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Tavern Talk about Fred Thompson

In conversations with my fellow Ashlanders over the hot summer it has become clear to me that they are not yet engaged in politics. But they’re fixin’ to be engaged, as my kinfolk in Arkansas would say! And they are especially looking forward to former Senator Fred Thomspon entering the race. Why? They are bored, and they think Thompson is more genuine, more understandable, more conservative, and in general more exciting than the other Republican candidates. This David Broder column is worth reading because it is in essential agreement with the opinions I run into in the local watering holes. Thomspon’s striaght and hard rhetoric will be the ticket that gets Republicans (and maybe more) out of their summer doldrums. I predict that he will become the immediate front-runner once he announces next month. He will lead Giuliani by fifteen points and that lead will last and grow if he is just half as good as his supporters claim he is. This recent market slide due to the credit crunch is only going to help him.

Discussions - 10 Comments

Thompson is politically potent IF he runs a strong, vigorous campaign. There is reason to fear that he may not. He will need not just good national buzz, which I agree can easily be boosted, or revived, with a declaration and a few good moves. But he will also need some hard slogging in either Iowa or New Hampshire. My guess is that Iowa suits him better politically and culturally. But Romney has been working it hard.

I agree with you, Peter. And the Broder column is a harbinger.

Sounds good.

You must be kidding. That old fossil is only 65 and he looks like he's ready for a nursing home right now. No doubt he'll appeal to the lunatic base though.

Thompson may have a funny face, but in terms of basic health, he seems fine. To say that he "looks like he's ready for a nursing home" is as grossly unfair as to say that he will "appeal to the lunatic base." You're the one with premature Alzheimer's.

I'd just love to see Fred as the gop candidate. And if he could get a freak like Malkin to travel with him in her cheerleader outfit that would be perfect! In fact, I think I'll throw $100 into his campaign to help him out.

I think norightturns is pro-terrorist.

He's certainly a no-class punk.

I'm still partial to former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. Besides not serving in the Senate, where I am not sure Thompson made any particular impression in his two terms there (though he did support the campaign finance reform of McCain-Feingold--yikes!), how do any of the virtues mentioned earlier set him apart from Huckabee, who came in a quite respectable second in the Iowa straw poll with little funding but great popular appeal?

I find the idea of campaigning based on ideas more of a minor party idealisitic approach than a practical way of winning office. I fear that if Mr. Thompson has as much appeal as Schramm claims it might hurt the Republicans more that it will help. I find a charasmatic person with new ideas exciting as anyone, but what if the latter portion of Broder's article is true? What if Thompson only draws in a strong-willed but not a majority portion of Republican support. Thompson does not follow all of the Republican platform and this may be divisive. If Thompson does not recieve the GOP nomination, could he be lured away to another party? The resaon that this concerns me in regard to Thompson is that he has been away from Congress pursuing other interests. I certainly hope that strong candidates stay loyal to their party. Unity has been the key to the Republican Party and I hope it remains.

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