dropped out of the race on January 19, 2008.
In his withdrawal speech, given from the same pier at Naval Base San Diego where he had begun his campaign in October 2006, Hunter thanked his supporters, expressed the amusement he and his family had on the campaign trail and the influence he had on the debate within the party, "The failure of our campaign to gain traction is mine and mine alone, but we have driven the issues of national security, the border fence, the emergence of China and the need to reverse bad trade policy. Because of that, this campaign has been very worthwhile, and for the Hunter family, a lot of fun." Four days later, Hunter endorsed former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee
for the Republican nomination.
Late Show with David Letterman
poked fun at Hunter's relative obscurity by making a mock statement regarding his withdrawal, saying "we don't know what he actually looks like" and substituting Hunter's picture with that of "beloved character actor Ben Gazzara
."
Hunter received endorsements from some notable individuals and gained donations from prominent businessmen. Roger Milliken
, chair of Milliken and Company donated $
2,100. Bruce Bartlett
, founder of Bartlett Holdings, a nuclear technology firm gave $2,300 to the campaign, and James Ritchie, CEO of the International Foundation of Hope donated $500. As of June 30, 2007, Hunter raised $1,352,941 and spent $1,140,014 leaving a surplus of $212,927.
The campaign was endorsed by retired United States Air Force
Brigadier General
Chuck Yeager
. Yeager was the first pilot to have broken the sound barrier
, a feat he accomplished in 1947. Hunter had named Yeager as an honorary national chairman.
Political commentator Ann Coulter
described Hunter as "her first choice for president." The comments Coulter had made regarding former Senator John Edwards
, had been condemned by many, even by some conservatives. When asked about a call Elizabeth Edwards
made to Coulter during one of the latter's appearances on MSNBC Hardball
, Hunter defended Coulter saying, “Well, I think what Senator Edwards’ wife said was very consistent with what lots of Democrats and lots of liberals have said... and that is that we need to silence conservative voices.” He described Coulter as “a particularly articulate spokeswoman for the conservative view” and jokingly added: “Especially since Ann Coulter said nice things about me, I think she’s closely approaching that level of being a great American.”
The founders of two prominent conservative news and opinion websites, Joseph Farah
of WorldNetDaily
and Nathan Tabor
of The Conservative Voice, both endorsed Hunter. Tabor served as director of internet outreach for his campaign.
Hunter received the endorsement of the Missouri Republican Assembly (MRA) in November 2007. In their endorsement, the assembly cited Hunter as a "true Republican" who shared their views on the issues. MRA state president Chris Brown stated, "Congressman Hunter is a true social conservative and honestly represents the Republican Wing of the Republican Party, when you add together Duncan Hunter's commitment to the military, American jobs, and fighting for family and life issues, there is no better choice for President. America needs Hunter's integrity, courage and proven leadership."
On December 21, 2007, Hunter received the endorsement of former New Hampshire
Senator
Robert C. Smith
. Smith cited Hunter as the best candidate to carry the "Reagan Torch" and the best qualified candidate to protect conservative values. Smith wrote a letter to Republicans in New Hampshire, following his endorsement to explain his decision to endorse Hunter, stating "there will never be another Ronald Reagan but fellow Californian Duncan Hunter can pick up the Reagan torch and light the way for America to come back from the dangers we now face."
Hunter was endorsed by the Nevada Republican Assembly at their Presidential Endorsing Convention on January 6, 2008. He won the endorsement after receiving a two-thirds majority of all votes cast. Members of the assembly cited Hunter as their choice for president "for his stand on the...the sanctity of life, support of [the] constitution
, 2nd Amendment
rights, security of [the] borders, limited government..." among other aspects of his campaign platform. Hunter had previously addressed the assembly on January 5, one day before the endorsement.
