Posted on 08/06/2007 6:24:55 PM PDT by gobucks
(snip) Much has been made about whether or not Fred Thompson is the second coming of Ronald Reagan, and while it's clear that he's not, it's also becoming fairly clear that the oddly constructed coalition that Reagan built combining fiscal conservatives, defense hawks, libertarians, Evangelicals and working-class conservative Democrats is about to fall apart unless Thompson can reinvent it.
(snip)
Among those issues, of course, abortion is the major litmus test that Thompson will need to pass to win their support. And fortunately for the candidate, his lobbying on behalf of Planned Parenthood took place 17 years before his presidential run, not unlike Reagan, who 13 years before his own run had signed a therapeautic abortion law as governor of California.
In Reagan's case, evangelical voters accepted his explanation that he had been tricked by liberal legislators who had promised him that the law would allow for abortions only for serious medical conditions, when it in fact opened the way for a "health" exception that was subsequently interpreted broadly in its application.
Similarly, future Thompson voters are likely to accept a mea culpa from the candidate if it's straightforward and doesn't fudge. These are, after all, evangelical Christians for a reason, one of the central tenets of the faith being forgiveness for an act that is repented of and is in the past, preferably the distant past.
With his Evangelical base solidified, Thompson will then be able to secure his more natural constituencies gun owners, "lunch pail" Democrats, country music fans, star-struck Law & Order viewers, and even elements of the entertainment industry who are unlikely to see him the same way they see other conservative candidates because of his star power.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
All the candidates have expressed themselves in sound bites and that includes FredT. All the candidates have given several interviews and that includes FredT. What FredT hasn't done so far, is debate with the other candidates. You have a problem with that and the fact that he hasn't made his run official yet. BFD!
FredT is running his campaign on his schedule, not on your schedule. Again, FredT`s unofficial campaign has done more to pull down the liberal Rudy Giuliani`s support then all the other candidates combined.
Give me a break!
Reagan was Reagan and Fred is Fred.
That said, similar to Reagan, I predict Fred will run an across the board conservative campaign. His speeches, interviews and essays over the past 5 months all point to that.
“I liked him better before I got to know him so well.”
You made me laugh. Ha! I’m glad I’m not alone anymore in being irritated by Fred’s haughty attitude - too good to get down in the trenches with the other guys. Give me a break.
And voting for McCain-Feingold. Yep, he did a lot in the Senate.
MITTOCRIT ALERT!!
All my reading says Romney SUPPORTED campaign finance reform....until he decided to run for president.
No current full supporters of Thompson are actually getting irritated, so...
Acting like you may consider FDT but he ticked you off in one post then junking out the old CFR tripe is a little transparent...
Of course dropping the Romney Rocks would help...
“Fred Thompson, the Second Coming of Ronald Reagan?”
Not a chance in hell and I say that as one that will likely vote for him, if not in the primary, then in the general.
I need a crate marked:
Crap, Full load of, extra large, Qty. 1
“FredT is running his campaign on his schedule, not on your schedule.”
Fred’s wife runs his campaign. Pay attention.
I’m not sure what you’re talking about. I do like Fred’s stand on guns.
And she seems pretty damn good at it.
Something against women running a campaign?
The dog and pony act is getting old, and don’t even try and pass yourself off as considering Fred. If you were not full of it, you would hold your tripe for later, and indeed not have any at all.
Well, if Mrs.T is running Fred`s campaign, she's doing a great job. Without announcing his official run, Thompson has managed to knock down Rooty`s support. IMO, that is the best news in the GOP nomination process thus far. None of the official candidates have done jacksquat to lessen Giuliani`s support.
GO FRed GO!
This lobbying gig was for just about 20 hours, over a two year period, almost 20 years ago. I doubt I could remember the full details of something in which I was so lightly involved, that long ago, without someone reminding me of the details. I certainly don't hold that against Fred.
I think it may only be this most recent season that is in question, because they may still be being played as re-runs on the original channel, NBC. When the new season begins, he won’t be on the show, and it won’t be an issue.
Up until this Presidental election, most, if not all, candidates announced in the fall; Sept, Oct. and even November, only one year before the General Election. Why should folks hold it against Fred because everyone else was so eager to start collecting campaign money that they jumped in just as soon as the 2006 Congressional races were done?
We have several months before the first Republican primary. Why not give him a chance, and listen to what he has to say when he does enter the race?
Exactly what I have been told. See earlier posts.
Of course we would not want facts to get in the way of truth...
I don't think that's the case, because I see movies with Arnold in them all the time on cable. I think it may only have to do with shows that are first run, or are re-runs on the same network on which they originally appeared. In that case, as soon as the new season of "Law and Order" begins, he'll be free to engage in a full campaign.
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