Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The Shadow Candidates (Fred Thompson and Al Gore)
New York Magazine ^ | April 20, 2007 | John Heilemann

Posted on 04/23/2007 3:54:00 AM PDT by Josh Painter

Fred Thompson...'s thespianism often earns him comparisons to Ronald Reagan—and, as anyone who witnessed up close his 1994 Senate race (as I did) knows, he’s a similarly gifted politician...

What matters.. to that electorate is that Thompson is a real-deal conservative. And while his record here isn’t quite spotless—his support of the McCain-Feingold campaign-finance law, in particular, rankles the right—it’s pretty freaking close. He has declared himself to be ardently pro-life and adamantly anti–gun control, and he’s one of the louder proponents of the notion that George W. Bush should (must) pardon Scooter Libby.

More to the point, Thompson’s conservative credentials put to shame those of his putative rivals. Across the country, there’s a palpable sense of dismay on the right with the extant Republican menu: Giuliani is (correctly) viewed as an out-front social liberal; McCain is seen as a hypocrite, a phony, never to be trusted; and Romney is perceived as a patent flip-flopper, who has changed his views on subjects from abortion to gay rights more readily (and less convincingly) than other people change their socks. As for the genuine conservatives in the race, such as Sam Brownback and Mike Huckabee, even the fringiest movement voters have (ahem) questions about their viability.

The lack of enthusiasm among Republicans for the current crop of candidates is more than anecdotal. A recent CBS/New York Times poll found that nearly six in ten GOP voters were unsatisfied with the options now before them. Thus does Thompson find himself staring at an opening as wide as the Grand Canyon...

(Excerpt) Read more at nymag.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: fred; fredthompson; nomination; republican; rfr; runfredrun; thompson
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-35 last
To: TLI
Hi11ary: “Gore wi11 be the nominee over Gore’s dead body.”
Yep. Clinton has been crafting her run for years.
No way Mr. Goofy Weather is gonna get in the way.

There's always a plane ride in his future, and we all know how dangerous the streets of DC can be.(Just ask Ron Brown's son or Britt Hume's son. Oh thats right we can't...they were both mugged and killed on the streets of DC)

21 posted on 04/23/2007 8:18:15 AM PDT by concretebob (I'm NOT pro-war, I'm ANTI - TERRORIST)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Lurker
“Gore will be the Democrat nominee.”

I have to agree... Both Hilary and Obama are huge risks for the democrat party. When it comes down to the convention, neither will be the candidate.

22 posted on 04/23/2007 9:10:17 AM PDT by babygene (Never look into the laser with your last good eye...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: concretebob
“Please Please Please run AlGore Run!!!!”

Be careful of what you wish for... He could very well be the hardest to beat. Remember, he got a popular majority the last time.

A lot of independents and even republicans believe in that Global Warming crap.

23 posted on 04/23/2007 9:14:42 AM PDT by babygene (Never look into the laser with your last good eye...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: Sturm Ruger

Putting Gore in the same catagory with Fred Thompson is the height of liberal lunacy.

Gore isn’t taken seriously by anyone with two working brain cells.

Which does make him a viable candidate for the leftwingnuts to be sure....(chuckle)

Thompson is taken seriously by everybody, even those that disagree with him, for the obvious reason.


24 posted on 04/23/2007 9:16:34 AM PDT by Badeye (Like it or not, we live in a time when Hero's are required.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Sturm Ruger

Took too long to download the rest of the story, but in lockstep the article above the fold completely omitted mentioning Duncan Hunter as a viable conservative contender because the writer does not want Rep. Hunter to be viable. So by the writer’s lie by omission, I refuse to believe a word of what he writes.


25 posted on 04/23/2007 9:27:53 AM PDT by Paperdoll ( Duncan Hunter '08)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Paperdoll

Good grief. Get a grip. The title was about SHADOW (undeclared) candidates.


