Posted on 10/04/2007 12:05:49 PM PDT by Plutarch
The reviews are in from Iowa, and it isn’t 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 Thompson’s laid-back style isn’t exactly wowing all of the locals and certainly didn’t 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 he’d met. Country star John Rich of the duo Big & Rich, and a friend of Thompson’s, 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 he’d made up his mind about who he’d likely vote for: “Mitt Romney.”
“I like everything he said…maybe it’s his presentation. He’s a little laid back for me,” Patterson said. “Maybe he appeals more to older voters.”
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.wsj.com ...
The candidates who find no traction
Fail to take inspired action.
Woopsie, is your agenda showing?...LOL! You do realize that tens (hundreds?) of thousands of people (number grows every day) do not share these evaluations, right? As for Fred threads, what I've observed is that genuine discussion of issues, without disgusting personal attacks about Fred or Jeri, usually gets a fair response from Fredheads. So no, I don't agree with your assessment of that either.
What often occurs on Fred threads are some of the most vicious attacks on a conservative and his wife imaginable. Really sick stuff.
but with any other candidate, disagreement on an issue or two is enough for them to scream, "I WILL NEVER VOTE FOR (Phil Intheblank)!!!"
Stating what's true for me, I don't spend time discussing the other republicans candidates much because I don't think any of them other than Fred, has a chance in defeating the Hildabeast.
It's going to come down to Rudy vs. Fred IMO. When that happens I guess you'll have to decide.
So, if you piece together all the complaints about all the candidates, it appears to me what the nitpickers want is a candidate who determined at an early age he wanted to be president and set his schooling and life course on this mission. He never took a bad picture, never said a wrong thing. From sixteen on, he has been the stepford candidate.
Furthermore, they must be more than an exceptional speaker... they must (all the time) have the passion and fire in speeches that equal a old time preacher calling down fire and brimstone from heaven... so, we can get all pumped up and feel entertained. He must be able to respond perfectly to every question put to him. No thinking... no delay. Each time and every time, the perfect zinger to put the dems in their place. No uuhhs, no umms. He really doesn't have to be principled. He just has to glib. For glib counts double what sincerity does in the nitpicker's world.
He must be handsome. He must have a gorgeous wife and gorgeous children. He can't be too old. No wrinkles. Perfect skin. He should be over 6'-0" tall and thin. He must have a million dollar smile to flash at us, so we can get all goosebumpy.
In his positions, he needs to be all things to all people. He absolutely must stand for everything and nothing because if he does, someone is not going to like him. And will rip him into him.
Finally, he can't be like other candidates, but at the same time, he must do everything all the other candidates do. If he does not, then he is accused of having no fire in his belly. Or being to late to play. Or being (gasp) different! No, no... whatever we do, all our candidates must be the same. Uniform and routine... so we know what to expect.
Is there a candidate like that running? Who can appeal to all of the shallow FReepers, who chief arguments against one candidate or another is not their stand on the issues, but that one talks to slow, or the other one is too handsome, or one wore a dress in a charity contest, or one needs a haircut or new suit. Really... is this what we are arguing.
No matter who Thompson is, Freepers who support Hunter are coming across as malcontents and sourpusses. It’s pathetic and doesn’t help the guy at all.
Hunter Duncan has so much charisma he’s sharing 4% of the vote with three other nobodies.
LOL That’s charisma!
You’re batting better than .407 on that one, sir...!
Hunter's ongoing lousy numbers OTOH, probably make his supporters want to crawl into fetal positions and suck their thumbs.
Good post.
Inspired quality can’t be faked.
It connects wth the voters and will win in the end, despite so-called ‘imperfections.’
Future spokesman for Rozerem. Hi I’m Fred Thomspon, you’re dreams want you back.
If we applied the shallow standards of most FReepers, do you realize how many of our outstanding presidents would not be elected? Most of them, because they just were not stepford enough.
If we applied the shallow standards of most FReepers, do you realize how many of our outstanding presidents would not be elected?
Most of them, because they just were not stepford enough.
HA! Terrific term!
I LIKE IT!
You’ve inspired my new tag. “;^)
I’m so honored. I would to thank the academy... LOL!
You would have been more correct if you had said that Fred is a "spawn of Howard Baker". And we know how hard-right a conservative HE was, eh?
- John
As one who has been on the receiving end of such responses, I completely agree with you. I've migrated from the Giuliani camp to the Thompson camp but I have some of the same reservations about Fred that you do. Fred isn't perfect but he's the best out there among the electable candidates.
“;^)
It’s a great line ~ says it all.
No-nonsense, unapologetic, non ‘stepford’, non pandering, git ‘er done LEADERSHIP.
When Gore gave up his Senate seat, the Democrat governor of Tennessee, Ned Ray McWherter, appointed Harlan Mathews to the seat. In November 1994 there was a special election to choose who would serve out the remaining two years, which Fred won (Mathews wasn’t a candidate), and he was sworn in a month later in Dec. 1994...then beat Jim Cooper in a regular election in 1996.
yup, I’d forgotten how vacant Senate seats were filled in TN. Although Fred has a little more election experience than I was remembering, still, I can see how it would be harder for him to campaign, for example, in states that are much more liberal than TN. (Which isn’t to say he didn’t get his share of leftist questions during his runs for Senate. Just a matter of degree.)
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