Posted on 01/06/2008 9:44:25 PM PST by County Agent Hank Kimball
Okay, I know he goes by the stage name, “Fred Thompson,” but don’t tell me that just as “Law and Order” comes back to the airwaves with new episodes, we just happen to see a deep rumbling baritone from a big guy sitting behind a desk, using a combination of homespun aphorisms and legal arguments to put some wet-behind-the-ears young feller in his place.
I have to go back and check the transcript, but it appears that he just took Huckabee to school on the legal rules regarding captured al-Qaeda at Guanatanamo Bay.
Over in the Corner, Rich described him as “the cranky conservative one-man truth squad,” and that’s a role that fits him. He doesn’t overpromise, he doesn’t seem too much like an overeager car salesman. Whether that will sell in New Hampshire is another question...
The focus group on Fox hates him. Ah, what do they know?
Silver: Rudy Giuliani. Mr. Mayor, you had me at, “I told him where he could put it.” [Referring to the Saudi Prince and the $10 million check that came with criticism of U.S. policy.]
The only flaw is that you can see the mental checklist of points he wants to hit – “the terrorists’ war on us” “Ronald Reagan” “raise taxes like the Democrats would” “when I was the number three in the Justice Department” “my twelve commitments,” etc.
Bronze: John McCain. Tonight’s jovial performance actually makes last night’s look worse. In retrospect, there was something peevish and small about the visible glee with which he jabbed at Romney. Tonight he was a bit more laid back, and there was something constricting about the “ball control” style he displayed much of last night. Tonight he looked like a man who knows he’s going to do well Tuesday, and thus he’s going to enjoy it.
Most Improved: Mitt Romney. If he disappoints on Tuesday, his folks will wonder how things would have gone if he had performed as well as he did tonight. The blood was flowing; for the first time in a while, you could see what gets his fans in the Corner and elsewhere so enthusiastic.
For what it's worth, it seems Frank Luntz's focus group really liked him.
May Have Stumbled a Bit: Mike Huckabee. I can’t help but get the feeling that tonight was the first night where you could see the seams, so to speak, where his endlessly affable style may have not worn well. Huckabee has a great attitude, but any time he has to get into the policy nitty-gritty, he seemed to want to step back to generalities. Something slippery about the way that he said, ‘I’ll let Wallace be the moderator’ instead of taking on the candidate challenging him.
FILL UP FRED'S TRUCK AT FRED08.com or stickittopolitico.com
How long before the RSM comes in to smear Fred some more ?
I notice that both Romney and Huckabee point to being elected in overwhelmingly Democrat dominated states as some kind of proof that they must have been pretty good. To me it sounds like they must have been pretty Democrat.
“I notice that both Romney and Huckabee point to being elected in overwhelmingly Democrat dominated states as some kind of proof that they must have been pretty good. To me it sounds like they must have been pretty Democrat.”
Well if you ran as a true Conservative in Massachusetts, you would lose in a landslide. So who would you rather have as Governor, Romney or a Kerry/Kennedy clone?
Is there really a difference ?
-----
That's a good question. Here's my answer.
I think that parties should put candidtes that represent their true principles. I think Republicans should run as conservatives and Democrats as leftists. THAT WAY, we can see the true impact of the two philosophies on the populace and get a true test of which works better.
I think the people of Massachussets should get true leftists running their state. Then when it sinks into a sub-Scandanavian socialist cesspool, the fruits of collectivism will be evident for all to see. But when Republicans run as dime-store socialists, they only serve to discredit conservatism. Half-measures, particluarly in a place dedicated to statism are doomed.
When the day of reckoning for socialism comes, it must be unabmiguous as to who was responsible. There can't be any room for: "well we have BOTH Republicans and Democrats as governors, so both parties screwed it up equally."
Hank
Especially when the Huckster tried to weasel his way out of giving Romney an answer over whether he raised taxes 3 times. Wait that was another Huckster train wreck. The part where he said about letting the moderator moderate, he was being asked about allowing illegals and their kids get an education and he wasn't going to answer it until Wallace chimed in, that he was actually going to ask Huckster that very question. He got evasive and tried to spin it, but oh what a Huckster. He looked like the amnesty giving huckabuck.
Romney is fine for Massachusetts. Just perhaps not for the standard-bearer of the nation GOP. And let us not forget, Ronald Reagan was elected in California during the height of the hippie movement as Ronald Reagan, not by masquerading as a liberal.
The MSM will continue focusing on Huckster and the Morpher, falsely, as the Rebublicans only viable candidates in order to hand it to their far more screwed up Democrats. Neither of those guys are Presidential material. The guy I voted for twice turned out to be proof of the power of advertisement over actual quality (but what choices did we have?).
There’s some time to go yet to get the word out for conservatives who aren’t totally beholden to the hidden power structure. Tis a shame that anyone wanting to get elected nowadays must dance with the devil to some extent but the better candidates know to keep their knees locked and never drop the soap.
Obama vs Thompson would accomplish that exactly.
And Obama would lose. Badly.
The focus group on Fox hates him [Fred].Which focus group is that?
I know that when Mitt ran against Ted Kennedy for Senate, he positioned himself to Kennedy’s left on several issues. I think that’s why he lost then.
The pollster Frank Luntz’s focus group.
Thirty NH Republicans in a room together watched the debate, then answered Luntz’s questions afterward. Only one or two people were willing to do other than either bash or disregard Fred Thompson’s “debate performance”. It was shown on FNC’s after-debate panel discussion.
The only good thing I saw in it was that they didn’t go for Huckabee or McCain, either. They were nearly all smitten with Mitt...not before the debate, but after. Supposedly.
I admit that he did better than his most recent performances, but their antipathy and or apathy toward Fred Thompson was amazing.
Our Republican party sure is split this time around. How anyone can honestly choose a RINO (Romney, Giuiliani), a back-stabber (McCain) or a biblical socialist (Huckabee) over Thompson or Hunter and still imagine that they are in any way shape or form a conservative is completely beyond me.
I know there is an even further split...I would only vote for one of those you mentioned for one reason...if they were the only alternative to keeping Hillary/Obama/Edwards out of the White House, and even then I would feel awful about voting for them.
I would not vote for Ron Paul for ANY reason, and right now, I would not vote for Huckster for any reason. That is how strongly I feel against those two. There is a small chance that Huckster could cause me to change my mind and hold my nose to vote for him. No chance for Paul.
I know there are many here and elsewhere who wouldn’t vote for anyone except Hunter, Tancredo or Thompson. No matter if the Dems took everything.
The way the focus group savaged or disrespected Fred, I had the impression they really didn’t care WHAT he said, or WHAT he has prosposed (most of which is quite good and conservative), they just didn’t feel good about the WAY he said it.
I cannot for the life of me understand people like them...
Fred wins in my book too.
Romney was too slick. I just don’t trust him at all. Wolf in sheep’s clothing?
Where are the records of what he did with these supposedly rescued companies, including the Olympics. I bet he was ruthless.
I don’t see how anyone listening to the debate would think Huck was better than Fred. Huckabee’s done well in past debates, but had a rough time last night on taxes, and several times tried dance around questions with flowery words instead of direct answers.
One woman said the reason she didn’t like Thompson was because he didn’t talk about healthcare. I don’t remember that being a major topic of the evening for any candidate, but I could be mistaken.
First I've ever heard that Fred Thompson isn't his real name....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.