 | |
| Campaign | U.S. presidential election, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Candidate | Duncan L. Hunter Congressman (1981–2009) |
| Affiliation | Republican Party |
| Status | Withdrawn |
| Headquarters | San Diego, California |
| Key people | Sydney Hay (Manager) Roy Tyler (National Communications Director) |
| Receipts | US$2.5 (2007-12-31) |
| Website | |
| www.gohunter08.com (Archived) | |
Duncan L. Hunter's 2008 presidential campaign began when fourteen-termCongressman andVietnam War veteranDuncan L. Hunter ofCalifornia announced his intentions to run for the2008 Republican nomination forPresident of the United States in January 2007.
In the campaign, Hunter emphasized his conservative credentials, focusing on the issues of border security, thewar on terrorism, and trade. Throughout 2007, he was in the second tier of Republican candidates,consistently receiving three percent or less support among Republicans in national polls. However, the campaign reached a high point after Hunter won theTexas Straw Poll.
Though he qualified for one National Convention delegate at theWyoming caucuses, Hunter dropped out of the race in January 2008, following a poor turnout in theNevada caucuses.
Hunter served as aFirst Lieutenant in theU.S. Army during theVietnam War. He was awarded aBronze Star, anAir Medal, and theVietnam Service Medal for his efforts on the battlefield.[1] Upon his return home, Hunter pursued a career in law and was admitted to the bar in 1976.[2] Four years later, he won election to theU.S. House of Representatives as aRepublican in theReagan Revolution.[3]
At the onset of the 2008 campaign, Hunter had served in Congress since 1981; representingCalifornia's42nd (1981–83),45th (1983-93), and52nd (since 1993) congressional districts. During his tenure, he boasted a 92% lifetime rating from theAmerican Conservative Union (ACU).[4] Some of his successes included the passage of legislation leading to the construction of the 14-mile double-fence from thePacific Ocean toOtay Mesa along theU.S.-Mexico border.[5] He also helped pass theSecure Fence Act of 2006, which provided for the construction of an additional 670 miles of fence.[6] As a member of theHouse Armed Services Committee, Hunter pushed for increased military spending and advancements in military technology.[5] He became chairman of the committee in 2003 and remained in the position until the Democratic Party won the majority of the House in the2006 mid-term election.[7]
On October 30, 2006, before a crowd of about 100 people on theNaval Base San Diego waterfront, Hunter announced the formation of anexploratory 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 GeneralChuck Yeager.[10] He won the January 13, 2007Maricopa County,Arizonastraw poll, edging all three projected top tier candidates includingMassachusetts GovernorMitt Romney, SenatorJohn McCain of Arizona, and former New York City MayorRudy Giuliani.[11] Ten days later, Hunter filed papers with theFederal Election Commission to officially begin his presidential campaign.[12]
In order to build support early in the campaign, Hunter participated in local straw polls. On March 1, at theSpartanburg,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 trueRonald Reagan conservative that we can support."[13] The following month he won theAnderson County, South Carolina straw poll and tied for second place in both theGreenwood County andPickens 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."
This administration has a case of the slows on border enforcement.