Hunter's performance in opinion polls had been notably inconsistent. The campaign was criticized for not having the voter visibility needed to break through to the top tier and MSNBC.com
demoted him from lightweight to "flyweight" among others in the Republican field. The candidate is shown in some polls as having less than 1% support among Republicans, as noted in a July 12-15 Gallup poll placing Hunter in 10th place with 1% support, but in a separate poll conducted by Gallup on July 6-8 without Former Speaker of the House
Newt Gingrich
, the candidate placed fifth with 3% support, trailing only Rudy Giuliani
, Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney
, and John McCain
; putting the campaign atop all other second tier candidates. In later polls including the December 8 American Research Group
survey, Hunter was statistically tied with Fred Thompson for fourth place (undecided voters excluded) in the early battleground state of Nevada. In Michigan, Hunter was tied with Thompson and Ron Paul
for fifth place at 4%, according to a WXYZ-TV
poll. Los Angeles Times
columnist Don Frederick pointed out that Hunter's support in the polls came almost entirely from Republican men, where he garnered 6% among that demographic in the publication's poll from December 2007. Among women, his support was nearly zero.
In straw polls, Hunter was more competitive. He won Arizona
's Maricopa County
straw poll
from January 13, 2007, topping Senator John McCain. Two months later on March 1, in the third primary state of South Carolina
, a straw poll was conducted in the Spartanburg area, in which Hunter finished a close third (by six votes) in a statistical tie with McCain (1st) and Giuliani (2nd). Commenting on Hunter’s showing, Spartanburg Republican Gerald Emory said, “Now we have a true Ronald Reagan conservative that we can support. This is a proud night for the Grand Ole Party
.” The following month on April 17, Hunter won the Anderson County (South Carolina
) straw poll with 48 percent of the vote, defeating Romney (25 percent), McCain (7 percent), and Giuliani (5 percent). The candidate also tied for second place in both the Geenwood County and Pickens County straw polls. In regards to the polls, Hunter stated "I am grateful to the great conservatives of Anderson, Greenwood, and Pickens Counties for giving our campaign a huge boost. It is clear our message of maintaining a strong national defense, securing our border without amnesty, holding China accountable on trade, and protecting life are resonating with the voters. Our campaign is one of issues, not flash and expense. We don't have a jet or an army of consultants and paid staff. We do have the conservative message that is true. In the end, that will be what Americans want." In Iowa
, where the candidate had done little campaigning, Hunter finished without a single vote in a "just for fun" Crawford County
poll and finished in 9th place out of 11 (with 172 votes) in the Ames Straw Poll
, but finished nine votes behind Rudy Giuliani and well ahead of McCain. Hunter handily won the Townhall.com
Texas Straw Poll
on September 1, 2007, in Fort Worth, Texas, with almost double the votes of second-place Fred Thompson. He received a total of 534 votes, well ahead of Fred Thompson who came in second with 266 votes. Texas Congressman Ron Paul
finished in third with 217 votes. During a October poll in Nevada, Hunter finished third, two percentage points behind John McCain.
, trade
and his conservative record. He boasted that he had been given a 92% lifetime rating from the ACU
indicating a strong conservative record, and referred to himself as a "true conservative."
He used the issue of border security as the foundation of his campaign, promoting the platform that the United States Government should complete the construction of the border wall on the southern border with Mexico
. This action was approved by Congress with the passage of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006. Hunter felt the federal government was not building the wall in the speed he preferred.
Hunter ran his campaign as an avid supporter of President Bush. He believed that the government must be able to collect and use intelligence to fight the War on Terrorism. Hunter pointed to the fact that America had not experienced a terrorist attack on its soil since the events of 9/11 as evidence that the Bush policies were working. He supported all provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act
but stated that intelligence agencies should protect Civil Rights.
Hunter was particularly concerned with American trade and spoke often about it while on the campaign trail, stating that "China cheats on trade" with the United States. He reflected his belief that the workers of America were the greatest in the world and that they were being hurt when jobs were outsourced to other nations with cheaper labor. Hunter felt that when America traded on what he called a "one-way street" with nations like China, it devalued the American currency and hurt the workforce. Hunter was more supportive of fair trade
than he was of free trade
.
Documentaries, topic pages and databases
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
and Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
veteran Duncan Hunter
Duncan Hunter
Duncan Lee Hunter is an American politician. He was a Republican member of the House of Representatives from California's 52nd, 45th and 42nd districts from 1981 to 2009....
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
announced his intentions to run for the 2008 Republican nomination for President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
in January 2007. He focused his campaign on the issues of border security, trade, and the war on terrorism
War on Terrorism
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
. If he were elected, Hunter would have been the first sitting member of the House of Representatives to be elected president since James A. Garfield in 1880
United States presidential election, 1880
The United States presidential election of 1880 was largely seen as a referendum on the end of Reconstruction in Southern states carried out by the Republicans. There were no pressing issues of the day save tariffs, with the Republicans supporting higher tariffs and the Democrats supporting lower...
