Posted on 12/29/2007 3:27:15 PM PST by melt
(CNN) — Republican Fred Thompson has long faced criticism he lacks motivation to be President of the United States, but the Tennessee Republican's latest comments Saturday are likely to spawn fresh heat.
“I’m not particularly interested in running for president," the former senator said at a campaign event in Burlington when challenged by a voter over his desire to be commander-in-chief.
“But I think I’d make a good president," Thompson continued. "I have the background, capability, and concern to do this and I’m doing it for the right reasons.”
Thompson took heat for not jumping into the White House race until September — significantly later than every other candidate — and has since been criticized for his lax campaign style and often-times light schedule.
The former actor has criticized his rivals for launching their presidential bids months ahead of his, and continually touts the fact he hasn't harbored presidential ambitions his whole career.
"I am not consumed by personal ambition," Thompson also said Saturday. "I'm offering myself up."
"I'm only consumed by a few things and politics is not one of them."
But Thompson also said the sacrifices he has made to run for president proves he wants the top job.
(Excerpt) Read more at politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com ...
Ikka, Close but I'll give you the cigar anyway :-).
The leftist from the 60's last shot at power and glory is Hilda and to spread their neo-socialist dogma one more time.
Fred was their nemesis during Watergate.
It will be Mano e Mano so to speak again with Fred and Hilda.
He will metaphorically put a stake in the heart of their quest to destroy Nixon via his victory. That is something they cannot have happen, in essence he would be the Phoenix rising of Richard Milhouse.
It will be the "Regs" vs. the "Long Hairs" all over, this time the Regs will win.
He ought to bring Halderman and Erlichmann aboard as non paid consultants just to tweak their a$$es.
Read the full transcript...quit spinning this the way the media is and read what the man really said!
The someone lusts after the Presidency, the less I trust him with it. This was a superb answer.
Hank
He didn’t say he doesn’t want it.
He didn’t say if it happened, so be it.
He made it quite clear he wants it.
The fact that he isn’t getting into the middle of all the spats and childish fights the others are engaged in is making it hard for his opponents to come up with good methods to challenge him.
When something needs to be said, he says it. When it is misconstrued, he corrects it.
Most people on this thread understand his desires and tactics and realize they are quite in line with being elected President.
There's no such thing as a statement that can't be exploited, if the exploiter is dishonest enough. And they certainly are.
Who are you for?
Those who bought into the bogus story and refuse to read what Fred actually said simply don’t want to be forced to face what a great candidate we have in Fred Thompson and why he should be the next President of the United States.
..............................................
Fred has posted his response on his site:
http://fredfile.fred08.com/blog/2007/a-message-from-the-campaign-trail/
A Message from the Campaign Trail
Posted on December 29th, 2007
By Fred in On The Road
Every once in a while I am more thankful than ever for today’s technology which allows me to talk to you directly instead of having to go through the filter of the main stream media.
Some of them are intent on making the outcome of the campaign dependent upon their pre-conceived notions. Every once in a while their incomplete and slanted coverage makes this clear.
Today I had this story written about me regarding what I said at a Town Hall event in Burlington, Iowa by a reporter who wasn’t even at the event. Incidentally, I declined to be interviewed by this particular reporter yesterday for reasons which will soon be apparent.
In referring to me, she reported “he doesn’t like modern campaigning, isn’t interested in running for President, and will not be devastated” if he doesn’t win.
The following is a transcript of what I actually said in response to a question by a local Burlington resident which was the basis of the reporter’s story:
[THIS IS A BEST-EFFORT TRANSCRIPT OF THE SPECIFIC QUESTION AND ANSWER]
Q: (Courtesy ABC News) My only problem with you and why I haven’t thrown all my support behind you is that I don’t know if you have the desire to be President. If I caucus for you next week, are you still going to be there two months from now?
That is a very good question, not because it’s difficult to answer, but I’m gonna answer it in a little different way than what you might expect.
In the first place, I got into the race about the time people normally get into get into it. The fact of the matter is people get into it a lot earlier than they used to. For some of them, they were juniors in high school.
The first place, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. I wouldn’t be doing this. I grew up in very modest circumstances. I left government and I and my family have made sacrifices to be sitting here today. I haven’t had any income for a long time because I figured to be clean, you’ve got to cut everything off. I was doing speaking engagements and I had a contract to do a tv show. I had a contract with abc radio…and so forth. A man would have to be a total fool to do all those things and to be leaving his family which is not a joyful thing if he didn’’t want to do it.
I am not consumed by personal ambition. I will not be devastated if I don’t do it. I want the people to have the best president they can have.
When this talk first originated from people around the country both directly and through polls, liked the idea of me stepping up and of course, you always look better form a distance.
