Posted on 12/31/2007 9:35:12 AM PST by jellybean
Fred Thompson says he's not running to satisfy personal ambition By BILL THEOBALD
Link only allowed due to copyright complaints.
Fred Thompson on CSPAN in Pella, IA 12-28-07 Fmr. Sen. Fred Thompson (R-TN) meets supporters at the Smokey Row Coffee House in Pella, IA. 00:35. Fri 12-28-07
For those who missed the C-SPAN broadcast yesterday or don't have Real Player installed, here is the YouTube video.
Fred Thompson Makes Major Reaganesque Speech For Iowans : Too Late? By Joe Gandelman
With polls in Iowa see-sawing faster than a see-saw in a playground used by hyperactive five-year-olds, a Republican candidate who has seemingly fallen off the media radar is getting some notice and even again being called Reaganesque: actor Fred Thompson.
Yes, THE Fred Thompson who seemingly had an incredible moment in political history when GOPers were waiting for him to enter the fray as a kind of new Ronald Reagan who could offer them an appealing choice from a political buffet table that many found unappealing, warmed over, filled with leftovers and offering what seemed to them to be left wings..
Thompson told reporters yesterday that he feels he has to finish at least second in Iowa — and he delivered a speech that went up on the Internet that was the kind of speech many in the GOP had hoped to hear. One that reminded them of Reagan, in Thompson’s attempt to reach out to dissatisfied Democrats — and one that also talked about national security concerns, saying the terrorists won’t be happy until there’s a mushroom cloud over an American city:
[Thompson] went on the offensive Sunday, accusing Democratic leaders of abandoning their principles and allowing their party to be taken over by liberal interest groups, including the National Education Association and the American Civil Liberties Union.It is a great Republican speech. And It pushed the kinds of buttons many GOPers wanted to hear months ago. Peter Robinson, of National Review’s The Corner:In a 15-minute Web video released Sunday, the former Tennessee senator said voters ought to choose a GOP nominee who will tell Democrats where their party stands.
“They’re all NEA, MoveOn.org, ACLU, Michael Moore Democrats,” Thompson said in the video posted on his campaign Web site. “They’ve allowed these radicals to take control of the party and dictate their course.”
He added, “I am asking my fellow Republicans to vote for me not only for what I have to say to them, but for what I have to say to the members of the other party—the millions of Democrats who haven’t left the Democratic party so much as their party’s national leadership has left them.”
Whereas Romney is saturating the airwaves with attack ads, Thompson pays the voters the courtesy of speaking calmly, and in detail—the video runs to just over 15 minutes. Why should the good Republicans of Iowa support Thompson? Because, the candidate argues, he can win.Robinson offers a quote and then adds this:In the passage I found the most striking, Thompson does something no other Republican contender has attempted: appeal to Democrats.He offers some Thompson quotes, including this one:So in seeking the nomination of my own party, I want to say something a little unusual. I am asking my fellow Republicans to vote for me not only for what I have to say to them, but for what I have to say to the members of the other party—the millions of Democrats who haven’t left the Democratic party so much as their party’s national leadership has left them.He sees this speech as reminiscent of Reagan’s in North Carolina in 1976:Simple, straightforward, modest production values—just the candidate in front of an American flag and an Iowa flag—but (to use the word again) compelling. Reagan’s 1976 talk enabled him to recover after a string of primary defeats, winning in North Carolina, then going on to come within a handful of delegates of wresting the nomination from Ford. Will Thompson’s talk move voters in Iowa? Does his campaign have the money to get it on the air? Throughout the state? Or even in a few of the most important markets? Beats me. But we have here a serious man, making a serious case—and doing so in the context of a campaign that has otherwise descended into mere caterwauling.Still, it’s easier to count Thompson out than to count him in, given his late entry into the campaign, early campaign stumbles and poor media coverage at a time when people were getting a first impression of him. His victory or even strong place showing in Iowa would be eyebrow-raising, underscoring how more than ever the Republicans are not satisfied with the front runners.Even at this late hour, I wouldn’t count Fred out.
