I turned to Leno last night to see Fred's announcement. Literally, it put me to sleep. I dozed off twice while Fred was talking to Leno and finally just gave up and turned the TV off and went to sleep. Uninspiring. His web video announcement is tedious and my daughter said that in his web video he looked like Reverend Kane from Poltergeist II plus a couple of pounds.
I like the idea of Fred but I’m worried that he will stumble and we’ll have only the “Kennedy Wing of the Republican Party” (in Duncan Hunter’s words) as our choices. That’s why I want to see Hunter built up by grass roots conservatives. I understand the Fred Heads that rightly don’t want to see the conservative vote split in the primaries and think that Duncan Hunter can’t win. But there are three prominent left leaning candidates Romney, Guilianni, and McCain . . . the conservative candidates of Thompson and Hunter can do a little competing too without disaster.
He was folksy. Even with the "ums" and the "aws" that I wouldn't have expected from a professional actor, he is soothing and avuncular. Its a sort of non-threatening friendly style. That said, he didn't say anything that excited me and I'm always ready to be excited by a Republican leader. Reagan did the soothing, friendly style and still got a conservative wound up and ready to go . . .