Posted on 10/08/2007 5:09:55 PM PDT by Plutarch
Fred Thompson and his spinners contend that the overwhelmingly critical reception he has garnered in the media is limited to inside the Beltway “liberal media” which do not appreciate his charms and folksy appeal. The New York Times coverage this week of his visit to Iowa was typical: “Iowans saw a subdued, laconic candidate who spoke in a soft monotone, threw few elbows and displayed little drive to distinguish himself from his opponents.”
There are two problems with the Thompson explanation: 1) conservative pundits have been equally harsh and 2) local media has been even worse...
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...Out in the heartland, the reviews have been especially biting. The Des Moines Register’s David Yepsen greeted Thompson’s arrival tour this way: “Fred Thompson’s announcement speech Thursday in Des Moines was underwhelming. . . The crowd of a few hundred didn’t seem enthused. Thompson’s oratory didn’t soar but was somewhat rambling.” Iowa local media is often peeved that Thompson avoids questions. Radio Iowa last week remarked: “His staff indicated Thompson would answer reporters’ questions just outside the hall, so as not to interrupt the event. … Outdoors, Thompson quickly climbed in a black SUV and someone drove him away. No questions. No answers.” Similarly this Monday WHO-TV reported: “Thompson leaves more questions than answers.”
Even from his home state Tennessean.com notes that although his folksy image please some, it reiterated the same complaints from national commentators that he: “sometimes wanders when he talks. His light schedule in the first days of his campaign fed the image of not being a hard worker. And most devastating are the repeated instances in which Thompson has not been aware of prominent public issues, such as the Supreme Court challenge to the use of lethal injections for executions”...
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...So while it is always convenient and indeed a crowd pleaser with conservatives to blame the national media in this case the perception seems to extend to all corners of the press and across the political spectrum. As an actor, Thompson should know that the fault may lie not in the stars (or the tribunes or the posts) but in himself.
Sorry, Romney is more conservative than Thompson. Doesn’t matter how you spin it.
You're right, that is confirmed immediately by the simplest of Google searches.
This doesn't mean, however that Option One above is credible. It is a lot easier to demonstrate that Rubin is a Giuliani shill, than it is to find a campaign news or opinion piece in which Fred Thompson wows an audience or impresses in an interview. You could try and find one, but it wouldn't be easy.
She has an Axe to grind and has a trait in common with the Rats, she would rather sink America than have it led by other than Roodie.
2nd is correct. I like Hunter but he continues to go nowhere. Struck at 1%. Fred is not perfect but he is the best of the group and more important he truly has the best interests of the country at heart. Fred is a good man and has outlined his views on most of the important issues. Why do you think is clever to disparage Fred when Hunter can not get it up. The NYT is a very poor gage of any opinon that is not leftist in manner. Its time the supporters of the lower level candidates accept what is happening and rethink what is in the best interest of this country.
2nd is correct. I like Hunter but he continues to go nowhere. Struck at 1%. Fred is not perfect but he is the best of the group and more important he truly has the best interests of the country at heart. Fred is a good man and has outlined his views on most of the important issues. Why do you think is clever to disparage Fred when Hunter can not get it up. The NYT is a very poor gage of any opinon that is not leftist in manner. Its time the supporters of the lower level candidates accept what is happening and rethink what is in the best interest of this country.
Fred is the new aRINOld. From what I can tell, the main reason why he gets such a large backing here on FR is because freepers agree with him.
Yikes. She is harsh. Could be #6 though. Let's see how he does tomorrow night. Perhaps he will redeem himself. We shall see.
1. Mitt has surged in South Carolina and in the national polls. He still leads in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. Fred has gone from 28% to 22% nationally since announcing, while rising in Iowa. Things are definitely in flux.
2. Mitt's donations have kept up with those of Rudy9/11 and Mitt's three quarter total exceeds that of Rudy Giuliani even excluding his own personal donations.
This year, former New York Mayor Giuliani, who is leading in public opinion polls, has raised more than $43 million from others; Romney has raised $44.6 million from others. http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-money5oct05,1,5187821.story?coll=la-politics-campaign
Perhaps this is a good Sister Souljah moment for Fred ....
***Sister Souljah had a following of perhaps a few thousand. Dobson has the ear of 5M evangelicals. If this is Fred’s Sister Souljah moment, it could be the Republicans’ Whig Watershed moment.
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