Duncan L. Hunter 2008 presidential campaign

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Duncan Hunter for President 2008
San Diego, California
Key peopleSydney Hay (Manager)
Roy Tyler (National Communications Director)
ReceiptsUS$2.5 (2007-12-31)
Website
www.gohunter08.com (Archived)

Duncan L. Hunter's 2008 presidential campaign began when fourteen-term

2008 Republican nomination for President of the United States
in January 2007.

In the campaign, Hunter emphasized his conservative credentials, focusing on the issues of border security, the

consistently receiving three percent or less support among Republicans in national polls. However, the campaign reached a high point after Hunter won the Texas Straw Poll
.

Though he qualified for one National Convention delegate at the

Nevada caucuses
.

Background

Further information: Duncan L. Hunter
Official Congressional photo of Hunter.

Hunter served as a

Reagan Revolution.[3]

At the onset of the 2008 campaign, Hunter had served in Congress since 1981; representing

2006 mid-term election.[7]

Announcement

On October 30, 2006, before a crowd of about 100 people on the Naval Base San Diego waterfront, Hunter announced the formation of an exploratory committee to begin raising campaign funds and organizing supporters for the Republican Party's 2008 presidential nomination. He reasoned, "[t]his is going to be a long road, it's a challenging road, there's going to be some rough and tumble, but I think it's the right thing to do for our country."[8] He did not seek advice from party leaders before making the decision.[8] The New York Times described the move as a "surprise."[9] Mesa College Political Science professor Carl Luna speculated that Hunter's run was an attempt to find "something to do" in preparation for his loss of the Armed Services Committee chairmanship with Democrats heavily favored to reclaim the House.[8] Political analysts saw little chance for the campaign's success. Claremont McKenna College government professor Jack Pitney argued that due to low name recognition and "no following within the party", Hunter "faces extremely long odds".[8]

After the announcement, Hunter received the endorsement of retired Air Force Brigadier General

Federal Elections Commission to officially begin his presidential campaign.[12]

Campaign developments

First half of 2007

In order to build support early in the campaign, Hunter participated in local straw polls. On March 1, at the

Spartanburg, South Carolina poll, Hunter finished a close third in a statistical tie with McCain and Giuliani. The showing impressed Spartanburg Republican Gerald Emory who referred to Hunter as, "a true Ronald Reagan conservative that we can support."[13] The following month he won the Anderson County, South Carolina straw poll and tied for second place in both the Greenwood County and Pickens County
straw polls. Hunter thanked the counties for their support, which he claimed provided "a huge boost." He added, "[i]t 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."

Border fence along the border near San Diego.

This administration has a case of the slows on border enforcement.

Duncan L. Hunter[14]

Hunter participated in all televised

[Bush] administration has a case of the slows on border enforcement."[14]

The next month, Hunter participated in the third GOP debate, featured on

Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts exerted too much influence on the three men, describing them as the "Kennedy Wing of the Republican Party."[15]

Second half of 2007

A Gallup poll from early July 2007 showed Hunter with three percent support, placing the campaign behind only Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney, and John McCain.[16] In addition, Hunter won the backing of political commentator Ann Coulter. Hunter described Coulter as "a particularly articulate spokeswoman for the conservative view."[17]

In late August 2007, Hunter's campaign communication's director, Roy Tyler commented that 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 two foci of his campaign: border security and fair trade 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.[18]

Duncan L. Hunter greets the delegation at the Texas Republican Straw Poll at the Fort Worth Convention Center September 1, 2007, and is applauded by Texas GOP Chairman Tina Benkiser.

After his victory in the Straw poll, Hunter received media attention for his response to Iranian president

left-wing leaders of academia will not support our troops, they, in the very least, should not support our adversaries..." He then called for a revocation of federal funding to the University.[19] These statements resulted in criticism from liberals such as Glenn Greenwald, who described Hunter's proposal as "dangerous", "improper" and "unconstitutional".[20]

Later in the month, Hunter's campaign website was hacked by

anti-war activists. For a few hours, the words, "hacked by Adnali f0r TurkStorm [dot] org No War!" above images of children in a warzone were posted to Hunter's site. Turkstorm.org, cited in the hacking, appeared to have no connection as IP analysis identified the hackers location in Germany. Roy Tyler revealed that hackers had attempted to change the website at least six times, but this was the first successful alteration.[21]

