New Fred Thompson thread

[Monkeyleg]

There are so many threads about Fred Thompson that I thought I'd add to the clutter by starting another one.

But I'd rather this be a thread about Thompson, and not a debate involving Ron Paul. Please take Ron Paul comments to another thread.

I'm extremely excited, as you might guess, about Thompson's chances.

Thompson has the same down-home, "aw-shucks" style that Bill Clinton did. Bill Clinton had an innate ability to connect with people, and I think Thompson does, too.

For those of us who care about RKBA, Thompson wrote a very eloquent article on the VT shootings. When was the last time any presidential candidate advocated for having armed citizens? If RKBA is your primary issue, I just don't see how things could be better with any other candidate.

Thompson is topping the straw polls in just about every state, even before any announcements. Here in Wisconsin, at the state Republican party convention a few weeks ago, he was #1. Our former governor, Tommy Thompson, came in far down the list. Tommy couldn't even carry his own state in a poll conducted by his best friends.

Thompson isn't afraid to try the unconventional. With the rest of the field in both parties doing the usual, Thompson will stand out.

The talking heads say that the Democrats won back in November because of Iraq.

Bull. The Republicans lost because they'd just been behaving like Democrats for too long. Yes, the American public doesn't like the war. Who likes wars?

But the Democrat's approval ratings on their ideas for ending the Iraq war are even lower than GW's.

Polls show that Americans want out of Iraq, but nearly 70% want the job finished right.

That's an opening for Thompson.

Today's newspapers reported that "Actor Fred Thompson Will Explore Presidential Bid."

When was the last time the media referred to a serious presidential candidate as an "actor?" Oh, yeah. That Reagan guy.

If Fred Thompson keeps talking the conservative principles as he's been doing the last few months, and phrasing those principles in the same down-home terms...he can win.

Imagine a debate between Fred Thompson and Hillary, or John Edwards, or just about any other Dem you can think of.

A Thompson candidacy is so exciting that, given the Republican's ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, he probably won't get the nod.

 

[NickEllis]

Run Fred Run...!! oh wait, never mind, it looks like he's gonna run.

Well then: Vote for Fred!

I've NEVER seen a viable candidate come out, the same week as his announcement, with two startling documents outlining his view of federalism.

I was talking to a good ol' boy down here in Tennessee last week at the gun range, and he stated he saw Fred Thompson at the Lincoln speech on TV. He said that he already knows who he is gonna vote for.

I figured it was because of his position on gun rights; he exclaimed that it was because of FT's stance on foreign policy, the boarders, and his understanding of federalism. Could have knocked me over with a feather; Ol' Ronnie surprised me on that one.... looks like Fred is communicating to the common folk. Seems like thats what we need.

 

[Jamie C.]

Aw jeeze, Edith... another thread for the Ron Paul lunatics to try and spread their own particular brand of insanity...

That being said, I really do think Fred Thompson will be our next president. He's got what it takes to get there, in spades.

What I'm concerned about, however, is whether or not this is a good thing, or a bad thing.

Fred's a smart man; he knows how to play the game. What I wanna know, and what will only be revealed by time, and putting him in office is... who's he playing the game for? Himself or "us"?

I fully realize that a voting record says nothing, since we'll never know why the votes went the way they did... ( Maybe there was a reason there we're not aware of.... a reason to vote for something you really didn't want? )

And I realize an honest man will not prosper in Washington D.C.... You gotta be able and willing to lie, cheat, and steal to get anywhere, or to get anything done.

Now.. Fred comes across as a man with principles... lots of 'em. But who exactly are those principals looking out for, or geared toward?

I really wanna know. And I know I won't until it's too late.

Oh, and all you Ron Paul supporters... Your guy really doesn't have a chance. Never did. Get over it.

Anyway... I really do think ol' Fred will be our next president.

I just can't decide if that'll be a good thing or a bad thing.

Oh well... it could be worse.... It could be Hillary.




J.C.

 

[Lew]

Fred comes across as a man with principals... lots of 'em.

Huh? How many? What the heck is he doing with all those principals? Are they being held captive?

 

[JP1954]

One thing is for sure.......Fred will be more articulate than George.....George has a lot of positive qualities but public speaking is not one of them........

