Reviews Are in on Thompson's Debate Performance

Campaigns & Elections ^ | October 21, 2007 | Karen Hanretty

[2ndDivisionVet]

"Helped Themselves a Lot Tonight: Fred Thompson"

- National Review

"We had been waiting for any speech, any debate appearance, any event with Thompson to be a 'wow, that was fantastic.' Well, tonight was that moment we've been waiting for."

- National Review

"Fred Thompson delivers the first blow..."

- ABC News Political Radar

"Fred going on offense."

- Politico

"Thompson revved up."

- Time

"Kudos to Fred Thompson for coming out swinging tonight."

- Townhall

"He [Fred] ought to get serious points for guts."

- National Review

"'If a man can do all that and be lazy, I recommend it to everybody,' Thompson said to loud applause. Nice comeback."

- Politico

"That was a really, really strong response from Thompson" [Reference to final question]

- NBC

"Fred Thompson did quite well. Once again, he ended strong."

- Townhall

"Thompson's ability to slug it out with Giuliani, coupled with overall improvement in the quality of his answers, makes him one of tonight's winners."

- Powerline

"But if this debate is remembered at all, it will probably be because Fred Thompson, arguably a sleeping giant, seemed to wake up."

- Powerline

[trisham]

Maybe. It’s a critical decision, the choice of VP. I hope Fred chooses well.

[George W. Bush]

Even it that were true, it wouldn't be hard for college students to organize a mass call-in. Heck, even the libs on DU love Ron Paul, they could have done it just for kicks.

I think that does happen. Most non-geeks over 30 don't know how to SMS. RP has a lot of young supporters, many of whom have figured out the Baby Boomers are going to fall on their heads until they're past 40. Their interest is their own wallets. Well, good for them.

As for the DUmmies voting for RP, I'm sure some do. Just watching Sean Hannity melt down when RP wins yet another sham texting poll is worth it. LOL. Last night, Sean even had to start trashing his own worthless little poll. Ron Paul was ribbing him about it and having a lot of fun saying what a great audience they had there on the Fox channel. Pretty funny stuff.

[ZULU]

True.

[ZULU]

Who is MSM?

[Constitutions Grandchild]

Main Stream Media

[ZULU]

Thanks.

They ARE the bad boys.

[HKMk23]

Sorry I am a Christian and can not vote for him even IF I liked him

Ready to cut off your political nose just to spite your religious face, eh?

If Mitt wins the Primary, I heartily enjoin you to get your brain whacked around to the reality that your vote in November will NOT be a commentary on Mitt's theology.

[3niner]

I myself, would like a Thompson/Hunter ticket.

With Thompson being (and looking) somewhat older, it would be good for him to choose someone who is not just compatible, but younger, more vibrant, and having potential to be groomed for moving up, someone like Michael Steele.

[riverdawg]

A poll that uses text-message balloting in 2007 is analogous to using a telephone poll in 1932 (which poll, by the way, predicted Hoover would beat Roosevelt decisively). Focus groups aren’t much better, but even the guy (Luntz?) running Fox’s focus group said that the text-message results were whack.

[Harrius Magnus]

If it were Dr. Paul or the Hilda-Beast (and there were no third parties), who would you vote for (or would you vote)?

[3niner]

McCain’s star-power line about Woodstock,...

As much as I can't stand McCain, his line that ended with "...I was tied up at the time" was clearly the best of the evening.

[3niner]

...when I learned he voted with the trial lawyers and against the doctors he lost my vote. I can’t support a candidate who supports legalized extortion.

The problem a lot of people have with Fred is that they confuse a stand he takes, in line with Federalist principles, to be his overall stand on an issue. Sometimes it just means that he believes something should be handled at the state level, rather than by the Feds.

I can't say that I always agree with him on this, butI agree that it is very very dangerous to have everything be a Federal law. Having differences between states allows for a natural selection of ideas, while universal mandates can backfire in very big ways.

[riverdawg]

The problem with text-messaging-based polls today is that they will not generate a representative sample of likely (Republican) primary voters. It’s like using a cell phone in a presidential poll in 1992 or a land-line phone in 1932.

[dforest]

I could agree with that. See, these Rooty people that say we won’t deal.

I will, as long as Rooty is gone.

[3niner]

Romney is selling an ersatz knockoff of what Republicans want to buy.

He lets the disguise slip from time to time. When he was asked about Fred's plan of indexing Social Security benefits to real inflation, rather than wage inflation, he slipped into Democrat speak. He refered to it as "cuts", even though it would simply be stopping the practice of continuing to increase real benefits.

[lonevoice]

Actually he is not that old, 64 is younger than some who have run.

True. In fact, he's younger than two who are currently running: Ron Paul at 72, and John McCain at 71. Oddly, of the three of them, Fred looks the oldest. I wouldn't expect certain voter demographics, such as the soccer moms and swing voters, to ignore it. I'd rather see Fred come up with a lot of soundbites to counteract the age and energy issues rather than pretend they don't exist. His response last night (about highly recommending his brand of "laziness") was a good start. He might do well to have a few of those in his back pocket.

[George W. Bush]

You're right.

One thing about the original FReepers in the Xlinton era: we knew with absolute unanimity that libmedia polls were manufactured to harm Republican candidates. And that is completely true. You see it now. Just as in previous elections going back at least until Reagan, every time the Dim candidate is miles ahead of that stupid horrible GOP candidate (or incumbent). You should have seen the numbers on how far ahead Dukakis was over Bush Senior. Or Fritz Mondale over Reagan in '84. And then, somehow in the last few weeks the race "miraculously tightens" for the Republican. And that's when the "election attack" on the GOP candidate comes. In 2000, it was the DUI. In 2004, it was Dan Rather with his trumped up National Guard documents.

And these self-selected polls of all types are so stupid they're not even worth discussing. Online polls, texting polls, straw polls, all worthless. The only exception is that straw polls can show where particular candidates are strong and how intense their supporters are but even that doesn't actually tell you much.

Personally, I love that RP supporters destroy these polls. I wish FReepers still would run around the web and destroy them like we used to in the Xlinton years.

The only polls that count are the ones with real voters casting a ballot. The rest are either a distraction or a tool of the socialists to help the libs win. That's how it is.

[Constitutions Grandchild]

I have to have faith that it won’t come to that, but I will not cast a vote for Hillary/Bill Clinton. While I don’t think Ron Paul is the sharpest tool in the shed on the issues, I do not doubt his honesty, his patriotism, his dedication, his morality, or fiscally responsible agenda. I don’t think he uses drugs, would sell our secrets to foreign governments, would go looking for a fight. HOWEVER, (and it’s a big however)his policies on foreign affairs are simplistic and frightening. It doesn’t take much to realize that if we don’t “hang together, we’ll hang separately.” We aren’t living in a world of like-minded people anymore.

The folks who started this slug-fest in the Middle East want our hides pinned to the barn door and won’t take no for an answer. Mr. Paul is childlike in his faith that all people are basically good.

I want to be like Mr. Paul. I want the rest of the world to be happy, healthy, prosperous and good — but it isn’t reality.

Final answer, I’d vote for Ron Paul (and buy a bigger gun). I might have to use it on enemies foreign and abroad, but at least I wouldn’t have to use it against my government.

[ejonesie22]

Well that and the fact that he has a 2 year old and a 4 year old don’t hurt...

[Shelayne]

One-year-old and four-year-old. Very impressive!

He definitely has to have a lot of energy to keep up with those little darlins!