At the October 21 Florida GOP Debate, after expressing that questioner Carl Cameron was trying to divide the Republican Party, Hunter raised an issue he thought might bring the participants together. He reminisced of the time, he felt the "Democrat Party [sic] lost its identity". He compared the Kennedy administration's failed Bay of Pigs Invasion with President Ronald Reagan's actions in El Salvador. He described Reagan's El Salvador policy as successful in advancing freedom, and noted that as he spoke, the military of El Salvador was "fighting side by side with our guys (The United States military) in Iraq." He then referred to the Republican Party as "the Party of Freedom."[22]

California wildfires of October 2007 burn in Hunter's congressional district seen in this satellite NASA
photo

Following the debate, Hunter learned that parts of his congressional district were burning as a result of the

California wildfires of October 2007. He immediately stalled campaigning for a short period to help his constituents with the recovery effort.[23]
Hunter criticized those who connected the wildfires to the lack of resources because of the War in Iraq. He argued those conclusions were invalid because of San Diego's direct access to troops, helicopters and equipment. During an update with Neil Cavuto, Hunter remarked that those critics "have got to have some creative writers to somehow link these..."[24]

In November 8, Hunter received the endorsement of the Missouri Republican Assembly (MRA). The assembly cited Hunter as a "true Republican" who shared their views.[citation needed]

San Diego selected Hunter as grand marshal for the city's Veterans Day parade. He considered this selection as an honor.[25]

Hunter participated in the November 28, 2007 CNN/YouTube GOP Debate, and notably, received a question about the military's "

Hillary Clinton campaign
did not respond to the letter.

In the December 8 American Research Group survey, excluding undecided voters, Hunter was statistically tied with Fred Thompson for fourth place in Nevada. In Michigan, Hunter was tied with Thompson and Ron Paul for fifth place at four percent, according to a WXYZ-TV poll.[27] 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.[28]

Hunter received the endorsement of former U.S. Senator Bob Smith of New Hampshire on December 21. In a letter to New Hampshire Republicans ahead of the first-in-nation New Hampshire Primary, Smith cited Hunter as the best candidate to carry the "Reagan Torch" and the most qualified candidate to protect conservative values.[citation needed]

Primary and caucus results 2008

Wikinews has related news:

Hunter finished seventh in the January 3, 2008

New Hampshire primary on January 8, Hunter finished in seventh place with only one percent of the vote.[34]

Withdrawal

After finishing in last place in the

South Carolina Republican primary (zero), Hunter dropped out of the race on January 19, 2008. In his withdrawal speech, delivered from the same Naval Base San Diego pier, where he announced his campaign in October 2006,[35]
Hunter thanked his supporters, expressed the amusement he and his family had 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.[36]

Four days later, Hunter endorsed former

Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee for the Republican nomination.[37] 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 character actor Ben Gazzara.[38]

Endorsements

List of people who endorsed Duncan L. Hunter

Aftermath

Following the withdrawal, Hunter remained in Congress until his term expired in 2009. In 2008, his son Duncan D. Hunter won the Republican primary for his seat.[41] The younger Hunter went on to win the election and succeeded his father.

