Posted on 03/02/2007 7:25:52 PM PST by doug from upland
The Next Reagan?
By Bruce Walker
Fred Thompson has been consistently conservative on social policy and provided critical help in getting John Roberts confirmed as Chief Justice.
The Republican Party presidential field seems wide open. Giuliani has lost valuable campaign papers, which might compromise a promising candidacy. He also is to the left of the Republican center on many issues, but his honesty and likeability make up for much of that. McCain is nominally pretty conservative, but he is simply disliked and mistrusted by too many Republicans. Romney is handsome and smooth, but unless he runs away from the pack early, his possible flip-flops on social issues will hurt him.
There are dark horses, like Mike Huckabee of Arkansas or Frank Keating of Oklahoma – both are popular, articulate, conservative and made their careers in state government, rather than Washington. Tom Tancredo would make a wonderful president, but has little chance of winning either the nomination or the general election.
Republicans need someone like Ronald Reagan, someone everyone knows, someone everyone likes, someone who is conservative and – most importantly – someone who would hold the presidency for eight years. What qualifications would such a candidate need? He would have to be someone who is very articulate and convincing in front of the camera, someone who exudes confidence, someone who naturally appeals to women voters, someone familiar with the news media, someone who has kept very much in the public eye and yet someone who has been away from the mess in Washington for awhile.
Is there such a man? Yes, there is: Fred Thompson. He has been consistently conservative on social policy and his help in getting John Roberts confirmed as Chief Justice to the Supreme Court was critical. Thompson has a record in the Senate and he voted conservative, according to the American Conservative Union, eighty-six percent of the time.
Although a conservative senator, he is well liked in the Senate. He also knows the Senate very well, although he has not been a member of the Senate for five years. Thompson also supported John McCain in 2000 and was his national co-chair. He has managed to be friendly with McCain and yet a strong supporter of President Bush. In short, he would be a unifier for the entire Republican Party and should receive the strong support of McCain, if Thompson won the nomination.
The most intriguing aspect of a Thompson candidacy, however, would be his extensive and successful experience as a movie star, a regular on two very popular television programs (programs, pointedly, that are particularly popular with women voters), and now as the replacement for Paul Harvey, whose radio program reaches tens of millions of older Americans every single day.
There is another Republican who did a regular radio commentary, who appeared before the American people for years on a very popular television program, who before that was a successful movie star, and who had left politics for several years before running for president. Who? Ronald Reagan, of course. He spoke to the American people with a radio commentary during the years between his defeat for the 1976 nomination and his run for the 1980 nomination. He was on General Electric Theater, a highly rated show, for years before entering politics. President Reagan honed his skills as a communicator at every single level.
Fred Thompson would naturally appeal to a couple of voting groups who do not naturally gravitate to Republican candidates: women who watch Law & Order, senior citizens who listen to and trust Paul Harvey, and young voters who have seen Thompson's many action movies. Fred Thompson also is an impressive and brilliant communicator. He also exudes a confidence and a leadership which people naturally seek in a president in troubled times.
Would Thompson run? He originally intended to run for re-election in 2002, but the death of his daughter caused him to reconsider. Thompson obviously does not “need” to be president to feel fulfilled in his life, but that is the very thing which most Americans want – someone, like Ronald Reagan, who actually wants to be president in order to serve his country and not his ego. It certainly seems that Fred Thompson cares about the future of America and he is clearly energetic and active enough to make a presidential run.
Would Thompson win? Today people are identified by image not policy briefs; Fred Thompson of Law & Order fame has the permanent image as a “good guy” to America. If his opponents complained that he was “just an actor,” then Thompson could easily answer: “Yes, just like Ronald Reagan was just an actor” (and no one says today that Ronald Reagan was a bad president.) He might run and he could easily win. After that, this well liked and brilliant actor might be the next Reagan.
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Bruce Walker has been a published author in print and in electronic media since 1990. His first book, Sinisterism: Secular Religion of the Lie, by Outskirts Press, was published in January 2006.
I can't tell you how Selective Service worked before then. I was still 17 when I joined the Army in Sep 69, but it wasn't as fair as the lottery, IIRC.
I dont understand why people would get hung up on one issue when that issue wont even 'affect' them anyhow.
Hunter-Thompson ticket.
Yikes, the press will call it the gonzo ticket, er, gonzo.
Having a wife almost young enough to be a grandaughter is going to be a hard sell for many conservatives. They will imagine that when he was around age 40, the girl was only a preteen and that seems too weird. For me, I don't care, since I've dated a couple women 20 years younger, but I also know about all of the criticism that comes with that. Both for the older man and the younger woman. I think he might not want to put his wife and family through that.
Sadly, this is not in evidence with the other candidates.
I think he was in "Iron Eagle" as well, can't remember. Awesome 80's movie!
"wont even 'affect' them anyhow."
If by chance, I ever get stationed in California, (Good chance),
I cannot bring a two of the weapons I own and legally possess in to that state.
They are legal where I live, and in all states surrounding CA.
I am an honest and law abiding citizen.
Why am I punished?
ask Duncan Hunter thats his state, what does that have to do with Rudy?
Fred was born in 1942. The first draft lottery for Vietnam was for men born between 1944 and 1950. So he was too old for the draft lottery by 2 years.
"A lottery drawing - the first since 1942 - was held on December 1, 1969, at Selective Service National Headquarters in Washington, D.C. This event determined the order of call for induction during calendar year 1970, that is, for registrants born between January 1, 1944, and December 31, 1950."
http://www.sss.gov/lotter1.htm
He uttered one of my favorite movie lines; "Russians don't take a dump, son, without a plan."
Actually, I thought Fred was more liberal on social issues.
Hunter is in the minority in CA.
Rudy was as well. Here is his take.
Rudy Giuliani: "I'm in favor of gun control"
Meet The Press:
Tim Russert: "How about registration of all handguns?"
Rudy Giuliani: "You know I'm in favor of that. I've been on your show many times."
I'm in favor of handgun registration.
Thanks.
You have a point, there will be those who will judge him on this.
I am married to a man 23 years older than me, spent many years with people referring to me as "his daughter," then getting embarrassed when they realized I was his wife. Didn't bother me or him, though, he was proud and so was I, that I looked that young.
He has two daughters, the oldest is only two years younger than me. And we have four beautiful grandchildren (I didn't have kids). Been together 20 years, so these marriages can work, and did often in past times in history. IN fact, these marriages were common in the past.
However, there will be many women who'll have a problem with this, will see it as cradle robbing.
However, his wife is not a pre-teen, and wasn't when she married him. I was old enough to make my own decisions when I married a man 23 years older than me, nobody made me do it.
I wouldn't have a man my own age, they are like hanging around with a little brother. I have always preferred a more mature circle of friends. Heck, all my friends are 30 years older, and I am more inclined to listen to Tommy Dorsey than rock and roll. This is a personal decision.
Unfortunately, too many Americans are more attuned to TV reality than real life. Only a small percentage of Americans vote, and many will do so for reasons other than the right ones.
that does not surprise me.
If you can't register a handgun you probably shouldn't own it in the first place.
Whats wrong with registering a handgun? whats the big deal? You do it once and its done.
Why should I submit myself to a registration and tax on a right?
"I'm a politician, AND I play one on TV!"
Do you have to register to be a writer? What if you only wrote short stories?
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