Sparse Schedule for Thompson on Trail

The New York Times ^ | September 16, 2007 | Julie Bosman

[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...”

[Atlas Sneezed]

2007: 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.

---

2000: The fact that Bush is a Christian makes me think that the “real” Bush is likely conservative and he is just playing to the left wing crowd in swing states.

[Clara Lou]

And your post suggests to me that you are bigoted against Mormons.
It suggests no such thing. And to prove it, I invite you to pull up my posts here at FR. You will not find one single negative comment about Mormons or Mormonism or even Mitt Romney. Feel free to retract your comment. Do it now, and save yourself a lot of time.

You made comments to indicate that you were something of a reluctant Mitt fan. Your FR name, your transparently pro-Mitt comments, and your use of the language.

[Clara Lou]

Why not just be happy that he’s happily married?
Because their marriage represents something detractors can pick at. Much like the issue of his sweating.

[Plutarch]

Since announcing, there hasn't BEEN a GOP debate.

You are correct, Thompson's announcement coincidently was scheduled just after the September 5th 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.

FNC New Hampshire debate: Ratings…

Last night’s New Hampshire Republican debate on FNC was the most watched debate of the 2007 election season. 3.1 million viewers tuned in; 854,000 in the 25-54 Demo. FNC’s debate last night beat all of ABC’s, CNN’s and MSNBC’s previous debates this year based on Total Viewers. The above numbers are Live but the Live+SD numbers are even higher.

FDT is speaking in FL to crowds in the hundreds, no more than three per day. If Thompson had appeared at the debate the ratings would have even higher. And he could have appeared on Leno the next evening to double up. But it takes effort, talent and skill to perform in a debate, the lack of which provides the best explanation for Fred's no-show.

[Clara Lou]

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.
That's a rather anti-Mormon statement. You've made one more such comment than I have. Go figure.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

...their marriage represents something detractors can pick at. Much like the issue of his sweating.

Maybe the second is the result of the first... I'd be sweating too if that pretty lady wanted my babies...

[Brilliant]

Thompson is not lazy. That’s BS. He got a law degree from a prestigious law school, practiced law, and became one of the Watergate lawyers. He was a lobbyist, then a successful actor, then ran for the Senate and won. He served in the Senate, and then went back to his successful acting career. You don’t have a resume like that by being lazy.

On the other hand, he has not run a very aggressive campaign. It’s going to take a whole lot more than he’s given so far if he wants to beat Hillary.

[codercpc]

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.

You may be correct, but regardless if it is the MSM fault, or if Fred does just sweat more than his competitors, what is the perception? We can talk about how his image doesn't mean anything until we are blue in the face, if the general public thinks he is old and worn out, the truth doesn't mean a hill of beans!

Take off your Fred colored glasses for just a moment, and see what the rest of the world may see.

[MittFan08]

“You made comments to indicate that you were something of a reluctant Mitt fan.”

I am! The candidates we have right now are so weak they make me long for George HW Bush, and I never thought I’d say that. And whether you think it’s just some farce or not, I have given Fred a long hard look. But the whole thing has the look of a disaster in the making since everyone seemed sold on Fred before he had basically said or done ANYTHING in a political sense in the last several years. And he has lymphoma, like it or not.

I have the fear that this affection for Fred as a person- which I share- is going to propel him to the nomination and then around the summer of next year we’re going to find out he has to take chemotherapy or something like that and it will be a disaster.

I would be for Huckabee if he wasn’t so much in love with illegal aliens- at least Mitt is saying the right things about amnesty.

As far as your views about Mormons, I’ll take you at your word, but you’re the one that brought the issue up.

[new cruelty]

forsooth!

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

If Thompson had appeared at the debate the ratings would have even higher. And he could have appeared on Leno the next evening to double up.

He announced on the Tonight Show and the ratings were much better there.

[Plutarch]

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.

Oh no, I've got Clara Lou clucking with disapproval about my being judgmental. In the solitude of the voting booth, CL, people are plenty judgmental. And FDT having a trophy wife (for that she is) is going to turn off a lot of voters that the GOP candidate will need.

[bethtopaz]

Questioning or doubting Fred is forbodden here.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

it takes effort, talent and skill to perform in a debate,

No it doesn't... I have only seen one impressive candidate debate... that was Ronald Reagan...

All the rest totally suck. I could wipe the floor with any of them...

[seekthetruth]

“Because their marriage represents something detractors can pick at. Much like the issue of his sweating.”

Let them pick if that is all they can find to pick at! I believe people will enjoy seeing Fred & Jeri and see the love they have for each other and their darling children. As for Fred sweating, if anyone was at the appearances or saw the videos, it was terribly hot with people in the crowds fainting from the heat. Why? Because they came to see him even though it was hot and stayed through his speech and through his long question and answer periods. Here in FL we are still having high temps in the 90’s with heat index even higher. We all sweat here! :)

[eastsider]

I have the fear that this affection for Fred as a person- which I share- is going to propel him to the nomination and then around the summer of next year we’re going to find out he has to take chemotherapy or something like that and it will be a disaster.

Technical point: The convention and nomination isn't till September of next year.

[new cruelty]

Just imagine how much higher up in the polls Fred would be if he kept as full a schedule as the other campaigns.

[Cincinna]

Let’s leave the medical diagnoses to the doctors, why don’t we.

A candidate who hopes to win the nomination has to have the stamina to campaign 16 hours a day. He would also need the stamina to be POTUS, which is an exhausting, draining job even for a man in perfect shape, like GWB. Look how a young man in excellent shape has visably aged in 6 years.

Something to think about.

[NittanyLion]

But I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that Romney is the best we've got.

You reluctantly came to that decision in January of this year? How much analysis could you have done when a number of candidates hadn't even declared yet?

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

Questioning or doubting Fred is forbodden here.

Kein Urasche.