Mike Lumpkin is well-spoken and professional, a retired Navy Seal commander and genuinely nice guy.  If he were a Republican running for local office, the GOP might very well be touting his credentials.  But, for whatever reason, Lumpkin is running as a “suicide” Democratic candidate in a strongly Republican congressional seat, one that will stay in that column even in the worst of GOP national scenarios four weeks hence.

For all the saber rattling by Lumpkin supporters before the primary that the 52nd Congressional District would be different this November, things are quiet now.  His partisans (well, a handful of ‘em at least) once filled the local blogs with “talk” of change in the conservative East County seat.

Duncan D. Hunter is well-spoken and professional, a former Marine lieutenant, current captain in the USMC Reserves and genuinely nice guy.  He is also a conservative Republican.  He cakewalked to a primary win, literally blowing the other GOP contenders away, while mathematically showing what many political folk knew all along – that a Democrat ain’t gonna win this seat.

All of a sudden, it seems, the Lumpkin backers knew they were right.  They will get change.  Fourteen-term Congressman Duncan Hunter will no longer be the CA-52 representative.  Freshman Congressman Duncan Hunter will.

Yeah, yeah, the naysayers could go on all they want about Yogi Berra “it ain’t over” pie-in-the-sky dreams and all that stuff.  That would simply be tiring.  Instead, they are quiet.  Reality, perhaps.

Others will go on about how the younger Hunter would not be the obvious front runner without his name.  And?  

He rhetorically asked me well over a year ago, “Can I help that my name is Hunter?”  He may have a point.  Actually, although he legitimately could simply go by “Duncan Hunter,” he has chosen to use “Duncan D. Hunter” for no apparent reason other than the fact that the middle initial is different than his dad’s.  Watch for the usage to end a short time after November 4.

The same naysayers – of course – blanche at the subtle difference between a “D” and the lack thereof, while ruing the Hunter “dynasty” and claiming “in-heir-ent” unfairness.  Waaaah.

In case it hadn’t occurred to them, there are a few other examples of names and familial relationships playing a part in politics.  See the Kennedy family as a start.  In fact, the only thing standing in the way of Ted Kennedy’s presidency had nothing to do with his name, but was instead his own doing – now all water under the bridge.

The current president would likely not be such, if it weren’t for a shared name. The same goes for a former Florida governor.  Hillary wouldn’t be a U.S. senator today, or a onetime presidential front-runner, if she hadn’t married Bill.  Ever hear of John Adams and John Quincy Adams?  The list goes on and on.

So, Duncan D. Hunter’s name has given him a leg up on a congressional victory.

I’ll say it once.  Get over it.

Last Tuesday, the Union-Trib’s recap on the race included a passage that in the political world could have sufficed as the entire article…

"The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in Washington, D.C., has added the contest to its list of ‘races to watch,’ but does not appear to be spending much on the campaign.  An independent search couldn’t find any evidence of the committee giving to Lumpkin … His campaign said it hasn’t asked for money from the committee."

Hasn’t asked for money, nor is any offered.  Watched, not targeted.  Read … stick a fork in it.

So, Duncan … uhhh, I mean Duncan D:  Carry out your mail program, walk those precincts, stay smart, and don’t get arrested.  You’ll be the Congressman.

Anyone else can get over it.  Okay, I said it twice.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, October 5th, 2008 at 12:00 am and is filed under Blog Posts.