Posted on 07/15/2007 9:49:45 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Political analysts widely regard Fred Thompson as a potential, if not likely, candidate in the United States presidential election in 2008. Thompson is a lawyer, lobbyist, character actor and former Republican Senator for Tennessee now residing in McLean, Virginia near Washington D.C.
A recent article in The New York Times (NYT) labelled his wife, Jeri Kehn Thompson as a "trophy wife" and a potential liability in the 2008 race. The NYT article described her as having "youthfulness, permanent tan and bleached blonde hair" and wonders if "so-called values voters" would "accept this union."
Thompson and Kehn, married in June 2002, when he was 60 years old and she 35.
Television commentator and former Republican congressman Joe Scarborough compared Kehn to a stripper and asked if "she works the pole."
According to the Associated Press, "trophy wife" originally "meant the second (or third) wife of a corporate titan, a woman who was younger, beautiful and equally important accomplished in her own right."
ABC News says that the current definition of "trophy wife" suggests Donald Trump's ex-wife Marla Maples and the late Anna Nicole Smith as examples.
However, ABC News also questions whether Kehn fits this definition. "Though she's blond, beautiful and nearly 25 years younger than her husband, Kehn Thompson, a political media consultant who previously worked for the Senate Republican Conference and a prestigious Washington law firm, doesn't appear to fit the typical description," wrote Emily Friedman.
Karen O'Connor, a political scientist and the director of the Women & Politics Institute at American University, said Thompson may lose support from Republican women, a group he needs. It may also make it difficult to gain the support of the "value voters", who already looking with skepticism when it was revealed he lobbied for an abortion-rights group.
"You have a situation where a candidate happens to have an attractive wife, therefore its open season for smutty thoughts and lowbrow humor, and no concern for the fact that this is a wife and mother, a professional woman?" said Mark Corallo, a former Justice Department official who is a consultant and the chief media adviser to the Thompson campaign. "One picture on the Internet and all of a sudden shes reduced to being a bimbo?"
There are been several threads dedicated to recent comments by Thompson’s first wife and several of his girlfriends. Apparently they all love him and want to campaign for his presidential bid.
It's a shell news site. They just snagged it "From Wikinews, the free news source you can write!"
Yes, I see they just pick up articles, but it certainly doesn't fit in with any of the other articles over the past few days in their "English Section".
Are you saying Bill is not a African big game hunter? You couldn't tell her from a hippopotamus mounted over the fire place...
They were divorced in 1985 after 26 years of marriage and she has campaigned for him in elections since the divorce. His wife is a lawyer and political activist whom he met after he entered the Senate, and married after knowing her for 10 years. She is 40 years old, but looks much younger. The main problem seems to be with teenyboppers who are distressed to think that 70 year olds have an interest in sex.
He’s hunted big game in the Oval Office...
“I dont hear a lot of hub bub for Dennis Kucinchs new wife. Shes a babe.”
That doesn’t count, because he’s a Dem.
And Nixon said this guy was dumb, I don’t think his wife will cost him more votes than she brings in.
I remember his wife, before (or at least before I knew she was) his wife.
She was on Fox, as a RNC spokeperson, she is the queen of the one liner and has a great put down about how clinton wasn't qualified to be a clown.
I like him, and will back him, but his wife isn't a liability, she in an asset, I look forward to seeing her in action again, she is the anti-hillary (though the media is going to make her out to be a more evil version of Ann Coulter).
She can take care of herself.
Yeah, and Kucinch is a bloody idiot. Probably got just-an-inch to rhyme with his name. And likely some Dims got it in for him.
Bet that photo would make Ol’ Billy Boy drool, especially when he looks at what he’s married to.
Hoo-ahh! Old Polish proverb: “the older the bull the stiffer the horn”
This pic proves Fred is smarter than Bill Clinton.
I think it’s fine a president has a young, attractive and intelligent wife.
I will admit I think the first lady should dress a little more modestly. I don’t think the girls should be on such prominent display. The dresses say Hollywood, not White House.
I think she only looks young because he’s old. Put her next to a man her age and it would be a different story. We’d say she was a good looking middle aged woman-non of this “young” crap.
The whole thing is just completely trumped up. The LSM is desperate for something with which to attack Fred, and they aren’t finding it. I read recently that he dumped all of his papers from his Senate service into one of the TN universities, years ago.
You’ve got to be pretty confident you’re really clean, to do something like that.
She is an attorney and a political media consultant at the Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, and McPherson law firm in Washington, D.C. She had formerly worked for the Senate Republican Conference and the Republican National Committee. In October 2003, Fred and Jeri Thompson had their first child, Hayden Victoria Thompson. They had a second child in November, 2006.
Sure, she's a knock-out to boot, but you don't make it in that kind of career without a great head on your shoulders.
I think if (when) Thompson enters this campaign, if his wife gets the chance to speak on his behalf, she's going to intellectually knock out the liberal press. they're so focused on a perceived "issue" that they aren't preparing for the obvious factors in her favor (and Fred's.)
My thoughts? Get the popcorn ready. This is going to be another Corrie/Steamroller rematch.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.