Was the wait a mistake for Fred Thompson?

Did waiting hurt Fred?

Whatever happens next, Thompson at least gave commentators something new to talk about. Was it a mistake to go on Leno instead of the debate, they wondered? And, did he sign on too late, they speculated? Is he a team player?

Thompson must have chuckled all the way to Iowa. Too late for what? Most Americans still don't know who's running and don't share the punditry's obsession with quantifying who's up and who's down every 24-hour cycle. If they're watching television, they're more likely watching Leno, who averaged 5.9 million viewers in 2006, instead of the presidential debates, which tend to draw between 1 million and 2 million viewers, according to Variety.

By setting himself apart from the gaggle and having a one-on-one chat with 6 million Americans, Thompson messed up the political ecosystem. In a single well-timed appearance, he made up for a late start and got exposure and buzz. And it didn't cost him a dime.

Some mistake.

Courtesy of Kathleen Parker at RCP

I was opposed to waiting so long, but in the end, it looks like Fred was right, and I was, wrrrr. wrrrr. wrrrrrrr. umm, "not in alignment with reality". Yeah, that'll do.

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Jeri Thompson, Political Powerhouse Spouse

This pretty much settles Jeri Thompson, in spite of Juan Williams slavish obedience to his leash holding political masters on the left by smearing Fred via Jeri with the phrase "Trophy Wife". This article pretty much kills that label - and squashes Williams as anything other than a completely co-opted stooge.

Speaking at his $1,000-a-ticket fundraiser at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in downtown Washington on Monday night, Fred Thompson began by introducing "my campaign manager -- oh, I mean my wife." That little joke about Jeri Thompson reveals how the prospective Republican presidential candidate regards the attack on his intelligent, beautiful wife.

The archetypal "trophy wife" (a phrase coined by Fortune magazine 18 years ago) conjures up the image of a rich corporate executive who tires of the woman he married when they both were young, whom he has grown old with, and turns to a young, chic new wife, usually seen as a home wrecker. Mrs. Thompson does not fit that mold. Thompson had been divorced for 17 years and was on friendly terms with his first wife when he married Jeri Kehn in 2002. They also have two small children -- not the trophy wife caricature either.

Nor does Jeri Thompson's background fit the caricature. After working for the Senate Republican Conference and the Republican National Committee, she became a big-time political media consultant in Washington.

[Tom] Collamore is a former bureaucrat and tobacco lobbyist with vastly less political experience than Mrs. Thompson has. Not even Collamore's friends could conceive of him running a national campaign. [But Jeri, on the other hand....]

Courtesy of Robert Novak

Biggest surprise about this is that it is coming from Novak, a prototypical beltway pundit who has been hostile at time to Thompson in the past.

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Why these Attacks on Fred Thompson will not matter in the long run

Cogent analysis over at FredThompsonFAQ.com. He basically beat me to the punch on the editorial I was going to write, so I'll excerpt his post and point you there to read the whole thing.

From just before Independence Day to this week, Fred Thompson has been on the receiving end of the strongest attacks and most negative press of his political career. Yet he actually gained points in the Rasmussen poll, increasing his four-week lead over Giuliani. New Harris and Zogby polls were released which showed him in the lead for the first time. News came from the evangelical right of religious conservatives actually defending Fred against the barrage of Romney campaign e-mails designed to take away some of Fred's thunder with this key segment of voters.

Why?

The Rest of the Story...

It seems that many conservatives are not allowing their "big picture" view of 2008 to be pushed off their radar screens. They are focused on keeping the White House out of Democrat hands. They have concluded that an 86% conservative will be conservative enough against whatever liberal the DNC will nominate and not too conservative for independents and Reagan Democrats.

They have looked at Fred's 100% pro-life voting record and trust that he will nominate judges of the caliber of John Roberts. They have noted Thompson's absolute support for the right to keep and bear arms and are confident that their guns will be safe during an FDT presidency.

They have studied his economic record which assures them that Fred will not raise their taxes and are encouraged that he's giving serious consideration to the fair tax. They are aware that Thompson worked in the Senate to reduce federal waste, fraud and abuse, and they recognize this as a good thing. They like his commitment to making the federal government smaller and returning some of the powers it stole from the states back to them.

They have seen Fred's enemies and don't like them. NARAL, Planned Parenthood, ACLU, NEA, and ADA are not on their Christmas card lists. They've looked at those who rate Fred highly, such as ACU, The Center for Security Policy, the League of Private Property Voters, the National Tax Limitation Committee and the NRA, and they are comfortable with these groups and their respective missions.

