Posted on 04/02/2007 7:17:51 AM PDT by 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.
For my money, you're just not important enough for me to care so much about who you support that I would invest the time needed to look it up.
This is Fred Thompson's wife...
This is his ex-girlfriend Lorrie Morgan...
I'm not going to post Nancy Reagan's pic as we all know who she is, but the comment about Fred not being able to get the girls seems a bit demented in my humble opinion.
Aside from the "your buddy Rudy" comment, which was a bit knee-jerk, I admit, I never guessed who you supported. That comment was based on the fact that most of the Fred-bashers are Rudy supporters. You're not, and I have seen that before.
I work for a living, I'm sorry if I don't have time to go through 50,000 posts before I reply to one. Most Freepers have no issue telling who they support if asked a simple question. Guess what? Simply typing "Mitt Romney" is a lot faster than all the dissertations you're giving us here.
Keep supporting your blue-state flip flopper who cut and run from his own Governorship so he could run for President.
Is that better?
He seems to enjoy hot, voluptuous blonds. Can't fault the man for that!
(I'm replying to myself here)
His voting record is conservative alright. Possibly to a fault. As someone who is not a major corporation stockholder and is just a tad green, I can see faults with that record.
However as someone who has spent the years since 9/11 watching our greatest enemy in the War on Terrorism sit here at home and backbite the men who fight it, the men who lead it, give aid and comfort to the enemy with the preposterous persecution of lying, falsely claiming they were lied to, if I see a Democrat take the oval office I may have to declare liberal season.
and I will buy extra tags.
You actually review the actor-politicians based on the roles they played?!? Interesting approach.
Fred Thompson set a record in Tenn. for voter % in a statewide race that has never been broken.
Yes!!!
Checking...nope, you're not on the list. But you've been added now! :)
About Romney:
Positives:
He's the only GOP candidate or potential candidate who has been married just once. Which is extra-funny since he's a Mormon...
Seems to be overall a good family man.
His CURRENT positions are quite acceptable.
He's a good speaker and looks the part.
With one exception I'll list below, seems fiscally conservative.
Good business sense-which is important.
Negatives:
He screams "slickmeister" and seems a bit TOO polished for me. Almost as if he's our own Bill Clinton but keeps his d*ck in his pants.
He got elected in Massachusetts...not sure if that's a good thing or a bad one.
Didn't he implement a socialized medicine plan in Mass?
Basically from what my future in-laws and my fiance herself have suggested (they're from Massachusetts) he pretty much gave up, and cut and run from the Governor's office to run for President.
I really have no major beef with Romney, in fact he'd be probably my second choice at this point, but FDT is still my guy. Mitt seems a bit hard to pin down though, and I question if his conversions are geniune.
"Fred is a handsome, Presidential-looking individual, with skills honed by speaking and acting before TV cameras, while Tommy, who is a highly experienced and capable administrator, simply cannot project the same stage presence.
Is there any easy way to resolve this?"
Sure, make Tommy Fred's Chief of Staff.
Fred is not starting late. It is important for everyone to understand that several want-to-be candidates started very early. Some have been running for years and Fred pulls even with them without having to spend one dime. He is getting paid to be heard while every one else is having to buy there time. I don't see Fred Thompson having any problems bringing in the money. It's piling up just waiting for a place to send it.
"Fred is not starting late."
BINGO. All the other candidates started too early.
Fred can do his Paul Harvey fill-ins (campaign ads, if I ever heard them) and GET PAID UNTIL he officially throws his hat in.
Why spend money when you can make it and get the same, or better, exposure?
The public will hate all the other candidates in short order.
If Fred doesn't run and Romney stays in the race, I'll probably vote for him in the primary, if only because it won't be McCain, Hunter, or Giuliani.
May I suggest that you let FReepers worry about themselves, afterall, we are all adults.
"They will have a tantrum, and let Hillary become President, just to stick it to the Republican party."
If that happens, it most likely will be because the GOP continues to aimlessly drift to the left to occupy positions abandoned by the Dems as they drift even further left. There comes a time when we must drop an anchor to stop this drift. We are long past that time, and if the GOP is unable or unwilling to provide that anchor the fault lies with the GOP not the conservative voters. Putting the blame on the voters rather than the party only guarantees that the problem will continue without being addressed. The first step in fixing a problem is to acknowledge that it exists.
I'm not a Mitt basher but I have my doubts that voters will believe his conversion, especially crossover voters that do so on those two issues.
He is the only one in the "so called" top three that I could vote for in the General election, but I would be holding my nose and couldn't campaign for him.
>>they are busy convincing themselves that Thompson is that man, when three weeks ago it was Duncan Hunter.
I for one never got on the Hunter train, my refrain was Cant the part do better? in Thompson, I think they have. I have known about Thompson for years and really like the way he helped Roberts through the Senate hearings for the committee for keeping conservative off of the bench.
I have a brother in Tennessee, and I was so early on this curve, I surprised him with the news that Thompson was Thinking about it.
BTW to those who say Who knows if he is even running? Why in the name of all that is smart would he give up the furor he has created by just Thinking About It. He is getting more air time, more discussion, more hype and he can keep doing Paul Harvey and get his voice recognized. Why on earth would he stop using this as part of his stretegery? BTW I am a Mormon and everyone assumed I was for Mitt (that was why I was asking the Question) I love Fred and would pay money to see him debate the shrew. Can you see that? Her being shill and freaking out, him being calm and looking presidential. Oh man, not only is he a winner, but hes a conservative winner. 2nd Amendment supporter, thinks Roe V Wade was Bad law, says we need to seal the borders first, then deal with what the cat dragged in, a straight shooter, would have coat tails to help us retake the house and senate (hey I can dream) wants to follow the constitution, what more could you want?
BTW, I will not sit on my hands with Hillary on the ballot! (do you remember the term Broken glass republican?)
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