Posted on 03/04/2010 8:32:42 AM PST by pkajj
By Bruce Walker
If Republicans could, surely they would nominate Ronald Reagan for president in 2012. As it appears increasingly likely that Republicans -- conservative Republicans -- will control Congress after the 2012 elections, the only missing element in the political equation is a strong, conservative president like Ronald Reagan. In the mix of possible candidates for 2012, there are some potentially promising people.
Sarah Palin, rightly beloved by nearly all conservatives for her honesty, her advocacy, and her spunk, will figure into any list of candidates. Mitt Romney, who decently withdrew from the race before he lost in 2008, ought to be on the short list as well. Mike Huckabee will be some conservatives' favorite as well. Tim Pawlenty has decided that America really needs him to be president, and other Republicans will too.
With deepest respect for Sarah, none of these candidates is another Reagan. Many people have decided that we simply will not find another Reagan for a long time. I think otherwise. During the 2008 nomination season, I wrote several articles proposing a Republican not yet in the race as the Next Reagan. The stars were not aligned right then for him, but all that may be different in 2012. What do we want in our Next Reagan?
First, we want someone whose conservatism is beyond question -- someone who campaigned hard for Doug Hoffman, for example, even while the RNC was supporting the RINO. Second, we want someone of absolute integrity -- someone who is willing to stand all alone if he thinks he is right.
Third, we want someone who does not "need" politics -- someone who was a great success in life before entering politics. Fourth, we want someone disassociated from the failures of Obama and also of Bush -- someone who grasped America's disgust with Washington long before the Beltway insiders. Fifth, we want a "grownup" -- someone who is in every sense of the word mature, sober, and serious.
Sixth, we want a great communicator -- someone, like Reagan, who works well in every medium of communication. Seventh, we want someone who is universally perceived as a good man -- just like Reagan. One Republican in 2008 met all those criteria, and in 2012, he stands out at least as clearly as anyone as our Next Reagan: Fred Thompson.
(1) When conservatives began to despair of any true conservative in 2008, gradually, many began deducing that Thompson was the only one who fit the bill. Across the board, in a very thoughtful way, Fred Thompson represents conservative values. When Doug Hoffman ran for Congress, Thompson went to upstate New York to help.
(2) No one questions Thompson's integrity. His career was founded on a willingness to fearlessly confront corruption in Tennessee. As a young Republican Senate staffer, Thompson boldly opposed the crimes of Nixon. And as pundits have noted, there are many Senate votes of 99 to 1 in which Fred was that single "no."
(3) Thompson, a star of film and television and a retired senator, does not "need" political power. He is famous, rich, and popular without it. He has a beautiful, loving wife and delightful children. His only reason for seeking the presidency would be his love of America.
(4) Thompson gave up his Senate seat soon after Bush began as president. He has not held elective office since 2002. He left Washington in disgust for its machinations, Republican as well as Democrat.
(5) Thompson, like Reagan, is not young. He would be just about as old on inauguration day in 2013 as Reagan when he was sworn into office. Thompson, like Reagan, grew up poor in a small town and worked many jobs and lived in the real world. Thompson is learned in the best sense of the word: He knows exactly why be believes what he believes, but he is also an excellent listener. He is a grownup.
(6) Thompson is not only a star of film and television, but Paul Harvey chose Thompson to stand in on his radio show -- a great compliment to Thompson's voice. He has spent decades in all areas of communication and mastered them well.
(7) No one, including his ex-wife, has a bad word to say about Thompson. The left can criticize him only as being "too old, too conservative, and too dumb." This, recall, is precisely what they said about Reagan.
There is a remarkable similarity in the lives of these two men. Both rose from poverty to success in film and then in television. Both men ran for the White House and lost to RINO candidates who were whipped by newcomer Democrats. But there is more historical similarity.
Carter won in 1976 because of Ford fatigue and because he was a born-again Christian from the Deep South: Huge numbers of voters pulled the lever for Carter, once, because of regional pride or hope in a religiously serious man. Carter was young, smiling, pleasant, and new -- just like Obama. Millions of Americans voted for Obama as our first black president, as a nice family man, as someone who -- like Carter -- promised to transcend politics as usual.
