[kevkrom]

Citizen politicians: What the Founders envisioned were people of exceptional character, ability and achievement who would lend their expertise by serving a term or two and then return to their day jobs. This isn't Fred Thompson. Indeed, Thompson exempifies DC entrenched power and the revolving door.

LOL! Relying on Wikpedia's leftist editorializing to discredit Thompson?

Look at Thompson's lobbying history -- it is universally in favor of deregulation, period. As in, get the federal government out of regulating things it has no business dealing with in the first place.

Deregulation generally works. To point to one failure that deregulation may have allowed to happen does not invalidate that deregulation was still the right thing to do.

[Mia T]

It requires wisdom to legislate against generic inclination--S& L deregulation was débacle waiting to happen--and character and political courage to legislate against self-interest.

In any case, Thompson is hardly a 'citizen politician.' He is very much a part of the DC power structure.

As for his winning attributes, listen to Lamar Alexander: EARTH TO LAMAR: FRED THOMPSON LOOKING THE PART AIN'T ENOUGH (41-second video FLUB)

What if Thompson's sole purpose is to give McCain the nomination by skimming off just enough conservatives from Rudy? (NB: gross is net, i.e., McCain has no conservative support to lose.) FRED'S GREATEST ROLE?: an alternative theory of Senator Thompson's not-yet candidacy