California Representative, Duncan Lee Hunter, is making a bid for the 2008 presidential nomination based on his espousing of the politics of former President Ronald Reagan, which includes his fiscal conservatism and belief in the need for a muscular military. 

Former member of the United States Army Airborne turned lawyer, Hunter was elected to Congress in 1981 where he chairs the Committee on Armed Services. During his tenure, Hunter has voted 89.3% of the time with a majority of his Republican colleagues. This percentage, however, does not include the 27.6% of the votes in which he failed to vote, which translated means that during the current Congress he has missed 200 chances to vote. 

Hunter stated at his official kickoff in San Diego that, “This is going to be a long road, it’s a challenging road, there’s going to be some rough and tumble but I think it’s the right thing to do for our country.”  

However, Hunter’s bid for the presidential nomination may be more about his fear of losing his current power as chairman of the armed services committee in November 2007, if Democrats are able to gain control in Congress, than of any desire to actually win the prized White House. Then too, it could be that he is looking at boosting his earning power in the private sector, if he were to lose a future election to Congress, by being able to add a failed presidential bid to his resume.  

However, Hunter is not the only Republican candidate eyeing the 2008 presidential race who views themselves as the logical heir to Reagan. Other such conservative contenders include Virginia Senator George Allen (R) who has openly vowed that he would follow Reagan’s governing philosophy.  

However, Allen’s presidential ambitions have wavered due to the stronger-than-expected challenge from former Navy Secretary Jim Webb. If Allen removes himself from the race it will mean a better chance for people like Hunter, former Representative Dick Armey (R-Tex.) and a few other lesser known national figures to weigh a potential bid in hopes of picking up the Reagan mantle. However, one should note that no sitting House member has won the White House since James Garfield in 1880 which most likely means that neither Hunter nor Armey will play a significant role in the upcoming presidential race. 

For myself, I wouldn’t cast my vote with Hunter, Armey, or Allen but would stand steadfastly behind Ron Paul, a man who has stood by his principles time and again despite strong party opposition. To date Paul seems to have the best qualifications if you the voter are not looking for a rubber stamp of the failed Bush presidency. 

Tags: hunter, duncan hunter, california representative, presidential nominee, republican candidates, ronald reagan, ron paul, george allen, jim webb, armed services committee, republican 2008 candidates