Thompson's White House talk is no act

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | 4/2/2007 | Robert Novak

[chad_in_georgia]

In just three weeks, Fred Thompson has improbably transformed the contest for the Republican presidential nomination. It is not merely that he has come from nowhere to double digits in national polls. He is the talk of GOP political circles, because he is filling the conservative void in the Republican field. Republican activists have complained for months that none of the big-three contenders -- Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney -- fits the model of a conservative leader for a conservative party. The party faithful have been waiting for another Ronald Reagan. But in the past year, nobody mentioned Thompson as the messiah until he appeared March 11 on ''Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace.''

His statement to Wallace that he was ''giving some thought'' to a presidential run generated a reaction that surprised Thompson. In the first Gallup Poll that listed Thompson (March 23-25), he scored 12 percent -- amazing for someone out of public life for more than four years. More important than the polling data is his backing within the political community. Buyer's remorse is expressed by several House members who had endorsed former Massachusetts Gov. Romney.

Thompson's popularity reflects weakness among announced Republican candidates, as reflected in the Gallup survey. Sen. McCain, no longer an insurgent but still not accepted by conservatives, is stuck in the 20-25 percent range. Former New York City Mayor Giuliani has dropped precipitously from 44 percent to 31 percent, amid attacks on his ideology and personal life. Most startling, despite a well-financed, well-organized campaign, Romney has fallen to 3 percent.

Sophisticated social conservative activists tell me they cannot vote for Giuliani under any conditions and have no rapport with McCain or Romney. They are coming to see Thompson as the only conservative who can be nominated. Their appreciation of him stems not from his eight years as a U.S. senator from Tennessee but his actor's role as district attorney of Manhattan on ''Law and Order.''

Thompson's political origin as a protege of Sen. Howard Baker, leader of the Tennessee GOP's more liberal wing, prompted hard-line Senate conservatives to consider him a little too liberal. Actually, his lifetime Senate voting record as measured by the American Conservative Union was 86 percent. It would have been close to 100 percent except for his repeated votes supporting McCain's campaign finance reform. None of the big-three Republicans has been so consistently conservative as Thompson on tax policy, national security and abortion.

The principal complaint about Thompson concerns his work ethic. The rap is that he does not burn the midnight oil -- the identical criticism of Reagan, before and during his presidency. That carping may betray resentment that Thompson has emerged as a full-blown candidate without backbreaking campaign travel and tedious fund-raising. Thompson's critics assert that, bored with his lucrative career as an actor, he has enjoyed his 15 minutes of fame created by a chance TV interview and will not really run. But he privately assures friends that this is for real. His performance on ''Fox News Sunday'' was no accident. He went on the program for the purpose of unveiling his possible candidacy.

Thompson did not leave public policy when he left the Senate. He has served on the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. He hardly knew Scooter Libby but felt he was getting a raw deal, appeared in his courtroom and helped raise money for his defense fund.

Friends bet Thompson will run. He clearly wants to try, and his wife, Jeri, is all for it. Seeking the best timing, he wants to avoid the pitfalls encountered by Democrat Barack Obama, who may have damaged himself by starting his campaign too quickly.

I met Thompson in 1974 as Howard Baker's 31-year-old minority counsel on the Watergate investigation. I considered him co, careful and conservative. He still is, and that is how he would run for president, which appears in the offing.

[eastsider]

These people want a messiah, another Reagan, and they are busy convincing themselves that Thompson is that man, when three weeks ago it was Duncan Hunter.

If the GOP "messiah" figures were really so fungible, we should expect to see at least some of the lattest messiah's support coming at the expense of the prior one's. Instead, rather than seeing at least some of FDT's support in the polls coming from Duncan Hunter, we see all of it coming from Giuliani and Romney.

[batvette]

[edit] U.S. Senate Votes By Fred Thompson
OnTheIssues.org -Important Votes by Thompson[13]

"yes" on allowing more H-2A visas for foreign agricultural workers
"yes" on H1-B and H1-Cvisas for skilled foreign workers
"yes" on renewing 'fast track' presidential trade agreements authority
"yes" on permanent normal trade relations with Communist China
"yes" on expanding trade to the third world
"yes" on granting normal trade relations status to Vietnam
"yes" on extending free trade to Andean nations
"no" on reducing marriage penalty instead of cutting top tax rates
"yes" on prioritizing national debt reduction below tax cuts
"no" on more penalties for gun and drug violations
"no" on $1.15 billion per year to continue the Community Oriented Policing Services program
"no" on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation (Bill S.625 2002)
"no" on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes (Bill S.2549 2000)
"yes" on killing restrictions on violent videos to minors
"no" on removing common goods from national security export rules
"yes" on reducing funds for road-building in U.S. National Forests
"yes" on defunding renewable and solar energy
"no" on ending discussion of Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards
"yes" on preserving budget for Arctic National Wildlife Refuge oil drilling
"yes" on confirming Gale Norton as United States Secretary of the Interior
"yes" on terminating Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards within 15 months

[sitetest]

Dear jellybean,

I don't think I'm on this ping list.