Courtesy of The Frederation Blog at Fred Thompson FAQs

If you havent visited that site, go visit - its a goldmine of infor about Fred Thompson

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More Reasons For Fred Thompson Delay

The Jacksonville (FL) Times-Union publishes some good info on why Fred might be delaying the announcement. This info is in addition to the obvious organizational issues the campaign is having (see the "Abortion Lobby: story below). If this is truly why he is holding off, then I was probably wrong on it hurting him. Declaring too soon, and coming out under-prepared would hurt him far worse.

He still has time to craft his message and tighten his speeches. He can hone his act by sparring with practice candidates in mock debates behind the scenes.

Best of all for Thompson is that he had the foresight, discipline and steely nerves to do what no other Republican presidential candidate was wise enough to do - nothing at all, and for a long time.

Now, with John McCain running on fumes, Mitt Romney having already hit up everybody possible for campaign cash and Giuliani slipping in the polls, this non-candidate candidate named Thompson could easily move from the television screen to the political arena.

There, he would appear fresh, if for no other reason than that so far he has remained offstage while the other candidates have toed the Republican line that Republican male voters are indicating they may not want to toe themselves anymore.

Of course, women voters usually decide presidential and other important political races. But Thompson is holding his own with them, too.

Courtesy of JAcksonville (FL) Times Union

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Fred Thompson on Harry Reid

Reid vs Pace - why has Bush been silent?

Well, you've heard by now that Senate leader Harry Reid insulted one of this country's brightest military minds, Marine Corps General Peter Pace -- calling him "incompetent." Let me take a few moments to put this in context.

First, Harry Reid voted for the war, like a majority of our legislators. America decided as a nation to free Iraq and the region from Saddam Hussein's tyranny. I have friends, both Democrat and Republican, who questioned the decision at the time, but the Republic made a commitment based on constitutional and democratic procedures. So they are now a hundred percent committed to moving forward in a way that’s best for our country. None of them, by the way, believe surrendering to the forces of terror in Iraq is what's best for our country.

Harry Reid, though, has taken a different route. He made his statement about General Pace on a conference call with fringe elements of the blogosphere who think we're the bad guys. This is a place where even those who think the 9/11 attacks were an inside job find a home.

And why shouldn't they think that? Reid has led the attack on the administration, with Nancy Pelosi, charging it lied and tricked America into supporting the war. Ignoring multiple hearings and investigations into pre-war intelligence findings that have debunked this paranoid myth, they accuse an entire administration of conspiracy to trick us into a war.

I suppose that's easier for some than admitting that they've flip flopped -- but the fact that Reid says this sinister Republican plot is going to help him elect more Democrats ought to be raising a few flags. Saying General Pace is incompetent doesn't even rank near the top of his bizarre statements.

How could anyone possibly believe, as Reid charges, that our commanding general in Iraq, David Petraeus, is out of touch with what's going on. Surely someone in Reid's position would know that Petraeus is briefed daily on all aspects of Iraq -- from civil to military. Surely he has to know that Petraeus is a true warrior scholar who literally wrote the Army's book on counterinsurgency warfare.

But Reid's comments are not meant for logical analysis. He proclaimed the war lost some time ago, and the surge as a failure even before the additional troops were on the ground. The problem is that every one of Reid's comments I've noted here has also been reported gleefully by Al Jazeera and other anti-American media. Whether he means to or not, he’s encouraging our enemies to believe that they are winning the critical war of will.

The Rest of the Story...

Courtesy of Fred THompson

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The way I see it

Well, time for a status report on the way I see things

Things have been hitting a few bumps here and there, as can be expected. After all, how many times has a candidate been drafted for President of the USA over the objection of the establishment, and over the internet? Precisely Zero. So we are breaking new ground here.

On the bright side, it looks as though our early activism (dating back to March here) has set the tide for Fred to declare a run for the presidency. He has garnered a lot of press, and has gotten a lot of net-support from all parts of the blogosphere.

On the not-so-bright side, there are the constant baseless attacks of the conspiracy loonies in the "Travis Bickle" contingent that back Ron Paul (and mindlessly attack anything that is not Ron Paul), the clueless inside-the-beltway people like the bloggers and columnists who regurgitate talking-head points - points we online folks have dealt with long ago online (see Fred Thompson FAQs for a shining example), and smear merchants and whispering campaigns from other campaigns - the ones Fred himself termed "gnats".

