Posted on 10/27/2007 7:13:01 PM PDT by dano1
In a startling admission, the wife of Fred Thompson, the Republican presidential contender, confessed last week that the bone-crushing pressure on candidates wives was like walking down the street with no clothes on. She was terrified of embarrassing Fred, she added. It would break my heart.
Jeri Thompson, 41, was attending a conference on women chaired by Maria Shriver, the wife of Arnold Schwarzenegger, who quizzed her on her reputation. Ive read everything, from you are the campaign mastermind to you are the campaign strategist, you are the trophy wife, you are everything, said Shriver. Which is the right depiction of you?
Thompson laughed and said she was focused on her children, aged four and one. Im not even qualified to do a lot of the other stuff, she said modestly. Her sole demand, she said, had been for a changing table for nappies on the campaign bus.
It was a nice line, but about as likely as Hillary Clinton staying at home to bake cookies, Thompson insiders say. Jeri has been at the forefront of her husbands campaign from the moment he was pressed to run. The problem is that she is regarded as keener on victory than he is.
Ronald Kessler, biographer of Laura Bush, the first lady, said: [Jeri] is a political operative who is naturally more active than any of the other Republican wives. She is very highly respected in conservative circles, but there is a widespread feeling that she got her husband into this business. I dont think he really wants the job. He seems to be treating it as a part-time effort, a nice way to pass the time of day.
Behind the scenes, Thompson is playing a crucial role in shoring up support for her husband. She has been leading contacts with Christian conservative leaders, who view the 6ft 6in former senator for Tennessee and former Hollywood actor as the most likely mantle bearer for their pro-life, pro-family views.
It is Jeri, as much as Fred, who has been winning them over. While some Republicans have been wondering whether Jeri, a second wife who is 24 years younger than her husband, is too sexy for the women voters of Middle America, she is receiving a resounding vote of confidence from some of the countrys most influential evangelical leaders.
Tony Perkins, head of the Family Research Council, a prominent Christian conservative think tank, said he had spoken many times to Jeri as well as to Fred Thompson. He said it was unfair to describe her as a trophy wife: Shes certainly a gain for him, but its not just because shes attractive. She is smart and has very strong conservative credentials.
Before marrying Thompson, Jeri worked for the Republican National Committee in Washington, gaining an impressive contacts book and knowledge of the hot-button conservative issues.
Richard Land, head of public policy for the Southern Baptists, said, I know Jeri is a person of faith. To me, calling her a trophy wife is a lethal blend of sexism and ageism. Its assumed that if a woman is attractive and younger than her husband she is a trophy wife. Jeri Thompson was a guest on national television talk shows before she even met Fred.
Fred Thompsons stock with evangelical Christians dipped recently after it emerged he did not attend church regularly and had once given legal advice to a pro-abortion group. His position on gay marriage, which leaves open the possibility that some states may permit it, has also disappointed social conservatives.
However, Gary Bauer, head of American Values, a pro-life group, said: I dont have any doubt, having met Senator Thompson and his wife, that they are both Christians. Hes got good positions on many of the issues Christians care about such as the right to life. The ability of evangelical leaders to influence conservative voters is crucial to Thompsons chances at a time when many of his own closest supporters are questioning his appetite for the presidency. After losing some of his most important campaign staff over the summer, there were new high level defections among staff and volunteers last week amid grumbling that Jeri was too hands on and Fred was too lackadaisical.
Although Thompson is still in second place in the polls, he is running 10 points behind Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, according to a poll of polls from RealClearPolitics.
Some conservatives who dropped John McCain for Thompson last summer, in the belief that McCain was too liberal on immigration and too old for the job, are now giving the former Vietnam war hero a second look.
The Arizona senator scored a direct hit on Clinton last week when he attacked her for seeking $1m to fund a museum in Woodstock, New York, site of the 1969 hippie festival. In a line that he has turned into a television commercial, he said, I wasnt there. Im sure it was a cultural and pharmaceutical event. I was tied up at the time a reference to his years as a prisoner of war at the Hanoi Hilton.
Thompson supporters were shocked when Dan Hughes, the Tennessee senators enthusiastic front man in the key primary state of New Hampshire, switched sides last week and became vice-chairman of McCains state campaign. Against the advice of his staff, Thompson has barely bothered to show up in New Hampshire since launching his campaign on the Jay Leno television show last month, instead of appearing at a debate with the other Republican candidates in the state.
Im not going to be the token chairman of a token campaign. I was told they were going to run a vigorous campaign and they havent, Hughes said. Fred Thompson would have been a good candidate but he doesnt want to go out and campaign.
Thompsons support slumped to just 7% in New Hampshires poll of polls last week. A drubbing on that scale in an early voting state could put an end to his hopes of winning any primary contests. Hughes said Thompson needed Jeris energy to be in with a chance of the White House. I like Jeri. I wish she was running. Wed have a horse in the race then, he said.
Jeris alleged micro-management has upset Thompsons staff and advisers. Nelson Warfield, the media guru who produced the television commercial for Thompsons launch, last week became the latest in a long line of consultants to resign.
