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Can Fred Thompson Fill the GOP's Vacuum?
Real Clear Politics ^ | May 9, 2007

Posted on 05/09/2007 2:31:43 PM PDT by bd476

There's a vacuum in the GOP, we keep hearing, and Republicans aren't quite satisfied with their presidential choices.

Apparently, neither a veteran senator-war hero, nor a Harvard MBA/JD corporate governor, nor even a law-and-order, 9/11 mayor is quite good enough for the Red Staters. There's just something missing.

And what, one wonders, might that be? Exactly what je ne sais quoi would fill the alleged GOP void?

Just Fred.

Thompson that is. The actor who doesn't act, Thompson is tall and big; he talks straight, drives a truck and is wunna-us. A bootstrap American with take-it-or-leave-it charisma, he's got smarts and the kind of steely gaze you'd like to see aimed at al-Qaeda.

His resume otherwise has all the right bullet points: lawyer, chief minority counsel for the Senate Watergate Committee, a U.S. senator who ran hearings on campaign finance controversies while chair of the Senate Government Affairs Committee from 1997-2001.

Like Ronald Reagan's, Thompson's acting career has featured strong manly roles -- a CIA director, senator, FBI agent, chief of staff and rear admiral -- as well as head prosecutor on ``Law and Order.'' When Thompson spoke recently to the Orange County (Calif.) Lincoln Club's annual dinner, he approached the podium to the L&O soundtrack.

In his speech, he came across as sincere, honest and straightforward -- all the traits Americans crave in a candidate -- and he talked folksy:

``Even if we won't be going around in the woods trying to find any bears to kill, sometimes the bear visits whether you're looking for him or not,'' he said.

What's not to love about Thompson? Apparently, nothing, which may explain why the former Tennessee senator is polling in the...

(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: elections; fred; fredthompson; runfredrun; thompson
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To: word_warrior_bob

LOL!!!


41 posted on 05/09/2007 5:35:32 PM PDT by sergeantdave (Give Hillary a 50ยข coupon for Betty Crocker's devils food mix & tell her to go home and bake a cake)
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To: bd476

Nothing against Fred - he’s a good guy.

But it’s way past time we get off of our collective asses!

It’s time we stop waiting for something to happen!

It’s time to make something happen!

http://www.gohunter08.com/

Let’s get busy folks!

George Soros is!

And by the way....

Come on Fred! S#!t or get off the pot!


42 posted on 05/09/2007 5:36:00 PM PDT by airborne (Duncan Hunter is the only real choice for honest to goodness conservatives!)
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To: Politicalmom
People don’t come to Thompson threads to read about DH.

Are we here to debate or be cheerleaders?

Let me know, because I'm getting tired of waiting for Fred to "put up or shut up".

43 posted on 05/09/2007 5:38:25 PM PDT by airborne (Duncan Hunter is the only real choice for honest to goodness conservatives!)
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To: airborne

I have no doubt that Thompson is running, I would be totally shocked if he doesn’t.


44 posted on 05/09/2007 5:41:23 PM PDT by word_warrior_bob (You can now see my amazing doggie and new puppy on my homepage!! Come say hello to Jake & Sonny)
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To: RatsDawg

The comments about Romney sound like plain old envy to me. It’s like the super successful high school guy who was president of the class, valedictorian, and football hero who announces he’s getting into West Point. Everybody, particularly the geeks and losers, secretly hate the guy’s guts.

Thompson is a grim, hulking, humorless old geezer who’s been making a living lately pretending to be someone he’s not. Hillary’s been working long nights in the Senate serving her constituents. A couple of nights ago on Hannity and Colmes, Thompson’s gray face, sunken cheeks, and the giant bags under his eyes didn’t remind me of Reagan, they reminded me of the way Roosevelt looked at Yalta. Thompson looked every one of his sixty-four years and then some. What’s his excuse? Late nights on the movie set?

If Republicans think bringing this old has-been out of mothballs and putting him up against Hillary is a winning formula, they’re as goofy as the Republicans in my state who were convinced that Lynn Swann could beat Ed Rendell.

The push for Thompson reminds me of another Republican disaster—the Dole-Kemp idea. Anyone who thinks appearance and energy-level and pizazz don’t matter should remember that and the Nixon-Kennedy debate.

Enough already of the good ole Southern boy with the accent and the pickup truck. The voters showed in the last election that they’re thoroughly tired of that routine.


