Posted on 10/07/2007 5:29:47 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Recent months have seen Jeri Thompson painted a variety of ways in the press, from doting mom to trophy wife.
The wife of GOP presidential candidate Fred Thompson says she knew that would happen, but because she has given few interviews, it can be hard to tell who she really is.
The Naperville Sun had an opportunity to get to know the 41-year-old Naperville native. She sat down for an interview before attending a major Chicago fund-raiser.
The former Jeri Kehn lived in one of Naperville's downtown neighborhoods with her mom and stepdad, Vicki and Ron Keller.
She graduated from Naperville North High School in 1984.
She studied English at DePauw University in Indiana, then worked as a media consultant and Republican strategist in Washington. She met her husband in a supermarket checkout line in 1996.
They were married in July 2002 at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Naperville, a few months before Fred Thompson stepped down from the Senate and began portraying District Attorney Arthur Branch on the TV drama "Law & Order."
The couple live near Washington in McLean, Va., with their children, Hayden, 4, and Sammy, who's not yet 1.
Q. Where did you hang out when you were a teen?
A. Well, I was pretty involved in school. I was a Starlette [dance team member]. That's probably not a cool thing to say now. Who knows what's cool, then and now? I don't really know. But I was a Starlette, and that was every day after school, so there really wasn't any hanging out. My parents were pretty strict ... about going out and stuff. But games were Friday nights.
Q. How often do you get back to town?
A. Now that we have kids, we're pretty good about it. We switch back and forth on the holidays.
Q. How are you balancing home life and being mom to small children with the intensity of campaigning?
A. It's shockingly not unlike normal life with small kids. I still wake up in the morning, and hope to get dressed and showered before I get the kids to school. Sometimes that doesn't always happen.
Q. What do you find most admirable about your husband when you look at him as a prospective leader of the free world?
A. That's actually very easy to answer: his integrity. He is someone who you want to be in the ditch with, who you would want in your foxhole. ... He's the one who makes you feel comfortable. He's had ex-girlfriends say, "I would feel better knowing Fred Thompson was president." That is a pretty amazing thing, to have so many people who have known him throughout his life feel the same.
Q. Back in July, the New York Times noted that "trophy wife" isn't really a slur, since it describes someone who made a name for herself before she was given that label. But the same piece asked if traditionally conservative voters are likely to embrace a 60-something candidate with a pretty wife 24 years his junior. What are your thoughts about all the attention that's being given to that?
A. I think conservative voters will vote for the conservative candidate, which he is.
Q. There are indications that the religious conservative arm of the party will be launching an effort to prevent a Rudy Giuliani nomination, in large part based on his liberal stance on social issues, including abortion. What is your position on that issue?
A. There is another quote that you might have heard about me, and that is that there is no space between Fred and me on policy issues. I think that's probably one of the reasons that we get along so well, and probably some of the reason that people are uncomfortable. Fred is 100 percent [anti-abortion] in his voting on that issue, he's very clear where he stands, and I am 100 percent in agreement with him.
They're on constant call for nits to pick and mitch and bone about.
Many are older and not aware of 'terms' these days.
That Jeri is so 'put together' so early every morning, and so disciplined, is amazing to me. I'm sure in the Thompson household, 'school' is open 24/7. What an intelligent atmosphere in which to learn and grow up.
I've never seen those little ones act bratty or fussy. Not once. They have a calm mom and a confident dad who adore them and they feel safe and happy.
Even though this article is very supportive of Jeri, I really dislike how this (and almost every other article about her) begin by “poisoning the well” — referring to the “trophy wife” label. If they don’t think the term applies to her, it shouldn’t appear in the article, period.
Yes, it’s “irksome” (Jeri’s word.)
OTOH it keeps her in the news. She will get enough coverage for folks to see the gem she truly is.
I saw the interview Fred did with Hannity. The little girl sitting on his lap goo-going was endearing.
She would make a better First Lady than Bill.
Pray for W and Our Troops
Come on, why the attitude?
That face is enough to scare most of us here.
Mirror Mirror on the Wall, who is the prettiest One of ALL?
Oh Queen, Although you are the most feminist, anti-ameican female of your age, Bill Clinton is not fairer than Jeri as First Lady, and she is much more united with Fred than you are to he. So bend over and put the other end up, perhaps you will have a better shot.
/Sarcasm OFF
{Comments censored out of respect for Duncan Hunter}
What attitude? On this thread I have given the Thompsons the benefit of the doubt, said it could be a typo, or they could have a good reason, or she could be driving other kids to school. Then I said character counts with me in a candidate.
What part of that shows a questionable attitude?
Yuck!! Even her beads look phony!
I think it says something about her, about her love and desire to raise her own children, not let a nannie do it.
Being that I was a single parent for many years, I have A LOT of respect for that.
You’re correct, and thank you.
I think she’s the “wife next door”, no false pretenses, or hooty-tootyness about her. Lord!, how I admire that. :)
Can’t wait to see those rugrats tumbling on the lawn of the White House! Woot-Woot!
Her facial expression reminds me of Donald Sutherland's face in the "Invasion of the Body Snatchers"
Your # 36.......words fail me.
I'm glad you're the neighbor of the Beast, and not mine. I'd have to keep the shades drawn 24/7.
Leni
(100%) “In his voting” seems an unnecessary qualification. Particularly in FDT’s case, I’d rather hear that he’s 100% pro-life, period.
Why particularly in his case? Because he is a champion of federalism and those votes were cast when he was a senator from Tennessee. Was he voting that way because he wanted to represent Tennessee, or because he was pro-life in his convictions?
Also, his votes may only reflect his decisions about specific bills.
That said, Thompson and Hunter are the only 2 candidates running, whom I might vote for, but I need to hear more. About pro-life issues (abortion and euthanasia) first of all, but also about the North American Union, the UNCLOS treaty, and how to deal with Iran’s nuclear ambitions, to name a few.
After much reading I still don’t know where FDT stands on these things.
If the delving bothers you so much, why are you reading this thread? The story’s a human interest piece about Jeri Thompson, who is of no interest to anyone except as Mrs. Fred Thompson, potential FLOTUS.
I don’t understand your objection or your unpleasantness.
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