Posted on 10/04/2007 12:05:49 PM PDT by Plutarch
The reviews are in from Iowa, and it isnt pretty.
After taking two weeks off to raise money, Fred Thompson returned to the world of grip-and-grin campaigning this week in Iowa without the big luxury bus but with a rejiggered stump speech that was supposed to focus attention on his common sense conservative values. But Thompsons laid-back style isnt exactly wowing all of the locals and certainly didnt impress the New York Times Adam Nagourney, who offered a scathing review this morning...
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An event on Monday evening at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls promised to be one of the liveliest Thompson rallies yet. Several hundred people packed into a hall, where a local state representative warmed up the crowd by moving himself to tears talking about an injured Iraq war veteran hed met. Country star John Rich of the duo Big & Rich, and a friend of Thompsons, had the crowd stomping and singing along with his hit Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy, and some Johnny Cash covers.
Thompson took the stage to wild applause. Within minutes, however, the crowd had quieted considerably and only broke into applause a few times during the 20-minute speech. Afterwards, Kevin Patterson, a 36-year-old stock broker from Waterloo, said hed made up his mind about who hed likely vote for: Mitt Romney.
I like everything he said
maybe its his presentation. Hes a little laid back for me, Patterson said. Maybe he appeals more to older voters.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.wsj.com ...
I had to drag out the dictionary for that one.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/user-posts?id=33679
I'm certainly open to criticism about any candidate, and it's possible Fred is "overbought." But when a poster shows this consistent agenda, well, consider the source.
Twice, in a state that went for Clinton twice, including Thompson's re-election year.
We criticize the MSM for selective reporting all the time...because they have an agenda.
Same standards for us?
Tearing down Fred is not going to endear your boy Willard with actual conservatives. Perhaps if Willard would stop being an idiot (lying about Reagan's pro-life beliefs, throwing Rush Limbaugh under the bus), he could help himself.
WHAT? He isn’t promising free everything and to solve every problem I ever will have? All the while laughing like a nut case? Well that cliches it...can’t vote for him!
You’re right: I was thinking his initial arrival in the Senate was by gubernatorial appointment, but it was by special election.
My biggest problem with Fred is that I think he's more image than substance, sort of an armchair conservative who's about 85% hat and 15% cowboy. He'll talk a good conservative line, but when the going gets tough, I'm afraid he won't stand up, articulate the conservative side, and fight for it. I've had enough of that from Bush, who I also knew (he's our former governor) and tried to warn people was also not the spawn of Reagan. He's the spawn of George Bush, and it shows.
I support Romney.
Never thought of it that way but history proves it to be true.
Reagan went off the scale in likability. It has also worked for the dems with Carter and Clinton.
If only Fred had let out a “Dean Scream” then he’d get a little more love from the NY Times.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_WctSoLi1k
Aren't the times we live in wonderful? :)
imagine that headline, substituting "Bill Clinton" for "Thompson".
What country are YOU living in?
In THIS Country, "Clinton" is synonomous with "God", according to Hollywood and the MSM.....
Fair enough! Now tell us which of the other candidates are going to do a better job than Fred.
A while back, the MSM was telling us America wants a new "plain-speaking Harry Truman". Ever see Truman make a speech? He did not come off like James Whitmore in "Give 'Em Hell, Harry!". He came off like an accountant. Yet, people supposedly admire his blunt and direct comments and responses.
Thompson could be a Harry Truman type IMO, but he has more personality than Harry. Every time I see him interviewed, I am always impressed by the fact that he does not try the typical politician's dodge of changing the subject and not answering questions. When he was asked in one interview if he agreed with the Scooter Libbly sentence commutation, he said "heck, yeah, the president did the right thing. He shoulda pardoned him". When the same question was asked during a pubbie debate, some time elapsed before Guiliani finally said he agreed with it. Fred is up-front on these issues, as he was last night with his comments about the Rush Limbaugh BS scandal.
I guess I did find Thompson's interview on Hannity "scintillating". He gave the (IMO) right answers to some tough questions, which shows he has the courage to lead. I value a performance like that over rhetorical brilliance any day. Besides, the only presidents I've seen that truly impressed me with their oratory were FDR, JFK and Reagan. Churchill was impressive, too, mainly due to his choice of words. I almost never watch Bush make a speech. These guys don't write their speeches, anyway, and if their delivery is not that great, I don't bother. I just catch the "talking points" versions later.
If we can see Fred make some strong and courageous stands, while a Hillary or Obama responds with the typical lame "I'll have to wait until I can appraise the situation", or "we really need to talk about healthcare"; I think we will see the difference beween a leader and a power-hungry would-be demagogue.
We need the in-your-face screamers and BDS-placard loonies to be called "enthusiastic" or "ecstatic".
(The kinds you don't want standing behind you in the poll booth if you drop a stylus).....
People who WERE ACTUALLY THERE had a quite different opinion than NY Slimes/ Washington Post/ WSJ. We don't rely on these publications for overall fair reporting on any other given topic, why would we assume that's what we'd receive from them regarding an up and coming conservative POTUS candidate?
Additionally I personally know and have spoken to somebody who saw Thompson this week and thought he was super! Focused, excited and exciting.
Gee, who to believe, my politically astute friend and fellow first-hand freepers or the dinosaur media?
Decisions, decisions....
“we could see from last night’s Hannity interview that Thompson could hardly be described as scintillating.”
Why does this have to be relevant?
I answer myself.
We live in a totally non-thinking society that is guided solely by impressions and emotions.....
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