Posted on 03/22/2007 12:20:50 PM PDT by STARWISE
Thirty five years ago, Fred Thompson, then an obscure country lawyer from Tennessee, became a familiar face to millions of Americans engrossed in watching the historic drama of the Senate Watergate hearings unfold on television.
The exposure he received as the Republican counsel to the committee investigating the scandal propelled him to a lucrative law practice, a substantial movie career, then the U.S. Senate and finally a return to acting and private law practice.
When he first won election to a seat once held by his longtime mentor, Howard Baker, he was considered almost immediately by many as a potential presidential nominee. Possessing a rugged 6-foot-4-inch ((I believe he's 6" 6")) frame and a voice as rich and smoky as the Tennessee mountains, he is an imposing figure.
But he seemed reluctant to pursue the prospect with any fervor, and he soon became bored and disillusioned with the Senate, a condition not unusual among bright people after a few years in the world's champion debating club. He left that aspect of politics, but despite star billing on TV's "Law & Order" series, he kept his political ties and friends.
The other day Thompson cranked up the buzz about the 2008 Republican presidential nomination by letting it be known that if the planets were aligned this summer, he "might" be interested in seeking the job his friends hoped he would years ago.
That this tentative step could stir up such interest pretty much certifies the lack of overall enthusiasm by GOP regulars for the current crop of hopefuls.
While Rudolph Giuliani is leading in the early polls, his damaging personal life has damaged his image. John McCain's former stature as the man to beat has slipped because of his support for more troops in Iraq.
Mitt Romney's onetime socially liberal stances have hurt him first with conservatives and then with moderates when he disavowed them.
Thompson's appearance on the scene seemed to stimulate a burst of interest, particularly among the conservatives who view him as acceptable and among the moderates who point out that he has never been reactionary.
Also, Baker is leading the Thompson draft. The former Senate Republican leader's endorsement still carries a lot of weight.
Part of the equation may be the "Hagel factor." Nebraska Sen. Charles Hagel, a Vietnam veteran who is a hard nosed opponent of the Iraq policy and often mentioned as a potentially viable alternative for Republican moderates. He still hadn't made up his mind.
Some who earn their living speculating about politics saw Hagel's hesitancy as a possible deference to Thompson. The two were close friends.
Obviously Thompson's name recognition is high enough because of his TV and movie performances to make a late entry into the campaign more plausible than it might be for others. But he also has solid credentials as well as a presidential demeanor.
Whether or not he possesses the desire, money and organization to capture the nomination and then the White House against odds that at this stage clearly favor whoever wins the Democratic nod is another question.
FRedheads...I like that.
THAT is the one I kept talking about SW:) My heart sank too, when I first heard it- but went back and listened 2-3 times...and realized he's mostly talking about raising the money...wondering aloud if it will be possible, while taking his family into consideration.
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I want to hear him again. :0)
audio: Laura Ingraham's Fred Thompson interview
The first FDT political ad, courtesy of Mr.Politics
RedState.com: Goodbye Law and Order, Hello West Wing
UP & Coming Magazine: Watch Out Democrats
More Thompson Analysis from postpolitical.com
Boston Herald: GOP stage set for Thompson
Captain's Quarters looks at Fred Thompson
Mary Katherine Ham Makes the Case for Fred Thompson
OmniPundit criticizes some conservative pundits for dimissing Fred Thompson's chances
Bill Hobbs & John Gizzi pronounce FDT a conservative
L.A. Times: Conservative Republicans turning to Hollywood star
Doug Hagin makes a pitch for Fred on American Daily
Transcript of the Fox News Sunday interview that fueled the fire
Fred Factor: OmniPundit on the grassroots movement to draft Fred Thompson
OmniPundit: Thompson Run Could Change GOP Calculus
The Hill says The Fred Thompson Surge will transform the GOP race
AOL:'Law & Order' Actor Mulls White House Run
Race 4 2008: A Conservative Man For All Seasons
William Rusher: Fred Thompson considers running
Human Events: Fred Thompson is a conservative who can win
J.C. Watts Lends Support To Thompson For President
Fred is "Just Right" to most conservatives on the issues
Zach Wamp Says Thompson Likely To Run For President
Fred Thompson -- the next Ronald Reagan?
Robert Novak mentions Fred's solid conservative voting record
Online Petition to draft Fred Thompson has over 9,000 signatures
Political Wire: Thompson Seeking Political Operatives
Insiders Map Plan for '08 Thompson Bid
Rush: GOP Base Excited About Fred Thompson
J-Lo: This Fred Thompson Thing Looks Like It Could Be Getting Serious
Tennessee Republicans Urge Fred Thompson To Run
NewsMax - Wanted by the GOP: One Good Man
The American Spectator asks who's afraid of Fred Thompson
Zach Wamp: Why Fred Thompson Should Run For President
John Fund's WSJ Opinion Journal Fred Thompson interview
Fred Thompson Websites
draftfredthompson.com: grassroots central for the Draft Fred Thompson movement
Draft Fred Thompson 2008 Committee website
Grassroots Voter, a Better Fred Than Red blog
Former Sen. Bill Frist's Volunteer Political Action Committee blog
Coloradans For Fred Thompson blog
Fred Thompson Biographies and Collections
Bio from Fred's hometown of Lawrenceburg, TN
Fredipedia: Wikipedia's Fred Dalton Thompson bio
IMDB Fred Thompson's TV and film credits
The Fred Thompson Papers in The Modern Political Archives at the University of Tennessee
Sen. Thompson's statement re: the Clinton articles of impeachment
Bill Hobbs: The Daily Fred
The Daily Fred, March 21 Edition
The Daily Fred, March 20 Edition
The Daily Fred, March 19 Edition
The Daily Fred, March 16 Edition
The Daily Fred, March 15 Edition
Bill Hobbs reports on the Festival of Fred
Fred Thompson's Paul Harvey Show Transcripts:
Can you imagine Hillary the Hun debating Thompson?
Can you IMAGINE??
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