According to Kessler, part of the reason was Jeris meddling and Thompsons lazy approach to campaigning and fundraising. Its not the way to operate, he said. Its going to make it very difficult for Thompson to attract high calibre staff now.
One former staff member predicted that Thompson would be crushed by Clinton if he did not raise his game. Hillary is tireless, he said. She doesnt take anything for granted. However determined Jeri is, she cannot win it for him.
“Now watch as his supporters trash you for posting this article, and me for giving an honest testimony.”
Been there.
I like Fred, but he doesn’t seem to have the “fire in the belly” that is needed to inspire and get people excited about his candidacy.
Actually it was your post about the Florida rally that got me to finally stop beating around the bush. I do not share the same candidate as you, but I see the charisma of Mitt and would proudly support him in the general election.
As for my disclosure, I have been an early Rudy supporter, because I truly think he can win. In 2008 I am looking for a leader that will keep me, my family, and my country safe. All other issues will take a back seat for me.
In the spring, I was really looking forward to Fred getting in the race. On paper, he was my ideal candidate. I agreed with almost everything he said, but reality sunk in when I saw the lack of passion that I really think will be needed to beat the Beast. Every one kept telling me to wait until he busted out, well that time never came. I thought that there must be something wrong with my perception, since everyone here was telling me over and over again how America would love him, and that he would demolish Hillary. I waited and waited, and waited. Still waiting.....
During that time I started watching Mitt, and he does impress me, but to tell the truth in the past few weeks I find myself leaning more and more towards McCain of all people (the flames will really come out now), I don't know if I am ready to switch my loyalties, but now I have 3 top contenders for my vote, and Fred keeps slipping further and further down the rung.
When I read your essay last week about his uninspiring (to put it lightly) campaign appearance, everything the MSM had written, and most importantly my gut feeling gelled, and I decided that I could know longer keep quiet. I hope since I have been very careful to keep it civil, and only write my feelings down without slamming anyone else that I will not be the latest casualty on Free Republic, which is becoming all Fred all the time.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1917521/posts
More complete diary of the Fred shooting star candidacy here.
Not to be repetitive, but Mitt is the best hope for uniting the party. The NRA wing would be better served by cutting a deal with Mitt prior to a fractured election cycle that hands the nomination to the real gun grabber - Rudy.
I will not attend any event for mitt, rootie, dodd, biden or hildebeast. I despise ALL LIBERALS... I will NEVER support a liberal... I don’t care if he or she has an “R” beside their name or not. Give it up... millions of us will not roll over to grant your wishes.
LLS
And you joined FR less than a week ago just to post this?
Rudy is just so strong on other things, and he has been the strongest against Hillary. Mitt is a close #2 in my book, with believe it or not, McCain climbing that ladder.
I am one of those "unprincipled" conservatives that will do anything to win, and whoever I feel has the best chance when it is my turn to vote in the primaries will get my vote, and McCain has been blowing everyone else away in the head to heads, so he has once again got my attention. Early in the 2000 primaries I was also backing McCain so this isn't a stretch for me, but during the past 8 years that support faded due to his attitude, but it is slowly coming back. We will see where that leads.
Either way, it's great to see we have so many choices in the primary as opposed to the socialist democrat party, who's idea of a primary is the coronation of their "dark queen" followed by some high-profile human sacrifices of the likes of Hussein Obama and "talk to my wife" Edwards...
Welcome to FreeRepublic!
PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THE SILVERWARE...
McCain, is an intensely compelling speaker, but his record is the turn-off. Fred is only a mildly interesting speaker, and so lacks the persuasive tools to get the job done.
McCain, is an intensely compelling speaker, but his record is the turn-off. Fred is only a mildly interesting speaker, and so lacks the persuasive tools to get the job done.
I am not going to use the word "lazy", but I will use unenthusiastic, uninspiring, unfulfilling. What proof have we seen yet of anything but? He claims to be doing it "his way" but don't you agree that we need at least the appearance of passion if we want to beat Hillary? We do need a little charisma, because whether you want to accept it or not, we do live in an "American Idol" world. And all of the passion in the world on the part of his supporters, doesn't change the fact that Fred is not lighting up the voters imagination.
A very conservative talk show host in Milwaukee, Charlie Sykes 620WTMJ, summed it up perfectly for me the other day when he said, Imagine the movie made about the making of the first female President. The man that they would cast in the role as who she would beat would be a very laid back, southern Conservative, and that man would be Fred.
I can see him as a strong competitor against Hillary, something I can not see Fred doing, so that is what is coloring my opinion. I do know for sure that if we could roll all of our top candidates together, and pick out the strong points of all, we would have a winner!!!! Why couldn't Haley Barber have run?
"We Ents don't say anything unless it is worth taking a looonnng tiiiime tooo saaaay."
OH, Michelle Obama has been trashed. Try googling her for some amusement. ;^)
I thought Maria was retired from the news biz.
On the other hand, does anyone think Fred would be anything but the perfect gentleman? Fred has the edge here in my book.
Here's what the Iowa Electronic Markets are predicting:
RConv08 2008 US Republican National Convention Market |
DConv08 2008 US Democratic National Convention Market |
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