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Sparse Schedule for Thompson on Trail
The New York Times ^ | September 16, 2007 | Julie Bosman

Posted on 09/16/2007 2:41:31 PM PDT by Plutarch

LAKELAND, Fla., Sept. 15 — At his second campaign stop of the day on Friday, just after 2 p.m., Fred D. Thompson was deep into a riff on the benefits of high-quality American health care.

“It’s allowing us to live healthier lives and to live longer,” Mr. Thompson said at a Jaycee park here. “That’s good news. But we have more retired folks. I hope to become one of them one of these days.”

Nervous laughter from the audience.

“Not too soon,” he added hastily.

So much for dispelling the idea that he is too lazy to run for president...

His critics, already pointing to what they call Mr. Thompson’s skimpy Senate record, might find even more ammunition in his campaign schedule... Mr. Thompson has made a languid three-day swing through Florida ending Saturday. The pace has kept him on a jumbo air-conditioned bus far more often than he is actually campaigning.

Since Thursday morning, when the tour began, Mr. Thompson has made no more than three campaign stops a day, with long stretches in between. In recent spins through Iowa, he kept a similarly relaxed schedule. Mitt Romney, by comparison, often does six town-hall-style forums a day when in Iowa...

But once off the bus, Mr. Thompson has shown occasional signs of discomfort. In a speech here on Friday, he sweated profusely under the afternoon sun, breathed heavily and, while struggling over a question, asked no one in particular if his microphone was on. (It was.)

Some audience members winced as Mr. Thompson sweated through the question-and-answer session.

“I’m surprised they didn’t pull him out of there,” said John Chambers of nearby Punta Gorda, after the speech ended. Suzanne Miranda, who watched the event from a lawn chair, said, “I felt bad for him...”

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


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; electionpresident; elections; enemedia; fl2008; fred; fredthompson; indolent; nytimes; thompson; verily
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To: MittFan08

Does anyone really believe he would be running for president if he know he had active lymphoma?


41 posted on 09/16/2007 3:31:57 PM PDT by Conservativegreatgrandma (Democrats--Al Qaeda's best friends)
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To: Plutarch
FDT could have gotten tremendous exposure, in air conditioned comfort, by appearing on one of the Sunday Talking Head shows,...

1. Jay Leno has better ratings.

2. Most people don't watch that Sunday morning New York media crap. In fact, they hate it... I don't like any of those people.

3. McCain was on them every chance he got. A lot of good it did him.


Since announcing, FDT has avoided the GOP debate...

Jay Leno has better ratings.

42 posted on 09/16/2007 3:32:05 PM PDT by Sir Francis Dashwood (LET'S ROLL!)
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To: All

This article doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence in Fred. I hope he is not another Bob Dole.

Maybe he is just living out his fantasies and that way on his deathbed he can say he lived out his dreams. I just hope he doesn’t take the whole party down with him.

The true test will be at the next debate. I wish it would come up soon so we can settle on a nominee already.


43 posted on 09/16/2007 3:32:43 PM PDT by ClarenceThomasfan (I want President Bush to run for a third term!)
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To: MittFan08
Whether it's coming from the heart or not, he says the right things

.......so did Bill Clinton.

44 posted on 09/16/2007 3:32:50 PM PDT by greyfoxx39 ( Mexico does not stop at its border, Wherever there is a Mexican, there is Mexico. Calderon)
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To: MittFan08

Fred is not a healthy-looking man, and the simple FACT is that he has lymphoma.


I agree that Mitt’s fake tan and perfect hair make him look healthier, but Fred looks like an ordinary, healthy 60-something.

Your medical analysis by long-distance newspaper photos is pathetic.


45 posted on 09/16/2007 3:33:08 PM PDT by Atlas Sneezed ("We do have tough gun laws in Massachusetts; I support them, I won't chip away at them" -Mitt Romney)
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To: Plutarch

That image of him with the water bottle has been Photoshop over-sharpened within an inch of it’s life.

The NYT is phonying the news to make Fred bad, and you’re pimping for them.


46 posted on 09/16/2007 3:36:16 PM PDT by Atlas Sneezed ("We do have tough gun laws in Massachusetts; I support them, I won't chip away at them" -Mitt Romney)
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To: MittFan08

I was watching the Tour championship. It’s in Georgia, well north of Florida. Tiger Woods and the rest were all sweating like pigs.

Ohmigosh. The PGA is about to be wiped out by lymphoma!

If you are not privy to the personal health records of them or Fred for that matter - SHUP TF UP.


47 posted on 09/16/2007 3:37:10 PM PDT by BillM
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To: MittFan08
why is it some kind of heresy to talk about Thompson's weaknesses on this board?
It's the disingenuous quality of your posts. Your use of the word 'heresy' suggests to me that you share Mitt's faith as well as his politics, contrary to your protestations regarding his being a "calculating politician." Your FR name further supports my contention. I think you're dishonest. But that's just my opinion. I also think you're transparent.
48 posted on 09/16/2007 3:37:49 PM PDT by Clara Lou (Kill the Terrorists. Secure the Borders. Give Me Back My Freedom. FRed Thompson can do it.)
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To: Beelzebubba

So there’s a vast left-wing conspiracy to make Fred look old, sick, and tired that is keeping him from running a full schedule of events that the other campaigns are running?


