Duncan Hunter endorses Mike Huckabee
January 23, 2008 — wickleI had hoped for as much, but wasn’t sure what to expect …
However, it’s really happened. My #2 pick, having withdrawn, has backed my favored candidate in the field of Republicans running for President.
Rep. Duncan Hunter has endorsed Gov. Mike Huckabee for President.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/01/23/hunter-endorses-huckabee/
WASHINGTON (CNN) — California Rep. Duncan Hunter, a former presidential candidate, announced Wednesday he is endorsing Mike Huckabee’s White House bid.
“I got to know Governor Huckabee well on the campaign trail,” Huckabee said in a statement. “Of the remaining candidates I feel that he is strongly committed to strengthening national defense, constructing the border fence and meeting the challenge of China’s emergence as a military superpower that is taking large portions of America’s industrial base.
“Along with these issues of national security, border enforcement and protecting the U.S. industrial base, I see another quality of Mike Huckabee’s candidacy that compels my endorsement,” he added. “Mike Huckabee is a man of outstanding character and integrity. I saw that character over the last year of campaigning and was greatly impressed. The other Republican candidates have many strengths and I wish them all well.”
January 23, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Can you believe it? You’re second favorite candidate backs your favorite! Wonderful! Now, if only my third favorite (Thompson) backed my first favorite, too. I just have this feeling that that’s not as likely to happen.
January 23, 2008 at 6:48 pm
I know … it would be nice, but I’m not holding my breath on that one.
I think Thompson is much more likely to go for Sen. McCain.
January 23, 2008 at 7:22 pm
Does he mean it or is he looking for vp ?
January 23, 2008 at 7:48 pm
If he was just looking for VP, it seems like he would hold back until Super Tuesday, or at least Florida … and wait for a surer winner. Failing that, I don’t think he’d go for the coattails of the guy who’s almost out of money and has just given up in Florida.
I think and have always thought that Hunter is a good, solid, true believer.
Hunter also introduced the Fair Tax Act, which would lend him toward Huckabee.
In short, I trust this as sincere.
January 23, 2008 at 7:56 pm
I think Duncan Hunter is sincere. I would love a Huckabee/Hunter ticket. We could all by H sqared bumper stickers. ;)
January 23, 2008 at 11:13 pm
I don’t doubt Hunter’s sincerity for a minute. He’s a good man with a greater grasp on foreign policy than any other candidate. Put him on Huckabee’s ticket and we have a complete package.
January 23, 2008 at 11:18 pm
So, maybe we should take a quick survey … of Huckabee supporters, how many had Hunter as their second choice? I’ve been up front about it. Anyone else want to join in?
Just wondering …
January 23, 2008 at 11:29 pm
I really didn’t have a second choice after Mike Huckabee. That really is my own fault, simply because I was focused so much on Huckabee. That being said, from what I can read about Hunter, he would make a great candidate for VP or for President, maybe in eight years, after President Huckabee gets finished with his two terms.
January 23, 2008 at 11:41 pm
The thing that put Huckabee above Hunter for me (most of all) was executive experience. Rep. Hunter’s coming from the House, which is limited exposure to some of the Executive functions.
I’d love to see him as VP, or at least Secretary of either Homeland Security or Defense. I think that a few years in the Executive Branch, and the GOP would have to be stupid not to nominate him.
January 24, 2008 at 1:59 am
The endorsement should help. I was suprised Hunter endorsed anyone… but did figure if he did, it would be Huckabee. Hunter has been a supporter of Fairtax, and of course, so is Huckabee. They are actually close in a few other areas too. I think if Huckabee included Hunter in his advisors (or offered VP, secretary of Defense), it would be curtail worries about Huckabee’s lack of foriegn policy experience.
January 24, 2008 at 10:26 am
Have we all forgotten about Newt?
January 24, 2008 at 12:52 pm
No, I haven’t forgotten Gingrich. If you mean in terms of a Presidential run, I think that he has a lot of baggage — his negatives might run as high as Hillary Clinton’s — and he’s a bit of a galvanizing figure.
Having said that, I really like what he’s been up to lately with the Real Change agenda. He’s done A LOT to improve his image, and I admire him much more now than I did, say, a few years ago.
I do suspect that Gingrich will be in the Cabinet of any Republican administration coming up — whichever of the (as I count them) three viable candidates makes it. I could see him in Homeland Security or as a VP.
That might do a lot to help the negatives in the reputation, too.