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Backers, undecideds tune in to Thompson
The Augusta Chronicle ^ | January 15, 2008 | Julia Sellers

Posted on 01/15/2008 12:22:46 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet

AIKEN --- Undecided voters stood on chairs and bumped elbows just to hear Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson on Monday.

Although his visit to Aiken County was delayed by a couple of hours, about 200 residents came to his campaign stop at Papa Russ's Barbecue to see whether the Law & Order star and former senator would get past his television persona and hit on real issues.

"I think we may have decided on a candidate, but we wanted to experience him personally," Mark Thompson, of Aiken, said of his family's wait.

Mr. Thompson acknowledged that he needs a win in South Carolina's Republican presidential primary Saturday but was unapologetic about his campaign, telling voters that if he's too laid back for their tastes there are plenty of other candidates to choose from.

U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett, R-S.C., introduced Mr. Thompson in the dining room while loudspeakers in The Alley outside allowed latecomers to hear the message.

After touting national security and Supreme Court appointments as the two most important issues facing the next president, Mr. Thompson took questions from the audience before slowly winding his way to his tour bus.

"I believe our country's better days are ahead of us if we do what we ought to do," he said.

While some voters were looking for answers, diehard supporters drove to Aiken in an effort to sway the undecided.

"I'm not from South Carolina, but I'll be contacting people in South Carolina because the alternative is unacceptable and I'll have to pay for it," said Dianne Thomas, of Charlotte, N.C. "He has more depth that's not always shown in a sound bite."

Mr. Thompson's foreign policy experience and knowledge of the economy are issues that Ms. Thomas said get lost, but she said that if voters see him they'll know he's a politician who's still about the people.

"He doesn't talk in sayings like 'change,' " she said.

Mr. Thompson wouldn't say whether a first-place finish in Saturday's primary was necessary for him to continue his quest for the Republican nomination.

He will continue his tour bus campaign in South Carolina through Friday, concluding in Columbia.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Front Page News; Politics/Elections; US: South Carolina
KEYWORDS: economy; election; electionpresident; elections; fred; fredthompson; gop; issues; primaries; republicans; sc2008; thompson
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To: HisKingdomWillAbolishSinDeath

Quit spamming. You’re on every thread with the same nonsense.


81 posted on 01/15/2008 10:42:11 AM PST by dangus
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Money speaks, has his campaign contributions been going up to match his “surge”?


82 posted on 01/15/2008 10:46:09 AM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: ought-six

“Amen” to all you said re Huckabee; he’s just dreadful. He scares me more than Hillary does, sadly.


83 posted on 01/15/2008 10:48:42 AM PST by MayflowerMadam
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To: Darkwolf377
I must say, I'm troubled by the lack of enthusiasm for him in some corners. Some folks here seem to want Fred to be one of those hoop-jumpers we're always saying we don't care for. They want a show. I want a president. When he talks, he's saying the right (and Right) things, and he has a genuine, regular-guy real-man comfort in his own skin that is in huge contrast to the other candidates.

QFT. Post of the day.

84 posted on 01/15/2008 10:51:44 AM PST by pcottraux (Fred Thompson pronounces it "P. Coe-Troe"...in 2008.)
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To: HisKingdomWillAbolishSinDeath
You do realize, I hope, that everytime you post something as weak and disingenuous as this, all you do is open the door for everyone who has actually research this issue to provide the facts.

All you are doing here is helping Fred, I know that is not your motive, but you are doing a GOOD thing!

85 posted on 01/15/2008 10:57:23 AM PST by SoConPubbie
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To: Friendofgeorge
That is not something he wants to be remembered for! I wish he had never said it!! I am pro life/Christian and it is the number 1 issue to me. Fred has a 100% pro life voting record helped get Alito and Roberts through the Senate, the national pro life people support Fred, I believe he also got the nod from the SC wing.

Statement from Fred Thompson
Contact: Press Office, 571-730-1010; www.Fred08.com

MCLEAN, Virginia, Nov. 29 /Standard Newswire/ -- Senator Fred Thompson released the following statement tonight regarding abortion:

"In tonight's debate we saw once again that on abortion, Rudy Giuliani is pro-choice and Mitt Romney is multiple choice. I believe abortion should only be allowed in the instances of rape, incest and the life of the mother and penalties should be assessed against the abortion doctor and not the woman."