.
Hunter expressed that he was in the campaign to win and would retire from his congressional seat once the election was over. Throughout 2007, he was in the second tier of Republican candidates, consistently receiving 3% or less support among Republicans in national polls. He dropped out of the race on January 19, 2008 after a poor turnout in the Nevada Republican caucuses
Nevada Republican caucuses, 2008
The Nevada Republican caucuses, 2008 was held on January 19, the same day as the 2008 South Carolina Republican primary, with 31 delegates at stake. Mitt Romney was the winner in Nevada with 51% of the votes, with Ron Paul in second place. Half of Romney's votes came from Mormons, while two-thirds...
of which he placed last among candidates on the Republican ballot.
The following is an account of the Duncan Hunter presidential campaign, 2008.
Campaign developments
Campaign announcements
Hunter first made an announcement that he would possibly be seeking the Republican nomination for president of the United States on October 30, 2006, speaking from the waterfront of Naval Base San Diego. In early January 2007 he formed an exploratory committeeExploratory Committee
In the election politics of the United States, an exploratory committee is an organization established to help determine whether a potential candidate should run for an elected office. They are most often cited in reference to United States Presidential hopefuls, prior to the primaries.Exploratory...
to test the waters. Hunter officially announced his candidacy for president on January 23, 2007 after filing papers with the Federal Elections Commission.
First half of 2007
After declaring, Hunter created a website for his run, and opened accounts on MySpaceMySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
and YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
He participated in all televised Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
(GOP) debates until January 5, 2008. He was noted for his role in the May 15 South Carolina debate when he stated his position and experience with the issue of border security. Hunter stated that he "built the border fence in San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
" and claims it resulted in reductions in the smuggling of narcotics by 90% and a 50% drop in crime. Hunter spoke of the bill passed by Congress to build 854 miles (1,374.4 km) of border fence across the Southwest. He continued by stating that as of that moment (May 15, 2007) only two miles of the fence had been built. He went on to quip that "this [Bush] administration
George W. Bush administration
The presidency of George W. Bush began on January 20, 2001, when he was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States of America. The oldest son of former president George H. W. Bush, George W...
has a case of the slows on border enforcement."
In next month, Hunter participated in the third GOP debate, featured on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
. During the forum, he discussed his support for the war in Iraq, his experience as chairman of the Armed Services Committee and articulated his belief in the importance of training Iraqi battalions for security in Iraq. In regards to Iran, Hunter expressed his belief that the Iranian regime was helping to arm the insurgency in Iraq. If it was found that Iran was developing a nuclear weapon
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
, Hunter stated that he "would authorize the use of tactical nuclear weapons [to end development] if there was no other way to preempt..." After discussing foreign policy, Hunter turned his attention to the issue of immigration. He again argued on the importance of a border wall and evoked the audience's memory about the fence he helped build in his congressional district, quipping "if they (illegal immigrants) get across my fence [in San Diego], we sign them up for the Olympics immediately." At the end of the debate, Hunter took the opportunity to criticize the three frontrunners: John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
, Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
and Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
; furthering his belief that Democratic Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Ted Kennedy
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
had exerted too much influence on the three men, describing them as the "Kennedy Wing of the Republican Party" and expressing his belief that the Party should avoid a move in that direction.
Second half of 2007
In late August 2007, Duncan Hunter's campaign communication's director, Roy Tyler was quoted as stating that he believed the chances of Hunter winning the nomination were the same as "pushing a string through a maze." This came as Hunter spoke to students at the Brown-Lupton Student Center about the foci of his campaign; border security and fair tradeFair trade
Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...
with China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. He continued campaigning after hearing of the statement and won the Texas Straw Poll
Texas Straw Poll
The Texas Straw Poll is a straw poll for the United States Republican presidential primary elections that was started in 2007 through promotion by Townhall.com. The first poll was held on Saturday, September 1, 2007, in Fort Worth, Texas...
a few days later with Tyler at his side.
