The Fred Thompson Boomlet

RedState.com ^ | April 2, 2007 | Adam C

[Josh Painter]

For the past few weeks, ex-SEN Fred Thompson has publicly flirted with running for President... There is a yearning for a "new Reagan" to woo conservatives and moderates into a grand coalition willing to win the War and embrace market-friendly reforms to the ever growing government. But the surprisingly strong support for Fred Thompson is more than just a yearning for a "true conservative." Here are a couple reasons F. Thompson is gaining traction where others are not:

1) There is no MAJOR issue where he is at odds with any conservative wing of the party. And Thompson is not a recent convert for political reasons on any major issue.

2) Thompson was outside politics from 2002-2008 when Republican stock went downhill. As a corollary, Thompson is not tied to President Bush or the current Senate in any way.

3) Thompson's ability to communicate ideas clearly and earnestly makes many think of Reagan's ability to win over people to ideas that are not necessarily popular...

4) Most people like a person who is not a career politician but is an educated and active citizen to be President

5) Thompson is probably the most conservative electable candidate...

Fred Thompson would immediately jump onto my shortlist.

Support for Guiliani is wide and shallow. F. Thompson is a big threat tho Guiliani's lead. McCain' 20% is actually a pretty solid group that probably won't grow or shrink much over the next 6-9 months. F. Thompson could take much of the Gingrich/Brownback/Huckabee support and coalesce it around himself. F. Thompson would be the most conservative of a Guiliani-McCain-Thompson race, but he would be moderate enough and independent enough to win over voters in a general election...

My prediction is that F. Thompson will run and will be a top tier candidate.

[Josh Painter]

HyperFredLinks v2.16


Blog and Media Buzz:

Newsweek: "It looks as if Fred Thompson is getting ready to run for president."
Intellectual Conservative: Run Fred Run
NY Times Blog: Thompson gains in Gallup Poll at Rudy's expense
Christian Chronicle: Fred Thompson's church roots draw interest
USA TODAY: Jeri Thompson "dusting off her old political reporter contacts list."
OneNewsNow: Support grows for Fred Thompson White House run
The Conservative Voice: The Courage of Fred Thompson
Lisa Fabrizio: It's Not Too Late for Fred to enter the race
Rich Galen: Thompson and Gore
Bruce Walker: Fred Thompson and Supreme Court Nominations
J.B. Williams: Fred Thompson and Ronald Reagan
Mona Charen: Run, Fred, Run!
Patriot Post: Democrats fear Fred Thompson ... and should
American Spectator's AmSpec blog: Thompson-a-saurus Rex
WaPo: A 'Law & Order' Presidential Candidate?
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's chances
L.A. Times: Conservative Republicans turning to Hollywood star
Doug Hagin makes a pitch for Fred on American Daily
Draft Fred… Enough Said!
Britt Hume on the Fred Phenom
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: Thompson has many undeniable qualifications for the nomination
Human Events: Fred Thompson is a conservative who can win
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?
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
The Truth About Fred Thompson
NewsMax - Wanted by the GOP: One Good Man
 

Fred Thompson Endorsements:

J.C. Watts Lends Support To Thompson For President
Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist Call for Fred to RUN
Tennessee Republicans Urge Fred Thompson To Run
Three Prominent Texas Officials Urge Thompson to Run
Zach Wamp: Why Fred Thompson Should Run For President


Fred Thompson  Voting Record and Interest Group Ratings:

Fred Thompson on the Issues
Fred Thompson Interest Group Ratings


Fred Thompson Interviews:

audio: Laura Ingraham's Fred Thompson interview
Transcript of the Fox News Sunday interview that fueled the Fred phenom
John Fund's WSJ Opinion Journal Fred Thompson interview
audio: Sean Hannity Interview (paid membership required)


Fred Thompson Videos:

Fred Thompson - 1999 National Statesman of the Year
Fred Thompson's remarks at Nashville 9/11 memorial service
Fred Thompson: "Soldier"
Fred Thompson: "Courage"
Fred Thompson for President ad
Draft Fred Thompson ad by Mister Politics


Websites With High Fred Thompson Content:

Knoxville News Sentinel: No Silence Here blog
Elephant Biz is a Thompson news gold mine. Just keep scrolling...
Former Sen. Bill Frist's Volunteer Political Action Committee blog

 
Fred Thompson Websites:

Online Petition to draft Fred Thompson has over 11,500 signatures
draftfredthompson.com: The FDT grassroots activist forumDiscussion Forum
Draft Fred Thompson 2008 Committee website
Draft Fred Thompson 2008 unofficial blog
Elect Fred Thompson 2008 Blog
Meet Fred Thompson
My Prayer - Fred Thompson elected President in 2008
Senator Fred Thompson for President in '08
Grassroots Voter, a Better-Fred-Than-Red blog
Blogs For Thompson, news for Frederalist bloggers
Coloradans For Fred Thompson blog
Floridians for Fred Thompson
Iowans for Fred Thompson blog
Ohio 4 Fred - New state blog
New Hampshire for Fred Thompson
South Carolinians for Fred Thompson
Tennesseans for Thompson
Official Thompson Store: Gear for Fredheads

 
Fred Thompson Biographies and Collections:

Bio from Fred's hometown of Lawrenceburg, TN
Fredipedia: Wikipedia's Fred Dalton Thompson bio
AEI Bio (Fred Thompson is a Visiting Fellow at the Institute)
IMDB Fred Thompson bio
IMDB Fred Thompson's TV and film credits
Fred Thompson Papers, Modern Political Archives, U. of Tennessee
Sen. Thompson's statement re: the Clinton articles of impeachment


Fred Thompson's Paul Harvey Show Transcripts:

Gandhi's Way Isn't the American Way
A New News World
Power of the President
Plutonic Warming
The Case for Competence
Hollywood vs. Iran
Southern Exposure
Suing for Silence
Mothballing the Fleet
Wishful theorists
War Funding Puzzlement
Unsafe in America


If you have trouble linking to any of these sites, please let me know. Thanks.

