Posted on 11/29/2007 8:29:43 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Like a fickle Hollywood actor who maddeningly keeps his own schedule, Fred Thompson finally walked on the set here last night and turned in the performance his long-suffering supporters have yearned for all these months.
The "Law and Order" star's positions were more polished than ever. He attacked Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney sharply and effectively.
And he stayed above the fray when the fights around him got downright nasty.
Giuliani, meanwhile, gave the performance his supporters have always feared, showing his most liberal feathers to date.
He had to defend his past coddling statements about illegal immigration, said constitutional gun rights are open to modification, and faced a question about using New York cops to protect him while snuggling in the Hamptons with a woman not then his wife.
The former mayor's position drew boos from the conservative audience on more than one occasion. Where Giuliani stumbled, Thompson soared.
"Cut taxes for eight years when I was in the United States Senate. Never met a tax I liked," he said simply when asked if he would ever sign a bill to raise taxes.
After Giuliani attacked Romney for having illegal aliens do his yard work, Thompson said he was surprised to hear the mayor scolding anyone about bad hires.
It was a clear and devastating reference to Giuliani's former police commissioner, Bernard Kerik, who now faces federal corruption charges.
And he took a stick to former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who is now surging in polls.
A video clip produced by the Thompson campaign showed a corpulent Huckabee begging his legislature for a tax hike - any tax hike - so he could sign it.
It was a sight so ugly only someone in the movie business could have come up with it.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
I was waiting for someone to notice how Fred intimated Rudy wasn’t one to talk trash about someone’s hiring mistakes. It was pure class they way he did it. I knew exactly what he meant. I wish there was more time before the early primaries for him to make headway against the phony candidates.
Dr Ron Paul
aka “The loon.”
Bravo!
You win many converts to your cause by insulting them?
Very good post. Thank you!
“....what are they slow?”
Remember what happened to all the guys that led the Republican Revolution...Newt Gingrich, Bob Livingston...somehow they all wound up resigning. The same forces...people and business whose fortunes depend upon Federal expansion and appropriation, want NOTHING to do with Fred.....
mash here...and listen..and then think about the Mittster some more...
http://www.blip.tv/file/509204
Spider to the fly...
You know it’s a great post when it makes you spit out your coffee!
I also did not like his "campaign ad". It was an attack ad. None of the others used this format for that, and it made him look desperate. I don't mind those type ads late in a campaign, but when you juxtapose it against the others, it didn't make Fred look good.
I also do not think that Fred did anything that made him the story of the night, which he needed. The story of the night was the bickering between Rudy and Mitt, and Mike Huckabees great performance. I am not a Huckabee supporter, but he was by far the winner of the night.
These are my opinions only, but I think the candidates that gained voters that night were Huckabee, Hunter, and maybe John McCain. The candidates that stayed the same were Fred, Tancredo, Paul (unfortuneatly his fans aren't going anywhere), and maybe Rudy. And the loser was Mitt (who looked petty and indecisive).
Two words... Jesse Ventura.
As much as I like Hunter, I wish he would drop out and have his point or two got to Thompson.
I agree with you entirely as to how Fred Thompson comes across - to you and me. But he already has our vote. It’s a great band of wishy washy “moderates” and youthful know nothings who will vote based on mainstream media “conventional wisdom” or “looks” etc., as opposed to character and policies. Even here, many talk about Bob Dole as a flawed candidate. Dole was dismissed as too old. I might still take Dole and his policies TODAY versus Bush, and unquestionably versus any democrat. But alas it didn’t work that way.
Holy mackeral. He’s gone. That was quick.
George Allen of Virginia.
You’re crazy.
“You win many converts to your cause by insulting them?”
I doubt he/she does. I don’t blame Fred, but it was the extreme hyperbole his FR “supporters” used and their childish insults that was a factor in causing me to go with Huckabee. I like Mike, but I’m not a fanatic about him like some here are about their boy.
I see faults in Huckabee, as I do ALL the candidates. However, for me, I finally decided that my core moral issues of fighting abortion and the homosexual Agenda, would be best represented by Huckabee. On the secular side, Huckabee is rock solid in his steadfast “individual right” view of the 2nd Ammendment.
He doesn’t worry me on taxes, immigration, the so-called “nanny-state” issues like he does others here. My only reservation about Huckabee is will he be able to be a wartime president. However, since I ultimately believe our national defense is in God’s hands, then I reason that getting the moral issues right will ensure God protecting us and equiping our leaders. So, I’m going with my moral convictions which I believe are what God desires. Hence we best ensure His blessings.
Not to mention that big-eared pipsqueak Ross Perot.
“ansel12,If I heard right today, Frank luntz said that his work with his groups revealed Fred as the big benefactor of last nights debate.”
I did hear this “Now, if you want to understand what Republicans are looking for, passion, principles, and pithy commentary. And the candidate that stood out yesterday was Fred Thompson.”
Here is the opening paragraph portion:
COLMES: Welcome to “Hannity & Colmes.” And we get right to our top story tonight. The Republican candidates debated in Florida last night. We have extensive coverage of CNN’s disastrous charade in just a few minutes. But we start tonight with how well the candidates did. Our own Frank Luntz was in Florida with a focus group. He has got the results.
Frank, according to your group, how did it go?
FRANK LUNTZ, WWW.LUNTZ.COM: We had a lot of people participate and they are mad as hell. I have got to tell you something, in listening to what the Republicans have to say right now, they are very nervous about the future. They are not happy about the direction in Washington. And they really want a change.
So they were truly attuned to what was going on last night. Now, if you want to understand what Republicans are looking for, passion, principles, and pithy commentary. And the candidate that stood out yesterday was Fred Thompson. We have used our patented the FOX News dials.
The higher that you see the lines go, the more favorable the reaction. The red line represents conservatives, yellow line, independents. If the lines climb to an 80, it’s a political home run. Watch how favorable they respond to Fred Thompson when he talks about wasteful Washington spending.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
Yeah, but the way they worded the headline was asinine. “Finally”? Could have been left off
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