After his victory in the Straw poll, Hunter received media attention for his response to Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's invitation to speak to students at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. He criticized the school for its decision while campaigning, stating that "if the left-wing leaders of academia will not support our troops, they, in the very least, should not support our adversaries..." He went on to call for federal funding of the University to be pulled. These statements resulted in criticism from liberals such as Glenn Greenwald
Glenn Greenwald
Glenn Greenwald is an American lawyer, columnist, blogger, and author. Greenwald worked as a constitutional and civil rights litigator before becoming a contributor to Salon.com, where he focuses on political and legal topics...
, who described Hunter's proposal as "dangerous", "improper" and "unconstitutional".
Later in the month, it was revealed that Hunter's campaign website had been hacked by anti-war
Anti-war
An anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many...
activists for a few hours. The activists added the words, "hacked by Adnali f0r TurkStorm [dot] org No War!" above images of children in a warzone. The website Turkstorm.org, cited in the hacking appeared to have no connection as IP
Internet Protocol
The Internet Protocol is the principal communications protocol used for relaying datagrams across an internetwork using the Internet Protocol Suite...
analysis identified that the hackers were from Germany. Roy Tyler revealed that hackers had attempted to change the website at least six times and that this was the first successful alteration.
At the October 21 Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
GOP Debate, after stating that he felt that questioner Carl Cameron
Carl Cameron
Carl Cameron is an American television journalist and commentator for Fox News Channel.-Early life and education:As a child Cameron spent several years in Iran, where his father worked as an archaeologist....
was trying to divide the Republican Party, Hunter spoke of a situation that he thought might bring the participants together. He reminisced of a time when he felt the "Democrat Party [sic] lost its identity". He discussed his perception of the failure of the Kennedy administration over the Bay of Pigs Invasion
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs Invasion was an unsuccessful action by a CIA-trained force of Cuban exiles to invade southern Cuba, with support and encouragement from the US government, in an attempt to overthrow the Cuban government of Fidel Castro. The invasion was launched in April 1961, less than three months...
, comparing this to President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
's actions in El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, which he described as being successful in advancing freedom in the nation. Hunter continued by remarking that at that moment the military of El Salvador was "fighting side by side with our guys (The United States military) in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
." He finished his remark by stating that the Republican Party is "the Party of Freedom."
Hunter sharply criticized politicians who connected the wildfires to the war in Iraq. He stated that these assessments were invalid because San Diego had more access to troops, helicopters and equipment than any other place in the nation. During an interview with Neil Cavuto
Neil Cavuto
Neil Patrick Cavuto is an American television anchor and commentator on the Fox Business Network and host of three television programs, Your World with Neil Cavuto and Cavuto on Business, both on the Fox News Channel and Cavuto on sister channel Fox Business Network.Cavuto also tapes a nightly...
, Hunter gave an update on the wildfire situation and explained that the politicians "have got to have some creative writers to somehow link these — these natural disasters with — with troops in Iraq..."
In November 2007, near the day of remembrance of American Veterans on Veteran's Day, Hunter and his campaign reflected on the importance of Veterans to America and the security of freedom, "We cannot thank them [Veterans] all sufficiently...[they] have represented the finest of human qualities...Our veterans have made [a] sacrifice unflinchingly, with a character that General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
described as 'stainless'. They make the sacrifice for their comrades in arms, their 'buddies' and the immediate mission at hand. But in a greater sense they have made the sacrifice for millions of Americans whom they do not know and who do not know them" Hunter was also selected to serve as the grand marshal
Grand Marshal
Grand Marshal is a ceremonial, military, or political office of very high rank. The term has its origins with the word "Marshal" with the first usage of the term "Grand Marshal" as a ceremonial title for certain religious orders...
for the 2007 San Diego Veteran's Day parade. The parade in downtown San Diego had the theme of "Honoring Those Who Serve Veterans" and Hunter took the selection as an honor.
The candidate participated in the November 28, 2007 CNN/YouTube GOP Debate, receiving a question about the military's "Don't ask, don't tell
Don't ask, don't tell
"Don't ask, don't tell" was the official United States policy on homosexuals serving in the military from December 21, 1993 to September 20, 2011. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while...