Four years later, Americans raced to embrace an experienced, honorable, and wise leader, rejecting flashy smiles for real sincerity. Why? Carter took a bad economy and made it a basket case. Carter ignored the profound national security threats, trying to be nice to evil enemies, and warned us that our best years were behind us.
This is where America may be in 2012. We will need someone whose aim is not to bring manufactured "hope," but rather that real hope which is America. We will need a man who is his own and not anyone else's. We will need a serious, brave, kind, and decent man. The world's greatest leaders -- Reagan and Churchill are perfect examples -- have been older men. We will need in 2012 another Reagan, another Churchill. Fred Thompson fits that role perfectly, and we should get behind him now.
If we were choosing a president, style would matter less. We are choosing a candidate, one who has to win the general election for our choice to matter. It’s a sad fact, but I don’t think it’s sad thinking to recognize that reality.
Given a choice of Governor Palin (assuming we believe she could be a great president and could win in 2012), and Fred Thompson (assuming we believed he could be even better in office but could not win an election), I think the ability to win is an important consideration although not the only consideration. We tried Barry Goldwater in 1964, and that didn’t work out.
Try to ZZZZZZ through this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUn8GSbUl_4&feature=related
Actually, just go to YouTube and search for Fred Thompson debates.
He makes the rest of them look like kindergartners.
From the article: “Sarah Palin, rightly beloved by nearly all conservatives for her honesty, her advocacy, and her spunk, will figure into any list of candidates.”
Right now, Palin looks stilted and scripted when she appears in public, probably because she’s been to so many book signings and appeared on so many talk shows. I think she’s trying to get through the next year or so of interviews without giving the liberal press too much new material with which to attack her.
That said, there’s no question in my mind that she would surround herself with principled conservatives if elected president and that the U.S. would be in far better hands than it is now. Principles count, and hers align with mine, probably more so than with any other candidate right now. Certainly more so than a Romney, McCain or even Thompson.
(And then there’s the fun we would have watching the left deal with the Republican Party voting in the first female President.)
Nope. I campaigned for Fred Thompson. Sent him money and made calls from home. I was a lot more enthussiastic about a President Fred Thompson then Fred Thompson was! I have come to the reluctant conclusion that Fred never intended to win the nomination he was in only as a stalking horse for John McCain. He and Huckabee played their parts well. They split the conservative vote so the RINOS had the race to themselves. Won’t fall for that again.
If that happens, don't bellyache when that candidate doesn't govern like you believe a "conservative" should. That candidate didn't compromise: you did!!!
Plus with her on the bottom, we could run the table for the next 16 years.
He won’t run; he doesn’t want the job; he’s too smart and he knows the truth. The truth is that regardless of who sits in the oval office, they are only a mere puppet to the powers that be behind the scenes and the script will be played out regardless.
Good call Hand.
Like another poster I also worry about his closeness to McCain. You lay down with dogs, you get up with fleas.
Fred’s a great guy... but he got buried last time around in the primaries, what makes you think he would do better the 2nd time around?
?????
I like Fred and was disappointed he didn’t run last time around.
His friendship with that monster John McCain may have been the reason.
As for now, he’s too old.
We lost the youth vote to the Obamamessiah. We need someone more youthful in appearance.
I think Thompson (actually, both Fred and Jeri) is probably going to wind up being a key player on Palin’s team. I think they’re going to be power-brokers this time around, not running Fred himself for the office.
TOO OLD!!! TOO TIRED!!!!!.
His voice puts me to sleep.
Check out Jim DeMint. He’s GREAT!!!
My money is on the beauty pageant winner. Winning the presidency will seem like a cakewalk compared to those competitions. Sarah Palin knows how to play to win. I mean, she beat a Republican incumbent governor in the primary.
DeMint 2012.
Because Romney wants us to have a bunch of conservatives trying to get the nomination so he can split the conservative vote and win with 30% of the electorate. If he gets all the RINO vote and the crossover votes in the states with open primaries, we'll again be in another "Hold your nose" election where we get to pick between two liberals.
We conservatives need to get our collective act together and pick ONE good conservative to represent us.
Mike Pence, too.
Two words:
Paul Ryan.
The dems would have an absolute cow.
Those could be the right two words. I could live with it.
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