I think McCain, Guliani, or Thompson should be able to beat Hillary or Obama unless they really screw up......Both Hillary and Obama lack the experience necessary for the job and if they hammer that eventually people will have to recognize that you don't want a freshman student to be in charge of the college.......

 

[helpless]

But he supports the Patriot act.

He is not getting my vote. Sorry.

 

[GTSteve03]

But he supports the Patriot act.

No, see he used to support it, but now he's changed his mind and doesn't anymore.

A Democrat does that and they're labeled a "flip-flopper" but when Thompson does it it's OK.

 

[publius]

Aw jeeze, Edith... another thread for the Ron Paul lunatics to try and spread their own particular brand of insanity.

I was going to follow Monkeyleg's instruction in the first post until I saw this insulting personal smear.

But, since it was brought up, there is a response to this:

or those of us who care about RKBA, Thompson wrote a very eloquent article on the VT shootings. When was the last time any presidential candidate advocated for having armed citizens?

When Ron Paul did it back in March.

 

[hoji]

Just remember what happened the LAST time we elected an actor to the White House.

 

[longhorngunman]

Didn't the OP say this was a no Paul thread? Besides this thread is about a winner, Thompson , not a sure loser in Paul. I mean really, Pro-gun people would be better off writing the name in of the late Col. Cooper than Paul, probably have more votes.

 

[publius]

There's an interesting and virtually Ron-Paul-free thread about Thompson over here, with a question at the end I would like to see answered, for those who don't just want to bicker and insult.

 

[camacho]

One thing is for sure.......Fred will be more articulate than George.....

Fred will be more anything than George.

George has a lot of positive qualities but public speaking is not one of them........

I am not anymore sure what they are but he must have some.

I think McCain, Guliani, or Thompson should be able to beat Hillary or Obama unless they really screw up......Both Hillary and Obama lack the experience necessary for the job and if they hammer that eventually people will have to recognize that you don't want a freshman student to be in charge of the college.......

McCain and Gulliani will not be able, Fred however has a good chance.

 

[MrRezister]

Thompson seems considerably more palateable than either Guiliani or McCain to me at this point. I will definitely be watching him closely, but for the primary, I'm still planning on "throwing away" my vote on the candidate who's recent record of articles, interviews and votes most closely coincides with my personal views. At this time, that candidate is {controversy omitted}.

 

[USMC - Retired]

Just remember what happened the LAST time we elected an actor to the White House.

You say that like it's a bad thing. The last "actor" we elected was the best President this country has seen since Teddy Rosevelt! I think Fred could be in the same catagory!


Keep in mind ALL politicians are actors, some just are up front about it.

 

[meef]

Just remember what happened the LAST time we elected an actor to the White House.

I do remember.

He pulled us out of the freaking financial depression that Jimmy the Geek Carter had ineptly sunk us so deeply in.

He also got the hostages in Iran freed immediately.

Just a couple of items.

 

[pcosmar]

I wonder if he will use the truck gag.
http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/10863.html

That former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) is moving forward with a presidential bid is hardly open to question anymore. Today, he hired a campaign manager (a former top aide to H.W. Bush), which is usually a reliable precursor to an announcement.

With this in mind, we can now expect the onslaught of little-red-truck stories. A few weeks ago, Noam Scheiber and Bob Somerby had a bit of a debate about how the media would cover the little red truck that helped Thompson get elected to the Senate in 1994. Scheiber argued that everyone would soon know that Thompson’s truck schtick was a fraud, little more than a phony prop. Somerby noted that everyone would not know because the media wouldn’t bother to report the story accurately.

Sorry, Noam, Somerby wins this round. Consider this gem from the new issue of Newsweek.

Folks in Franklin, Tenn., think they’ll know when Fred Thompson decides to run for president. Parked in Thompson’s mother’s driveway is the rusting red Chevy pickup that the former senator turned actor drove all over the state during his two U.S. Senate campaigns. He drove the truck to Washington in 1994 after he was elected to fill an unexpired term and used it as a populist stunt again during his re-election campaign, often giving speeches from the lowered tailgate. “People are watching that truck like hawks,” says the Southern Baptist Convention’s Richard Land, who also lives in Franklin. “Nobody can imagine he won’t use it if he runs.” […]

Thompson, who now lives in Virginia, hasn’t driven his pickup in several years. The paint is peeling and its U.S. Senate license plates expired back in 2002. Mark Corallo, a spokesman, says Thompson “just hasn’t had the heart to sell her.”

