Were Duncan Hunter and Mitt Romney the only conservatives running?

I think you're absolutely right in all three of your essments (Hunter, Romney and Thompson). As a registered Independent, when I first started researching the conservative candidates, all the online polls I took came up with Duncan Hunter as my closest match policy-wise. I'm ashamed to admit I barely knew who he was until then. After that, I read up on his policies and accomplishments and paid particularly close attention to his answers during debates. I liked what I heard and all I learned about him and was really disappointed with his poor numbers in the early primaries. Once he dropped out, I turned my attention to Romney and Thompson. Thompson was a major disappointment. The man could have all but sewn up the election had he run a more vigorous campaign. Romney was his own undoing, unfortunately. Now, we are left with McCain, who is almost as liberal as Giuliani, but he's far better a choice than the ultra-liberal Obama or another Clinton!