The polls vary by the day because the race has essentially become a toss up. But the latest one shows former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney pulling ahead of Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (a candidate who reportedly upsets the Republican establishment):
In a new MSNBC/McClatchy/Mason-Dixon poll, former Massachusetts Gov. Romney is drawing 27% of likely caucus-goers, compared to 23% for former Arkansas Gov. Huckabee. Romney’s strong showing is a blow to Huckabee, who had been enjoying a surge in the polls in Iowa.So can Thompson do it?On the Democratic side, John Edwards is pulling in 24% of likely caucus goers in the poll, just one percentage point ahead of Sen. Hillary Clinton. Sen. Barack Obama, meanwhile, gets 22% of votes in the new poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus five percentage points.
Just an Internet video won’t do. He needs money to get his message across. He could make a stronger showing than expected but in the end it’s more likely that when the nominee is named Thompson will be perceived by many Republicans as the candidate who could have been.
TWO BLOG REACTIONS:
From Democratic The Democratic Daily, which has an EXCELLENT poll wrap up:
The sleeper of the Republican race, Fred Thompson apparently couldn’t get off his duff any further than to issue an Internet video as his closing arguments to the people of Iowa. Still, Peter Robinson of The Corner says, “I wouldn’t count Fred out.” Hmmm.From the lively Republican blog Wizbang:Fred has a 17 minute YouTube video in which he speaks directly to Iowa voters. He outlines who he is, what he believes, and what he wants to do as president and does an effective job making his case why he should be the Republican nominee for president. If you live in Iowa and are still trying to figure out who to caucus for, take out some time and watch it. I think you’ll like it.And here’s the speech:….By the way, Peter wrote Reagan’s “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall” speech, so if anyone knows if someone is being Reaganesque, it’s him.
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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Senator Fred Thompson Responds to Catholic Online Questions By Deacon Keith Fournier
12/31/2007Catholic Online
On December 18, 2007 Catholic Online issued a challenge to all of the candidates running for the Presidency in 2008, in both major political parties. With the Iowa Caucus only days away, we present the responses to our questions that have been sent to us by Senator Fred Thompson.
LOS ANGELES (Catholic Online) - Senator Fred Thompson is a Republican candidate for President who served with great distinction as the Senator from Tennessee from 1994 through 2002.
He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has been a Visiting Fellow with the American Enterprise Institute, specializing in national security and intelligence. The Senator has also had a distinguished legal career and acting career.
On December 18, 2007 Catholic Online issued a challenge to all of the candidates running for the President in 2008, in both major political parties, asking each of them to answer a series of questions of particular concern to Catholics.
We promised that their response, or lack of response, would be made known to all of our readers and viewers. More...
Thank you for the bump! :)
“Fred Thompson Runs New Iowa Campaign Ad Referencing Abortion Opposition”
http://www.fred08.com/NewsRoom/InTheNews.aspx?ID=6ba1d212-68f7-413e-956c-5982a8ea6826
I think this is a good idea. As the Evangelical Christians jump ship from Huckabee (and I believe they will/are), they will know they can safely vote for pro-life Fred Thompson.
Thanks for adding that!
Reaction to Fred’s Address to Iowa By Sean Hackbarth
Matt Drudge linked to Fred’s video garnering thousands of views. It has spawned hundreds of comments on YouTube. Here’s some reaction from two bloggers:
National Review Online’s Peter Robinson writes,
This is reminiscent of Reagan’s talk to the people of North Carolina in 1976. Simple, straightforward, modest production values—just the candidate in front of an American flag and an Iowa flag—but (to use the word again) compelling. Reagan’s 1976 talk enabled him to recover after a string of primary defeats, winning in North Carolina, then going on to come within a handful of delegates of wresting the nomination from Ford. Will Thompson’s talk move voters in Iowa? Does his campaign have the money to get it on the air? Throughout the state? Or even in a few of the most important markets? Beats me. But we have here a serious man, making a serious case—and doing so in the context of a campaign that has otherwise descended into mere caterwauling.Later he added,Even at this late hour, I wouldn’t count Fred out.