But most of those people are still there. I approached it from the standpoint of a deal. A kind of a marriage. If one side of a marriage really has to be talked into the marriage, it probably ain’t going to be a good deal. But if you mutually decide it’s going to be a good thing. In this case, if you think this is a good thing for the country, then we have an opportunity to do some wonderful things together.
I’m offering myself up. I’m saying that I have the background, the capability and concern to do this and do it for the right reasons. I’m not particularly interested in running for president, but I think I’d make a good president.
Nowadays, the process has become much more important than it used to be.
I don’t know that they ever asked George Washington a question like this. I don’t know that they ever asked Dwight D. Eisenhower a question like this. But nowadays, it’s all about fire in the belly. I’m not sure in the world we live in today it’s a good thing if a president has too much fire in the belly. I approach life differently than a lot of people. People, I guess, wonder how I’ve been as successful as I’ve been in everything that I’ve done. I won two races in TN by 20 point margins in a state that bill Clinton carried twice. I’ve never had an acting lesson. I guess that’s obvious by people who’ve watched me…
When I did it, I did it. Wasn’t just a lark. Anything that’s worth doing is worth doing well. But I’ve always been a little more laid back than most. I’m only consumed by very, very few things. Politics is not one of them. The welfare of our country and our kids and grandkids is one of them.
If people really want in their president super type-a personality, someone who has gotten up every morning and gone to bed every night and been thinking about for years how they win the presidency of the united states, someone who can look you straight in the eye and say they enjoy every minute of campaigning, I ain’t that guy. So I hope I’ve discussed that and didn’t talk you out of anything. I honestly want – I can’t imagine a worse set of circumstances [than] achieving the Presidency of the United States under false pretenses. I go out of my way to be myself.
It is clear that there are those in the media who will exact a high price for candor and from those whom they consider to be insufficiently ambitious. But it is with increasing amazement that we see that those who are willing to slant or leave out important parts of a story to make their point.
If a candidate succumbs to this he will be reduced to nothing more than a sound bite machine.
As for me I am going to continue to say exactly what is in my heart and is on my mind and give straight and honest answers to those who ask straight and honest questions.
Incidentally, the audience in Burlington broke into applause in the middle of my answer. The reporter wouldn’t know that because she wasn’t even there.
“I am not consumed by personal ambition,” Thompson also said Saturday. “I’m offering myself up.”
Selfless service is essential in a good leader.
Go FRED!
After reading that how can you not see a clarity, focus, and honesty of someone who knows who he is and how to express it. Somewhat folksee, but that is refreshing.
may be a bad choice of words but it’s true...he is not consumed with the idea of being POTUS like Clinton was or McCain is
It was even more important in Washington’s time and he really did not want it either...
Folks who really wanted it have not always turned out so great
Yeah, well, like it or not, the campaign for President is the world’s more rigorous job interview. Like other job interview’s, the person who can take the vetting doesn’t get the job. Is it perfect? No. But its not bad and it certainly does test one’s mettle. Ambition by itself is not enough to win the job, but it needs to be there to get through the process.
And that’s all I have to say about that. Give my regards to Zsa Zsa.
RuPaul--nutcase not going anywhere even though he may have some bucks.
. tanc--alread quit.
Hunter--sentimental fav here but name recog. plus dbm did him in.
HUckster--Just that a carnival act whose 15 minutes is almost over, if the truth about his hundreds of pardons, weakness on the border and everything else doesn't get out we will make dam sure it does.
Romney--Still in the race but his major league support of mandatory health care in Mass. including fines of at least $100 per month for those refusing to sign up for health care all but rule him out to any conservative. Plus he has a problem with telling the truth in some areas.
Mccain--Going no where but in his mind. He screwed GW and us over so many times it would be a miracle for him to get the nod,chief of the RINOS.
Rudy--Still in and while not a fav here, he plays well nationally, anything but a hardcore conservative but things could come down to a battle between Rudy and Fred--we shall see.
Fred--Still my #1 choice and still alive, hopefully SC will give him some momentum if not before. He will have to overcome being ignored by the DBM--he scares them to death since he knows how to handle them.
He’s a (probably paid) shill for Slick Willard.
And you’ll say anything to make him look bad, Mittster.
It must be hard to put your heart into making an honest, thoughtful, and extensive response to a question from a voter and have the press blindside you by condensing it all down to a snip of just a few words which is meant to define you in way that is completely contrary to your message.
Still, Fred keeps going, doing his best to get that message through. I just hope that most voters will take the time to find out for themselves who Fred Thompson really is.
paid shill are we? Which campaign Romney or Hucksterbee
He does want the job, hence the reason he is running. It is out of necessity as the liberal nature of even the Republican party is discouraging. I am glad he stepped up. He is a man Ronald Reagan would be proud of.
The press won’t be getting a free lunch with Fred as our President. Will be fun to watch it all play out. Grab some popcorn.
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