Posted on 03/14/2007 1:02:12 AM PDT by RWR8189
SO now we have a Republican boomlet in the race for president, in the person of lawyer-actor and ex-Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee and "Law and Order." He's considering a run, he said on Sunday.
He'd make for a thrilling candidate, in part because he would be the first person in history to run for president after playing a president in a film about a terrorist attack (2005's "Last Best Chance"). Thompson has also appeared on film as a White House chief of staff, the director of both the CIA and the FBI, and has been the fictional representative of very nearly every service of the U.S. military.
Now, it would be foolish for anyone to dismiss the Thompson candidacy because of his career as a performer. He was and is one of the most intelligent and interesting people in American politics. His journey to the screen was the equivalent of a freak meteorological event. "When people ask me how to get into the movies," he once told me, "I tell them, 'Stand around until you get hit by lightning. That's how it happened to me.' "
Thompson became famous before he turned 30, as the counsel to the Republicans on the Watergate committee. He was the person who asked Nixon White House official Alexander Butterfield the question that changed American history: Was there a secret taping system inside the White House? Butterfield answered "yes" - and the rapid downward slide toward the Nixon resignation commenced in earnest.
After his tenure in D.C., Thompson went back to his native Tennessee and hung out a legal shingle. A few years later, he represented a remarkable woman named Marie Ragghianti - who had discovered that the state's governor was actually selling pardons to imprisoned crooks.
When Hollywood descended on Nashville to make a movie about her story,
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Thompson/Newt.....
He even looks "Presidential" !!!!
(Former Senator) Fred Thompson with other cast members of 'Law and Order'.
Thompson/Steele '08
An animating contest in the primaries is always a good thing. We need somebody credible on the right to frame the debate in traditional Republican terms. Fred Thompson could be the perfect person to do that.
If the debate is between McCain and Giuliani, it is going to be stunted, superficial, and fought on one side of the Republican spectrum. Adding Thompson to the mix will force everybody to tackle issues near and dear to Republicans and give voters who don't want to settle for a moderate someplace to go.
Frankly, in order to win in 2008, the Republicans are going to have to provide a pretty darn good reason to vote for them. They need consistent vision and they need to set themselves apart from the Democrats. Fighting it out in the middle of the political spectrum is a sure loser, because voters will see two candidates saying the same thing and decide to give the new party a shot for a change.
The old strategy of occupying the center and peeling people away with wedge issues is pretty much played out. It was an effective tactic for a while, but now the voters see it for the cynical exercise that it always was. It is time to sell the core package again, as Reagan did in 1976 and 1980. Fred Thompson is the only person to come forward in the Republican field who can do that convincingly.
Now that's an All-Star team!
"Thompson/Steele '08"
Why the latter? Out of all the choses...why him? Just curious.
"Fred Thompson has gravitas."
Depth and personality almost always wins. I think it's all on us this time around. Hillary and Obama will not win if we make a winning chose and get all our potential voters out.
Fred is the only candidate I'd be willing to contribute to.
...and to get all our voters out they either need to be scared or excited and Thompson excites people like no candidate I've seen in a long time!!
Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please PLEASE Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please pleeeeease....
Will 21st century Americans ever elect someone with no hair to be president?
In addition to being a conservative, Fred Thompson was also well liked on both sides of the aisle. Gingrich is also very conservative, but he would have to overcome the negative perception the media has been building up for him in the minds of many voters since the day after the 1994 election. Thompson does not have that problem.
The GOP base can't stand Capt Qweeg and will soon get sick of Romney. The media is hoping Giuliani gets the nomination so it can unload years of skeletons on him.
Now I could get excited about that ticket.
Michael Steele for VP would be great. Why? Conservative, articulate, ran a great campaign in MD for Senate in an extremely blue state. Race is not a factor here, since blacks will not be swayed to vote Republican even if Michael Jackson was running.
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