Your questions and more answered here: Fred Thompson FAQ
Fredipedia v2.37: The Definitive Fred Thompson Quick Reference
Posted on 06/03/2007 9:15:04 AM PDT by Politicalmom
We're hearing lots of Florida Buzz lately for actor/former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, who is testing the waters for a presidential campaign by opening a political committee to raise money. Many veterans of GOP presidential campaigns in Florida worked closely with Thompson when he was helping organize his mentor Howard Baker's campaign for a strong showing at the Florida GOP's "Presidency II" straw poll in 1979. Just before that vote, Baker dropped out and Baker's Florida delegates were handed off to George H.W. Bush.
Among the prominent former Pinellas legislators now helping the Law & Order actor's prospective '08 campaign: RZ "Sandy" Safley formerly with Mitt Romney, Curt Kiser (formerly with Rudy Giuliani) and Jack Latvala. It says something about a candidate who can earn endorsements from such moderate Pinellas Republicans as well as glowing words from former Florida gubernatorial candidate and Florida Right to Life president Ken Connor and Florida Family Policy Council president John Stemberger.
The buzz is we can expect state Reps. Denise Grimsley, R-Lake Placid, and Doug Holder, R-Sarasota, to jump on board if Thompson gets all the way in. Lobbyist/politico Oscar Juarez of Orlando, another former Baker organizer, is enthusiastic about his longtime friend Thompson and may jump ship from John McCain, and former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has been calling a bunch of Florida GOP money raisers lately urging support for Thompson.
"The Fred Thompson tent is very, very broad, " said Safley, who is among the key supporters across the country committed to raise at least $46, 000 in the next month. "He has a very clear vision, and a charisma and presence. He's a folksy person, but he's viewed as being very bright, very calm, very reasonable at a time when this country is looking for calmness and strong leadership."
Been here since 1999 and you ask a question like that?
Highly suspicious, IMHO.
Okay, since you are apparently google-impaired, take a visit to Sturm Ruger's excellent Fredipedia. Very detailed info about Fred. Including his stands and voting record. Plus lots of news articles about him. Comprehensive.
BTW, do you know JCEccles?
After being in the Senate for less than a week, Thompson was tapped to give the Republican response to President Bill Clinton’s “Middle-Class Tax Cut” address on December 15, 1994 . The speech and response were televised nationally. A photo caption in the next day’s Washington Post read: “Sen. Fred Thompson: His charismatic delivery of the GOP response was reminiscent of Ronald Reagan.” During his first years in office, the new Senator continued building his political resume by serving on the Senate Judiciary Committee and as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Youth Violence.
Additionally, Thompson initiated a Congressional investigation into a friendly fire incident during the Gulf War which claimed the life of Sgt. Lance Fielder of Nashville . The Army had covered up the fact that Fielder was killed by friendly fire, and then bestowed medals on the higher-ranking officials who made the decision to fire upon Fielder in an area where they knew that American forces were operating. The investigation ultimately resulted in the forced retirement of the commanding officer of the unit that fired shots at Sgt. Fielder and others, and the revocation by the Army of the medals that had been awarded to those responsible for the incident.
Thompson also made history as the first Senator since World War II to become a major standing committee chairman after only two years in office, earning appointment as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs. As Chairman of this committee, which is charged with overseeing the efficiency of the federal government, Thompson worked with the General Accounting Office to unveil the first-ever audit of the federal government, held hearings to spotlight government waste, fraud, and abuse in federal agencies, worked with government agencies to ensure computer security, and introduced the Regulatory Improvement Act, which increased government accountability to the public.
The defining moment of the Senator’s time as Chairman, however, came in 1997, when the Governmental Affairs Committee was tapped by the Senate leadership to conduct an investigation into alleged improper or illegal activities growing out of the 1996 federal campaigns. At the center of the investigation was a fundraiser attended by Vice President Gore at a Buddhist temple. The Committee exposed a campaign finance system rife with abuse and open to foreign influence, and produced a 9,600-page report that led to several indictments and criminal investigations.
Thompson served as Chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee until June 6, 2001 , when Senator Jim Jeffords’ resignation from the Republican Party changed the control of the Senate from Republican to Democratic hands. Thompson then became the committee’s Ranking Minority Member.
