Friday, March 30, 2007

Duncan Hunter

Being a political junkie of sorts, I've been somewhat keeping up with who's in, who's out and who's thinking about being our next President. I've signed up for all the various candidates updates so I can attempt to keep up to some degree. I have Google alerts on all the announced candidates and will scan headlines while I'm waiting for a website to upload or when I need a break.

I'm trying to keep up in my "spare" time. Mostly I'm picking up the "flavor" of each of the campaigns, delving deeper when someone or something catches my eye. I've already decided who I'm rooting for even though the media seems to be ignoring him to some degree. There must be a behind-the-scenes machine that dictates how the media is to walk in lock-step in their coverage. They have been wrong in the past when they made their early picks and I hope they'll be wrong in this election.

Given the title of this blog, I'm sure you've already figured out who has my early support. The entire "feel" or "tone" of the Duncan Hunter campaign is different from the others. It's the kind of campaign many of us long for in these days of big-money created hype, high-dollar image repairing marketing and huge public relation-firm-created personalities. It's real. Everyone from the candidate down seems to be the kind of people you would like to have as your neighbor and, more importantly in this instance, who you'd like to have in charge at the top.

After reading, watching, listening to podcasts, studying the candidates Duncan Hunter is standing out in many, many ways. He flat out says what he thinks, he doesn't candy-coat his beliefs to make this group or that group like him, and, from what I can tell reading from a multitude of sources on-line, he says what he's going to do... then does it.

He's strong on issues that are important to me, and I think to the majority of Americans. I'll let you visit his website (http://www.gohunter08.com/), listen to him talk and read his stands on the issues for yourself. One of the first things that grabbed my attention was simply the fact that he clearly stated his beliefs on almost every issue of importance. You're not going to wonder about who he is and how he feels. You may not agree with his stands on everything completely, but it's refreshing to have a candidate lay things out so succinctly.

He's likable, which is also important. From the time the first voter got their television set way back when, looks, image and personality have become more important than content for a vast number of voters. Hunter is right up there at the top of the current Presidential heap in those areas, too.

Something else that impresses me about Duncan Hunter? He's a Republican in California. That has to be difficult.

I know we have a long way to go before all the picking and choosing is done in each party. Thompson is testing the waters, Gingrich may jump in and there are probably a few who'll drop out before it's all said and done. I'd like to see Duncan Hunter pull ahead. I'd like to see a grass-roots movement that surprises the pundits, the media and the folks who make their living packaging candidates. I'd like to see him in the White House.

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