Posted on 06/03/2007 9:41:53 PM PDT by Politicalmom
Thompson excites the conservative base. But will his unorthodox campaign succeed?
Monday, June 4, 2007 12:01 a.m.
RICHMOND, Va.--He lacks the compelling story of Rudy Giuliani during 9/11. He isn't a war hero with a 24-year record in Congress like John McCain. He doesn't have the M.B.A. smoothness and business success of Mitt Romney. But what Fred Thompson demonstrated to an enthusiastic Virginia Republican Party dinner Saturday is that he has gravitas, a presence and the ability to make people comfortable. Most importantly, many at the dinner saw him as a conservative who doesn't alienate or cause angst with any element of the GOP coalition.
University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato says the failure of any of the current candidates to excite chunks of the Republican base has given Mr. Thompson an opening. Conservatives "seem to look for reasons to like Thompson," Mr. Sabato told the Roanoke Times.
They certainly got some from Mr. Thompson's Saturday speech. After slightly ragged tryouts before audiences in California and Connecticut, he hit his stride with a speech that mixed warnings about the state of the country with optimism that the American people can overcome the challenges facing them.
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
I watched a rerun of the speech on C-span.
Good delivery and substance. Fred is a high level thinker.
You are correct. He is a very high level thinker. He also knows how to deliver what he is thinking. I get fired up when he starts talking about our Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Go Fred!
Portrait ping!
Scroll down for a nifty WSJ pen and ink of friendly Fred.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/diary/?id=110010163
Fred reminds me of those past presidents from the 1700 and 1800’s you see in pictures. You find yourself saying
“Why can’t we have presidents like those again?” Did you see the Dem debate? I feel the world would laugh if any of those weaklings were elected, they all looked like pansies up there.
All image. An actor.
Unlike Reagan, he has no demonstrated executive experience. There is very little evidence of any leadership experience in his background at all.
A likable man. He says the right things. For the most part he voted for the right things in the Senate. I will support him if he is the nominee.
But he is an untried commodity.
What little we do know about him is he had a lackluster senate career due in large part to the fact that he hated elected office.
Apart from McCain-Fengold what were his signal accomplishments in the Senate again (other than voting for other senators' bills)?
-Eric
Warren G. Harding, a senator in early part of the 20th Century, was elected president almost solely because he looked "presidential." He had been a newspaper editor so he could clam some modest executive experience.
His administration is widely considered a disaster.
I prefer to elect substance and demonstrated executive competence.
You're a Romney troll and the only experience he brings to the table is medicine socializing, gungrabbing LIBERAL experience. You and your buddies in Massachusetts may buy into that, but I'm sure not buying what you're selling.
But he is an untried commodity.
Yep, and Mitt's a tried commodity. I tried it and now I'm sending it back for a full refund.
JCEccles, you are a troll, asking the same phony questions over and over again. We've had enough of it.
Dang, looks like Mitt's out then. How about Bill Richardson? He's been more of a conservative governor than Mitt ever was anyway. At least Bill didn't ram socialized medicine down the throats of the people and tie a noose around the neck of small business in the process, then take off, leaving his party in shambles and his state with a marxist at the helm.
Jimmy Carter had this 'executive experience' that you speak of as well. That turned out really well...
Cafepress.com has a GREAT new Fred Thompson Bumper Sticker. I’m ordering one today.
FRED THOMPSON-PRESIDENT ‘08
$400 Haircut Not Required
Your homepage is really neat, esp the tribute to your Dad.
Thanks for sharing him with all of us.
"His reason was like lightning and his action like a thunderbolt".
Prominent Jacksonians: Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Fred Thompson
BTTT
Looks like the turd has found his way to the next punchbowl.
This is what my old and almost "given-up" eyes see in Senator (hopefully soon to be President) Thompson.
The Republic needs FredPERIOD.
I like the photo in post #7 too.
Yes. I like THIS photo, too.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1844678/posts?page=38#38
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