Duncan Hunter

Congressman Duncan Hunter is Ann Coulter's favorite candidate. At least that was what she said when she spoke at Xavier. And I can see why. Duncan Hunter is a Vietnam veteran, and his son was deployed in Iraq in 2003. He is certainly not a chicken-hawk, nor is he one who sends other people's children to war while his own family is safe. He truly believes in what the U.S. is doing in Iraq, for he thinks that it will make America safer in the long run.

One thing I like about Duncan Hunter is that he opposes big government, and I mean all sorts of big government (domestic and defense). The wikipedia article (which sites other sources, in case you don't like wikipedia) says the following:

"In a House Armed Services Committee hearing on November 9, 2005, Hunter strongly criticized a Defense Logistics Agency 'prime vendor' buying program that led to the purchase of $20 ice cube trays and a tiny refrigerator for $22,797 (initially exposed by The State). Hunter stated that he wanted explanations from the companies in question and the government purchasing agents who had approved the purchases, accusing the latter of 'absolute incompetence.' He further stated that the purchases are 'a real slap in the face to the guy making $13,000 a year who is engaged in a firefight in Ramadi,' and claimed that 'A fairly large amount of incompetence is embedded into the system.'[21][22]."

Many conservatives and Republicans criticize government waste, inefficiency, and bureaucracy in the domestic sphere, but they turn a blind eye to such problems in defense spending. Fortunately, at least one Republican is an exception, and hopefully there are more.

As far as other issues go, Duncan Hunter is mostly conservative. He is solidly pro-life on the abortion issue, which I like. I don't really agree with his stance on trade, since he is a protectionist, and I believe that free trade results in cheaper goods and more jobs for Americans. Although the wikipedia article cites a poor environmental record, Hunter said in a debate that global warming opens up opportunities for the U.S. to look seriously at alternative energy. Where do I stand on this? On one hand, I don't throw stones at Bush for his reluctance to push for more government funding of alternative energy. His critics on this are often big government types anyway. Who says that government is the solution for every problem? Plus, we should not trust immediately in technology that is only experimental (at least presently); rather, we should drill more for oil to resolve current energy problems. On the other hand, wouldn't it be nice to power our cars with a cleaner technology?

Hunter also has a flamboyant side. When Congressman John Murtha was promoting troop withdrawal, Hunter proposed a resolution to withdraw all troops from Iraq. Even the vast majority of Democrats voted against that proposal. And I thought they were serious about ending the war (sarcasm).

Regarding persona, Hunter is like Senator Brownback: he does not really leave an impression on me in debates.

At the moment, Duncan Hunter is my number two choice for the Republican nomination.