In 1998, Thompson was chosen by Senate leadership to serve on the special Senate task force to examine whether the Chinese governmental improperly obtained American satellite and missile technology. In addition to a review by six federal agencies of the entire dual-use and munitions export licensing process, Thompson also proposed legislation to curb the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by China and other countries and to strengthen the United States’ response to such activities.
During his second term in the Senate, Thompson also served on the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over a number of major issues, including taxes, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, welfare reform, and international trade.
Source: MPA: The Fred Thompson Papers, 1993 - 2002
More:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1811693/posts?page=22#22
***
- Chairman of the International Security Advisory Board of the Department of State currently; a high-level panel charged with evaluating long-term threats to U. S. security
- Served on the US-China Economic Review Commission
- AEG Scholar specializing in Diplomatic Relations and Foreign Intelligence
- Special Counsel to both the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations under President Reagan
- Member of the powerful Senate Committee on Finance, which has jurisdiction over, among other things, international trade.
- Member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
- Member of the National Security Working Group, which observes and monitors executive branch negotiations with foreign governments.
- Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, an organization that promotes improved understanding of international affairs through public and private discussion.
- Member of the American Enterprise Institute for Policy Research, studies national security and intelligence, with a focus on China, North Korea, and Russia.
- Chairman of the Government Affairs (now called the Homeland Security and Government Affairs) Committee 1997-2001
- Ranking Republican Minority Member of the Government Affairs Committee 2001-2003
- Chairman of the Youth Violence Committee 1995-1997
- Chairman of the Senate Government Oversight Committee
- Foreign Relations Committee, 1995-96
- Member, Judiciary Committee, 1995-98
- Member, Constitution, Federalism and Property Rights, 1997-98
- Member, Technology, Terrorism and Gov’t. Information, 1995-98
- Member, Finance Committee, 1999-2002
- Finance subcommittees
Member, International Trade, 1999-2002
Member, Taxation and Oversight, 1999-2002
Member, Social Security and Family Policy, 1999-2002
Member, Health Care, 1999-2002
- Earned “Restoring the Balance” Award from National Conference of State Legislatures; given annually to national policymakers committed to federalism and its impact on issues involving state legislators
- Recognized by Citizens Against Government Waste for his report documenting the federal government’s staggering levels of waste, abuse, and mismanagement. Thompson presented the report, which includes his recommendations for addressing those problems, to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mitch Daniels at a press conference in Washington. Report includes analysis of the four biggest challenges facing the federal government: workforce management, financial management, information technology management, and overlap and duplication. In addition, the report includes an agency-by-agency appendix citing examples of waste, fraud, and abuse. The report also contains a list of the “Top Ten” worst examples of mismanagement in the government. CAGW is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in government.
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- Interest Group Ratings:
- National Abortion Reproductive Rights: 0
- US Chamber of Commerce: 100%
- ACLU: 11%
- American Conservative Union: 85%
- AFT: perfect 0
- League of Private Property Owners: 90%
- National Tax Limitation Committee: 97%
- National Taxpayers Union: 88%
- ADA (liberal): perfect score
- Supported Newt’s Contract with America 100% of the time
- Planned Parenthood 0%
- NARAL 0%
Important Proposals and Inclusions Introduced while in the Senate:
- Nuclear Proliferation Act
- Special Counsel Act
- Aviation Security Bill Amendment
- FY 1999 Omnibus Appropriations Bill
- Regulatory Right-To-Know Act
- Homeland Security Workforce Act
- Homeland Security Education Act
- The Thompson amendment in the Treasury-Postal Title (Section 646) of the Consolidated Appropriations Bill
- Regulatory Improvement Act (S. 981)
- Thompson Amendment to the National Homeland Security and Combating Terrorism Act
- Thompson Amendment to the National Employee Savings and Trust Equity Act
- The Federal Emergency Procurement Flexibility Act
- The Federalism Accountability Act
- The Government Information Security Reform Act (GISRA)
- The Thompson Amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act
- The Truth in Regulation Act
***
- While in the Senate, he waged total war against government waste and fraud. Just one of many glowing reports from Citizens Against Government Waste:
CAGW PRAISES THOMPSON REPORT ON FEDERAL MISMANAGEMENT
Key excerpt: “Once again, Chairman Thompson deserves great credit for exposing the pervasive problems in the federal government,” CAGW President Tom Schatz said. “As CAGW has documented repeatedly, many federal agencies and programs are duplicative, unaccountable, nontransparent, get poor results, lose money, are mismanaged, and outdated. These problems have persisted for decades, and as this report indicates, are growing worse and require rapid action.”
