Posted on 09/04/2007 8:40:11 PM PDT by SmithL
Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson's current political playbook - a high-profile visit to the "Tonight" show, a splashy bus tour, the efforts to take a familiar actor and reintroduce him in a new political role - contains pages that look eerily familiar to California voters.
Maybe that's because the former Tennessee senator now has at his side some of same key aides who - in nine short weeks - helped transform Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger from "The Terminator" into the chief executive of the Democratic-leaning most populous state in the nation.
Thompson plans to formally kick off his presidential bid - shaped around the themes of "security, unity and prosperity" - beginning today with a blitz that reflects his media savvy and his advantages as an actor better known to many Americans as District Attorney Arthur Branch on TV's "Law & Order."
Thompson's campaign includes two veterans of another whirlwind effort - the 2003 California recall election starring Schwarzenegger - who know first hand at least some of the challenges ahead.
They are Todd Harris, who was Schwarzenegger's campaign communications director and will hold the same title for Thompson, and veteran Republican strategist and Fox News commentator Karen Hanretty, the former press secretary for the 2003 recall effort, who will be Thompson's deputy communications director.
Adam Mendelsohn, the governor's current communicators director, said the pair provide Thompson a "a big picture thinker out of the box" - Harris - and "one of the most effective political spokeswomen in the country" - Hanretty.
Both are "seasoned in translating the benefits that someone has from working in entertainment into a political reality," he said. "For Fred Thompson, it's a very smart hire: there's not a lot of people who understand taking a national entertainment figure and translating that into political value."
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
::: sigh :::
It used to be so obvious.
“If wanting children to be safe and NOT raised in a perverse atmosphere deprived of a mother AND a father is gay-bashing then so be it.”
Well, my point is its *not* gay-bashing to want to protect children, and my whole point earlier was exactly to separate the two. If your issue is protecting children, lets talk about protecting children, and what policies we need, and not “gay” this or that or bringing up a comment from Romney in 1994 in response to a gotcha question. (When his actual *record of service in the BSA* proves he did nothing in the BSA that you or I would object to! I oppose gay scoutmasters and I note that Romney on the BSA board did nothing to change that)
btw let me also point out that Romney has moved away from the 1994 comments that some have condemned him for anyway:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16575748/
http://www.evangelicalsformitt.org/front_page/the_gotcha_moment.php
What’s great about Romney is that he is one candidate who is speaking for us parents who care about the environment our kids are being raised in.
- Supported abstinence education as Governor
In my service as Governor, Ive never had anyone complain to me that their kids are not learning enough about sex in school. However, a number of people have asked me why it is that we do not speak more about abstinence as a safe and preventive health practice, said Romney. Abstinence education gives young people the support they need in making the decision to postpone sexual activity until they are mature enough to handle the emotional, moral and financial responsibilities of parenthood, he said. This is more than teaching kids to say no it will help them preserve self-esteem and build character.
* Governor Mitt Romney, 04-20-2006 Press Release
- defending traditional marriage
“Frankly, in the bluest of states, facing the most liberal media in the country, I’ve led the fight to preserve traditional marriage. I’ve taken every legal step I could conceive of, to prevent same-sex marriage.” -Mitt Romney
“Experience shows that kids have a far better chance of succeeding if they have a mother and a father at home. Of course, divorce or death means that there will always be many, many single parents; these single parents often make huge sacrifices and their kids can indeed succeed. But lets do everything we can to encourage our kids to have their kids after theyve married, not while theyre single and in school. We have sex education in our schools. Lets also have abstinence education in our schools. Marriage and two parent families are fundamental to the development of children and to our success as a culture. We cannot afford to shrink from the timeless, priceless principles of human experience.”
* Governor Mitt Romney
If you indeed are aware that Thompson has said things different in 2007 about immigration from his votes in 1995, then you shouldn’t jump so hard on Romney for a single comment he made in 1994.
*That* is my point. I hope you got it.
None of the politicians running are perfect. Perfection doesnt exist in that class of human being.
Romney is articulate, but he is not insincere.
“It used to be so obvious.”
Its obvious to me that previous comment was an over-the-top strawman and personal attack not worth responding to. I abhor pedophiles being near children.
If you dont like personal attacks, set an example and dont engage in them.
Have you personally known any devastated scouts?
Fred Thompson makes this old heart twitch.
Compare their wives. Who got the better catch.
“Its sad that you consider it a bad thing for Romney to support conservative causes.”
It is sad when posters reverse the meaning of a post, it wastes time and is childish.
That's probably where I got the idea. :^)
You both have a great sense of humor! “;^)
You are correct...it’s primary season.
I was thinking about the general election when I posted that reply.
Fred was already the nominee in my mind. ;o)
I know all about conservatives living in blue states.
I live in Oregon.
There are a lot of good conservatives here, too.
Just not enough of ‘em.
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