References

  1. ^ "Once a Soldier... Always a Soldier: Soldiers in the 109th Congress" (PDF). Association of the United States Army. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 11, 2005. Retrieved November 9, 2007., p. 100.
  2. ^ "Duncan Lee Hunter - #71300". Attorney Search. State Bar of California. Retrieved November 9, 2007.
  3. The Biography Channel
    . Retrieved June 27, 2013.
  4. ^ "Duncan Hunter on the Issues". On the Issues. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
  5. ^ a b "Rep. Duncan Hunter (R) - California 52". National Journal. May 7, 2003. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  6. ^ Simon, Stephanie (February 4, 2009). "Border-Fence Project Hits a Snag". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  7. ^ "Hunter, Duncan Lee - Biographical Information". Congress.gov. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
  8. ^ a b c d "Rep. Hunter Announces 2008 White House Bid". Fox News. Associated Press. October 30, 2006. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
  9. ^ Cahlink, George (October 30, 2006). "Hunter Lays Groundwork for Presidential Run". The New York Times. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
  10. ^ a b Yeager, Chuck (November 20, 2006). "From the Desk of Chuck Yeager". The Official Website of Chuck Yeager. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  11. ^ "Maricopa County, Arizona GOP Straw Poll Results". Sonoran Alliance. January 14, 2007. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
  12. ^ "2008 Presidential Candidates". CNN. Retrieved July 25, 2007.
  13. ^ Mooney, Alexander (March 2, 2007). "McCain wins Spartanburg straw poll". CNN. Retrieved December 23, 2007.
  14. ^ a b "Republican Debate Transcript, South Carolina". CFR. May 15, 2007. Archived from the original on July 10, 2007. Retrieved July 25, 2007.
  15. ^ "Transcript: Third G.O.P. Debate". The New York Times. June 5, 2007. Retrieved December 31, 2007.
  16. ^ "Gallup Poll 2008 Presidential race". Gallup. Archived from the original on September 9, 2007. Retrieved July 25, 2007.
  17. ^ a b "Hunter defends Ann Coulter against critics". NBC News. July 2, 2007. Retrieved July 25, 2007.
  18. ^ Larson, Brett (August 30, 2007). "Campaign: Little hope for White House run". Daily Skiff. Retrieved December 22, 2007.
  19. ^ "Hunter seeks to cut federal funds to Columbia University". Politico. October 1, 2007. Retrieved December 22, 2007.
  20. ^ Greenwald, Glenn (September 24, 2007). "Columbia to be punished for hosting the new Hitler enemy". Salon. Retrieved February 24, 2008.
  21. ^ Wolf, Byron (October 1, 2007). "Duncan Hunter's '08 Web Site Hacked". ABC News. Retrieved December 22, 2007.
  22. ^ "Republican Debate Transcript". The New York Times. October 21, 2007. Retrieved October 21, 2007.
  23. ^ Caifa, Karin. "Wildfire politics". WPTV. Retrieved October 24, 2007.
  24. ^ "California Congressman Duncan Hunter Says Dems Are Playing Politics with The California Wildfires". Fox News. October 24, 2007. Retrieved October 24, 2007.
  25. ^ "Veterans Day events in San Diego County". SignOnSanDiego.com. Retrieved November 10, 2007.
  26. ^ "CNN/Youtube Debate". Ohio Duncan Hunter For President 2008. November 29, 2007. Retrieved December 21, 2007.
  27. ^ "Poll: Giuliani plunges, Huckabee surges". WXYZ-TV. Retrieved December 23, 2007.
  28. ^ Frederick, Don (December 5, 2007). "Duncan Hunter hurdle disclosed". Los Angeles Times.
  29. ^ "RESULTS: Iowa". CNN. January 3, 2008. Retrieved January 4, 2008.
  30. ^ "Kucinich, Hunter, Gravel cut from ABC News presidential debates set for Saturday". Deseret News. Associated Press. January 4, 2008. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  31. ^ Wilkie, Dana (January 3, 2008). "Hunter keeps on, despite lacking funds, attention". SignOnSanDiego.com. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  32. ^ "GOP Ignores Jan. 5 Wyoming Conventions". CBS News. January 3, 2008. Retrieved January 4, 2008.
  33. ^ "Wyoming Caucus Results". The New York Times. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  34. ^ "State-by-State Votes". Los Angeles Times. January 9, 2008. Retrieved January 9, 2008.
  35. ^ "Rep. Hunter drops out of GOP presidential race". Associated Press for USA Today. 2008-01-20. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
  36. ^ Michael D., Shear (January 19, 2008). "44 - Duncan Hunter Leaves GOP Field". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  37. FoxNews.com. 2008-01-23. Archived from the original
    on January 27, 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-23.
  38. ^ Late Show with David Letterman. 2008-01-21.
  39. ^ a b c d e f g "Endorsements 2008". The Hill. Archived from the original on December 13, 2007. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
  40. ^ Chad Groening (April 6, 2007). "Swift Boat Vet supports Duncan Hunter". OneNewsNow.com. Archived from the original on June 30, 2007.
  41. ^ Clock, Michele (June 4, 2008). "Hunter takes GOP primary". Union-Tribune. Retrieved June 1, 2013.

External links

Duncan L. Hunter
Duncan L. Hunter
Duncan L. Hunter

Biography
2008 presidential campaign
Political positions

Official sites
Documentaries, topic pages and databases

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