http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=news_NewsRelease_06052001b
-He also ferreted out and brought to light federal abuses of power:
KEEPING BIG BROTHER FROM WATCHING YOU: PRIVACY IN THE INTERNET AGE
Key excerpt: This report brings to light one of Orwell’s worst fears—not only are government agencies sharing private, personal information about individual citizens and failing to inform them, but they are also overstepping checks and balances designed to prevent such abuses from occurring. Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) emphasized that the government was technologically challenged when he said that “the Administration is not enforcing the laws that Congress passed” and that the federal government’s underlying infrastructure is “riddled with vulnerabilities which represent severe security flaws and risks to our national security, public safety, and personal privacy.”
- He doggedly held the line on taxes; as one example, he was one of only 36 congress members and only 9 senators to receive the coveted “Taxpayers’ Friend” award from the National Taxpayers Union:
CITIZEN GROUP SALUTES “TAXPAYERS’ FRIENDS” IN CONGRESS: JUST 36 LAWMAKERS RECEIVE AWARDS FOR SCORES ON NTU’S 2002 RATING
Key excerpt: “Not all Members of Congress fought day in and day out during 2002 for the principle of limited government that is the cornerstone of our country’s greatness,” said NTU President John Berthoud. “Fortunately, at least 36 allies in Congress demonstrated an unwavering commitment to taxpayers. We are proud to honor this fiscal ‘coalition of the willing.’”
http://www.ntu.org/main/press_release.php?PressID=113&org_name=NTU
- He has been a tireless champion of federalism/states’ rights:
THOMPSON EARNS “RESTORING THE BALANCE” AWARD FROM NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATE LEGISLATURES
Key excerpt: WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Fred Thompson (R-TN), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, has been selected to receive the 2000 “Restoring the Balance Award,” presented by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). The award, given annually to national policymakers committed to federalism and its impact on issues involving state legislators, was presented to Thompson last night at the NCSL’s Leader to Leader Dinner in Washington.
-snip of complimentary quote about Fred just for brevity’s sake-
Thompson’s dedication to the principles of federalism and sound government policy has resulted in the Committee’s advancement of the Federalism Accountability Act, and Senate passage of the Regulatory Right to Know Act, the Federal Financial Information Assistance Management Improvement Act, the Truth in Regulating Act, and revision of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
Since I see someone has mentioned that FDT has not been a governor or a Mayor, let me ask a question. What is it about being governor of Massachusetts of Mayor of New York that qualifies one to be President of the United States? Local and State executive experience is fine as far as it foes, but it hardly prepares one to govern a $2 trillion bureaucracy, much less to command the armed forces of the greatest military power the world has ever seen. I think Thompson has experience within the federal legislative branch, as well as experience as a prosecutor that is relevant. Neither Romney nor Rudy has served in elective office in Washington, D.C. Thompson has been Chairman of the Government Reform Committee and thus has greater working knowledge of the bureaucratic machinery of the federal government than either Romney or Rudy.
Being governor, even the governor of California, does not prepare one to be President. If it did, Carter and Clinton would have been great Presidents. On the other hand, Truman (who I would have disagreed with on a number of issues) was a decisive leader and his experience was in the United States Senate and as a Kansas City ward healer. Similarly, Eisenhower, another successful President, had only military experience, which is qualitatively different from elected executive experience.
To tell you the truth, since 1945, the United States has had
four governors as President (Carter, Clinton, Bush43 and Reagan) Reagan appears to be the only one who will be judged to have been successful as President. On the other hand, we have had seven Presidents without state executive experience. Of the seven, I think it is fair to say that Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Ford were not failures. Truman, Ford and Kennedy had basically only legislative experience, and Eisenhower had a military background.
So the batting average for governors (or Mayors if you want to count Rudy in that category) is .250, while the batting average for non-Executives is .570.
From Fred Dalton Thompson’s voting record, we know that he consistently voted for gun owners (the NRA called him a “staunch supporter of the Second Amendment”), against abortion, for business, against higher taxes, for a balanced budget, for a strong defense, for ANWR drilling, for capping foreign aid, for free trade, for private property rights, for personal retirement accounts, for the Iraq War Resolution and for welfare reform.
From his interest group ratings, we know that FDT earned a perfect zero from National Abortion Reproductive Rights Action, a perfect 100% from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, only 11% from the ACLU, 86% from the American Conservative Union, 86% from the Center for Security Policy, a perfect zero from the American Federation of Teachers, 6% from the National Education Association, 90% from the League of Private Property Voters, 97% from the National Tax Limitation committee, 88% from the National Taxpayers Union and a perfect zero from the liberal ADA. In a 1995 analysis, Project Vote Smart listed Thompson as having supported Contract With America items 100% of the time.
We know that among FDT’s Senate accomplishments were his election as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs in 1997, making him among the most junior senators in history to serve as Chairman of a major Senate Committee. He served as Chairman until June of 2001.
We know that the Governmental Affairs Committee is charged with overseeing the management of the federal government. We kow that during his Chairmanship, Sen. Thompson’s committee actively pursued an agenda aimed at producing a smaller, more efficient, and more accountable government. Of his efforts, the Kingsport Times-News wrote, “Sen. Thompson is to be applauded for keeping a watchful eye over Washington fiscal matters. There should be more like him.”
We know that Sen. Thompson held hearings on topics such as improving the federal regulatory process; reforming the IRS; exploring ways to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse; and a number of national security issues, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and missile technologies. Thompson also investigated and successfully enacted solutions to information management problems such as the security of the federal government’s and the military’s computer systems.
We know that Thompson was also a member of the powerful Senate Committee on Finance, which has jurisdiction over taxes, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, welfare reform, and international trade. From this position, he focused on reducing taxes, reforming the tax code to make it simpler and fairer, and restoring the Social Security and Medicare programs to long-term solvency.
We know that while he was a strong supporter of free trade, Sen. Thompson advocated a balanced approach to trade and national security. He pushed for an export control policy that protects our country’s national security without unnecessarily burdening American industry with bureaucratic red tape. He also proposed legislation to curb the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by China and other countries and to strengthen the United States’ response to such activities.
We know that FDT served on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the National Security Working Group, which observes and monitors executive branch negotiations with foreign governments.
We know that even the liberal Washington Monthly, in a 1999 hit piece on Thompson, had to begrudgingly admit that as a Senator, Thompson worked hard to keep his campaign promises. We know that Democratic strategist Bob Beckel admitted, in a discussion on Fox News’ Hannity & Colmes program, that Fred Thompson for president would be the Dems’ “worst nightmare” because of his communications skills and ability to appeal to swing voters. We know that many backers of Fred’s GOP opponents such as yourself attack him for no other reason than he poses a major threat to their candidates even before he officially gets in the race.
We know that Thompson was the guy that GWB picked to get John Roberts confirmed in the senate. We know that he has an outstanding record of rooting out corruption both in Tennessee, where he brought down a corrupt governor, and in Washington, where he was part of the Republican council for Watergate.
We know that Thompson isn’t perfect. We are aware of his stances on immigration (he wasn’t a hawk on it) and McCain? Feingold (he supported it) in the 1990s. But we also know that those votes were a full decade ago, and since then FDT has taken a much tougher stance on securing our borders before all else, and he has admitted that McCain Feingold was campaign finance reform gone bad.
We know that Mitt Romney had a change of heart and mind on gays, guns and abortion, so we believe that FDT should at least be given some consideration for admitting that both he and Ronald Reagan were wrong on immigration, and the reforms he hoped McCain-Feingold would produce didn’t turn out to be “reforms” at all. We know that Fred is a stand-up guy, and he will answer questions on any issues honestly and in a straitforward manner when he gets into the race.
We know that Fred Thompson is media-savvy, has a commanding presence, enjoys superb name recognition (thanks to his Law & Order and movie roles and his hard-hitting commentary for ABC Radio) and left the Senate with a solid conservative voting record. We know that Fred is the first to admit that there was and will ever be only one Ronald Reagan, and Fred is one of Reagan’s smartest students and most consistent disciples. We know that like Reagan, Thompson is that rare sort of conservative who can sell conservative ideas to moderates and independents. And we know that, again like Reagan, Thompson may be the only potential candidate who can unite the factions of the Republican Party right now.
Oh, and we know that Ronald Reagan was an actor/entertainer and a radio commentator, too.
That’s just a few of the things we know about Fred. But it was and is compelling enough to ignite and maintain the momentum of a grassroots movement to draft Fred to run for President of the United States. And we know that we won’t rest until Fred has taken the oath of office.
source: FredThompsonFAQ.com
But why is this guy so electable? What is it that we think separates him from the pack?
In my own personal analysis, it is going to take the right candidate to win the general election. The right candidate has the following qualifications:
1) He is not divisive. Bush is divisive and there are a lot of people who would gladly vote Republican that just plain HATE GWB.
2) He can excite the base. No candidate since Reagan has excited the base. Conservatives have voted against the democrat since 1988. Giving them someone to vote FOR would be a welcome change.
When the Republican base is excited about something, they talk about it. When they talk, they make sense and fencesitters listen to sense. That goes a long way to bringing them on board. That's how we lost the 2006 election. It wasn't over Iraq. It was because we were all so disillusioned with the Republicans that we couldn't even give anyone a good reason why they were better. All we could say was 'Speaker Pelosi'. We all know how that turned out. The same thing will happen if all we say is 'President Hillary'.
3) He can communicate. Not only just communicate, but communicate in a straightforward manner, making the issues of the day simple and understandable to the average voter. This is something that has been sorely lacking in the White House for the past 6 years. Communication isn't only about being able to deliver a great speech. Communication is about having a command of the issues, not being afraid to say what you mean, and not having to triangulate every issue to death. Good communication comes from people knowing that you are grounded in your knowledge and principles and have the ability to express them without reservation.
So, how on earth can Fred be that candidate that is both not divisive AND exciting to the base? Well, if you look closely at Fred, you'll see he fits the bill perfectly. When he speaks, it's not about right and left. It's about common sense. Most conservatism is just that: common sense.
Taking the above as a given, let's see how the other candidates measure up:
1) Rudy Giuliani
Divisiveness -- BIGTIME. But not among the electorate at large. He's more divisive among Republicans and conservatives. This isn't only to do with abortion and gay rights issues, as many would have it painted. Looking into Rudy's record shows a guy that has been liberal on most things and rabidly so. He's gone against the party on so many things in the past, that it is not unreasonable to assume that promises made to conservatives will be broken once he is in office. For these reasons (and many more), Rudy is mistrusted by a large part of the conservative base. They don't hate him. They just don't trust him.
Excitability -- Very little, due to the divisiveness problem. Also, he's shown a tin ear when it comes to issues that might make people come over to him and actually hold their nose on other things and support him. Most of the support that Rudy has comes from people convinced that we need to basically run a Dem to beat a Dem. People that are literally so afraid of Hillary that they can't see that they'd be completely giving in on the entire Republican party platform to win one single election. That's winning a battle and losing a war. A lot of us see it that way and especially after 8 years of Bush ruining the party, we can't imagine 4-8 years of Rudy continuing to pound nails in the coffin of the conservative movement.
Communication -- Here, Rudy is okay. He can give a good speech. He's quick on his feet sometimes. Not all the time, but sometimes. But he's always triangulating. He's always moderating his language so that what he is saying means nothing. Check out his statement on the day that the immigration bill was announced. What a bunch of gobbledygook. It meant nothing. Again, it is in this area that he shows a tin ear to what conservatives really want. Whenever he seems to have a chance to bring us to his side, he flounders. Something tells me that's because he doesn't want us on his side and there's a reason for that.
2) Mitt Romney
Divisiveness -- Not much. But there isn't much really to this guy to be upsetting anyone except conservatives that look at his past record of liberalism in Mass. He says the right things now though. Mitt's not divisive. He's just blah.
Excitability -- Next to none. I wish I could understand what Mitt's rabid supporters see in him that makes them so sure he's the guy. Most people I know, both here on FR and in the real world, say they COULD vote for Mitt, but aren't really motivated about it. He's just blah.
Communication -- Gives a great speech, no doubt about that. But one gets the feeling that the words are empty. Everything is so rehearsed and so polished. So triangulated and designed for certain affects at a certain time. He's like RoboCandidate.
3) John McCain
Is finished, so let's not bother...fingers need a rest.
4) Newt Gingrich
Divisiveness -- WHOA!!! THis dude is the Gingrich that stole Christmas? Need I say more?
Excitability -- Not seeing any. We all like the guy, but I haven't heard one person tell me that they're excited about him running for president.
Communication -- Excellent. One of the best, both at speeches, and at meaning what he says. He definitely fits the communication bill. If only it wasn't for all that pesky other stuff...
5) Fred Dalton Thompson
So, how do I know that Fred Thompson is the right candidate? It isn't because I just love the guy and want to see him win. It's because he logically fits the bill in every way.
If I may illustrate:
To illustrate how divisive Fred Thompson is, we'll need to hold our noses and visit a nasty site called demorcrats.org. Put your hip boots on prior to entry:
http://www.democrats.org/a/2007/05/the_fred_thomps.php
Check the comments there. Keep in mind that this is a hit piece on Fred Thompson on a Democrat website. Check the moonbat response and see how many of them agree with Fred. That is an example of the crossover appeal of Fred Thompson as a candidate. There are other examples, even threads at DU that go to show that they just can't hate this guy no matter how hard they try. Now, if the hardcore nutroots have this kind of feeling about the guy, think about what kind of affect he'll have on the average Dem.
I don't think we need to illustrate how excited the base is, since it is evident on this site. But if you think it's limited to this site, you're mistaken. I'm having difficulty finding a link to it, but Rush Limbaugh gave a performance about a month ago. He said "I want to test something." He then, said the words "Fred Thompson" and stepped away from the mic. The crowd litereally erupted into a screaming roar at the very mention of his name. The base loves this guy.
I did find a link, however of a great explanation of Fred's popularity from a blogger named Josh Allem:
http://joshallem.blogspot.com/2007/04/whats-so-special-about-fred.html
That brings us to communication.
Here is an excellent example of Fred at his very best. This particular clip comes from BEFORE 9/11. It shows an example, not only of a guy with fantastic communications skills, but of a guy who definitely 'gets it'. Even when 'getting it' wasn't all that popular.
Here's a bit from his speech in Connecticut last week that deals with immigration:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H3zhZu0S5w
Here's the entire speech in CT:
http://www.latestpolitics.com/blog/2007/05/fred-thompson-in-ct-the-full-video.html
Here's the Thompson interview that Josh Allem is talking about in his monalogue:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Snw7_6mJf5c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN3z4mqRn7I
Here is Fred's speech at the Lincon Club last month, which some folks, (mostly Robert Novak) were not very impressed with. I enjoyed the speech. Admittedly, it wasn't Fred's best speech ever, but I still thought it was quite good. This is in 4 parts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN3z4mqRn7I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhJ5dy_MTxY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6th2VJDWO0Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8rwX_mzvQQ
Fred Thompson also has another quality that none of the other candidates have. He has an ability to manipulate the media and ideas that involve using the internet in new ways during the course of his campaign. A little taste of this can be had by looking into the now famous sparring that Fred had with Michael Moore several weeks ago.
That incident started with This idiotic challenge from Michael Moore.
This was Fred's response:
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php?id=208
I hope this clears up why some of us support Fred and where our thinking is on why Fred is the guy that can not only win, but just maybe turn conventional wisdom on it's ear.
WOW!
I thought that Fred supporters would be able to give me insight into Fred that I couldn't get through a Google search.
Yes, I've been on FR since 1999, but I don't recall that Fred has been a hot topic on FR until recent weeks. Therefore, I don't understand why you would think that I would know much about FDT. The fact of the matter is that Fred isn't a widely known person. As supporters of Fred, you need to let people know more about him in a positive way.
Look, if you support Fred, you do a great disservice to him if you attack those who ask you questions about him. What kind of impression do you think I now have of FDT supporters? I gave you a golden opportunity to publish a concise list of all the great reasons that Fred should be our next President. You chose not to take that opportunity.
One or two of you gave me some helpful links but not without some vinegar.
Even if I were some evil troll who was trying to piss on your FDT party, you would do more service to Fred by responding in a more civil and positive way.
I understand that many FR threads degenerate into not so nice discussions, and I suppose that makes frequent Freepers question motives. So, if that was the case here, I forgive the rude comments.
BTW, I would still be interested in hearing Always Right's two or three specific reasons for supporting Fred. AR seems to be passionate about Fred, and I think knowing the reasons for AR's strong support would help me get to know Fred better.
Thanks Jellybean. That was just what I was looking for.
Thank you very much too.
Actually I kinda like Fred. Just haven’t had a chance to do much research into the guy. Probably won’t bother unless and until he decides to run. However, I did a little research and came upon these “Fred facts”. Add them to your reasons to vote for Fred.