It is the price you pay when you become viable - people with entrenched interests are going to attack. And attack they have. The prior issues are really not all that important in the grand scheme of things, after all Ron Paul's lunacy is apparent to anyone that bothers to deeply research his past performance and positions, and his backing of the conspiracy cabal. And the other stuff? Its been dismissed by any reasonable observer after they have all the facts in hand - the truth is a great weapon to have on your side. The sad truth is: Half-truths, dis-ingenuousness and lies of omission have become standard operating procedure for politicians who have nothing to run for and therefore need something to run against. Which is why Fred's opponents have started in with such things.

It is to be expected, and with the net and all the supporters out there the speed of response is so fast that these disinformation campaigns are quashed for lack of credibility before they can gain any traction (as they say in the open source world "more eyes makes for shallow bugs").

Fred Thompson, given his power base in the Grass Roots and movement conservatives, does not need to seek the approval or permission of the insiders, nor will he need to kiss the ring (or any other part) of people like George Will and the other east-coast elites, who have set themselves up as faux kingmakers for the Republican party.

So, the big news for Prince George Will, Senator Foghorn Leghorn Lott, and your snooty elite Beltway and East Coast courtiers: your time is up.

You gave us George Bush 41 who then gave us Bill Clinton, and now George Bush 43.

Bush 43 gave us the largest entitlement program ever (Medicare prescription drug program), the No Child Left Behind act, a medal of freedom for that boob George Tenet (who should have been fired, not decorated), an untamed and undisciplined CIA that is at war with the executive branch (Scooter Libby), an incompetent Attorney General who has been so busy being a political errand boy (cleaning out prosecutors) that he has left important judicial nominations EMPTY for years. A President that started a war and then refused to defend it or appoint someone capable of articulating it well - and then he has mismanaged it completely with his misplaced penchant for loyalty over competence (Rumsfeld's resignation was ill timed and far too late). Bush also attempted to foist Harriet Myers on us, and even now is trying to jam a disastrous improperly formed and wrong-headed bill on immigration amnesty down our throats -- all whilst insulting us and impugning our motives.

You've had your run and it has ended in the Congressional and state electoral disasters of 2006 and the maelstrom of incompetence & pigheadedness which the Bush administration has become, all while it is circling the drain in effectiveness and public opinion.

Well guess what Kingmakers: We are coming to kick you out. Start packing - because we are going to do the one thing you fear most: we are going to do our best to make you irrelevant, just like the internet is hammering print news (As the NYT and other papers about circulation numbers). Your money and "rep" might be able to buy congressmen, but it cannot buy the most important thing: our votes. And without those, you lose. Never forget that - 2006 should have been your lesson. This candidacy and the immigration bill are your chance to show that you have learned.

But no matter what, this time, we the people are not going to vote for your handpicked "Next guy in line" candidate, bought and sold by the old Country Club and Rockefeller Repubs. No thanks to your presenting to us a Scylla and Charybdis; We will instead vote for someone that came from the Sam's Club Repubs side of things, someone we choose: A conservative who truly believes our causes at his core, a federalist who is well spoken and can deliver the message of small government that works better, and strong on defense and the war on terror: Fred Thompson.

Whether you come along or not, this train is leaving the station in a few weeks. Its your choice to be on it or under it.

For those of you on the Thompson Chattanooga Choo-Choo already - get ready, its going to be one wild ride. Be ready - soon we will need to stand.

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Fred Thompson - a Plain Speaker

Ray Robison over at AT makes the case for Fred's delivery - and more importantly, the substantial conservative core that permeates Fred Thompson's speeches. Its a good read - a bit is below - go catch it all at the link.

Fred Thompson is a small town guy who made it from the agricultural communes of south-central Tennessee to Capitol Hill and our TV sets. And while we admire the accomplishments of this distinguished lawyer, Senator and actor, we admire the man even more for seeming to remain grounded to his roots.

Faced with a media establishment that has heightened its opposition to presenting news that makes Republicans look good, Fred Thompson has that rare and invaluable quality of speaking directly to ordinary Americans, saying what needs to be said.

Courtesy of Ray Robison at American Thinker

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Victor David Hanson on Fred Dalton Thompson

This one is a must read. For those who do not know Victor David Hanson, he is probably the pre-eminent conservative writer on history, especially military history and the impacts of culture and wars on each other. Unlike George will, who is an effete, inside-the-belt-way snob, VDH knows his stuff.

I met Thompson this morning for breakfast in Palo Alto and was impressed mainly by his knowledge of the issues, and his calming attitude that what will come, will come. He came across as every bit up to the job, but without the overdrive and sometimes bothersome mania of traditional candidates. That may explain a lot of his appeal as well.

The Rest of the Story...