26 posted on 04/23/2007 9:29:26 AM PDT by Politicalmom (Better a democrat with an energized opposition than a leftist “Republican” with no opposition.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: Lurker

“Hillary is going to become very familiar with what the underside of a bus looks like”

She is going down the tubes.


27 posted on 04/23/2007 9:35:30 AM PDT by stephenjohnbanker ( Hunter/Thompson/Thompson/Hunter in 08! Or Rudy/Hillary if you want to murder conservatism)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Politicalmom

Stow your gavel, Pmom. The article DID mention Giuliani, McCain, Romney, Brownback and Huckabee, none of which are shadow candidates. Hunter’s omission, since he is far stronger than Brownback and Huckabee, was deliberate. Period. End of discussion.


28 posted on 04/23/2007 9:42:08 AM PDT by Paperdoll ( Duncan Hunter '08)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: Sturm Ruger

Gore is waiting for Hillary to stumble just once, and then he will wipe the floor with her. She is clueless : )


29 posted on 04/23/2007 9:42:26 AM PDT by stephenjohnbanker ( Hunter/Thompson/Thompson/Hunter in 08! Or Rudy/Hillary if you want to murder conservatism)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Badeye
Gore isn’t taken seriously by anyone with two working brain cells.

Ok, and your point about dems is... what?

:-)

30 posted on 04/23/2007 10:26:19 AM PDT by TLI (ITINERIS IMPENDEO VALHALLA, MMP AZ 2005, TxMMP El Paso Oct+April 2006 TxMMP Laredo - El Paso)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: TLI

(chuckle)

Fair point.


31 posted on 04/23/2007 10:35:03 AM PDT by Badeye (Like it or not, we live in a time when Hero's are required.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: Sturm Ruger; Lurker

The campaigning started so early that all of these candidates are going to burn out. The electorate is going to be so sick and tired of them, that I do think that there will be “dark horse” candidates emerge on both sides. Could very well be Fred Thompson and algore.


32 posted on 04/23/2007 10:50:38 AM PDT by Polyxene (For where God built a church, there the Devil would also build a chapel - Martin Luther)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Lurker
Howard Dean my be clinically insane, but the man can read polls.

Hillary has negatives in the mid 40% range every time it's asked. That's unelectable.


Not only that, but she has serious problems with the Democrat base to contend with. Her history vis-a-vis Iraq makes her as unacceptable to the moonbat left that forms a large part of the Democrat base as Rudy's history vis-a-vis abortion and gun control make him largely unacceptable to the social conservative/libertarian coalition in the Republican base.

Obama has been strong, but his inexperience may end up coming back to bite him, as some of his recent comments comparing the Virginia Tech massacre to the "violence" of Dom Imus and "outsourcing" have shown. Extreme ideologues like one who would come up with that outrageous speech don't tend to play so well in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. For example, see Dean, Howard.

Not only could Al Gore set himself up as an anti-war alternative to Hillary and as an "elder statesman" alternative to Obama, but he can do so while advancing a "green" agenda that is embraced by the left with near religious fervor. Add to that the fact that he has the same (if not greater) "free media" advantage with his movie that Fred Thompson has with Law and Order and Paul Harvey, and you have yourself no less viable a candidate for the Democrat nomination than Fred Thompson is for the Republican nomination.

A Thompson v. Gore general election is not a possibility to be dismissed out of hand.
33 posted on 04/23/2007 11:17:15 AM PDT by The Pack Knight (Duty, Honor, Country.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Lurker
I bet it will be Fred Thompson vs Al Gore. Hillary and Edwards have become too much of a joke, and Obama has nothing to offer.
34 posted on 04/23/2007 11:22:37 AM PDT by apocalypto
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Lurker

I would tend to agree. I believe it will be Gore Vs Thompson and that Gore will lose his home state once again!


35 posted on 04/23/2007 1:25:47 PM PDT by Greystoke
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-35 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson