Go Duncan Hunter
Our nation is in desperate need for conservative leadership. The 2008 election is quite possibly the last best chance to steer the US in a solid direction for the next generation.
For the last three to four decades the liberal movement has made significant gains both in public policy and cultural influence. After the liberal crown jewel achievement of electing Bill Clinton to consecutive terms, Conservatives were reeling, disgusted, and to a degree desperate. The base was motivated and mobilized to usher in a new era of change. We needed a solid Conservative and a moral man as President to return dignity to the office and to the country. We barely pulled it off too. A narrow election brought George W. Bush into office along with new promises and renewed optimism.
Unfortunately, we did not get everything we bargained for. No doubt Bush has been better than Clinton or Gore could have ever been, but his failings have once again left the Republican Party and the Conservative movement in particular in a less than favorable position. With a handful of accomplishments came a handful of failures along with most notably two handfuls of mistrust and contempt.
Our country has serious problems on the horizon both foreign and domestic. In order to win the war in Iraq and begin to reform things at home we need an individual who refuses to compromise what is right and yet has more discretion than the current administration. We need Duncan Hunter.
I think I heard a pretty loud “huh?” You may not know who the man is, but you would like him if you did. Hunter is a Conservative’s Conservative. He is a man with immense Congressional experience spanning multiple administrations. He was first elected in 1980 on the heels of Ronald Reagan after finishing a successful law career. The San Diego native is in a unique position politically. He is adamantly pro-life, a leader on the front against illegal immigration, a believer in trade policies that protect American security interests and not just economic interests, and he is also a credentialed supporter of a smarter war in Iraq.
Hunter is perhaps the only candidate in either party who has no weaknesses other than obscurity. The Vietnam veteran has served as Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and is the proud father of a two term Iraqi War veteran. He has presided over extensive improvements to a military that after the gutting of the Clinton era was inadequately prepared for a war in Afghanistan or Iraq. Can you say “credibility?” It is odd that the media has ignored the military record of this man. I suppose it is only because there is nothing wrong with it and controversy makes for a more interesting story.
His vision for Iraq includes standing up the Iraqi military and government until they are capable of supporting themselves. Given our mistakes in the early going of the war, that is the best possible outcome at this time and highly attainable.
Have you heard of the Secure Fence Act? The legislation passed in late 2006 that called for a more than 700 mile fence on the Mexican border along with increased Border Patrol agents and other security measures was authored by Peter King and cosigned by Duncan Hunter. He is also the reason today that San Diego is no longer a major crossing point for illegals and drug smugglers as he allocated funds for a tight fence along the border in San Diego County. He wants to do that for the rest of the country. It is something that none of the big three Republican candidates have shown much of a desire for nor do they have the record to back it up if they had.
Duncan Hunter was one of only two candidates that made his presence known at the National Right to Life March this year. He advocates a pro-life amendment to the Constitution that would render Roe v. Wade meaningless. If that avenue is unsuccessful then you can bank on another one of his pledges. He will not appoint a Federal justice who is not pro-life. That is an awfully strong statement and one none of the other candidates have been willing to make. There is doubt with regard to all the other major candidates as to what type of Federal justices they would appoint. Would we see Sandra Day O’Connor appointed under Duncan Hunter? I think not. It would be encouraging to have a strong pro-life President in office, one that is committed to the cause rather than one who gives lip service to obtain votes.
Another unique position that Hunter has taken is one of “fair” trade with China among other nations. Hunter has mentioned frequently the lack of an industrial base in this country that would be capable of supporting a military build up in an all-out conflict such as we faced in World War II. It is fun for some to blame Bush for the lack of armor on Humvees or the lack of other adequate military supplies, but the fact of the matter is that there are very few companies left in the US today that are capable of cranking out the necessities for a war machine. In fact, there is only one that produces adequate armor for American Humvees. The unfortunate reality is that much of our industrial base has been allowed to relocate overseas and in the case of China relocate to a nation that has proven itself to be an adversary. In the event of a war with an ever growing China it would be wise to refrain from having economic policies that further enrich that nation and others with goods and capital that could just as well stay in the US, don’t you think?
The US currently has a huge trade deficit with China. Couple that with the fact that their government manipulates currency and you could say that we, the richest nation in the world, are China’s best friend right now.
The fact of the matter is we need Conservative leadership. Even though those in the major news sources have chosen to ignore all but the flashiest of candidates, I think it is a fair argument that Duncan Hunter would have far surpassed Giuliani, McCain, Romney, and even Fred Thompson as the true Conservative in this race if Hunter had the money the others have. My vote will go to Duncan Hunter, the Conservative leader, come primary day on February 5th.