" policy. The questioner, former Brig. Gen. Keith Kerr
Keith Kerr
Keith Kerr, Colonel, USA-ret, and BG, CSMR-ret., is a retired United States Army Reserve Colonel, who later was given the rank of Brigadier General in the California State Military Reserve, part of the California State Defense Forces who in 2003 became one of the highest ranking military officers...
first announced that he was homosexual and proceeded to ask "...why you [Republican candidates] think that American men and women in uniform are not professional enough to serve with gays and lesbians?" Hunter thanked the general for his service and then stated that he believed the sole issue was "unit cohesion
Unit cohesion
Unit cohesion is a military concept, defined by one former United States Chief of staff in the early 1980s as "the bonding together of soldiers in such a way as to sustain their will and commitment to each other, the unit, and mission accomplishment, despite combat or mission stress"...
," mirroring a statement made by former Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Colin Powell
Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African American to serve in that position. During his military...
. After the debate, it was found that Kerr was a member of Hillary Clinton's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transexual Americans For Hillary Steering Committee. Because of this revelation, footage of the question was removed from future CNN telecasts. The next day, Hunter sent a letter to Hillary Clinton that read: "Dear Hillary Clinton, Regarding the "plant", retired Brig. Gen. Keith H. Kerr, that you sent to ask me the question at the CNN-YouTube debate last night in Florida. Send more!!! Merry Christmas, Duncan Hunter." The Hillary Clinton campaign
Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2008
New York junior Senator and former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton had expressed interest in the 2008 United States presidential election since at least October 2002, drawing media speculation on whether she would become a candidate. No woman has ever won the nomination of a major party in the...
did not respond to the letter.
Primary and caucus results 2008
Hunter finished seventh place in the January 3, 2008 Iowa Republican caucusesIowa Republican caucuses, 2008
The 2008 Iowa Republican caucuses took place on January 4, 2008. The Iowa Republican caucuses are an unofficial primary, with the delegates to the state convention selected proportionally via a straw poll...
receiving only .5% (515 of the 100,593 votes cast) and no delegates. He was subsequently denied an invitation to the ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
Debate held on January 5, 2008 because he did not meet the 5% polling threshold necessary for participation. However, Hunter focused only minimally on the state of Iowa putting more resources into the first primary state of New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
. Unlike the other GOP candidates, Hunter traveled to Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
for the January 5, 2008 Wyoming Republican County Conventions. The convention was largely ignored by the mainstream media and Hunter had campaigned in the state more than any other candidate; he won one national delegate from the convention and one alternate delegate, finishing in third place behind winner Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney presidential campaign, 2008
Mitt Romney was a Republican Party primary candidate in the 2008 United States presidential election. On January 3, 2007, two days before he stepped down as governor of Massachusetts, Romney filed to form a presidential exploratory committee with the Federal Election Commission...
and Fred Thompson
Fred Thompson presidential campaign, 2008
Fred Thompson was a Republican Party primary candidate to represent his party in the 2008 United States presidential election. Thompson has worked as a lawyer, lobbyist, and character actor, and he represented Tennessee as a Republican in the U.S...
, not counting uncommitted delegates. At the first in the nation primary in New Hampshire
New Hampshire Republican primary, 2008
The 2008 New Hampshire Republican primary took place on January 8, 2008, with 12 national delegates being allocated proportionally to the popular vote...
on January 8, Hunter finished in seventh place with only 1% of the vote. After finishing in last place in the Michigan Republican primary
Michigan Republican primary, 2008
The 2008 Michigan Republican primary took place on January 15, 2008. Mitt Romney came in first with 39 percent of the vote, followed by John McCain with 30 percent and Mike Huckabee in third-place with 16 percent...
(receiving 1%), the Nevada Republican caucuses
Nevada Republican caucuses, 2008
The Nevada Republican caucuses, 2008 was held on January 19, the same day as the 2008 South Carolina Republican primary, with 31 delegates at stake. Mitt Romney was the winner in Nevada with 51% of the votes, with Ron Paul in second place. Half of Romney's votes came from Mormons, while two-thirds...
(2%), and the South Carolina Republican primary
South Carolina Republican primary, 2008
The South Carolina Republican primary, 2008 was held on January 19, with 24 delegates at stake. The Republican National Committee took half of South Carolina's 47 delegates away from them because the state committee moved its Republican primary before February 5...
(0%), Hunter dropped out of the race on January 19, 2008.