Thompson has an ongoing movie and television career that makes him an even better known candidate to young people in either party. And he is a character actor that has been typecast as grandfatherly, a worldly pro who joshes around and works with his more ardent and younger firebrands. His celebrity is not like Arnold’s or Jesse Ventura’s.

His folksy Tennessee drawl also serves to mask his conservatism in the manner of Reagan’s jocularism. Don’t underestimate the importance of that calculus in our modern therapeutic society. The “aw shucks” approach allows a conservative to keeper a lot quieter and carry a bigger stick.

Courtesy of Victor David Hanson at his blog

I am so glad to see this - VDH is one of the people I respect most in the conservative world. He is well informed, well reasoned, and seldom mistaken; a good guy to have saying good things about you

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Fred Thompson: Back To Basics

Interesting take on Fred's outsider/populist themes. This is the first author I've read that seems to understand the way Fred is taking on the Republican establishment as well as the Democrats. I really like this quote: His main complaint with the war on terror is that al-Qaida has a 100-year plan while Washington politicians "have a plan until the next election."

"America's government is bringing America down, and the only thing that can change that is a return to the basics."

Thompson recently gave speeches in Virginia and California during which he scarcely mentioned Bush either. In the world Thompson described, the current Washington players are most notable for being trapped in that undifferentiated swamp we call Washington politics.

That's because the divide that engages Thompson most is not the ideological one between liberals and conservatives or between this or that brand of conservatism. It's the divide between concentrated power and decentralized power. Thompson's core theme is that there is a disconnect between Americans and their rulers. He campaigns against concentrated Republican power almost as much as he does against concentrated Democratic power.

The Rest of the Story...

Thompson's core theme is that there is a disconnect between Americans and their rulers. He campaigns against concentrated Republican power almost as much as he does against concentrated Democratic power. Though a Republican, he's able to launch a reasonably nonpartisan attack on the way government has worked over the last 19 years.

This suspicion of concentrated power in general and Washington in particular is not some election-year conversion for Thompson. It stretches back his whole life. He began his career investigating the Nixon White House. As Stephen Hayes reminded us in The Weekly Standard, as a staffer on the Senate Watergate committee, Thompson asked the question that revealed the existence of the White House tapes.

As a senator, Thompson investigated the Clinton campaign finance scandals (poorly), and established a reputation on one issue above all others: federalism. He was the only senator who voted against the Good Samaritan law because he thought it centralized power in the national government. He was that rarest of creatures -- someone who not only preached federalism to get to Washington, but practiced it after he arrived.

Today on the stump he talks about discovering Barry Goldwater's "Conscience of a Conservative" while in law school. He campaigns against the immigration bill because he doesn't think Washington can be counted on to keep its promises. His main complaint with the war on terror is that al-Qaida has a 100-year plan while Washington politicians "have a plan until the next election."

Courtesy of David Brooks in the Post Bulletin

If Fred runs on these things like the author of the article suggests that he is, then he will win the primary in a landslide.

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Better Off Fred...

Interesting essay on Fred Thompson by Jonah Goldberg - he takes on some of the hype surrounding Fred's candidacy, and demolishes the "Wes Clarke" comparisons some opponent operations are floating.

First and foremost, Thompson’s articulateness shouldn't be underestimated. He shares with Ronald Reagan — another actor-politician — an ability to communicate ideas in folksy, almost conversational ways without losing important nuance or meaning.

Most Republicans won’t admit it, but Bush’s trouble articulating his views — compounded by a terrible communications operation (save for standout Press Secretary Tony Snow) — is a major irritation on the Right. There’s a reason that IMAO’s No. 1 “Fred Thompson Fact” is “Fred Thompson has on multiple occasions pronounced ‘nuclear’ correctly.”

The Rest of the Story...

And Fred Thompson just seems so darn competent. Whether he’s the ideal president or just plays one on TV remains to be seen. He’s certainly typecast himself as the cocksure, wise, hands-on type in almost every movie role he’s had and as the district attorney on Law & Order.

There are other important differences between Clark and Thompson. As a candidate, Clark was a dud. He couldn’t explain the necessary flip-flops and contortions required to fit his record with the demands of the Democratic party’s base, and the more he talked, the less likable and presidential he seemed. Thompson’s record isn’t a perfect fit for the GOP base either, but Thompson, unlike Clark, is a very capable politician who won his senate seat by the largest margin in Tennessee history. And the more he talks, the more likable and presidential he appears.

Courtesy of Jonah Goldberg at National Review

I think he hit this one squarely on Fred's appela to the GOP right, and why he is not a replay of Wes Clarke.

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Fox News finally gets around to reporting

Looks like "Big Media" is finally picking up on things I've been putting out here for a while..

