Early trouble for McCain

NORTH COUNTY -- U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter's long-shot bid for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination got a boost over the weekend when he emerged on top in a straw poll of Republican precinct committeemen in Arizona's most-populated county.

Hunter, R-El Cajon, got 96 votes among the 458 ballots in the non-binding poll of Maricopa County party officials asked to list their first choice for president.

Hunter easily beat Arizona's own U.S. Sen. John McCain, considered a front-runner in the GOP presidential race, who drew a comparatively paltry 50 votes. Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney came in second in Saturday's poll with 82 first-place votes.

Campaigning in South Carolina on Monday, Hunter said he believes his long-held positions on two key national issues carried the day with the conservative Arizona Republicans from the county that includes Phoenix.

"It's great news," Hunter said during a telephone interview. "I think the message of a strong national defense and border security issues has resonated in Arizona."

Could this be the first gust of wind before the storm front which sinks McCain's presidential ambition?

We can only hope.

And on the other side of the dividing line we note that the fawning attention being paid to Barak Hussein Obama seems to indicate a lack of confidence in Hillary's ability to win.

The candidates for both major parties in 2008 might be a surprise.