“What Thompsons campaign represents, then, is a return to basics. Its not primarily engaged in the issues that have dominated recent G.O.P. politics. Thompson is campaigning to restore Americas constitutional soul. Hes going back to Madison and Jefferson and the decentralized federalism of the founders, at least as channeled through Goldwater. As Thompson himself said while running for Senate, Americas government is bringing America down, and the only thing that can change that is a return to the basics.
Thompson thus becomes one pole in the debate now roiling the G.O.P. Nobody is running as the continuation of Bush. The big question now is: should the party go back to the basics or should it jump forward and transform itself into something new? Thompson articulates the back-to-basics view in its purest form. Newt Gingrich articulates the transformational view in its purest form. The other candidates are a mishmash in between.
If I were a political consultant I would tell my candidate to play up Thompsons back-to-basics theme. This is a traumatized party, not in the mood for anything risky and new. But over the long run, back to basics is no solution because it doesnt produce a positive agenda for todays problems.
Fred Thompsons political skills are as good as anybody now running, but his challenge is going to be building a concrete agenda on his anti-Washington message. It will be translating his Goldwater risorgimento philosophy into policies on energy, health care reform, Islamic extremism and education. For if there is one thing the last 30 years have taught us, it is that campaigns that are strictly anti-Washington do not command 50 percent of the vote because they dont address the decentralized global challenges that now face us.
Perhaps what the G.O.P. needs is Newt Gingrichs brain lodged in Fred Thompsons temperament.”
(Excerpt) Read the full text at http://iraqwarit.blogspot.com/2007/05/back-to-basics-with-fred.html
Fredipedia: The Definitive Fred Thompson Reference
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I prefer Fred’s brain in Fred’s temperament, thank you.
Is Newt still off on his green thing tangent, or is he seriously analyzing the actual affect of this carbon noise upon the whole population. We know the left has fully embraced the green religion. But what about the rest of us...
So you want to give Fred Thompson the brain of an ecotard?
I'm behind Senator Thompson all the way.
Freedom, Wealth, and Peace,
Francis W. Porretto
Eternity Road