Duncan Hunter, San Diego-area Congressman, to seek 2008 GOP nomination for Pres

[yellowbismark]

Here (http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20061030-9999-bn30hunter2.html)

Congressmen since 1980
Pro-Iraq War
anti-immigration

he should fit in just fine

[The Gribbler]

Because San Diego county Republicans have really given themselves a great image lately...:rolleyes:

[MassachusettsRef]

Good to see our committee chairman have their eyes on the prize when we're 8 days out from a tossup election that will decide so much. The reaction was flat-out laughable when we found out here last night.

[Chris M.]

Good to see our committee chairman have their eyes on the prize when we're 8 days out from a tossup election that will decide so much. The reaction was flat-out laughable when we found out here last night.


That was my thought as well. Why the hell wouldn't he wait two weeks?

[Samarkand]

Because everyyone will be all electioned out for a while and best get an early start on these things. But it is man/candidate before party, as MR has said.....

[SoFla Metro]

That was my thought as well. Why the hell wouldn't he wait two weeks?
Because he can raise more money as a committe chair than he can when he's not.

[MassachusettsRef]

That was my thought as well. Why the hell wouldn't he wait two weeks?I'm sure his thinking is that post-Election Day will be cluttered with recounts, runoffs and leadership elections. Both sides will face volatile Elections. In reality, if he's absolutely insistent upon running, the timing of the announcement does make some sense (though, let's say, August would have been smarter). The problem is, him running period makes little sense.

The press is also playing up the fact that if he announces now, he announces as Armed Services chair, rather than, potentially, ranking member...but that doesn't make sense; no matter what, he's Chair until January.

[MassachusettsRef]

Because he can raise more money as a committe chair than he can when he's not.Ah, see, once the press says something, it becomes true! That doesn't make any sense whatsoever. No PAC or special interest is going to be knocking down Duncan Hunter's door, ready to donate money to his Presidential bid--committee chair or not. People are going to wait until after the Elections even if they're considering Hunter at all. And post-Election is a lameduck session. Moreover, no one is donating to Presidential campaigns now--especially not an obscure 10,000 to 1 shot from the House. All the money is going to House and Senate races.

I think this is a case of some vanity, some boredom, and, probably, some sense of duty (I think Hunter's a good guy, just not Presidential). If he absolutely was dead-set on doing this, it does make more sense to do it now, rather than after November 7th, solely for the mere fact that he generates a little news. After November, the recounts and runoffs occur, leadership elections take place and then all the heavy-hitters start to officially announce for 2008. Hunter would have got lost in the shuffle and earned zero news. As it stands right now, he gets a 24 hour cycle or two.

[superdave]

a tossup election
Hopefully it will be a tossOUT election. :D

[SoFla Metro]

Ah, see, once the press says something, it becomes true!
Ah, see, I hadn't read anything about this before coming on here...

[MassachusettsRef]

Ah, see, I hadn't read anything about this before coming on here...Fine. But it's the way it's being spun so I figured you had. And, no offense intended, but it's such an obviously wrong assessment that it's frustrating when a supposedly informed press tosses it around.

It lacks any sort of critical analysis. Who's he raising money from in a run for President right now? Absolutely nobody--at least nobody that cares whether he's a committee chair or not. Any intitial money is coming from close friends, families, and long-time supporters.

[Malaga CF fan]

He's the bizarro Dennis Kucinich.

[Claymore]

Hey why not? I hereby by announce MY candidacy for '08!

EDIT: here's my platform:

- phased withdrawal from Iraq witha defined timetable
- Congressional hearings on war profiteering
- universal healthcare phased in by 2012; built upon the MA model
- tax breaks continued for large corporations, but contingent upon reinvestment in US operations and worker training
- fully fund SS and take it off the books
- repeal NCLB
- repeal Patriot Act
- repeal Military Commissions Act
- full re-write of FISA to address modern surveillance technologies
- eliminate the revolving door between Congress/Military and gov't contractors/lobbyists
- full public campaign funding
- reduce defense spending by 25%; reinvest in education initiatives
- abolish the electoral college system
- federal term limits - if it's good for the Executive branch, it's good for everyone else.

[Revolt]

I wonder if Hunter will still run from prison.

[MasterShake29]

He's not in prison, but he has gone off the deep end.

http://www.digg.com/political_opinion/Rep_Hunter_Coulter_Is_Approaching_The_Level_Of_Being_A_Great_American

Yesterday, Duncan Hunter said that Elizabeth Edwards ’s calls to stop making “personal attacks” against her family were attempts to “silence conservative voices.” He added that Coulter “is a very articulate spokeswoman for the conservative view” and “closely approaching that level of being a great American.”

[CrewDust]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080120/pl_nm/usa_politics_hunter_dc_1;_ylt=AqIF.uBTPYH8QfpMsd9SfNBh24cA

Well, he's out now.

[BenReilly]

I'll have to give him a lot of credit for not even being a blip. It takes a lot of effort to be utterly and completely irrelevant. Even Brownback had a little impact.

[biggyv]

I'll have to give him a lot of credit for not even being a blip. It takes a lot of effort to be utterly and completely irrelevant. Even Brownback had a little impact.
Until I clicked on the link to the story about his dropping out, I didn't even know what he looked like. I pictured him looking more youthful, in a Dan Quayle sort of way. Duncan seems like a younger guy's name.

[Revolt]

Good riddance to a bad man.

[monop_poly]

I'll have to give him a lot of credit for not even being a blip. It takes a lot of effort to be utterly and completely irrelevant. Even Brownback had a little impact.

And yet, he still left a bad taste in our mouths ...