An interesting take from a man who did a great job taking apart Gore's new book.
"The Vulcan Utopia", David Brooks, NY Times, 29 May 2007 (Registration required)
FreeRepublic thread on same, with text.
He’s going back to Madison and Jefferson and the decentralized federalism of the founders, at least as channeled through Goldwater.
Sounds like a winner to me.
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?
Actually, there's a third, "Anything to Win", pole represented by Rudy and Romney, but it's still a good assessment.
Fred Thompson’s... challenge... will be translating his Goldwater risorgimento philosophy into policies on energy, health care reform, Islamic extremism and education.
Goldwater's philosophy already provides answers.
energy - Get government out of it.
health care reform - Get government out of it.
Islamic extremism - Kill them.
education - Get government out of it.
Any other policy questions?