In his withdrawal speech, given from the same pier at Naval Base San Diego where he had begun his campaign in October 2006, Hunter thanked his supporters, expressed the amusement he and his family had on the campaign trail and the influence he had on the debate within the party, "The failure of our campaign to gain traction is mine and mine alone, but we have driven the issues of national security, the border fence, the emergence of China and the need to reverse bad trade policy. Because of that, this campaign has been very worthwhile, and for the Hunter family, a lot of fun." Four days later, Hunter endorsed former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee
Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
for the Republican nomination.
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
poked fun at Hunter's relative obscurity by making a mock statement regarding his withdrawal, saying "we don't know what he actually looks like" and substituting Hunter's picture with that of "beloved character actor Ben Gazzara
Ben Gazzara
-Early life:Gazzara was born Biagio Anthony Gazzara in New York City, the son of Italian immigrants Angelina and Antonio Gazzara, who was a laborer and carpenter. Gazzara grew up on New York's tough Lower East Side. He actually lived on E. 29th Street and participated in the drama program at...
."
Endorsements/donations
List of people endorsing Duncan Hunter |
|---|
Hunter's endorsers include:
|
Roger Milliken
Roger Milliken was a U.S. textile heir and businessman. He served as President and then CEO of his family's company, Milliken & Company, from 1947 until 2005...
, chair of Milliken and Company donated $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
2,100. Bruce Bartlett
Bruce Bartlett
Bruce Bartlett is an American historian who turned to writing about supply-side economics. He was a domestic policy adviser to President Ronald Reagan and was a Treasury official under President George H.W. Bush....
, founder of Bartlett Holdings, a nuclear technology firm gave $2,300 to the campaign, and James Ritchie, CEO of the International Foundation of Hope donated $500. As of June 30, 2007, Hunter raised $1,352,941 and spent $1,140,014 leaving a surplus of $212,927.
The campaign was endorsed by retired United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Chuck Yeager
Chuck Yeager
Charles Elwood "Chuck" Yeager is a retired major general in the United States Air Force and noted test pilot. He was the first pilot to travel faster than sound...
. Yeager was the first pilot to have broken the sound barrier
Sound barrier
The sound barrier, in aerodynamics, is the point at which an aircraft moves from transonic to supersonic speed. The term, which occasionally has other meanings, came into use during World War II, when a number of aircraft started to encounter the effects of compressibility, a collection of several...
, a feat he accomplished in 1947. Hunter had named Yeager as an honorary national chairman.
Political commentator Ann Coulter
Ann Coulter
Ann Hart Coulter is an American lawyer, conservative social and political commentator, author, and syndicated columnist. She frequently appears on television, radio, and as a speaker at public events and private events...
described Hunter as "her first choice for president." The comments Coulter had made regarding former Senator John Edwards
John Edwards
Johnny Reid "John" Edwards is an American politician, who served as a U.S. Senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004, and was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008.He defeated incumbent Republican Lauch Faircloth in...
, had been condemned by many, even by some conservatives. When asked about a call Elizabeth Edwards
Elizabeth Edwards
Elizabeth Anania Edwards was an American attorney, a best-selling author and a health care activist. She was married to John Edwards, the former U.S...
made to Coulter during one of the latter's appearances on MSNBC Hardball
Hardball with Chris Matthews
Hardball with Chris Matthews is a talk show on MSNBC, broadcast weekdays at 5 and 7 PM hosted by Chris Matthews. It originally aired on now-defunct America's Talking and later CNBC. The current title was derived from a book Matthews wrote in 1988, Hardball: How Politics Is Played Told by One Who...
, Hunter defended Coulter saying, “Well, I think what Senator Edwards’ wife said was very consistent with what lots of Democrats and lots of liberals have said... and that is that we need to silence conservative voices.” He described Coulter as “a particularly articulate spokeswoman for the conservative view” and jokingly added: “Especially since Ann Coulter said nice things about me, I think she’s closely approaching that level of being a great American.”
