Duncan Hunter is a strong Conservative with strong positions on trade, illegal immigration, taxes, the War on Terror, and he has a Conservative record on social issues. He's the dream candidate. John from Stop the ACLU is wondering where the push for Duncan is. Just watch him:

I have been long wondering where the Duncan Hunter push has been. I am in limbo with candidates at this point, and I'm actually considering of casting my first vote for Duncan Hunter. He deserves it.

Update: Congressman Hunter didn't get to my question, but he did manage to get to plenty of them, on the war and other issues. Stop by and read what he stands for.

Congressman Duncan Hunter is having a virtual press conference on the Conservative internet forum Free Republic. Stop by, check him out, and ask some questions. I think this is a great idea and a positive step towards Republicans embracing the RightRoots. My question:

Congressman Hunter,

Thank you for choosing to do this and thank you for your continued service to our country.

As a blogger, I’m worried about the internet remaining a free and open forum. What actions would you take to protect blogs and open forums like Free Republic?

Justin Higgins
www.rightontheright.com

I'll keep you folks updated if the Congressman chooses to answer my question. Dozens of questions have already come in, so the Congressman won't be able to answer them all. Check it out.

Last night's debate was interesting, and I did miss part of it. I think that FOX News ran a more intelligent, more adult debate than MSNBC. CNN will have their shot later this year to prove themselves. I didn't like the "breaks" in the action, though the analysis from the "basement of the blogosphere" was interesting.

The Winners:

Mitt Romney- Romney did an excellent job of maintaining his composure, holding his ground, and speaking clearly and articulately. He's looking like my favorite right now.

Duncan Hunter- He knows what he's talking about, and he has great body language. Hunter has the potential to gain some real traction.

Mike Huckabee- Governor Huckabee had one of the best one-liners of the night, and he also was clear on other issues. He looked like he wanted to be there, and his history as a Baptist Pastor will play well with social and religious Conservatives.

Treading Water:

Rudy Giuliani- His downward slide has appeared to end, and he was pretty tough on Democrats and on Ron Paul. He's looking like the leader, but he's not going up in any way.

Brownback, Gilmore, and Tancredo- Each of these three made the points on their favorite issues, and were droll on issues they tend not to focus on.

The Losers:

John McCain- To me, McCain was mechanical, and echoed the same points he's always been making. He's not doing anything above and beyond, and his age is showing. He's gonna sink if he doesn't bring in more Conservatives, and threatening to bomb Iran is just the start of what he needs to do.

Ron Paul and Tommy Thompson- Both men think they have the know-how on how to run the War in Iraq. One completely opposes the war, and the other wants a three-state solution that'll invite civil war. Please, for all of our sake, get them off the stage.

The debates are over and the analysis is beginning to fly in from all sides. Michelle Malkin has partial transcripts including these excellent lines:

McCain pitches his defense background. Duncan Hunter says McCain ain't the only one with defense expertise.

Matthews to Romney: What do you say to Roman Catholic leaders who would deny communion to those who support abortion rights?

Romney: "I don't have anything to say to them. They can do whatever the heck they want!" [Applause/laughter.]

Hunter pounds enforceable border and extending the fence.

Matthews foams at the mouth about Karl Rove. Gilmore spanks Matthews for his Rove Derangement Syndrome and brings the debate back to issues. Good answer.

Excuse the late live-blogging, but I obviously made some major changes here on Right on the Right. In this debate, I've been incredibly impressed by both Mitt Romney and Duncan Hunter. I think Brownback is a strong evangelical, and I like him on those grounds. I don't like his opposition to the troop surge.

Mitt Romney:

Romney had a very strong statement about "moving Heaven and Earth" to capture Osama Bin Laden. He said that we should, and also made it clear that the War on Terror extends beyond Osama. He concluded with a strong "and he will be killed" statement.

Duncan Hunter:

If his strong performance in this debate doesn't gain him traction, I don't know what will. He's been strong on the military, the war, the immigration debacle, and taxes.

Ron Paul:

Why exactly is he here? Does he think he's gaining ground from this?

John McCain:

Aside from staring into the camera, and continuously trying to one-up statements made by other candidates, he hasn't made any major flubs. I still wish he'd come up singing Bomb Iran.

More live-blogging later. First debate coverage, and information on joining a post-debate chat, are up at The ACT Blog.