It is an FEC rule called the “Equal Time Rule”. If Fred is given air time (Except for valid news and commentary shows), his opponents can demand an equal amount of free air time.
You may know more than I do about this matter. So I will defer.
But if this rule, reasonably interpreted, really does require "equal time" in such a situation as this, it desperately needs to be re-written.
Former US Senator Fred Thompson it the (almost) candidate--not Arthur Branch, the fictional New York DA on the NBC series, Law & Order.
Small children often have difficulty distinguishing between actors and the characters they portray. Adults--even those of marginal intelligence--should not.
So I would be genuinely surprised if there is even one registered voter, anywhere in America, who might vote for Fred Thompson in the mistaken belief that Thompson is one and the same as Arthur Branch.
You must have missed the California Gubernatorial elections recently. Lots of people thought they were voting for Conan the Barbarian or the Terminator, instead of a junior Kennedy cadet.
What is so sad about voters who do nothing except watch fiction on tv can’t tell the difference, just like children.
I say show the dang reruns of Fred and give equal time to the other candidates and certain politicians.
May I at this point inject some characters certain candidates could play for rebuttal stories:
Nancy Pelosi with cleavage, could play Lili Von Shtupp from Blazing Saddles.
Osama Obama could play Step and Fetch It from an old Will Rogers movie, The County Chairman.
Hillary could play Annie Wilkes from Misery.
Joe Biden could play Forest Gump.
John Edwards could play Navin Johnson A.K.A. the Jerk from The Jerk.
Dennis Kuchinich could play Ace Ventura from Ace Ventura Pet Detective.
Christopher Dodd could play John Blutto Blutarsky from Animal House.
Ted Kennedy could play Mongo from Blazing Saddles.
Hairy Reid could play Raymond Babbitt from Rain Man.
Al Sharpton could play Willy Wonka from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
Jessie Jackson could play Pee Wee Herman from Pee Wee’s Big Adventure.
Russ Feingold could play Inspector Clouseau from the Pink Panther.
John Kerry could play Maj. T. J. “King” Kong from Dr. Strangelove.
Al Gore could play Carl Spackler from Caddy Shack.
Bill Richardson could play Spanky from Our Gang Comedies.
Howard Dean could play Hanibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs.
John McCain could play Tommy DeVito from Good Fellas.
Mitt Romney could play Hedley Lamarr from Blazing Saddles.
Duncan Hunter could play Rocky Balboa from Rocky.
Ron Paul could play Dr. Strangelove from Dr. Strangelove.
Rudy could play Freddy Krueger from Nightmare on Elm Street.
Mike Huckabee could play Taggart from Blazing Saddles.
Wesley Clark could play Col. “Bat” Guanno from Dr. Strangelove.
Tom Tancredo could play Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean.
Please feel free to add or take away or make any flaming comments you may deem appropriate.
My apologies up front for any candidate or politician not listed here or any offense taken towards any living movie star, movie favorite, or role.