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Fred Thompson: too sane to be President?
Samizdata Blog ^ | December 31, 2007 | Paul Marks

Posted on 12/31/2007 2:08:56 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet

This morning Fox and Friends concentrated on three candidates in relation the Iowa caucuses on Thursday night: the two lead candidates in the polls, Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney - and John McCain... this was in spite of the fact that Senator McCain is not in Iowa (he is in New Hampshire) and that Fred Thompson is ahead of John McCain is most of Iowa polls.

This is a part of pattern: last night Fred Thompson was on Fox News Sunday, but in the panel discussion, later in the show, the panellists ignored Fred Thompson. He is attacked by people, including me, for not going on enough television shows - but when he does go on what he says is ignored, so perhaps I see why he does not clamour to go on. Yesterday morning Fox and Friends, like the rest of the media, was busy laughing at Fred Thompson's comments about not being obsessed with politics: "If one is not passionate about campaigning one should not run for office," was the message of the media.

But what sort of person is passionate about the political process? Not getting things done - but the process of gaining votes. Of going around pretending to be close personal friends with lots and lots of people one has never met before?

Fred Thompson is in the middle of a 40 town Iowa tour - so he is hardly lazy. And he does go on television shows - thus dealing with critics, such as myself, who attacked him for not going on enough shows. But what sort of person would enjoy all this?

A lunatic. Someone who was interested in office for its own sake - not as a means to reduce the size and scope of government.

What the media, including Fox News (the only non-leftist news station and, therefore, of vital importance in the Republican nomination process), are saying is that Fred Thompson is too sane to be President. It is not enough to produce detailed policies for dealing with the entitlement program Welfare State (a cancer that is destroying the United States and the rest of the Western World), or producing a new optional flat tax (individuals could continue to use the existing system if they wished to) to deal with the nightmare of complexity that the income tax has become.

It is not even enough to have a long record of service, going back to Watergate and taking down a corrupt Governor of Tennessee in the 1970's. And having one of the most Conservative voting records in the United States Senate - before leaving it in disgust at how the system did not allow real reform.

No - someone has to enjoy the prospect for office for its own sake, not to reduce the size and scope of government and restore a Federal Republic. One must enjoy the whole process of politics - i.e. be crazy. Or one must pretend to enjoy it - i.e. be a liar.

And then people complain that politicians are either crazy or corrupt. When they shoo away anyone who comes along who is neither crazy or corrupt.


TOPICS: Iowa; Tennessee; Campaign News; Parties; Polls
KEYWORDS: campaigning; drivebymedia; election; electionpresident; elections; foxnews; fred; fredthompson; gop; ia2008; johnmccain; lazylikeafox; media; mikehuckabee; mittromney; msm; nh2008; republicans; talkradio; thompson
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EXACTLY!
1 posted on 12/31/2007 2:08:57 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Im praying for a miracle this new year. I hope there is a surprise in Iowa and NH when Fred shows much better than expected.


2 posted on 12/31/2007 2:13:36 PM PST by DogBarkTree (The correct word isn't "immigrant" when what they are doing is "invading".)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Fox news is on the brink of losing my support. If it keeps going this way I will never watch them again.

I believe I speak for many more.


3 posted on 12/31/2007 2:14:40 PM PST by reasonisfaith (Fred Thompson is the only candidate who appeals to instinct.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
I havn’t watched FOX since amnesty myself!
4 posted on 12/31/2007 2:14:49 PM PST by Sybeck1 (I endorse Fred Thompson and cheer the Redskins!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
New Fred Campaign Ad Link
5 posted on 12/31/2007 2:15:11 PM PST by stocksthatgoup (Number 1 FredHead)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Murdoch is backing Hillary and Rudy. His reasons for leaving Fred out are only too obvious. Fox has been getting more and more unreliable for the past couple of years, unfortunately. Even Brit seems to have drunk the koolaid.

When Murdoch dies and his designated son inherits the empire, I think it will start to fall apart. It may take a while, but it will inevitably happen.


6 posted on 12/31/2007 2:16:52 PM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I’m more a Thompson critic than a supporter but even I would say he is getting very short shrift from the MSM. They, of course, have long been enamored of McCain and of late have perked up whenever Huckabee has wriggled his nose. So, it could well be that they really don’t want Thompson’s conservative views to get much airing for fear that Republican voters will remember where they came from in the first place. But I do lay part of the blame on Thompson himself. It’s really up to him to find his way from the back pages to the front page, and if it means standing on his head a little then he should do it. A losing candidacy isn’t gonna do the conservative cause much good at this point. There were plenty of those in 2006.


7 posted on 12/31/2007 2:17:53 PM PST by CZB
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

People should remember that George Washington ran only because the people begged him to and he did it for the good of the country. Not to mention as far as Fred is concerned the media is always taking his words out of context.