The founders of two prominent conservative news and opinion websites, Joseph Farah
Joseph Farah
-External links:* Official website* *...
of WorldNetDaily
WorldNetDaily
WorldNetDaily is an American web site that publishes news and associated content from a U.S. conservative perspective. It was founded in May 1997 by Joseph Farah with the stated intent of "exposing wrongdoing, corruption and abuse of power" and is headquartered in Washington, D.C.-History:In...
and Nathan Tabor
Nathan Tabor
John Nathan Tabor is an American perennial candidate and nonfiction author.-Career:In May 1999, Tabor joined Revival Soy as joint owner and Vice President of Sales and Marketing...
of The Conservative Voice, both endorsed Hunter. Tabor served as director of internet outreach for his campaign.
Hunter received the endorsement of the Missouri Republican Assembly (MRA) in November 2007. In their endorsement, the assembly cited Hunter as a "true Republican" who shared their views on the issues. MRA state president Chris Brown stated, "Congressman Hunter is a true social conservative and honestly represents the Republican Wing of the Republican Party, when you add together Duncan Hunter's commitment to the military, American jobs, and fighting for family and life issues, there is no better choice for President. America needs Hunter's integrity, courage and proven leadership."
On December 21, 2007, Hunter received the endorsement of former New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Robert C. Smith
Robert C. Smith
Robert C. "Bob" Smith is an American politician who has served in both the United States House of Representatives and the Senate. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life:Smith was born in Trenton, New Jersey...
. Smith cited Hunter as the best candidate to carry the "Reagan Torch" and the best qualified candidate to protect conservative values. Smith wrote a letter to Republicans in New Hampshire, following his endorsement to explain his decision to endorse Hunter, stating "there will never be another Ronald Reagan but fellow Californian Duncan Hunter can pick up the Reagan torch and light the way for America to come back from the dangers we now face."
Hunter was endorsed by the Nevada Republican Assembly at their Presidential Endorsing Convention on January 6, 2008. He won the endorsement after receiving a two-thirds majority of all votes cast. Members of the assembly cited Hunter as their choice for president "for his stand on the...the sanctity of life, support of [the] constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
, 2nd Amendment
Second Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights.In 2008 and 2010, the Supreme Court issued two Second...
rights, security of [the] borders, limited government..." among other aspects of his campaign platform. Hunter had previously addressed the assembly on January 5, one day before the endorsement.
Polls
Msnbc.com
msnbc.com is a news website owned and operated as a joint venture by NBCUniversal and Microsoft.In addition to original content from its news staff, msnbc.com is the news website for the NBC News family, with content from the cable television news channel MSNBC, NBC shows such as Today, NBC Nightly...
demoted him from lightweight to "flyweight" among others in the Republican field. The candidate is shown in some polls as having less than 1% support among Republicans, as noted in a July 12-15 Gallup poll placing Hunter in 10th place with 1% support, but in a separate poll conducted by Gallup on July 6-8 without Former Speaker of the House
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
, the candidate placed fifth with 3% support, trailing only Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
, Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
, and John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
; putting the campaign atop all other second tier candidates. In later polls including the December 8 American Research Group
American Research Group
American Research Group, Incorporated is a U.S. opinion polling and marketing research company based in Manchester, New Hampshire.-External links:*...
survey, Hunter was statistically tied with Fred Thompson for fourth place (undecided voters excluded) in the early battleground state of Nevada. In Michigan, Hunter was tied with Thompson and Ron Paul
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
for fifth place at 4%, according to a WXYZ-TV
WXYZ-TV
WXYZ-TV, channel 7, is an ABC-affiliated television station in Detroit, Michigan, USA. WXYZ-TV is owned by the E.W. Scripps Company, and is the media company's largest-market TV station property...
poll. Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
columnist Don Frederick pointed out that Hunter's support in the polls came almost entirely from Republican men, where he garnered 6% among that demographic in the publication's poll from December 2007. Among women, his support was nearly zero.
In straw polls, Hunter was more competitive. He won Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
's Maricopa County
Maricopa County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*73.0% White*5.0% Black*2.1% Native American*3.5% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.5% Two or more races*12.7% Other races*29.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
straw poll
Straw poll
A straw poll or straw vote is a vote with nonbinding results. Straw polls provide dialogue among movements within large groups, reflecting trends like organization and motivation...