While the other contenders are frantically saturating the Iowa airwaves with 30- and 60-second attack ads—Romney is guiltiest, if only because he’s richest—Thompson has sat himself down, looked into a camera, and spoken for a quarter of an hour, calmly and straightforwardly making his case. I myself find this impressive—in a way, moving. Thompson seems to have stepped out of the eighteenth century. He trusts voters to think. And if the comments on YouTube are at all representative, plenty of people agree.Michael van der Galien writes,It’s interesting to see that he takes shots at all his opponent, although mainly at Mitt Romney (didn’t change his views, consistent conservative, etc.). Not only that, however, he also criticizes the Democratic Party in the video. He argues that the Democratic Party has been taken over by the radical left and that Republicans have to prevent this party from winning the elections in 08.Perhaps just as importantly, Thompson calls on independents and dissatisfied Democrats to support him. He reaches out to all those who oppose (the influence of) organizations like MoveOn.org (on the Democratic Party).
…
Of course his main argument (why people should vote for him) is that he’s the only real conservative candidate. He has, he argues, the best conservative record - which is certainly true. However, everybody knows that. The problem isn’t that Thompson isn’t conservative enough, it’s that he’s not passionate and energetic enough. In the video, however, Thompson overcomes that prejudice: he doesn’t suddenly appear extremely energetic, but perhaps this is an issue that shouldn’t matter. He comes across as calm, reasonable, knowledgeable and stable. A strong leader, in other words.
Fred Thompson's Death Throes I won't post any of it here because I don't want to pollute FR.
Bumpity bump!
Thank you!!
It’s one of the services I offer...keeping FR pollution free. :)
Worth a separate post:)
~snip~
Thompson seems to have stepped out of the eighteenth century. He trusts voters to think.
~snip~
Thompson: 'Decent chance' of second place in Iowa ,P by Rick PearsonDES MOINES—Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson says he thinks he has "a decent chance" of finishing second in Thursday night's Iowa Republican caucuses.
Thompson also said a comment he made on the campaign trail on Saturday—that "I’m not particularly interested in running for president but I think I’d make a good president"—was being misinterpreted.
"If you notice, I put the emphasis on running," Thompson told CNN's "Late Edition."
Thompson Goes Nuclear Posted by Jeff Jarvis
In a mirror image of infamous the anti-Goldwater nuke ad, Fred Thompson raises the spectre of dukes in a 17-minute video aimed at Iowa voters. Johnson warned about Goldwater's finger on the button; Thompson warns about bin Laden's, but with slightly less subtlety.
Sound bite: "Most Americans know that the forces of terrorism will not rest until a mushroom cloud hangs over one of our cities."
He also goes after his fellow Republicans and media with one swipe, bragging that when asked to raise his hand (the latest debate trick) he refused.
Sound bite: "If those other fellows can't stand up to an overbearing moderator in a debate, I'm not sure how they could stand up to the leaders of Iran or North Korea.... What you see is what you get. I dance to no man's tune."
He hits every conservative chime he can, saying that the Democrats are ruled by the radically secularist ACLU and -- here's the kick to the kidneys -- Michael Moore. But Thompson says he'll protect us from that.
Fred Thompson--Introvert? [Rich Lowry]
My experience yesterday, plus watching that video a while ago of Fred interacting with the firemen (which wasn't nearly as bad as Roger Simon made it sound), has me thinking that Fred isn't "lazy" as everyone says, but that he may be an introvert. An introvert can't stand—and finds exhausting—random interactions with strangers, which is why so few introverts are politicians. Those that are either are anomalies or fiercely willful people whose ambition makes it possible from them to punch through their natural resistance to all the painful socializing a politician has to do. This is why Fred would want to do a different kind of campaign, one based on web videos and blogs and the like rather than the usual glad-handing on the stump. Just a theory, fwiw.
“Rep. Steve King Radio Ad “Road Map””
Great Radio Ad!
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