8 posted on 12/31/2007 2:21:39 PM PST by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul. WWPD (what would Patton do))
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To: reasonisfaith

faux news has already lost my support.Screw them.Their purposful and blatant disregard for a conservative running for president is shameful.Hey Murdoch,watch how you start loosing viewers now.Fair and balanced like the runos are conservative.LOL


9 posted on 12/31/2007 2:23:26 PM PST by HANG THE EXPENSE (Defeat liberalism, its the right thing to do for America.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

“taking down a corrupt Governor of Tennessee in the 1970’s...”

IMHO, this is Fred’s “problem”...they don’t want the peons interfering in their games....a “take down” is supposed to only be done by the “media”..and is only done to a Republican after suitable authorization from the top.....


10 posted on 12/31/2007 2:29:24 PM PST by mo
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To: snippy_about_it
"People should remember that George Washington ran only because the people begged him to and he did it for the good of the country. Not to mention as far as Fred is concerned the media is always taking his words out of context."

Wasn't George Washington on of those racist, misogynistic, warmongering dead old white guys that my professor told me about in History 101? Dude, is it 4:20 yet?

11 posted on 12/31/2007 2:30:16 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet (Your "dirt" on Fred is about as persuasive as a Nancy Pelosi Veteran's Day Speech)
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To: reasonisfaith

I haven’t watched Fox News in over a year (and I’m a Steve Doocy fan). I don’t watch TV news PERIOD unless there is severe weather headed for or in my area. Even my local paper I quickly skim through and concentrate mainly on the local crime stories and comics. I get the bulk of my news from FR cause there are FReepers posting from around the world.


12 posted on 12/31/2007 2:35:35 PM PST by proudofthesouth (Liberalism IS a mental illness.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Excellent video, it’s 17 minutes or so long but it is from the heart, says it all. I haven’t really given Fred that much thought since I was all excited about Huckaby for a good while and now am leaning to Romney due to many misstatements the Mr Huck has gotten himself into. Fred’s ‘from the heart’ fireside video here is a keeper. Very impressive. I do think that he really cares for the next generation having a 3 year old and an infant at home via his May/December marriage. And that is a very good thing. If this guy can survive through the early primaries, I think I am leaning his way a good bit after watching this video.
13 posted on 12/31/2007 2:39:48 PM PST by AgThorn (Bush is my president, but he needs to protect our borders. FIRST, before any talk of "Amnesty.")
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To: proudofthesouth

I’m about where you are, really. And I agree about Steve Doocy.


14 posted on 12/31/2007 2:43:38 PM PST by reasonisfaith (Fred Thompson is the only candidate who appeals to instinct.)
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To: AgThorn

Thanks for the heartfelt comment.


15 posted on 12/31/2007 2:44:06 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet (Your "dirt" on Fred is about as persuasive as a Nancy Pelosi Veteran's Day Speech)
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To: AgThorn
If Fred can keep the money trickling in through Super Tuesday, he will be a factor, for this is not going to be a slam dunk, done deal before the convention/pre-convention deal making.

Grass roots Americans, not just the regular political party types need to get exposed to Fred. He would be the best President this nation could have at this critical juncture in our history.

Thanks for the reasoned response.

16 posted on 12/31/2007 4:28:48 PM PST by ImpBill ("America ... Where are you now?" --Greg Adams--Brownsville, TX --On the other Front Line)
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To: reasonisfaith
Fox news is on the brink of losing my support

They lost me a long time ago. Bunch of idiots.

17 posted on 12/31/2007 5:43:01 PM PST by HerrBlucher (He's the coolest thing around, gonna shut HRC down, gonna turn it on, wind it up, blow em out, FDT!)
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To: AgThorn

I agree, it’s excellent.

I hope someone can show it at caucus but don’t know the rules. If it’s shown he’ll win many hearts and minds, that’s for sure.


18 posted on 12/31/2007 6:34:19 PM PST by HelloooClareece ("We make war that we may live in peace". Aristotle)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
I just remembered an obscure quote by Bill Clinton from many years ago:

Bill Clinton considered not running for reelection as Arkansas governor because ''the fire of an election no longer burns in me.''

There was a lot of talk about that statement when Bill Clinton was running for president in 1992, but it has been virtually erased from the collective memories today. I found only one result when searching for the quote on Google. But it seems relevant today considering the media hysteria over Fred Thompson's remarks.

Someone in Thompson's campaign should track down the video of Clinton making that statement and get it on the air, pronto.

19 posted on 01/01/2008 12:04:09 AM PST by HAL9000 (Fred Thompson/Mike Huckabee 2008)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Please post in News/Activism in future. Thanks.


20 posted on 01/01/2008 12:04:51 AM PST by jdm
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