CAUSE CÉLÈBRE: Will Fred Thompson's racist role have political repercussions?

LA Times ^ | May 4, 2007 | Tina Daunt,

[traderrob6]

Ronald Reagan became president even though he worked with chimps in B movies.

Arnold Schwarzenegger played a murderous robot, and that didn't keep him from becoming governor.

So can "Law & Order" actor and former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) become the first presidential candidate with this credit? Thompson played a white supremacist, spewing anti-Semitic comments and fondling an autographed copy of "Mein Kampf" on a television drama 19 years ago.

His colleagues say that he was just an actor putting everything he had into playing the role of a charismatic racist, named Knox Pooley, in three episodes of CBS' hit show "Wiseguy" in 1988. "Do you call Tom Cruise a killer because he played one in a movie?" asked show creator and writer Stephen J. Cannell.

But in the age of YouTube, this performance could raise an intriguing political question: How does a performer eyeing a presidential run deal with a video history that can be downloaded, taken out of context, chopped into embarrassing pieces and then distributed endlessly though cyberspace? Some conservative political blogs are already considering the problem.

[STARWISE]

Laughable !! LOL

[Ghengis]

The purpose of this article is to bring this footage to the attention of the moonbats in hopes that they will do exactly that.

Exactly. This article is an instruction manual for angry goofheads who need a roadmap for their misguided rebellion.

[Tarpon]

WOW, this is big. So big I don’t even see it being able to fit in the trash can. Going to need bigger can.

You mean he played a role in the movies, must have better stuff ...

[TheSpottedOwl]

Two words: Los Angeles Times.

Two more words: Mark Fuhrman.

[Chaguito]

Only the LATimes could push such a steaming pile. I’m airing out my office.

[Finatic]

Fred, my checkbook awaits you....

[Finalapproach29er]

The LA Times has really lost touch with reality, haven’t they?

Beyond liberalism.

[Uncle George]

If our next President, Fred, had a first grade fight with a latino the slimes will dig it up and make front page headlines(and you know what the wording will be).

[papasmurf]

"How does a performer eyeing a presidential run deal with a video history that can be downloaded, taken out of context, chopped into embarrassing pieces and then distributed endlessly though cyberspace? "

Easy, turn it around on them. Call attention to it in the media. Blog about it. Use it as a tool. Make it a focal point of the campaign. Rally around it.

This is obviously the effort of a racist. This is one of the reasons I'm running, to "bridge the gap", eliminate this kind of mentality. This exemplifies how deep our problems are. I call on my opponent and the good people of this Country to repudiate this type of behavior and mentality. There was a saying in the 60's and 70's...if you're not part of the solution, then you're a part of the problem...let's all be part of the solution. etc,etc, etc.

:O)

P America. Together. Again Fred Thompson for President '08

[Obadiah]

Do you REALLY think Tina Daunt, the author, found this all by her little self, or do you think some scared little DNC hack dug this up and gave it to a friendly reporter for a not so subtle hit piece to get the word out?

The fear among Democrats of Fred Thompson is growing - rapidly.

[Mr. Mojo]

They are digging around in the gutter. Poor things, they do not know any better.

Yeah, they're gutter diggin alright. But they know exactly what they're doing. Won't work, though.

[Wheee The People]

Psssssst the LATimes editor is a pedophile. Pass it on. /s

[dead]

Seriously, this might be the most retarded "scandal" yet.

It tops the one that Guiliani's wife used to work for a company that used animal testing on medical products.

[aruanan]

Thompson played a white supremacist, spewing anti-Semitic comments and fondling an autographed copy of "Mein Kampf" on a television drama 19 years ago.

So he played a racist in a TV movie role. This shouldn't be a problem if Byrd was an actual racist in white sheets. And being a racist hasn't seemed to hurt Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.

[Finatic]

OK Fred, how did you want that check made out....

[GoBucks2002]

Excellent points. Just one thing: When did Charlie Sheen play someone bright? I must have missed that one.

And Thompson does not have a career of playing a bad guy. He was in 3 episodes of Wiseguy. I'd take 100-something episodes of Arthur Branch on L/O any day of the week.

The only thing I won't like about a Thompson candidacy is that it would probably take those off the air.

[an amused spectator]

Hey, I read on the Internet that there’s a video of Tina Daunt doing that one thing with a lot of them and those...

[jazusamo]

LOL! Didn’t think about that way. :-)

[dighton]

Olivier Sentenced to Hang for Murder of Princes and Duke of Clarence

[MaxMax]

I sure hope they don’t find that picture of Fred drinking soda from a straw. /S