This couldn’t be any less informative. I obviously don’t want to speak for Somerby, but this appears to be far worse than he imagined.

Way back in 1996, Michelle Cottle explained the reality.

True story: it is a warm evening in the summer of 1995. A crowd has gathered in the auditorium of a suburban high school in Knoxville, Tennessee. Seated in the audience is a childhood friend of mine who now teaches at the school. On stage is Republican Sen. Fred Dalton Thompson, the lawyer/actor elected in 1994 to serve out the remainder of Vice President Al Gore’s Senate term (when Gore’s appointed successor retired after just two years). The local TV stations are on hand as Thompson wraps up his presentation on tax reform, in the plain-spoken, down-to-earth style so familiar to those who have seen him in any of his numerous film and television performances.

Finishing his talk, Thompson shakes a few hands, then walks out with the rest of the crowd to the red pickup truck he made famous during his 1994 Senate campaign. My friend stands talking with her colleagues as the senator is driven away by a blond, all-American staffer. A few minutes later, my friend gets into her car to head home. As she pulls up to the stop sign at the parking lot exit, rolling up to the intersection is Senator Thompson, now behind the wheel of a sweet silver luxury sedan. He gives my friend a slight nod as he drives past. Turning onto the main road, my friend passes the school’s small, side parking area. Lo and behold: There sits the abandoned red pickup, along with the all-American staffer.

Thompson didn’t have an old red pickup, he leased it as a campaign prop. He didn’t even drive the thing — as Kevin Drum recently noted, “Basically, he just drove the thing the final few hundred feet before each campaign event, and then ditched it for something nicer as soon as he was out of sight of the yokels.”

I would guess that he will say anything or do anything to get elected.
Not what I am looking for.

 

[30 cal slob]

God, Fred is living up to his slowpoke reputation. If you can't run Fred ... SHUFFLE!

Go Fred Go Fred Go Fred Go Fred Go.

Where do I sign up for his election campaign?

 

[Marshall]

Smart man.

 

[cbsbyte]

I would guess that he will say anything or do anything to get elected.
Not what I am looking for.

If what you posted is true then he is just like all the rest of the past modern presidents. Will do and say anything to get elected. This is in the same line as W Bush with his fake Texas accent fooling the yokels to vote for him when he really is a Connecticut Yankee. Personally I would not vote for the guy since he reeks of being part of the establishment and would maintain the status quo.

 

[Zen21Tao]

I would guess that he will say anything or do anything to get elected.
Not what I am looking for.

I don't care about fabricated "little red truck" stories. Especially stories that appear on a far left blog. All candidates exaggerate something to try to relate with the American people. You don't see them talking about John Kerry's hunting trips or Hilary Clinton's fake souther accent.

My initial thought is that they really must worry about Fred if this the best attacks on him they have. When it comes time to vote, I'll be determining whether or not to vote for Fred based his campaign platform and past voting record not stupid allegations of "little red truck" scams.

 

[mountainclmbr]

I have to say that I really like Fred. But, I have heard comments about northeast voters having general negative opinions about people from the south. Being from Florida originally, I don't understand where this comes from. Does anyone have an explanation for this general prejudice.

 

[ScottsGT]

I've never seen as many of my close friend and co-workers fired up and excited as they are, this early in the election game, about any one person ever running for POTUS. If this is a sign, he's going to be our next President.

 

[Henry Bowman]

The only person who always agrees with me 100% is me. Unless I write my name in for every office on the ballot, I'm going to have to make a choice about how my vote is most effectively used -- and then vote that way. Some compromise is always involved.

 

[pcosmar]

I don't care about fabricated "little red truck" stories.

I don't care for showmanship. I don't TRUST him.
I don't care for Big Money lobbyists.
I don't trust the CFR.
I hate the Patriot Act. It is Un-American.
Fred Thompson will not get my vote.

 

[Waitone]

I have to say that I really like Fred. But, I have heard comments about northeast voters having general negative opinions about people from the south.

Dogs bark, snakes wiggle, cats hork up hairballs, and north east inmates historically think anyone with a southron accent is a brain-damaged, snaggle-toothed, idiot. Just nature at work.