from January 13, 2007, topping Senator John McCain. Two months later on March 1, in the third primary state of South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, a straw poll was conducted in the Spartanburg area, in which Hunter finished a close third (by six votes) in a statistical tie with McCain (1st) and Giuliani (2nd). Commenting on Hunter’s showing, Spartanburg Republican Gerald Emory said, “Now we have a true Ronald Reagan conservative that we can support. This is a proud night for the Grand Ole Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
.” The following month on April 17, Hunter won the Anderson County (South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
) straw poll with 48 percent of the vote, defeating Romney (25 percent), McCain (7 percent), and Giuliani (5 percent). The candidate also tied for second place in both the Geenwood County and Pickens County straw polls. In regards to the polls, Hunter stated "I am grateful to the great conservatives of Anderson, Greenwood, and Pickens Counties for giving our campaign a huge boost. It is clear our message of maintaining a strong national defense, securing our border without amnesty, holding China accountable on trade, and protecting life are resonating with the voters. Our campaign is one of issues, not flash and expense. We don't have a jet or an army of consultants and paid staff. We do have the conservative message that is true. In the end, that will be what Americans want." In Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, where the candidate had done little campaigning, Hunter finished without a single vote in a "just for fun" Crawford County
Crawford County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 17,096 in the county, with a population density of . There were 6,943 housing units, of which 6,413 were occupied.-2000 census:...
poll and finished in 9th place out of 11 (with 172 votes) in the Ames Straw Poll
Ames Straw Poll
The Ames Straw Poll is a presidential straw poll taken by Iowa Republicans. It occurs in Ames, Iowa on the campus of Iowa State University, on a Saturday in August of years in an election cycle in which the Republican presidential nomination seems to be undecided...
, but finished nine votes behind Rudy Giuliani and well ahead of McCain. Hunter handily won the Townhall.com
Townhall.com
Townhall.com is a web-based publication primarily dedicated to conservative United States politics. It was previously operated by the Heritage Foundation, but is now owned and operated by Salem Communications...
Texas Straw Poll
Texas Straw Poll
The Texas Straw Poll is a straw poll for the United States Republican presidential primary elections that was started in 2007 through promotion by Townhall.com. The first poll was held on Saturday, September 1, 2007, in Fort Worth, Texas...
on September 1, 2007, in Fort Worth, Texas, with almost double the votes of second-place Fred Thompson. He received a total of 534 votes, well ahead of Fred Thompson who came in second with 266 votes. Texas Congressman Ron Paul
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
finished in third with 217 votes. During a October poll in Nevada, Hunter finished third, two percentage points behind John McCain.
Campaign focuses
On his campaign website, Hunter focused mainly on border security, the War on TerrorismWar on Terrorism
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
, trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
and his conservative record. He boasted that he had been given a 92% lifetime rating from the ACU
American Conservative Union
The American Conservative Union is an American political organization advocating conservative policies, and is the oldest such conservative lobbying organization in the country.-Organization:...
indicating a strong conservative record, and referred to himself as a "true conservative."
He used the issue of border security as the foundation of his campaign, promoting the platform that the United States Government should complete the construction of the border wall on the southern border with Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. This action was approved by Congress with the passage of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006. Hunter felt the federal government was not building the wall in the speed he preferred.
Hunter ran his campaign as an avid supporter of President Bush. He believed that the government must be able to collect and use intelligence to fight the War on Terrorism. Hunter pointed to the fact that America had not experienced a terrorist attack on its soil since the events of 9/11 as evidence that the Bush policies were working. He supported all provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act
USA PATRIOT Act
The USA PATRIOT Act is an Act of the U.S. Congress that was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001...
but stated that intelligence agencies should protect Civil Rights.
Hunter was particularly concerned with American trade and spoke often about it while on the campaign trail, stating that "China cheats on trade" with the United States. He reflected his belief that the workers of America were the greatest in the world and that they were being hurt when jobs were outsourced to other nations with cheaper labor. Hunter felt that when America traded on what he called a "one-way street" with nations like China, it devalued the American currency and hurt the workforce. Hunter was more supportive of fair trade
Fair trade
Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...
than he was of free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
.
External links
Official sitesDocumentaries, topic pages and databases
- New York Times — Duncan Hunter collected news stories and commentary
- Spartan Internet Political Performance Index Weekly Ranking for Duncan Hunter
- On the Issues — Duncan Hunter issue positions and quotes
- OpenSecrets.org — Duncan Hunter campaign contributions
- PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer - Vote 2008: Duncan Hunter
- Project Vote Smart — Duncan Hunter profile