AWESOME FACTS ABOUT FRED THOMPSON
* Fred Thompson has on multiple occasions pronounced “nuclear” correctly.
* Fred Thompson has blasted more people in the face with a shotgun than even Dick Cheney.
He’s Fred Thompson. You’re nothing.
* The masked executioner of Saddam Hussein: Fred Thompson.
* Not only does Fred Thompson cut taxes, he cuts tax collectors.
* Fred Thompson is the only person to have ever bested Miyamato Mushashi in a duel. The reason Musashi is so vague about the book of the void is because the fifth ring of combat is really Fred Thompson.
* The reason Fred Thompson didn’t want to stay in the Senate for long is because all the extra scrutiny kept him from doing his favorite hobby: Prowling the streets at night killing drug dealers.
* Every night before going to sleep, Osama bin Laden checks under his bed for Fred Thompson.
* Fred Thompson took over what was Al Gore’s Senate seat, thereby dramatically reducing the Senate’s carbon footprint. Fred Thompson then created carbon offset offsets by wastefully burning hippies.
* The Fremen consider “Fred Thompson” a killing word.
* Fred Thompson reconsidered running for reelection after 9/11 but later decided to handle things on his own. He was soon seen entering the Middle East with a bottle of tequila in one hand an a handgun in the other. They’re still counting the dead.
* Though Fred Thompson left the Senate in 2003, Harry Reid still hasn’t stopped wetting his pants.
* Fred Thompson’s gaze can kill small animals.
* Fred Thompson once ended a filibuster by ripping out a Senator’s heart and showing it to him before he died.
* The actual cause of global warming: Fred Thompson’s burning rage.
* The budget to Law & Order was dramatically increased when Fred Thompson was added to the cast because he has to be digitally inserted into the scenes since anytime he’s near Hollywood liberals, he kills them.
* Only two things can kill Superman: Kryptonite and Fred Thompson.
* Fred Thompson once stood on our south border and glared at Mexico. There was no illegal immigration for a month.
* Scientists predict that when Fred Thompson dies he’ll explode taking out the five nearest planets before collapsing into a black hole.
* At a campaign stop, a Belgian Hound tried to hump Fred Thompson’s leg. That breed of dog no longer exists.
* Fred Thompson vows not only to win in Iraq but also to forcefully free Vietnam from Communism, thus giving America a perfect win/loss record for wars again.
* If you purchase a weather radio, it will wake you up with an alarm to warn you when Fred Thompson is pissed off.
* An abortion doctor tried to kill Fred Thompson when he was still in the womb, but he cut off the man’s hand with scalpel while shouting, “Do you know who I am? I’m Fred Thompson!”
* Webster’s Dictionary defines “conservatism” as “how closely one’s views resemble those of Fred Thompson.”
* Fred Thompson’s sense of strategy is so great that he can checkmate you using only a pawn and a knight.
* Fred Thompson can know both the exact position and momentum of a particle. Furthermore, he knows Schroedinger’s cat is dead because he personally strangled it.
* The most efficient airline security is to have Fred Thompson stare down everyone entering a plane.
* When terrorists get to the afterlife, they’ll find that none of their seventy-two women are still virgins. Why? Because of Fred Thompson.
* Fred Thompson can open clamshell packaging without the slightest trouble.
* In a butterfly ballot, no matter where you punch it the vote goes to Fred Thompson.
* Why does Iran want nuclear weapons? Out of fear of Fred Thompson.
* Some versions of the Bible have Mathew 5:5 read, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth... unless Fred Thompson wants it.”
This an other sites are repleat with Fred’s missives and hiis voting record in the Senate.
If you want to learn the facts rather than perpetuate rumors like the laziness and the “no fire in the belly” there’s no shortage of references for you to go to.
Here’s just one.
http://feedlot.blogspot.com/2007/04/everything-fred-thompson-fredipedia.html
ROFLOL
Sturm, p_r_s, do you mind if I borrow that??
Not at all :)
I added the bit about John Roberts to Sturm’s. We might want to expand on that and add a bit of Fred’s experience outside the senate.
As for my part, you’re totally welcome to all of it. :)
I think you have me confused with another poster. Like I said I kinda like Fred.
If and when he gets serious about running I’ll get serious about considering him for President.
Wish I could remember who did the other one. Ellery, was that yours in #24?
Pinging myself for later reading. Looks informative.
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