Hunter participated in all televisedRepublican Party (GOP) debates until January 5, 2008; noted for his role in theMay 15 South Carolina debate where he discussed his experience with border security. "I built the border fence inSan Diego", he claimed, arguing it contributed to reductions in the smuggling ofnarcotics by 90% and a 50% drop in crime. Speaking of the bill Congress passed to build 854 miles (1,374 km) of border fence across the Southwest, he noted that as of that moment (May 15, 2007), only two miles of the fence had been built. He quipped "this[Bush] administration has a case of the slows on border enforcement."[14]
The next month, Hunter participated in the third GOP debate, featured onCNN. During the forum, he discussed his experience as chairman of theArmed Services Committee and voiced his support for theWar in Iraq and the training of Iraqi battalions for security there. Hunter speculated that Iran was helping to arm the insurgency in Iraq. When asked what he would do as president if he discovered Iran was developing anuclear 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 mentioned the importance of a border wall and evoked the audience's memory about the fence he helped build in his congressional district, joking "if they (illegal immigrants) get across my fence [in San Diego], we sign them up for theOlympics immediately." At the end of the debate, Hunter took the opportunity to criticize the three frontrunners:John McCain,Rudy Giuliani, andMitt Romney. He complained thatDemocraticSenatorTed Kennedy ofMassachusetts exerted too much influence on the three men, describing them as the "Kennedy Wing of the Republican Party."[15]
A Gallup poll from early July 2007 showed Hunter with three percent support, placing the campaign behind onlyRudy Giuliani,Fred Thompson,Mitt Romney, andJohn McCain.[16] In addition, Hunter won the backing of political commentatorAnn 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 andfair trade withChina. He continued campaigning after hearing of the statement and won theTexas Straw Poll a few days later with Tyler at his side.[18]
After his victory in the Straw poll, Hunter received media attention for his response to Iranian presidentMahmoud Ahmadinejad's invitation to speak to students atColumbia University. He criticized the school for its decision, stating that "if theleft-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 asGlenn Greenwald, who described Hunter's proposal as "dangerous", "improper" and "unconstitutional".[20]
Later in the month, Hunter's campaign website was hacked byanti-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 asIP 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 21Florida GOP Debate, after expressing that questionerCarl 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 theKennedy administration's failedBay of Pigs Invasion with PresidentRonald Reagan's actions inEl 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) inIraq." He then referred to the Republican Party as "the Party of Freedom."[22]
Following the debate, Hunter learned that parts of his congressional district were burning as a result of theCalifornia 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 withNeil 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 asgrand 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 "Don't ask, don't tell" policy. The questioner, former Brig. Gen.Keith Kerr introduced himself as ahomosexual and asked "...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 argued that the sole issue was "unit cohesion," mirroring a statement from formerSecretary of StateColin Powell. After the debate, Kerr was found to be a member ofHillary Clinton's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual Americans For Hillary Steering Committee. Because of this, CNN removed footage of the question from future 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."[26] TheHillary Clinton campaign did not respond to the letter.
In the December 8American Research Group survey, excluding undecided voters, Hunter was statistically tied withFred Thompson for fourth place in Nevada. In Michigan, Hunter was tied with Thompson andRon Paul for fifth place at four percent, according to aWXYZ-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 formerU.S. SenatorBob Smith ofNew 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]
Hunter finished seventh in the January 3, 2008Iowa Republican caucuses receiving only 0.5 percent (515 of the 100,593 votes cast) and no delegates.[29]ABC News subsequently denied him an invitation to the January 5 Debate, because Hunter did not meet the five percent polling threshold necessary for participation.[30] However, Hunter focused only minimally on Iowa, putting more resources into the first primary state ofNew Hampshire.[31] Unlike the other GOP candidates, Hunter traveled toWyoming for the January 5, 2008Wyoming Republican County Conventions. The mainstream media largely ignored the event, and Hunter had campaigned in the state more than any other candidate.[32] Hunter won one national delegate and one alternate delegate after finishing in third place in the caucus behind winnerMitt Romney and second placeFred Thompson.[33] That same day, Hunter addressed the Nevada Republican Assembly at their Presidential Endorsing Convention. He won their endorsement after receiving a two-thirds majority of all votes cast the next day.[citation needed] At the first in the nationNew Hampshire primary on January 8, Hunter finished in seventh place with only one percent of the vote.[34]
After finishing in last place in theMichigan Republican primary (receiving one percent), theNevada Republican caucuses (two percent), and theSouth 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 formerArkansas governorMike 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 actorBen Gazzara.[38]
Following the withdrawal, Hunter remained in Congress until his term expired in 2009. In 2008, his sonDuncan D. Hunter won the Republican primary for his seat.[41] The younger Hunter went on to win the election and succeeded his father.
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