Posted on 11/25/2007 5:20:01 PM PST by Josh Painter
Former Tennessee Senator and presidential candidate Fred Thompson has been accused of lacking fire to run for the presidency.
Seeking to alter that image, Thompson fired away at Chris Wallace of Fox News this morning, accusing the network of being biased against his campaign:
Thompson said, "This has been a constant mantra of Fox, to tell you the truth." He noted that other conservatives have praised his bid for the GOP nomination and took issue with a Fox promo that focused on polling in New Hampshire, where Thompson is registering in the single digits.Thompson has a point. While his campaign has been universally criticized for gaffes and missteps early on, it is equally clear Thompson has righted the ship in recent weeks and is starting to generate some momentum.He said he is running second in national polls and has been leading or tied for the lead in South Carolina for "a long, long time." Thompson, in a firm, but measured tone, scolded Wallace: "...for you to highlight nothing but the negatives in terms of the polls and then put on your own guys who have been predicting for four months, really, that I couldn't do it, kind of skew things a little bit. There's a lot of other opinion out there."
His policy papers on social security and immigration have been widely praised on the right as being well rounded, thoughtful, and meaty. His tone on the stump has changed as well as he as begun to criticize both Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney for what he calls their "fake" conservatism.
The media, including Fox, have focused largely on the inside the beltway criticism of the campaign and the candidate himself while ignoring the fact that despite the bad start he is still polling in second place nationally among Republicans.
At the very least, this criticism of Fox shows Thompson to have some fire in the belly - something the media has criticized him for lacking. It also shows an independent streak that not too many candidates have demonstrated.
Your posts are what I am referring to as ‘settling’. I will not settle for another inferior candidate. The primary is the time to get behind the best. Are you honestly going to say Thompson is better than Hunter? It’s a shame so many of you clearly prefer Hunter but are only settling for Fred because it is going to lead to general election disaster. Name recognition can only carry one so far and Fred cannot take care of the rest.
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I agree, although I'm not certain that they are necessarily Giuliani supporters. However, a Giuliani nomination would likely be the end result, so it is essentially the same thing.
Whomever on the Republican side starts hammering away at Hillary Clinton instead of other pubs will win. It has to be well-crafted and succinct, and have a common thread and theme that does not focus on scandal but policy. I think if you focus on a 1-2-3 punch beginning with humiliating her about the war in Iraq, then taxes, then healthcare, with perhaps a common line that interlinks the three, then you may capture lightning in a bottle the way John Kerry did when he soared past the nutjob to sweep the first few states and win the nomination in February.
How ironic this thread is about Fred and you Fredbots whining about the coverage your boy gets. At least he gets coverage! And that is the point because you know darn well that Duncan Hunter has not been given equal time and the same advantages to get his message out there as Fred has. Fred has done his own damage to himself. At least when people get the opportunity to see Duncan Hunter they admit to how awesome he is and, in fact, prefer him. Can’t say that about Fred.
You know the answer in why he took so long to ‘explore’ now!! A lot harder when the candidates have to present themselves and show what is behind the ‘name recognition’.
I am not a Rudy booster, but you do realize the GOP candidate has to garner votes across the spectrum right? Rudy, for his liberal faults, has been out and campaigned for numerous conservative candidates across the country. I do agree that he would be a disaster for as liberal on social issues candidate to run for the presidency. We cannot have the leader of the GOP be so liberal. Mayor, Gov, Senator, ok. Pres, no! But I will not let fear of the GOP going so far left make me settle for Fred. It is the people who are ‘settling’ that need to question themselves. I am going to support Duncan Hunter through the primaries, and God help us, through the general election if the GOP is smart enough. It is my strong opinion while seeing Thompson from the way he looks and his health(yes, it does play a role in a general election) to his lack of charisma and manner of speaking that he is not going to do the GOP any good in a general election. You are in for a serious disappointment if this is what conservatives are settling for.
