Posted on 02/21/2005 11:45:23 AM PST by SmithL
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said today he hasn't ruled out a run for the presidency in 2008 but stressed that he hasn't given the matter much thought.
Frist, who was the keynote speaker at a Leadership Knoxville Alumni Luncheon, said he is concentrating on his role in the Senate and will put off any decisions on future political moves until after he steps down in 2006.
"I'm going to come right back home to Tennessee," the Nashville Republican said.
Frist said he might ponder a presidential bid "if that were an option" after he leaves the Senate but added, "I don't even think about it now."
Frist, a heart surgeon, said he might opt instead to concentrate on missionary work or go back into private practice when he returns home.
"Of course, I might consider public service if I thought I could make a difference," he said.
At the luncheon, Frist took questions from the crowd and voiced his support for tort reform and changing the Social Security system.
No senators!
Amen! The Oval Office needs to be occupied by decisive executives; not consensus-seeking debaters.
I agree. Last time a Senator won a presidential election was Kennedy.
yawn... has he done anything in the Senate yet?
Frist is a wonderful human being, but he really lacks in the charisma department. He'll never make it.
Survey says 98 out of 100 senators think they should be president. Frist is not one of the two who don't.
But his chances are slim, and he may just be smart enough to know that. He has no star power. He has no signature issue except healthcare, and he has not staked out an conservative position there.
Worst of all, from my point of view, is that he went to Washington with no coherent political/economic philsophy, because he had been a doctor his whole life and paid scant attention to such things. As a result, what philosophy he does have in those areas was shaped by the Washington elite, and will have no resonance with mainline Republican voters.
I think voters will. Nothing against Frist, except that there's nothing for Frist.
Reality will.
"The Oval Office needs to be occupied by decisive executives; not consensus-seeking debaters."
Probably contributed to Kerry's flip-flopitus. He was waiting for a lobbyist to tell him what he thought.
Yeah, but it may be like that year when two dome teams went to the Super Bowl. One of them had to break the streak.
Ditto that! That was my first thought as well. If he breaks the back of the obstructionist Dems, he could have my vote.
POTUS?
Heck, Frist can't even do the job right he's got now!
how 'bout cutting that budget down senator and get those judges that W keeps nominating appointed!!
Hellooo????
My guess is the two Senators who don't think they should be President are McCain and Clinton. Am I right? :P
I really don't get this BS that just because someone is a Senator, they can't win or they will make a lousy President. You pick the President based on the person, not whether they were a Senator or a Governor. Besides, the Historical sample is too small to draw real conclusions.
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