[SkyPilot]

The Fred Thompson Boomlet

[HostileTerritory]

Is that photo supposed to be a joke? He looks awful and the woman next to him, well...

[Coldwater Creek]

A plastic surgeon might be a good thing for Mrs. Thompson.

[kjo]

Exactly. This is not a photo that is going to encourage religious conservatives, or anybody for that matter. He looks like he has a hell of a hangover, and his wife looks like a callgirl.

[John Leland 1789]

Every photo I have seen thus far on Free Republic of Mrs. Thompson is . . . well, for what purpose??

There was some flap about whether Dr. Dobson considered Mr. Thompson to be Christian. If he is . . .

I just have a very difficult time understanding what a Christian would want his wife to be in public dressed like what has been portrayed in these pictures.

Right, It doesn't’t enhance my confidence.

[The_Eaglet]

1) There is no MAJOR issue where he is at odds with any conservative wing of the party. And Thompson is not a recent convert for political reasons on any major issue.

If this is true, then the "conservative wing" of the Republican Party ... (1) is pro-choice
(2) favors the McCain-Feingold bipartisan "Campaign Finance Reform" act
(3) supported keeping Bill Clinton in office after he was impeached
(4) supports affirmative action

Those are not conservative positions.

[Waco]

Put him in for 8 yr. Hillary’s legs can get a lot fatter and her and Bill & the other RATS can demo servicing queers in various public settings in preparation for 2017. That oughta keep occupied.

[johnny7]

There’s two...

[Graymatter]

Fear the Fred!

[Lost Highway]

By all means vote Democrat because you don’t like the way his wife dresses.

[cva66snipe]

People forget about the negatives of Fred you’re right about that. Also his inability to even chair his own Committee Hearings where John Glenn basically took over and ran the show. That was the same Fred Thompson who years earlier had brought down the Felon Governor of Tennessee and organized corruption that reached all around the state. What happened to him? Who knows. His personal life had some tragedies his second term in office. Fred was a good lawyer and is a good actor. That’s where he needs to stay IMO.

[traderrob6]

“This is not a photo that is going to encourage religious conservatives, or anybody for that matter. He looks like he has a hell of a hangover, and his wife looks like a callgirl.”

Oh PUHLEEEAZE

[kjo]

Look, where else are we gonna go? Have you noticed that the three ‘leading’ candidates are McLame, Rudy, and Romney? McLame almost ran with Kerry in ‘04; Rudy is pro gun control, pro homosexual union, and pro abortion; Romney was the Governor of TAXACHUSETTS, the most liberal state in the union.

Thompson’s not perfect, but where else can we go?

Ron Paul? Duncan Hunter? Tom Tancredo (sp?)? They have no money and can’t get any. We need somebody who can raise $100 million dollars just to get the nomination!

Where else can we go?

[The_Eaglet]

Fred was a good lawyer and is a good actor. That’s where he needs to stay IMO.

I agree.

[The_Eaglet]

I recommend Ron Paul. Support is growing and now is the time to help him along.

I see Constitutionalists like Jim Clymer, Jerome Corsi, and Chuck Baldwin as options, and I have not ruled out Tom Tancredo yet.

[Miss Marple]

You support whoever you deem to be the best candidate, and in the general election you vote for the Republican because a Hillary or Obama presidency is absolutely unacceptable.

Some years we get candidates we like; some years we are forced to make harder decisions. You should be grateful that the frontrunner isn't Bob Dole. :-)

[kjo]

This isn’t about who we should be grateful for not running. This is about who can best represent American conservatives AND who can beat Hitlery and her pimp media.

In some ways Rudy is a good choice except for the fact that ideologically, he’s a rightwing Democrat. He’s way too left for me on social issues.

McLame would be a disaster as POTUS but maybe he can beat Hitlery.

The MSM will never allow Romney in the White House; they will beat him up as the “Pope” of a cult.

Thompson’s good on tv. He’s right on most of the big issues. He could charm the MSM; and most important he could beat Hitlery.

[not2worry]

I’m sure we could come up with some “lurid” photos of Nancy Reagan, Betty Ford and maybe Barbara Bush with a cigarette and martini at 5:00 any given day.

Three great to good Presidents and would have been defeated if we voted on their wives.

BTW I think these three President’s wives turned out to be great First Ladies.

[cva66snipe]

I see Constitutionalists like Jim Clymer, Jerome Corsi, and Chuck Baldwin as options, and I have not ruled out Tom Tancredo yet.

Yea I'm watching Tancredo real close also. The others are great choices as well and I would have no problem supporting them.