Posted on 08/24/2009 12:38:35 PM PDT by brewferr
So here we were in 2007 worrying about who would take the Reagan "mantle of conservatism" forward. John McCain, Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Duncan Hunter, Mike Huckabee, Ron Paul and others were already in the race to become the next GOP nominee for president. And you know what? Conservatives were freaking out! Was this really the crop we had to choose from? None of these guys, with the exception of maybe Duncan Hunter or to an extent Ron Paul, really understood what conservatism was.
Then a grassroots draft campaign was initiated to bring someone into the race that really understood American exceptionalism. That individual was the former U.S. Senator from Tennessee - Fred Thompson. In Fred Thompson, conservatives had a real candidate to back. Thompson understood that government should be limited so that it could not tread on our natural God-given rights. He was a champion of low taxes, free-enterprise, traditional American social values, and a strong national defense. It just made sense to back Thompson.
So, in late 2007, Senator Thompson entered the race to become the next president. However, his campaign was attacked by the left-wing media and the other GOP presidential campaigns from the beginning. They accused Thompson of being "lazy like a fox", too radical, too old, etc. These ideas sank in and the Thompson campaigned left the field in early 2008.
That being said, McCain became the next GOP nominee. Conservatives felt betrayed until a little-known governor from Alaska, Sarah Palin came along. She electrified the base and undoubtedly gave the McCain campaign a much needed boost.
Fredheads, where do we go from here? Is Sarah Palin in fact the next person to bear the "mantle of Reagan"? I believe that she will be a force to be reckoned with in the future, but I still hold onto the hope that Senator Fred Thompson will one day be president.
In 1976, Governor Ronald Reagan decided to challenge a sitting president of his party for the GOP nomination. Reagan was repeatedly accused of being lazy, too old, and too radical. Those ideas sank in and Reagan narrowly lost the nomination to Gerald Ford that year. However, Ronald Reagan's campaign wasn't over. He would return in 1980, win the GOP nomination, and lead America into the largest peacetime economic expansion in recent years.
Even with the conservative Sarah Palin in the fray, I believe that there is still a role for Fred Thompson to play. We've pulled him out of political retirement before, and I believe that we can do it again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeVi2KF7hA4
Have heard Fred’s wife speak up for Palin.
From what I have heard from Fred especially over the past year and a half, his views are much in line with Palin’s.
Personally, I believe that if Thompson decided to not run for president again, he would be an excellent choice for Palin as VP.
If we must “pull him out of retirement” then the necessary spirit is not in him and he will win no office. Reagan was not ‘pulled out of retirement.’ Reagan continued to work at it until he got it.Thompson is not the man. He can change that but we cannot.
That’s a pretty good team right there!
Sarah Palin. No ifs, ands or buts.
One word....SARAH!
Saks?
After hearing Fred clear his throat 571,576,751 times during his speech at the RNC convention I don’t think he would be a good idea for anybody.
Right now I’m softly supporting Jim DeMint. Things could change.
That would be a great team.
We’d have to wake him up, wouldn’t we?
Fred Thompson could be Sarah Palin’s Dick Cheney.
“After hearing Fred clear his throat 571,576,751 times during his speech at the RNC convention”
Yea, you’re right, we need somebody like Obama.
Fred is wide-awake. Reagan got caught falling asleep in cabinet meetings and accused of the same things.
Try not to be an idiot. I know it's going to be a strain, but try.
If the presentation of The Message gets in the way of The Message then The Message gets lost or at least muted. Work your brain as hard as you can. Don't hurt yourself. Just try to understand.
This statement is crap. Sarah Palin did not "come along". She was plucked from obscurity and put on the national stage by JOHN MCCAIN. And after she was picked by JOHN MCCAIN, some conservatives still felt betrayed.
ALWAYS REMEMBER
SARAH WAS PICKED BY JOHN MCCAIN.
Fred might be a good alternative if SP decides not to run and it would otherwise be a choice between Slick Willard and the Huckster. But, if that were the case a person w/more fire in the belly will have likely jumped in.
