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George W. Bush has been disappointing on some issues (notably spending and immigration) but very good on others, and in any case far superior to the kind of President we would have had if the 'Rats had won in 2000 or 2004. We're looking at a near certainty that Hillary will be the 'Rat nominee in 2008, so we must focus on preventing her from winning the election. Any of the Republican candidates would be better than Hillary, even the RINOs.

I think Fred is a conservative, but he needs to show that he can actually win if he is the nominee. The MSM has settled on a couple of talking points to try to derail his candidacy--"lazy" and "boring." He needs to dispel those impressions before they take hold.

I forced myself to watch part of the Shields & Brooks on PBS tonight. Both particularly emphasized the theme that Fred is boring.

Brooks tends to be full of gloom and doom for the Republicans, whether he believes it or just wants to be liked by his liberal friends at PBS and The New York Times, so I don't put a lot of stock in what he says.

I usually disregard what the nattering nabobs of negativism in the punditry have to say. The folks I know, or from whom I've heard personal accounts of attendance at Fred's functions, have enjoyed themselves and said that the crowds really were excited to see him!

Fred's not a flashy guy, and frankly, I think many folks appreciate that right now. The world is a scary place, and some folks are worried about the economy, even if THEY are doing well. Having someone directly and calmly lay out his ideas about how government should operate will give them a good feeling, and I hope that translates into votes!

“I forced myself to watch part of the Shields & Brooks on PBS tonight. Both particularly emphasized the theme that Fred is boring.”

“Boring” is not a serious flaw in a modest politician. I kind of like “boring” for an officeholder in a position that should be cut down to human size, and the US Presidency is probably the office needing the most trimming in that respect of any political office in the country. It’s the charisma-laden ‘man on a white horse’ (or, in our present era, “doggess on a white horse”) that you need to watch out for, since they generally end up being the most dangerous and disastrous leaders.

I agree 100% with your assessment of GWB. On the issues that you mentioned that he has been disappointing, he never led us to believe he would be any other way, particularly on immigration.

For years, I tortured myself with watching Shields and Brooks every Friday night, but finally stopped because Mark Shields was beginning to make me physically ill. You can read the transcript online which is not as bad as hearing his voice. I personally do not agree that FDT is “boring” and I think people who have seen him speak in person find him to be just the opposite. I wonder what adjectives S&B would use to describe Hillary. Stimulating? Inspiring? Not hardly! The best I can come up with is “fingernails on a chalkboard”.

Oddly enough, I just saw the end of Brit's show on FNC. One reason I have always loved the show is that little bit of humor they always have at the end. Tonight's clip was of Fred Thompson telling a story about his first speech as a US Senator. He said there were not many there to hear it, but one old gentleman Fred would not identify but who had been in the Senate for some time rose to ask him a question. In telling the story, Fred patted his left breast pocket where he keeps his copy of the US Constitution. He said that he was ready to reply to a serious question when the elderly Senator said, "Was that a real submarine you used in The Hunt for Red October?" It was hilarious!

My only concern about Fred is that he will have to be so up on the issues in a debate against Hillary that he makes NO mistakes. The MSM will cover over any gaff that Hillary makes and amplify even the slightest error on Fred's part. Being an actor, he should have no problem preparing for the debates. When the country sees them side by side several times, there is no way that a "normal" person would prefer Hillary over Fred. Just MHO.