Media Credit: Jim Gibbs [Click to enlarge]

Duncan Hunter (R)

Representative from California

Travis Holland: Duncan Hunter is an underdog in the Republican presidential race. He represents mainstream conservative views without the backing of more popular candidates.

Hunter views a pullout of Iraq as a retreat in a very real war on terrorism. He advocates using more Iraqi troops in hot zones to replace Americans.

Hunter is pro-life and supports bills to create laws defining unborn children as living people. As president, he wouldn't support gay marriage and believes that marriage is an institution that should only be between a man and woman.

Duncan Hunter is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment - he has a record to prove it, and he hasn't simply jumped on the NRA bandwagon like so many other candidates.

For his healthcare plan, Hunter wants to experiment with a few pilot deregulated hospitals and use the lessons learned from them to deal with current system. He realizes that changes need to be made in the bureaucracy of the current system.

Hunter is against amnesty for illegal immigrants and says he will not support any bills granting it. He has been a strong supporter of border walls in Congress and has a perfect record of battling illegal immigration. Voters can be sure he would do the same as president.

Although he is far from a frontrunner in the presidential race, Duncan Hunter deserves consideration at the ballot box. For those in search of a straight shooting, mainstream conservative candidate who makes border security a top priority, Hunter would be a good pick.

Vineet Tiruvadi: Duncan Hunter is one of the presidential candidates not burdened with "being known" or "leading the polls." This Republican representative from California doesn't command the national limelight, which is surprising considering some of Hunter's more theatrical stances.

One of Hunter's favorite lines immediately wedged itself into my head. "China is cheating on trade." In addition to drawing the obvious parallels with a 7-year-old losing a video game, this simple line really embodies Hunter's campaign.

The American-Chinese relationship is stressed to say the least. Chinese growth is worrisome in light of some unethical practices. Protecting American industry and jobs, along with American values, is a reasonable platform. There are better ways to deal with the issue than uttering dramatic invectives. It doesn't seem like Hunter sees that.

Hunter tried to pull federal funding for Columbia University when it was preparing a forum for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Crazy though our Iranian friend may be, pulling funding from one of our nation's top universities because it provides a forum for varying perspectives is over the top.

With the international realm becoming more convoluted by China's up-and-coming economy, Iran's questionable goals, Iraq's unrelenting instability and other policy issues, it doesn't seem like Hunter will be able to objectively lead America's already misguided international policy. That should be enough to condemn him to the back alleys of the campaign.

But if cliché Republican stances on stem cell issues, education, "family values," and the war in Iraq are appealing, this guy fits the bill excellently.

Throw in an endorsement from Ann Coulter and this guy scares the hell out of me.

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