Posted on 10/03/2007 1:19:17 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The Politico has one of the most interesting articles up about Fred Thompson published in quite a while. Most political observers focus on the polls, who raises what (plead guilty); in short, the details, but the Politico’s Roger Simon takes a closer look at how Fred Thompson handles himself and what kind of person he is and what kind of campaign he has.
When Roger asked Thompson whether the considers himself to be an “11th Commandment man” (never speak ill of a fellow Republican), the former senator answered that he’s more of a “12 Commandment man.” The 12th Commandment, according to Thompson: “Don’t speak ill of them until they speak ill of me. And then really speak ill of them.”
As Roger points out, until now, Thompson has presented himself as a folksy, good humoured guy, who doesn’t care all that much about what people say about him. That may, however, change. Soon.
In fact, he may already have changed his approach: in a recent speech he told his fellow Republicans that they have to “stay true” to their principles. When Roger asked him whether he was was refering to Rudy Giuliani, Thompson “made a face of mock horror and laughed.”
When Roger asked a follow-up question, how it could be that Giuliani - who is pro-choice, pro-gun control and pro-gay rights - leads in the national polls among (likely) Republican voters, Thompson answered: “I don’t know that people know his positions. That hasn’t really been part of the discussion up to now, far as I can tell. It seems that a lot of candidates have been campaigning for a long time and voters don’t know a lot of things about a lot of them.”
And it seems to me that Thompson will not let his fellow Republican candidates get away with that much longer.
He further believes, he told Roger, that the Republican candidates don’t have to try and find the “Reagan Democrats.” According to Thompson, these Democrats “have not gone anywhere.” Instead, it’s the Republican Party as a whole that has moved. He explained that he was referring to “big spending” and “ethical lapses” which have a “dampening effect on our own.”
When asked about the possibilities of a Republican victory in 08, Thompson explained that he believes that - although the sentiment is pro-Democrats at this point in time - there’s still time to change the tide; he believes that if he campaigns hard, he’ll be able to convince enough Independents that he’s the best person to lead the country for the coming four years.
Combine Thompson’s threatening words with the criticism and threats coming from the self-proclaimed leaders of the Christian conservatives in America, and Giuliani may be in some serious trouble. He hasn’t been attacked all that much yet - except for Mitt Romney, who has most certainly gone after Giuliani - but that has changed and will most likely continue to change. Giuliani’s opponents realize that if they don’t attack him - truly attack him - he may very well take the nomination. Not only does that mean that they might as well give up, it also means that their party will be lead by someone who disagrees with the party’s base about the issues it once cared most about.
So are you an “I’ll vote for Rudy if it is him versus Hillary”?
Facts talk drivel walks... I am planning on voting for either Hunter or Fred and I will make that decision right before I need to based on the information I continue to gather, which includes which one of these two can realistically win the election base on funds, momentum, and platform.
Maybe it is time to elect someone with different qualifications than the ones we always looked for since that mantra has done us so well as of late ( Reagan excluded ).
Another sleazy insinuation from the Axis of Desperation. Pathetic.
Good! I will, too. Giuliani is not in my game plan. I truly think that people are fed up with the status quo. The two parties no longer have strong differences on the Conservative side. There is really little difference between the standards held by Conservative Democrats and Conservative Republicans.
I think party is not the factor in this election, but boils down to a strong fight between the liberal and the conservative. If the Republican nominee is not conservative enough, the Democrats will take the general because conservatives will tend to skip the general.
So the major election is the primary. That will determine the outcome. GO DUNCAN HUNTER!
I've always wondered if that was why Reagan tore into Jerry Ford the way he did over Ford's pursuit of détente.
I agree with ya there....
And further... I am looking forward to the public finding out a WHOLE LOT MORE.... about Thompson!
= )
LOL, look who's talking.
We are in a war. The role of the House Armed Services Committee has been SIGNIFICANT.
He wouldn’t have been awarded Keeper of the Flame otherwise.
This hurts him somewhat but I guarantee you that the next pres will be a member. That's why this whole election thing is a facade. You just give them a somewhat legitimate platform to screw you over.
No, I hadn't gotten here until just now.
I’ll take Rep. Hunter’s record over FDT’s any day of the week.
Take it and put it somewhere that you're sure you won't lose it. One thing's for sure: Nobody else wants it.
I can give you some ideas on where you can put it, if need be.
Too bad the flame went out while Duncan played hookey from work on the taxpayers’ dime.
Oh my - another garbage mouth!
Helped found and bring to prominance a new national party that swept the predecessor Whigs into non-existance. Provided a national voice for a newly emergent Free Soil and Abolitionist coalition.
I watched 60 minutes the other night and was so moved by Clarence Thomas. CBS was fair. I’m still stunned about that.
But, I digress. I couldn’t help thinking of this election when he stated his principals in making decisions.
“After this whole horrible experience, you won,” Kroft says.
“Won what?” Thomas asks. “What was the game? There was no game, Steve. This wasn’t about winning anything, this wasn’t a football game. This was about our country. This was about a process. This was about our courts. This was about our Constitution. Who won?”
“Well, I mean, you know it’s about a seat on the Supreme Court of the United States,” Kroft says.
“So what?” Thomas asks.
“They don’t come open, they come open that…,” Kroft says.
“That’s not a holy grail for me Steve,” Thomas says.
Was it worth it in the end?
“I think it was always worth it to stand on principle. No matter what the ultimate goal is. Wrong is wrong even if it was over a penny,” Thomas says.
“This is a circus. It’s a national disgrace,” he said during the hearing. “It is a high-tech lynching for uppity blacks who in any way deign to think for themselves and it is a message that unless you kowtow to an old order you will be lynched, destroyed, caricatured by a committee of the U.S. Senate rather than hung from a tree.”
“Why did you use that language? Why a high tech lynching?” Kroft asks.
“If someone just wantonly tries to destroy you, if somebody comes in and drags you out of your house and beats the hell out of you. What is it?” the justice replies.
“What do you want people to think about these allegations? What is important…,” Kroft asks.
“I think most well-meaning people understand it for what it was. It was a weapon to destroy me, clear and simple,” Thomas says.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1904827/posts
No, you just have a dirty mind.
It’ll get interesting when Rooty gets the nomination and Fred goes third party.
The Constitutional answer is ... if you are of correct age
and born in this great country, you are qualified to run
and serve. Do you imagine the founders weren’t more specific
for a reason?
“Dictatorships, socialist & communist countries seek a central planner”
please send this message to the Mitt supporters.
But hopefully you still win on merit.
“But hopefully you still win on merit.”
No, I think you win because voters individually
assess what they hear you say, whether you believe
it (in their judgment), whether they view you as
likable and trustworthy, and whether you convince
enough of them to win the Electoral College.
Nothin’ more. Nothin’ less.
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