45 posted on 05/09/2007 5:45:58 PM PDT by WestSylvanian
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To: pissant; Politicalmom

>I was asked if I was sure O’Neill endorsed Hunter.<

Also, Hunter has also been endorsed by Rep. Henry Hyde, Ret., General Chuck Yaeger. He has received rave reviews from Michael Reagen, Ann Coulter, Michael Medved, Laura Ingraham, and Bill Bennett, among many others.
250 Pastors travelled from four states to see and hear Duncan Hunter speak in a Conference in Oklahoma last weekend. He was the guest speaker in at least five large congregations over the weekend.
The Republican field of fine candidates is in no way suffering from a vacuum.


46 posted on 05/09/2007 5:46:37 PM PDT by Paperdoll ( on the cutting edge,)
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To: word_warrior_bob

Sorry. I’m just venting.

If he gets the nomination, I will vote for him.


47 posted on 05/09/2007 5:50:14 PM PDT by airborne (Duncan Hunter is the only real choice for honest to goodness conservatives!)
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To: Paperdoll; Politicalmom

Just for the record, I’m not anti- Fred. If he runs he’d likely be my 2nd or 3rd choice, behind DH.


48 posted on 05/09/2007 5:50:54 PM PDT by pissant
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To: airborne

You DH people don’t debate. You just whine that your candidate doesn’t get any attention because he isn’t an aaactor.

Then you make some snide remarks about how stupid Thompson supporters are.


49 posted on 05/09/2007 5:51:10 PM PDT by Politicalmom (Conservatives want freedom. Republicans want power.)
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To: Paperdoll

That may be your opinion, but it isn’t the opinion of over 50% of the GOP, or apparently that of those who are withholding the funds that would normally be in the race by now.


50 posted on 05/09/2007 5:52:58 PM PDT by Politicalmom (Conservatives want freedom. Republicans want power.)
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To: bd476

At the Cable show today week, they let slip that Law and Order was canceled after this season, likely be turned out to the backwoods of TNT or some such.

Nothing is likely to happen until the end of May sweeps, contracts and all, and the season closer advertising would be at risk.

Standby ... Run Fred Run


51 posted on 05/09/2007 5:54:16 PM PDT by Tarpon
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To: Politicalmom; pissant

>That may be your opinion, but it isn’t the opinion of over 50% of the GOP...<

Well, 50% of the people “who have voted in a straw poll”, anyway. More people have not voted in a straw poll than have voted in a straw poll. If Fred, who “isn’t running yet” is included in the field of those who “are”, remember, Duncan Hunter was second in California; first if you count only the legal field.
Fred is ok. He is just not my first or second choice.
I thank my lucky stars that Duncan Hunter is no actor. He is the genuine, real, bone fide, what you see is what you get, man’s man, Conservative candidate


52 posted on 05/09/2007 6:12:05 PM PDT by Paperdoll ( on the cutting edge,)
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To: Paperdoll

Who is your 2nd choice? Tancredo?


53 posted on 05/09/2007 6:16:41 PM PDT by RatsDawg
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To: RatsDawg

At this point, Sam Brownback.


54 posted on 05/09/2007 6:23:51 PM PDT by Paperdoll ( on the cutting edge,)
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To: Paperdoll

Denigrating a man who has an honest job is really rotten.

Has Duncan Hunter ever held a non-government job?


55 posted on 05/09/2007 6:47:43 PM PDT by Politicalmom (Conservatives want freedom. Republicans want power.)
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To: bd476

Would Fred Thompson make a good president?

Does a bear sh*t in the woods?

Does Rose Kennedy own a black dress?

Does the Trojan horse have a wooden d*ck?


56 posted on 05/09/2007 6:51:43 PM PDT by Silly (http://www.sarcasmoff.com)
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To: Paperdoll

Straw polls don’t measure whether people feel there is a vacuum.

There are actual polls showing that a huge number of people don’t like any of the current choices.


57 posted on 05/09/2007 6:53:27 PM PDT by Politicalmom (Conservatives want freedom. Republicans want power.)
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To: Politicalmom
You DH people don’t debate. You just whine that your candidate doesn’t get any attention because he isn’t an aaactor.

**************

I'm a DH person, and I like and respect Thompson. I am hoping for a Hunter/Thompson or Thomspson/Hunter ticket. I've seen plenty of pro-Hunter FReepers say the same.

58 posted on 05/09/2007 6:54:41 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: Politicalmom; pissant
Why don’t you put this on its own thread?

People don’t come to Thompson threads to read about Dyson.

:o)

59 posted on 05/09/2007 6:57:29 PM PDT by arasina (So there.)
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To: arasina

Look, the title CLEARLY says “vacuum” so we are not off-topic.

Heehehehee


60 posted on 05/09/2007 6:59:27 PM PDT by Politicalmom (Conservatives want freedom. Republicans want power.)
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