Posted on 12/18/2007 10:46:23 AM PST by NormsRevenge
MANCHESTER, Iowa - Republican Fred Thompson says if he can be a presidential horse for conservatives to ride in the campaign, "All I've got to say is saddle me up."
Thompson was touring Iowa by bus rather than on horseback Tuesday, saying he's got the potential to come on fast in the final days before the state's Jan. 3 caucuses.
Thompson, who has occasionally been labeled a less-than-energetic campaigner, spoke with enthusiasm to about 30 people at a town hall in Manchester while his blue campaign bus, emblazoned with a huge picture of his head and shoulders, waited outside.
"We're taking it now to where it needs to be," Thompson told his audience. "This is where it starts. This is where we are. this is where we're going to be. ... We're going to make sure we meet everybody we can possibly meet."
Thompson is spending the final two weeks of the campaign in Iowa traveling the state with his wife, Jeri.
He referred to the GOP debate last week in Iowa, where he drew praise for refusing to comply when asked for a show of hands on a question about global warming.
"I said, `Nope,'" and everybody pulled their hand down and looked around," Thompson said. "I just said to my buddies up there, `How are you going to stand up to the leaders of Iran and North Korea if you can't stand up to an overbearing moderator?'"
He made his saddle-me-up comment after saying a newspaper had said he had given conservatives "a horse to ride" in the campaign.
On Tuesday, Thompson listed some of his main issues — the role of the federal government, judges, taxes, Social Security — and took questions about trade, the value of the dollar and how he would end the Iraq war and bring troops home.
"I think we have to stabilize that place so that people can get up and go to worship without fear of being blown up," he said.
He reiterated the case he made during the Iowa debate: "When our worst enemy is sitting down at the negotiating table thinking about what they can get away with, or thinking about what they might could do to the United States of America, who do you want representing us on our side of the table looking back at them?"
Thompson is battling for a third-place showing in Iowa, where former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee recently surged ahead of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in state polls. No candidate has gone on to become the nominee without placing in the top three in Iowa.
“I had some interest in your post until.....”How about a popular celebrity endorsement”. Okay, I am back from barfing now.”
“Oops, sorry. I forgot to LMAO at your “How about music, music, music. Heart throbing, foot stomping, hand clapping music?”.... “
It’s interesting that so many folks, with NO IDEAS of their own exercise such vitrol at mine or at me. A successful campaign will appeal to a MAJORITY of the voters. Obviously what appeals to YOU is very different than what appeals to the MAJORITY. Music has been used very effectively in many campaigns as have celebrity endorsements.
I’m just brain storming. Why don’t you suggest something positive instead of laughing. Or perhaps you’re happy with Fred’s campaign just as it is.
If that is the case I can agree with you on that - he needs to do well in interviews. But a lot of this “fire in the belly” stuff comes from the fact that folks say he looks old, therefore he must be slow on the uptake, etc. The guy has more of a work ethic and schedule than 95% of the mediacrats throwing the accusation and after a while it tends to piss one off.
I agree with your last post.
The problem is the perception in the mind of the average American voter. I think it’s the negative perception that is shaping reality. If most people knew the real Fred he’d be leading in all the polls. Most people only know the image that the MSM and his opponents want them to have.
The campaign needs to react to this and change SOMETHING soon or he’ll be out of the race. We’ve all heard that doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result is insanity.
What can Fred do to change the image?
He is changing it right now - bus tour is part but more importantly he has been really agressive as off late targeting his opponents. He did not want to do this too soon.
I think your complaint is more his timing than anything he has done. He has made you uneasy - my advice is to forget what the MSM and the polls say (not completely but in large part) and instead focus on his message. I do and that is why I am cormfortable with the guy.
I do see a little change coming just in the last 48 hours or so.
Still my concern is will he do enough of the right stuff to catch the interest of the average voter.
I sure hope so. I’d hate to see a president Giuilani or worse...Clinton.
We’ll see.
That is not brainstorming. It’s a page from the democrat “get me elected” handbook. Yes, I am happy with Fred’s campaign. See, I don’t listen to what the MSM tells me, I listen to my conservative counterparts. We, the silent majority may have become a bit more vocal than usual, however, we are still the “silent type”. I do not concern myself with what “polls” state, remember how well they foretold Dean? I know in my heart, as well as other Fredheads out there, that he is the one. I trust myself more than any “gimmicky” campaign ploy can render.
You continue to miss the point.
You wrote 8 sentences and used I - 6 times; we 2 - times; me - 1 time; my - 1 time; ; myself - 1 time.
I KNOW he is campaigning properly to get your vote.
Fred needs more than your just support, even more than the support of the 25-30% of the American voters who are true conservatives, to win.
Would your logic make sense if we substituted the average voter for salient references to yourself?
Read....
See, the average voter doesn’t listen to what the MSM tells them, the average voter listens to their conservative counterparts.
The average voter does not concern himself with what polls state...
The average voter knows in his heart, as well as other Fredheads out there, that he is the one.
The average voter trusts himself more than any gimmicky campaign ploy can render.
It makes no sense.
In marketing, every day we deal with the notion of “You’ve gotta stop the eye to start the sale.” We attempt to do this by making the message “PoP!”...get the consumer’s attention. Then when you have their attention supply them your message as uniquely, susinctly as possible and in a way that they’ll remember it.
Fred’s got the message but he’s got no “PoP!” The average voter can’t get past the image.
Your happiness with Fred’s campaign is a problem. Fred’s happiness with his campaign is THE problem. He’s gone from about 20% support down to about 10% in most states. Worse in several. What he’s doing is not working.
Successful campaigns must be able to adjust. persistence might help as other candidates drop out and he splits a little of their support with others. But if he can only get about half or a third of Giuliani’s level of support now, what he’s doing is not working.
His campaign has changed a little in the past 48 hours. I just hope it won’t be too little, too late.
It makes plenty of sense. Just because YOU dont get it does not render it useless. You can support whom ever you choose, just as I will support whomever I choose. People are sick and tired of getting your “circus campaign” electories. How about we just agree to disagree until the votes are in.
Yup. We’ll do that.
Sadly, nothing will change. The average voter will not pay attention to Fred and so they will not hear his message. He will lose.
But YOU’ll be happy with his lackluster, plainjane campaign. Oh and upset with me that I pointed it out while there was still hope for victory.
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