Try to refrain from name calling. Your message and YOUR presentation might carry a lot more weight.
Fred! (who was my candidate of choice) reminded (reminds?) me of a southern McKinley, except for the winning-the-election part: He hated campaigning even more than most candidates do, and thus, well, didn’t campaign as much as his rivals did. Pity, perhaps. But I still admire him.
I like the “Palin/Bachmann ‘12” tag. Bachmann has been on fire lately and at the same time attacked like crazy. If the lefties are attacking her like crazy that means she must be doing something right.
I didn’t call you a name. I said to try not to be an idiot. Granted that’s pretty darn close to calling you a name but if you’re going to show your lack of understanding with uninformed sarcasm then you get what you deserve.
Uniformed? Au contraire.
BTW, you wouldn’t happen to be a Mittophile would you?
Jeez. You sound like Bill Clinton. I guess it depends upon what the meaning of idiot is.
I was going for a Thompson / Palin ticket before McCain was even in the hunt....how about a cabinet spot for FRed or a SupremeCourt appt??
"BTW, you wouldn’t happen to be a Mittophile would you?"
Now please refer up to post #9 where I said I was supporting Jim DeMint and tell you that you are not uniformed again.
Fred on the SCOTUS? Wow. Wouldn’t that be nice.
Sarah Palin
Liz Cheney.
Already went....
Sarah.
Where do Fredheads go from here?
Hmmmm.....
Some choices:
Jim DeMint
Sarah Palin
Mike Pence
(I’m going to get pilloried for this) Rick Perry
J.D. Hayworth
People we need to cultivate for future leadership:
Marco Rubio
Pat Toomey (despite the Sotomayor foulup)
Tom McClintock
Michelle Bachmann
“Now please refer up to post #9 where I said I was supporting Jim DeMint”
I like JD a lot but the last I checked he hasn’t even hinted at running.
We could always do worse.....oh wait......
True.
Time will tell.
I’m a Fredhead myself, but we should be naming Supreme Court Justices in their 40s or early 50s.
If they’re as conservative as FRed...sure!
How about Fred as Sec. Of State???
That is about the only good thing he has ever done.
Let’s “pull” Duncan Hunter with Sarah - what a team!
“None of these guys, with the exception of maybe Duncan Hunter or to an extent Ron Paul, really understood what conservatism was.”
The others still don’t.
You’re on the list. :)
I like Fred Thompson. However, other than the former-actor angle, I was never convinced of the Reagan linkage. Thompson’s politics seemed more Bob Dole than Ronald Reagan. In terms of politics: Thompson > McCain >>>>>>>>>>>>>Obama.
Sarah! no question, no doubts. No one else even comes close.
I love Thompson — but none of the 2008 presidential candidates was able to unite the party. We need someone fresh.
So far, I like DeMint the best. However, that’s just an initial impression — I haven’t done in-depth research on anyone yet.
My number one priority is taking back Congress in 2010.
Good Cop, Sarah
Bad Cop, Ron Paul
If any Pubbie comes to me with a “what about ... (Fill in the blank with a RINO - Romney, Huck, etc...)
Then we should say, “Well you know, Ron Paul had it right about the banking collapse. Being right about the most important issue of 2008 and more going forward should count for something... What is your strategy for getting out the Ron Paul independent vote?”
Now we play coy, making goo-goo eyes after our crazy old uncle Paul, the RINOs will continue to attack Paul, or suck up to him, whatever. Sarah can then just be Sarah, and they will not notice her new dress, or hair, or children.
Then after a year or two of this, we say, “OK, you win, You win, Ron Paul is not a nationally viable candidate, I guess I we will all have to support Sarah...”
I would back Fred Thompson again in a heart beat.
I am very impressed with Sarah Palin, but I am not very certain she really is up to the job, at present. Perhaps in 2 more years.
But then again, since I haven't been a Republican for quite some time, it really isn't up to me is it? ;-)
Fred was my guy- he still is my favorite. He’s got the right stuff.
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