If I'm not, could you add me?

Thanks,

sitetest

[Pukin Dog]

Some high profile babes? Try dozens. Including a few ready to run to the media were he ever to announce. He wont.

[Pukin Dog]

Another idiot heard from who thinks I am for Rudy.

[jellybean]

This is getting sad to watch.

I agree. It's sad to watch someone I always considered a political analyst go completely off the deep end. So far your entire argument seems to be: You shouldn't support Fred because he's not Rudy.

From this side of the internet your objections read like sour grapes because he's pulling support from Rudy.

[Pukin Dog]

Do your homework people. Dont let another McCainiac fool you, like Lindsay Graham did.

I'm done.

[RockinRight]

If they were "waiting in the wings..." as you say, at least ONE would have already said something to the media. If the MSM had no qualms releasing the Dobson story without Fred declaring, they'd certainly release a sex scandal story.

[Pukin Dog]

Make that three idiots. I am not for Rudy, and anyone who has read my comments over the past YEAR would know that. Sad, sad, sad.

[RockinRight]

Didn't say you were - just saying that I won't be having a tantrum if Fred's not the nominee.

Who DO you support, BTW?

[section9]

So what you're saying is that Fred's got private problems.

If Fred gets in, Rudy or Romney nukes his ass with the sex stuff, and it's still down to a Rudy/Romney race. JMC doesn't count anymore.

So why is Fred doing this if John is dead in the water? Fred's not stupid. He knows that JMC is a Zombie candidate and he can't revive him.

Unless Fred thinks he can run and win. I'm skeptical.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[RockinRight]

Fine. But since you refuse to tell us who you DO support...we have nothing else to go off of.

[Viking2002]

For those that say he's waiting too long - the election is still 19 months away. Even if he waits until summer, it'll be a distant memory by Labor Day. I want him to jump in, too, but I've also started to learn the virtues of patience. If he takes a little longer in order to do it right, then I'll wait.

[RockinRight]

By all accounts, he has been 100% faithful to his wife Jeri since their marriage in 2002. So what if he dated around when he was single. Most of the other candidates, save for Romney and Hunter, cheated on previous spouses and we all know about it.

[Pukin Dog]

But since you refuse to tell us who you DO support...we have nothing else to go off of.

I was probably the first FReeper to ANNOUNCE who I was supporting, and the only reason I don't tell you in this thread, is that your not knowing, yet feeling free to just assign motives to me, is illustrative of exactly what I am saying.

I don't care WHO supports Thompson, the point is to DO YOUR RESEARCH and not just follow blindly the popular opinion of others. I am sure a search of FR will show you maybe oh, HUNDREDS of posts where I stated my candidate, but hey, who cares when you can just TELL me who I support, based solely on my disagreement with YOU?

Enough.

[RockinRight]

I don't have time to go back through 50,000 posts to see who your candidate is. You're being a d*ck just for the sake of being one.

I HAVE done my research. As a result, I support Thompson. Have a nice day...and I hope we both support the eventual nominee whoever it may be.

[cookcounty]

Q. Which individual spent more time in high elective office before announcing for the Presidency?

A. Ronald Reagan.

B. Fred Thompson.

Answer: Fred Thompson.

Q. Which individual had an accomplished career in a field other than politics or Hollywood, Ronald Reagan or Fred Thompson?

Answer: Fred Thompson

Q. Which candidate crushed his opponents twice in statewide races by winning more than 60% of the vote in both cases?

Answer: Fred Thompson.

Q. Which candidate or possible candidate has more experience in high elective office: Hillary Clinton, Barak Obama, John Edwards, Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney or Fred Thompson?

Answer: Fred Thompson.

Q. Which candidate or possible candidate publicly stood up for Scooter Libby?

Answer: Fred Thompson

Q. Which candidate committed to the idea of term limits and then did not run again because it would violate his stated position?

Answer: Fred Thompson.

[Donald Rumsfeld Fan]

That carping may betray resentment that Thompson has emerged as a full-blown candidate without backbreaking campaign travel and tedious fund-raising. Thompson's critics assert that, bored with his lucrative career as an actor, he has enjoyed his 15 minutes of fame created by a chance TV interview and will not really run. But he privately assures friends that this is for real.

It's because he's a Natural.

The Natural

[Petronski]

By all accounts, he has been 100% faithful to his wife Jeri since their marriage in 2002.

Plus, Jeri's not his cousin. That's a plus.

[Pukin Dog]

Oh, yeah.

And you are LESS than a d*ck, for just guessing who I support? Classic.

Tip?

Never admit to anyone that you dont have time to find out whether you know what you are talking about. Its bad form.