But apparently for Thompson, less than 100% of babies should have a right to life.

86 posted on 01/15/2008 11:13:36 AM PST by Theophilus (Nothing can make Americans safer than to stop aborting them.)
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To: hocndoc

“I received e-mails saying that Texas law allows parents to abort their grandchildren when we were able to pass the parental notification and then, despite resistance from some of the pro-life activists because “the law allows mothers and doctors to abort babies,” and “it would allow parents to choose to abort their grandchildren,” we were able to pass the prenatal protection act and parental consent laws.”


I do not know of any pro-life groups that oppose parental-notification laws, although obviously those groups do not believe that such laws settle the issue (nor do I). I do know many pro-life groups that oppose parental-consent laws, since, as they correctly point out, no one has the right to consent to taking an innocent human life. I agree with their assessment.

In short, notification, good, consent, bad. If you keep that in mind, you won’t have any trouble with any pro-life groups.

Regarding pro-lifers who state that they support banning abortion except in cases of rape or incest, not only do I not think that they are being consistent on the issue, I think that they are (without realizing it) punishing the children for the sins of their fathers, something that goes against Judeo-Christian and American values. Still, a candidate who would support an abortion ban in 99% of cases is better than one who would support an abortion ban in no cases.


87 posted on 01/15/2008 11:54:52 AM PST by AuH2ORepublican (Fred Thompson appears human-sized because he is actually standing a million miles away.)
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To: Theophilus

When someone says that Fred has a 100% pro-life voting record, it means that in 100% of the votes taken in the Senate related to abortion Fred voted pro-life (actually, IIRC, Fred did make one vote in his first year in office that could be described as “pro-choice,” so he would more accurately be described as having a 97% pro-life voting record). There was never a vote taken in the Senate on whether there should be an abortion ban with exceptions for rape and incest.

BTW, while I agree with you that abortion should not be legal except as the unintended consequence of saving the life of the mother, as I wrote in my post above I will not oppose someone like Fred Thompson or George W. Bush merely because they would support a rape-or-incest exception to an abortion ban.


88 posted on 01/15/2008 12:04:10 PM PST by AuH2ORepublican (Fred Thompson appears human-sized because he is actually standing a million miles away.)
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To: robomatik
"chard, fred, chard"

Bakers tune in to Thompson? This headline takes the cake.

89 posted on 01/15/2008 1:37:58 PM PST by rfp1234 (Phodopus campbelli: household ruler since July 2007.)
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To: Bob
There's a difference - At least a metronome serves a useful purpose.

"Hey, who ya callin' a metrognome?"

Photobucket

90 posted on 01/15/2008 1:41:33 PM PST by rfp1234 (Phodopus campbelli: household ruler since July 2007.)
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To: AuH2ORepublican
I will not oppose someone like Fred Thompson or George W. Bush merely because they would support a rape-or-incest exception to an abortion ban.

Such exceptions undermine the entire logic of the pro-life position: life is sacred. It turns us into moralistic overbearing sexists who want to inflict the onerous burden of childbearing on women, except under the most hideous and unbearable circumstances. If abortion is acceptable by degrees, then it is fundamentally acceptable. I believe that electing Thompson will increase our chances of getting another O'Connor, Kennedy or Souter.

91 posted on 01/15/2008 1:53:56 PM PST by Theophilus (Nothing can make Americans safer than to stop aborting them.)
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To: Theophilus
If abortion is acceptable by degrees, then it is fundamentally acceptable. I believe that electing Thompson will increase our chances of getting another O'Connor, Kennedy or Souter.

I heartily disagree. Making this a black-and-white issue at this time in our national disagreement over abortion conflates a moral ideal with the reality of a free republic. The fact is, there will always be spiritually impoverished women who seek abortions illegally if they can't get them legally, and no law will stop that, any more than Prohibition stopped alcohol consumption or addiction. There is much to be said not only for education as the proper solution, but also for the incremental approach to overturning what the SCOTUS has long called "settled law."

