Paul, Hunter Force Leading GOP Candidates to Pay Attention
While Congressmen Ron Paul and Duncan Hunter rank below the other Republican presidential candidates in national polls, they nonetheless hit on key issues for particular blocs and occasionally force the top tier to take notice.
The super-early, front-loaded primary calendar, combined with a mildly enthusiastic Republican base, has enabled these two boutique candidates to energize the field, said Mark Wrighton, politics professor at Millikin University in Illinois.
“We’re really sort of in uncharted territory here and we’re seeing some interesting things occur,” Wrighton said.
One of the unexpected, big moves in the race so far has been the catapult of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, from what was generally considered a darkhorse, second-tier position to frontrunner status in Iowa; he has become the most talked about Republican candidate in the field.
Paul has surprised everyone by attracting what many are saying is the largest grassroots movement since independent Ross Perot in 1992. The limited government, anti-war libertarian raised more than $19 million in the fourth quarter of 2007 and he has a legion of avid volunteers knocking door to door and blogging all over the country on his behalf.
While his chances for winning the nomination appear slim, Paul earned 9 percent of the vote in a Des Moines Register survey of likely Iowa Republican caucus-goers released Tuesday. An average of national polling puts him at 4.3 percent.
Meanwhile, Hunter may not have the the broad appeal of the current GOP frontrunners, but is certainly generating — and riding — the wave of Republican energy on issues like illegal immigration and border security.
Hunter, a California congressman, has forged his campaign on Republican anger at what he perceives is federal immobility on curbing illegal immigration, incentives that attract undocumented workers and their families here and so-called “sanctuary cities” that do not penalize or pursue illegal immigrants within their jurisdictions.
Hunter, who was chairman of the Armed Services Committee before Democrats took over the majority in the House of Representatives in 2007, is known primarily for successfully pushing through legislation for erecting a security fence along the U.S.-Mexican border. He’s been tough on the outsourcing of American business to foreigners and has been steadfast in this support of the war policy in Iraq.
But his star has been dimmed by the brighter, though in some ways, less purely conservative lights of the so-called “top tier.”
“I’ve known Duncan Hunter since 1980,” said John Gizzi, political editor of Human Events. “He’s one of the most decent people I know. He places ethics above everything else. He’s honorable to a fault.”
But with Hunter polling around 1 percent, Gizzi said the candidate might be looking toward other things.
“If there is a Republican president, (Hunter) would make an outstanding secretary of defense.”
Paul has not been so overshadowed. The 10-term congressman from Texas who was the Libertarian Party’s presidential candidate in 1988, has never enjoyed so much national notoriety and support as he does now, mostly because he is the only Republican candidate who has articulated opposition to the war, independence from the GOP machine and a strict constructionist view of the Constitution.
“He’s surprising a lot of people with the buzz he’s getting,” said Sean Evans, a professor of politics at Union University in Tennessee. “There’s a strong libertarian streak in the Republican Party and he’s speaking to that. He’s speaking to a certain demographic that no one has been able to.”
During the GOP debates Paul, 72, offered push-back against the other candidates, particularly on Iraq. Rudy Giuliani, the frontrunner in national polls, was able to make headlines off Paul when he scolded him for suggesting that it was U.S. policy that led to the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. But Paul didn’t back down and therein lies his appeal, said conservative political consultant Chuck Muth, also head of Citizen Outreach.
“He’s never worried about the Republican establishment, that’s for sure,” he said. “He means what he says. I think his personality has attracted so many people who may hadn’t heard of Ron Paul before this presidential campaign.”
So why is it that we only see the top tier in our faces all the time? None of them are worth going out to vote. I have already decided not to vote for them, and we will vote for Ron Paul if he gets nominated. Otherwise, we will stay home…why bother.
Fox News’ attempt to keep Ron Paul out of the debate, and then subsequently editing his answers out of repeat airings of the debate, absolutely disgusts me. Don’t believe me, then do a search on you tube. “Fair and balanced?” What a joke! I am a lifelong Republican and I am embarrassed that Fox News is considered the Republican voice in the news media. I am embarrassed that the liberals who call Fox viewers “sheep” are looking more and more like they have a valid point. Fox doesn’t want people to hear all the facts and make up their own minds. Through ommission and editing they will attempt make up people’s minds for them.
Fox News has blatantly tried to suppress Ron Paul’s message, this disgusts me. We call this a “free nation” with “freedom of speech”?? This man speaks truth with honesty and passion, but because he doesn’t abide by the neo-conservative agenda, he gets black-balled by the media establishment! Whoever the decision makers or CEO’s are that are responsible for this… SCREW YOU. You’re obvious attempt to control information will come back to bite you in the end.
“Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.” - Albert Einstein
Duncan Hunter believes in securing the right to life for all Americans, no matter how young or how old, and has a 26 year track record of making laws that speak for the right to life for all Americans.
He wants to give all Americans the option of buying Health Insurance and keeping the health insurance that they have, even across state lines. This will drive the market into competition and the average person will then be able to afford healthcare.
He believes that we should have the right to put crosses in our national cemetaries and led the fight to preserve the cross at the Mt. Soladad, Veteran’s Memorial.
He believes in freedom of education for all children, and that education should be put back under parental jurdiction. He agrees with homeschooling.
He wants to provide families, who choose not to homeschool, with vouchers that send their tax dollars with their children, allowing parents to choose which schools their children will attend.
He believes in the free enterprise of all Americans and and the unresticted competition that equalizes the opportunities for all Americans. He believes in a well contained government that doesn’t hinder freedom for all Americans
He wants the armed services to contract with only American manufacturers, and not foreign businesses, to rebuild the arsenal of Democracy. He stands for “made in America”, and believes that by eliminating unfair trade policies and reinstating fair trade policies and thus the trade deficit, we can “more than” afford this.
He believes that the right to keep and bear arms is a matter of homeland, national security, and the security of our own families. We are affronted with the Potential for Jihad. Islam is not a religion of peace. Our enemies call for our annihilation.
He believes in eliminating obsolete taxes. He also wants to streamline the tax system to be more efficient with the money, eliminating waste and lowering taxes.
Duncan Hunter is the right kind of a man at the right time. We need a commander in chief who is not afraid to defend our nation, and has the experience to know what defending our nation is actually about. We need one who is strong enough to stand up to terrorist threats. We need one who has the experience to make our national defense actually work. We need one who respects human life in all its stages. We need a president that fears God. We need Duncan Hunter to be our next president.
Grassroots of America rise up and elect Duncan Hunter in the primary of your state. Get involved in the political process. Find out what you can do and then do all that you can. We can have the president we desire, if we work at it. In America we are all like kings, deciding whom we will allow to be our our preesident this year.
Don’t let the news media railroad you into accepting less than the best, by withholding information on some of the candidates. Get the contact information of news media, blogs, and your elected officials and do not let any candidates be removed from the polls and debates before you have had a fair chance to hear them.
We are Americans. Don’t allow the GOP to decide who they will and will not put on the primary ballot in your state. This is your prerogative. Inform everyone you can about Duncan Hunter. Peace is through strength.
Don’t shrink back. Find out all you can. Really scrutinize the candidates. Look for such things as membership in the Coucil on Foreign Relations, big government and nanny-state policies. Ask about whether or not a candidate would allow the military to back away from our troops and not finish a job started, leaving our homeland vulnerable to attack. Examine the histories in public office and a look at voting and legislation records to examine the consistency of their convictions.
Speak up and tell everyone you know about Duncan Hunter. What you see is what you get with him. Be the queaky wheel that gets him elected! Let’s roll!
http://www.GoHunter08.com
Congressman Duncan Hunter is a conservative’s conservative. He is genuinely pro-life and always has been. He wrote the “Life begins at conception bill”. He understands and supports the military. He would have to, both he and his two sons are veterans, He was on the armed services committee which allocated alot of the funds that went directly to pay for the equipment tneeded to protect our troops. HumAs a father of an army man in Iraq and Afganistan he has genuine concern for the safety of our troops! He built the border fence in Sandiego county reducing drug smuggling and human trafficking by 90% (i.e. The fence works.) He is not pleased that our foreign trade policy is not equitable and we are losing high paying manufacturing jobs to China and other foreign entities. He blew the whistle on unfair trade policies that drive our manufacturers out of the country.
Duncan Hunter met all requirements to appear in the debates except for the poll recognition, I think the one in which he was not named. Is that true? Regardless, paying $25,000 to be on the S.C. ballot in addition to having an actual delegate, compared with a couple other candidates, should have earned him the right to present his perspective and ideas to the American people.
http://www.GoHunter08.com
I lost alot of respect for hannity after he just totally dis-regaurded the post debate text poll. there is a huge under current of people who want the kind of change ron Paul represents, and the established media will try dismiss it at every turn.
It is not fair that Duncan Hunter’s name was not included in the poll that the debate was based on. How is he expected to have any percentage if his name is not even listed in the poll. It seems that the media has hand picked the candidates for us to vote on and ignored the others. If there is to be a debate at all every candidate should be included or don’t debate at all.
You are one of the largest news networks and that weight should carry responsability to the people who keep you on the air. What you allowed to happen during the debates was a disservice to your viewers as well as your shareholders. That was downright dispicable.