Aside from the snide remarks, all you have done is show why some of you Duncan supporters have really turned a lot of us off to DH. If he has people like you supporting him, why would we even want to associate ourselves to that. His 'national' campaign has been a total disaster, as every opportunity to get his face and message in front of cameras and people has failed.....and miserably. That is not his fault....it's his campaign managements fault.
As for Fred, he doesn't dance to anyones music about how to campaign. He just calls him the way he sees them. Where is the coverage on his Tax Reform ideas? Border control and Illegals? Gun Control? The people, the ones who vote, know where he stands, in spite of the non or negative coverage.
Most of the MSM is shilling for Rudy, nothing else matters. And when the votes are cast, and REALITY sets in, the also-rans will drop out. What will you do when DH drops?
I suspect your bitterness at not having your guy in the headlines makes you attack any candidate you don't like. Must be hard to live life like that. So what is it that upsets you about Fred? His 'trophy' wife? He's been an actor? He doesn't kiss your butt?
Hunter won’t get the nomination, no matter how much you try to derail Fred’s campaign.
LOL, I can honestly say I am behind the candidate I feel strongly about and that he is clearly the best. It is you who can take that into account as a lame excuse to get behind Fred. He is not a good candidate and has only proven it during his official candidacy and finally having to expose himself. So, I say it to you Fredheads with your assurances that Fred is the ‘electable’ candidate. Maybe by brainwashing conservatives to settle like you are trying to do with your very post to me, but he, and I love turning this around to you-Fred cannot win a GENERAL election.
Fred has a chance to win the nomination. Your attacks on a good conservative help Giuliani, not Hunter.
Good for Fred, I think FNC is for Rootie.
I am no friend of Fred, but he is right on this issue, IMHO. FOXNEWS is a RINO Globalist tool, and is in the bag for Rudy.
Think back, if you will, and try to remember a single time that Conservatives were at odds with the RINO administration where FOX was not firmly on the side of the RINOs in editorial and commentary within the news and in the selection and arrangement thereof.
They are opposed to Liberals, as a general rule, but all the same, are but fair weather friends to Conservatives.
You come here to talk about how “weak” or whatever Fred is on “blaming” Fox etc. then complain that Hunter would break out if only the press would cover him.
So let me get this straight, Fred complains about the press and its wrong and he is not taking responsibility for his fortunes and in the same thread, even the same post you blame Hunters misfortunes on the press....
Sauce for the goose?
Yoda: Much wisdom in what you wrote. Yes.
well...I find Hannity coming against the administration on the lack of border enforcment and O’reilly is strong on many issues.
LOL, Hunter has not been a disaster when people see and hear from him. In fact, are you going to deny the overwhelming opinion of Duncan Hunter is extremely high and that he is a great man and one who just about everyone would love to have as president, BUT we should settle right? Just because Hunter hasn’t been given the same opportunities of coverage and opportunities to speak at debates. Yet when he does you hear how awesome he is. No, he is not a failed candidate as the reaction is nothing but positive and inspired if only people would get over the ‘name recognition’ stamina they attempt to draw people away from him. He is having to fight it but it has not been from people’s reaction to Hunter’s record, interviews, speeches and way he carries himself. Fred is not a good candidate and has proven it himself. He has had the coverage so you Fredbots need to stop with the irony of whining about coverage, which you at least have and have had the advantage of, while you mock Hunter. As for when DH drops out- I will surely not be voting for a candidate I think is the best and will make a good candidate in a general election for sure. It will then be ‘settling’. That’s about all Fred is to a lot of people unfortunately. And I’ve never said anything about his ‘trophy wife’. I just think he’s an unremarkable politician and doesn’t have the abilities to win a general election.
It’s a corn-spire-racy I tell ya!!!
Ok you win...
Of course it could be that I prefer FDT like you do Hunter, maybe we are not settling, and maybe we are not spending our time on the basement in the polls...
But of course that would not give you an excuse to act like an a**...
But as I am starting to say more and more...
Whatever...
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