49 posted on 09/16/2007 3:39:19 PM PDT by asparagus (its not just for breakfast anymore)
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To: MittFan08
I would venture to say that MOST of the folks in that 100 degree heat in Iowa, or in Florida, were sweating, but the media didn't take pictures of them. Fred has been trying to lose weight, and has been working out in the last few months, getting ready for the campaign. It looks as though he's been successful.

You can spin it as unhealthy, if you prefer.

As for 'only' three campaign stops a day; I don't blame him. Why tire yourself out when there is plenty of time?

50 posted on 09/16/2007 3:39:44 PM PDT by SuziQ
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To: MittFan08

Are you concerned that Mitt is going silver? At his age, it indicates he’s losing calcium from his bones. It’s a real concern.


51 posted on 09/16/2007 3:40:04 PM PDT by Clara Lou (Kill the Terrorists. Secure the Borders. Give Me Back My Freedom. FRed Thompson can do it.)
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To: JohnBovenmyer
Fred already had all the right answers we’re told, so why does he still need all this briefing now?

Because the next president is going to have to have all of his homework done when he takes the oath.

52 posted on 09/16/2007 3:40:06 PM PDT by Sir Francis Dashwood (LET'S ROLL!)
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To: trisham
Don't you just love this photo?

I would be the first to say that it is a terrific photo of Fred, if only that were his daughter.

53 posted on 09/16/2007 3:40:53 PM PDT by Plutarch
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To: Beelzebubba

“They’re worried about Fred but only because they have profound reason to believe that he has squashed Slick Willard’s chances to add The White House to his resume.”

You want me to be honest? Ok, I’ll be honest. I think you may be right about ruining Mitt’s chances- he and Fred are playing to the same constituency- conservatives. But you add in Huckabee’s strong showing and the fact that he’s ALSO playing to that base, then I come to the conclusion that the person most helped by Fred entering the race is Rudy Giuliani.

Rudy will get most of the moderate Republicans (and Republican-voting independents in states that allow them) whose votes, like it or not, count the same as those of conservatives. There’s not another strong moderate (yes, he’s liberal, but perceived as moderate) candidate like Guiliani and Giuliani also gets support from social conservatives whose main issue is the war on terror.

And for those who think they “see through me” or words to that effect, I suspect what they really are saying is that they think I’m a Mormon. And no, I am not a member of that religion, though I admire the morals and conservative values that most of them show. The fact that Mitt is a Mormon makes me think that the “real” Mitt is likely conservative and he was just playing to the left wing crowd in Massachusetts.


54 posted on 09/16/2007 3:41:45 PM PDT by MittFan08 (Anybody but McCain)
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To: Plutarch
Since announcing, FDT has avoided the GOP debate

Since announcing, there hasn't BEEN a GOP debate. He has said he'll take part in some of them, but frankly, there are not that many people watching them, so he'll likely reach more people in his visits directly to the Republican voters.

55 posted on 09/16/2007 3:44:05 PM PDT by SuziQ
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To: Plutarch
I would be the first to say that it is a terrific photo of Fred, if only that were his daughter.

We know he has a healthy prostate and he isn't shooting blanks like Giuliani...

56 posted on 09/16/2007 3:44:25 PM PDT by Sir Francis Dashwood (LET'S ROLL!)
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To: Clara Lou

“Your use of the word ‘heresy’ suggests to me that you share Mitt’s faith as well as his politics”

And your post suggests to me that you are bigoted against Mormons.

But for the record, since you’re so interested, the notion that some angel came down from heaven and showed some 19th century guy in upstate New York golden tablets containing the word of God never seemed very plausible to me. I have no doubt that the Mormon religion is a false religion. Happy now?


57 posted on 09/16/2007 3:45:13 PM PDT by MittFan08 (Anybody but McCain)
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To: Plutarch

I can’t figure out why folks are so hung up on the age difference between Fred and Jeri. Why not just be happy that he’s happily married?


58 posted on 09/16/2007 3:47:18 PM PDT by SuziQ
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To: Plutarch
I would be the first to say that it is a terrific photo of Fred, if only that were his daughter.
And, to top it all off, you're judgmental. Where do you get off deciding to whom Thompson can be married? You are a good reason not to support your candidate.
59 posted on 09/16/2007 3:47:28 PM PDT by Clara Lou (Kill the Terrorists. Secure the Borders. Give Me Back My Freedom. FRed Thompson can do it.)
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To: jellybean; girlangler; KoRn; Shortstop7; Lunatic Fringe; Darnright; babygene; pitbully; granite; ...
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Fredipedia: The Definitive Fred Thompson Reference

WARNING: If you wish to join, be aware that this ping list is EXTREMELY active.

60 posted on 09/16/2007 3:51:09 PM PDT by Politicalmom (Of the potential GOP front runners, FT has one of the better records on immigration.- NumbersUSA)
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