Extremism in defense of the unborn is no vice; but it's not going to win this particular election, in which the populace is divided 50-50 on most issues. It's better to get a man in the job who knows what direction to push towards — and has shown that he will vote and has voted in that direction — than to vainly insist on perfection in a candidate, which will only contribute to the final Democrat/socialist overthrow of this nation.

92 posted on 01/15/2008 2:25:03 PM PST by Albion Wilde ("Whatever enables us to go to war, secures our peace." —Thomas Jefferson)
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To: HisKingdomWillAbolishSinDeath

Somehow, I think I’ll trust the National Right to Life Cmte instead of you.

>> Christ’s Kingdom on Earth is the answer. What is your question?

Where can I get some good waffles?

[Not to make light — I understand your point ... I just thought it was funny]

H


93 posted on 01/15/2008 2:57:17 PM PST by SnakeDoctor
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Comment #94 Removed by Moderator

To: 2ndDivisionVet

We in Tennessee will vote for FT tommorrow in early vote


95 posted on 01/15/2008 3:08:49 PM PST by teokee
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To: Theophilus

Even if Fred Thompson was pro-abortion, he would still nominate a Scalia or Thomas to the Supreme Court, since he is first and foremost a judicial conservative and federalist.

Regarding how exceptions undermine the logic of the pro-life position, I agree 100%, but we can’t make the perfect the enemy of the good. On the abortion issue, I’d still take a George W. Bush over any other president we’ve ever had, since he has put his money where his mouth is when it comes to abortion. The fact that President Bush states that he believes in a rape-or-incest exception has not made his handling of the issue any less principled.


96 posted on 01/15/2008 3:55:50 PM PST by AuH2ORepublican (Fred Thompson appears human-sized because he is actually standing a million miles away.)
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To: Albion Wilde
Making this a black-and-white issue at this time in our national disagreement over abortion

I don't care if the nation disagrees anymore than I care if the nation agrees 99-1 in favor of abortion. After 35 years of savage child sacrifice, I feel God's hot breath, and the hair is standing up on my neck.

God Bless.

97 posted on 01/15/2008 4:33:58 PM PST by Theophilus (Nothing can make Americans safer than to stop aborting them.)
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To: AuH2ORepublican

I agree that no one can ethically consent to elective intentional abortion.

However, after Roe, Doe, and Casey, we had to deal with the reality that any 14 year old girl was able to do so in Texas. Sometimes without her parents knowing, because all the clinic had to do was send a certified letter to the address she gave them. There was no responsibility on the part of anyone to ensure that the address was correct or had received the letter.

Now, someone has to sign an affidavit stating that they are her parent or guardian before the abortion. The doc must document his counseling and the fact that consent is on the chart.

(There is the judicial bypass, but that’s another problem that we can’t overcome until Roe is overturned.)

We believe that the new regulations are cutting the numbers of minor abortion - because parents do not consent or the girls and their boyfriends are more careful because the threat of Mom and Dad having to consent is too much to risk.


98 posted on 01/15/2008 5:04:09 PM PST by hocndoc (http://www.LifeEthics.org)
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To: GLDNGUN
Did you know that Mike Huckabee agrees with Thompson, that abortion should be left to the states?

No, actually Huckabee doesn't. At least, not since Fred got the NRTL endorsement, at which point the Huckster figured out he could get away with lying to his ignorant followers, pretend he's always been for the federal amendment, and then use it to moralize over others and take cheap shots at Thompson.

99 posted on 01/15/2008 5:50:14 PM PST by MitchellC (HELP FILL THE TANK ON FRED'S PICKUP - Fred08.com)
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To: Theophilus
After 35 years of savage child sacrifice, I feel God's hot breath, and the hair is standing up on my neck.

More proof of global warming!

This should be a state issue. I think the "all or nothing" way of thinking just damages the GOP.

100 posted on 01/15/2008 6:57:52 PM PST by PosterQue (How you vote tells people who you really are deep inside. - Zell Miller)
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