Posted on 09/06/2007 2:55:52 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
I held off on assessing the transcript, I wanted to see how Fred Thompson came across to a viewing audience.
The Upsides: Thompson is a likeable figure. He comes across as a decent man; there's none of the I-don't-trust-this-guy-slickness of John Edwards or the brittleness of Hillary. When he hits a line, like "our people have shed more blood for the liberty and freedom of other peoples in this country than all the other countries put together," it really works; that one spurred some "whoo!"s from the audience, and not every politician can do that. And I think some of Thompson's arguments are going to get some conservatives to say, "Yeah, that's what I've been thinking all along!" like his line regarding Iran that "they've got a fellow who is not put together well upstairs running the country." The question of Ahmedinijad's sanity is one that decent respectable foreign policy thinkers aren't supposed to bring up; we're supposed to act as if his talk of the Twelfth Imam and green auras and United Nations delegates not blinking for hours at a time is perfectly normal behavior. Fred just comes out and says what everyone's thinking.
The Downsides: Has he lost weight? I mean, a lot of weight? I had been skeptical that issues of age and health would be an issue, but he looked a lot lighter than I'm used to seeing. I know he's no spring chicken, but he looked old. I see what the critics have been saying about his monotone voice inflection and energy level. I thought it was a little odd that after he announced he was running, he didn't smile.
Some of the longer answers to questions meandered... quite a bit. I don't know if his answer on Iraq persuaded any war skeptic. He'll need some polish, even though no one was expecting a policy lesson to the Tonight Show audience.
The Double-Edged Sword: Is it just me, or does Thompson come across as a guy who just doesn't give enough of a hoot to pander? There was nothing artificial about him, nothing prepackaged. Not only does he not smell of desperate effort to be liked by the audience, he seems like he's equally happy with winning or with going home to a happy life with Jeri, the kids, and playing an authority figure in whatever upcoming television project Dick Wolf has. This does not seem like a man who will flip-flop depending on political winds; if you don't like him... he really doesn't seem to care.
Initial assessment: Thompson won't flop. But whether he can win is another question, one that will take a lot more than one night to answer.
Put that way, yes.
He scares the living crap out of the DNC. That’s enough for me.
JC WATTS!
Or
Janice Rogers Brown.
That was Neil Cavuto.
Oh God, and I was hoping that you had a better reason for posting all of these comments.
Hunter will get maybe one or two more electoral votes than my cat, but my cat isn’t running either.
What a waste...
He is in remission. He has not had any cancer treatments recently.
He has been on a tough fitness regime for the last several months, and has lost a lot of (excess) weight besides being more fit.
These are serious times. I don’t want a song and dance; I want someone with integrity, who won’t skirt the issues or spin, who doesn’t look *me* in the eye and lie to me, yet is comforting. “Yes, Shelayne, I truly want a better world for our precious children. Yes, I want to win this war. Surrender is NOT an option, and I will fight to my last breath for the honor of our troops, and I WILL NOT bow and scrape to the media and WILL defend my decisions and honor. I will NOT kowtow to opposition politics, nor will I be a blow-hard. I will make you proud that I am your President.”
That, in a nutshell, is what I see in Fred.
I really didn’t like the way the article portrayed him. He was probably just tired.
Fred looks his age. He could do what Kerry did and buy a tan and take a few botox shots. Would that make people feel better about his looks?
I could wind up writing PAGES addressing this part of your comment.......but I'm not going to do so.
I'm just going to say:
YOU'VE GOT THAT RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!
I'd read in an interview earlier this week that he's been working out almost every day. That may be why he looks thinner. I thought he looked great on the announcement video.
The lines on his face give him character! I don’t mind them one bit!
OK ... let me try a guess as to why he's stooped. It's because he's so tall ... he's probably constantly stooping a bit to get closer to eye level to talk to people. After a while of talking to so many "short people" (which are most to a man of his height), he becomes semi-permanently stooped. I know this because my 13-year-old son seems permanently stooped, and walks stooped ... he's almost 5'11" and most of his friends are 4'10'. I keep telling him to straighten up or he'll be that way permanently (like don't cross your eyes). I recognize the same stoop in Fred. Sucks to be tall and have no one to talk to eye-to-eye.
I'm thinking the same thing, especially if the Dem candidate gets pushed more against the war by the moonbats.
I think Fred as the nominee will also excite more folks from the base and get people to the polls. That will help the Republican candidates for the House and Senate as well. I'd LOVE to see the Repubs. win back all three in 08!! Talk about wailing and gnashing of teeth!
*snort* “Fire in the Belly” is this election’s answer to “gravitas” in 2000 and 2004.
It was a very good video! Hope it gets a lot of hits on YouTube!
That’s an interesting thought SuziQ. Thanks for bringing it up. (Winning back the House and Senate)
Excellent analysis of the words of Jesus compared to use of present day expressions-—
Frankly, I don’t want someone as President who is lusting after the job, and who will do anything to get it.
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