Posted on 01/19/2008 6:09:45 AM PST by SE Mom
Greenville, South Carolina — At various times during Fred Thompson’s presidential campaign, there have been moments in which Republicans who admire Thompson and want him to succeed have said, “Yessssss! Yessssss! Why haven’t we seen more of that?” One such moment happened in December, after Thompson’s “no hand shows” performance at the Des Moines Register debate in Iowa. Another came nine days ago after Thompson’s forceful performance at the Fox News debate in Myrtle Beach. And there was another last night, in the final appearance of Thompson’s South Carolina primary campaign, in a packed room at Greenville’s Embassy Suites hotel. At that appearance, Thompson was so good, so energized, so non-laid-back-Fred, that many of his supporters wondered where the man had been during the campaign.
... “We’re having a little discussion in the party nowadays about what that means for the future,” Thompson told the crowd. “Some people think we need to get away from the Reagan coalition, because it doesn’t exist any more.” The audience erupted into boos. “Some people seem to think that we need to be a little bit more what they called progressive…Well, I reject that concept with every fiber of my being.”
... Thompson spoke without notes, and with obvious feeling. He so clearly believed what he was saying that he made an emotional connection with the crowd, and they responded with enormous enthusiasm. To everyone in the audience, Friday night in Greenville was what the Thompson campaign was supposed to be about. What made it particularly compelling was that it followed one of those quirky appearances that have come to represent what the Thompson campaign became. Three hours before the Embassy Suites speech, Thompson’s bus pulled up in front of the Westin Poinsett hotel on Main Street in Greenville, where Thompson emerged to…wander around.
(Excerpt) Read more at article.nationalreview.com ...
Byron York sees what Fred’s supporters have always seen.
Now now, mustn’t criticize those that are not as astute as the typical FredHead.
Now now, mustn’t criticize those that are not as astute as the typical FredHead.
Where's any criticism in that statement?
Sounds like he is selective though in that Fred can’t be laid back to be taken seriously though. I like Fred either way.
I knew there was a reason I liked this guy and gave to his campaign. He smokes La Gloria Cubanas too! My favorite cigar.
LOL!
http://corner.nationalreview.com/
VERY early returns from Lexington County, S.C. [Michael Graham]
From a blog:
Four votes for Fred Thompson from a family of evangelicals, which is interesting because, when I spoke to these same folks two weeks ago, none of them were Thompson supporters. In fact, they were barely aware of his candidacy. One was a Giuliani supporter and the others were looking fondly upon Huckabee, but hadn’t made a decision.
01/19 09:24 AM
If THomson could bottle his wit he would be rich. Unfortunately, he’s spotty and irregular - sorta menopausal in his rhetoric.
Huh???
Byron goes on in another post:
http://corner.nationalreview.com/
Fred and Huck: The Finale In S.C. [Byron York]
I have a new story up on Fred Thompson’s campaign finale here in South Carolina. The short version is: Thompson, the man who in the conventional wisdom has come to define low-energy campaigning, was absolutely riveting. He was engaged and impassioned and devoted his entire talk to conservative first principles. In turn, the audience was enormously enthusiastic. Which of course led to the inevitable observation, made by a woman standing next to me near the podium, “Where was this six months ago?”
After Thompson’s speech, I hurried from Greenville back to Columbia to catch Mike Huckabee’s last campaign event, at the University of South Carolina campus. It was a truly low-energy affair, with a three-quarters-filled room and a really bad band. The highlight of the night was the live appearance of the two guys who have reworked a bunch of classic-rock hits into Huckabee campaign songs and gotten a zillion hits on YouTube: “Here’s to you, Mister Huckabee, Jesus loves you more than will know. Whoa, whoa, whoa. God bless you please, Mister Huckabee, the White House holds a place for those who pray. Hey, hey, hey.”
In contrast to Thompson’s first principles, Huckabee gave his populist, I-care-about-the-little-guy appeal, well delivered – as always – but not really connecting with the college crowd. At one point, he actually used the phrase, most associated with Bill Clinton, that people are in “a world of hurt.” By the end, the strongest impression the event left was that the people on stage were a really motley crew, led by professional wrestling star Ric Flair, who has endorsed Huckabee and has been traveling around South Carolina with him. When Huckabee said that he was going to make Flair head of Homeland Security – a joke he usually uses with Chuck Norris – my wife, who has come along for this trip and is no fan of Huckabee’s, leaned over to me and said, “Why not?”
01/19 09:40 AM
Needs no comment. Says it all!
Was it there six months ago and nobody chose to notice, or was it not there.
The criticisms of Fred are rather odd, it seems to me.
I have always seen commitment and passion in Fred.
I just returned home from voting for FRed. I was voter # 109 at 9:45 AM. Poll workers described turnout as unusually strong.(It’s a small, rural precinct)
My only real worry is that in my precinct, the polling place is in a rather large Baptist Church. Nothing against those folks, but am worried that it might slant the voting towards the Huckster.
Anyway, I have been waiting for this day with the excitement of a kid at Christmas.
Hopefully, Santa comes tonight!
Thanks for the update:)
x_plus_one wrote: “If THomson could bottle his wit he would be rich.”
I’ve got a newsflash for you: He IS rich.
Good question.
Reading Byron York’s piece and his blogs at NRO this morning- it seems as though Fred has found his message. I think it’s the same message he’s had all along- but it takes time to hone it- from the reaction to that message last night in Greenville- it’s the one voters want.
I never had a problem with the “late” start- except for the reason above. This was particularly true because Fred’s been away from politics for so long. He has his own style and pace..and I think in the last 10 days, he hit his stride.
I caught that sentiment too and I agree with you. Fred has a well-rounded personality and that is the kind of president we want. You sure don’t need a cornpone jokster like Huckabee sitting in the Oval office nor an uptight screemer like Hilarity as president. I hope the “last minute” surge works for Fred. He really is what America needs at this time and needs badly before we lose all our freedoms.
BTTT:)
“I’ve always been there,” he said, “I’m proud of my record, what you see is what you get, where I was yesterday, I am today, is where I’ll be tomorrow. I wear no man’s collar, and I’ve never been accused of changing my political opinion about something because of a political consideration.”
Needs no comment. Says it all!
I disagree. A lot of the candidates on both sides are saying this. In Thompson's case, it appears to be truth. The only other candidate that can truthfully say that is Hunter.
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