Numerous signs point to a Thompson candidacy, and a summertime announcement is widely expected, although people close to him caution that he has not made a final decision about running.

Never mind that he basically already is.

Thompson is hiring staff, speaking to conservative groups, writing online columns on topics of the day and staking out positions on issues like the Senate immigration overhaul. He also is testing his pitch on the Internet.

[The Rest of the Story]

"It's important to the future of this country that (Republicans) have somebody that can win in November," Thompson said in a recent online interview. "People are looking for somebody who can talk straight to them. That's what I hope I bring to bear."

His expected entrance into the already crowded GOP field could dramatically shake up the wide-open race but it's unclear who among the strongest contenders, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney, would be affected the most.

Conservatives who make up a big part of the GOP base have found fault with Giuliani, McCain and Romney for varying reasons and for months now have been searching for a candidate to embrace.

Thompson's backers bill him as the perfect person — the one truly conservative candidate in the mold of Ronald Reagan who can beat the Democratic nominee in November 2008. Rep. Zach Wamp of Tennessee called Thompson "naturally conservative with a down-home sense of humor and a confidence about who he is."

In the Senate, Thompson was considered a reliably conservative vote. The American Conservative Union gave him a lifetime rating of 86 out of 100. He fiercely backed the Iraq war, worked to limit the federal government's role, supported banning a late-term abortion procedure, and voted for President Bush's tax cuts.

Courtesy of Fox New

Better late than never, I suppose

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All about Fred's smackdown video

Interesting background, how the video a few articles below (over 1 million views!) was basically done with no script and in a single take, basically at the drop of a hat. Very impressive! (You'll have to go to the original site to read about that!)

The video response, released to the Breitbart.tv website and also linked on Drudge, was played more than 200,000 times that day. By the end of the week, that number would have more than tripled. Conservative blogs posted the video with their own commentary on Moore and Thompson, the former deemed moronic and the latter most excellent.

It wasn't just the Internet. CNN ran the Thompson video in full the next day. So did MSNBC. The Associated Press distributed a story about the confrontation on its wire. The New York Daily News highlighted the exchange and, more important, so did the Des Moines Register. That night, Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly replayed part of the video on his ratings-topping show and discussed it at length in his "Impact" segment. Said O'Reilly, "I'm giving it a win for Fred Thompson."

[The Rest of the Story]

National Journal's Hotline, the insider's guide to campaign reporting and analysis, put it this way: "Thanks to Michael Moore, Fred Thompson may have upstaged the entire GOP field without even showing up to 5/15's debate." Thompson was named the winner of the debate in an unscientific poll on Glenn Reynolds's high-traffic conservative/libertarian blog, Instapundit.com. And on it went.

When Thompson and his advisers talk about running a "different kind of campaign," this is what they mean. They believe he can use the Internet--in videos, audio files, and written commentary--to communicate directly with voters. His message will be unfiltered and therefore somewhat protected from mischaracterization by a left-leaning press corps in Washington. Campaign events will be filmed and posted so that interested parties--in this case, very interested parties--can see for themselves whether a Thompson performance was actually "lackluster" or lackluster only in the eyes of reporters. It is all part of Thompson's plan.

And Thompson is planning to run for president. His friends and advisers have moved on from the will-he-won't-he talk of just a month ago. Now, they speak of an exploratory committee. Barring some new unforeseen obstacle, he will be in by late June.

Courtesy of Stephan F. Hayes at the Weekly Standard

As with all of Mr Hayes' articles, it contains great details so be sure to sver them all at the originating site - and this give some solid some insight as to why Fred delays officially announcing - there are advantages to running a guerrilla campaign. Also be sure to read the part about pressure and threats on local politicians to fall into the Guiliani and Romney camps - I've heard about the strong-arming that has been going on here in Colorado - notably by Gov Owens and his Romney pressure tactics on our legislators, and the Guiliani people as well.

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Why is Fred Thompson Waiting?

Because he can? /rimshot... Go read it all - it is one of the most insightful summaries of why Fred has not thrown his hat into the ring quickly or carelessly.

But what is Fred Thompson up to and what is he waiting for? The conservative core of his party has been clear - they intend to draft him for ’08… What’s the holdup?

As one who knows a little about Thompson, not the actor, but the person, the politician, the patriot - I can venture a guess. First, don’t let the gentle southern drawl fool you. Fred Thompson is a very bright fellow. He’s also a politically astute fellow and an old fashioned patriot. If anything, he may be too smart to set upon a quest for the most thankless job in the world…

[The Rest of the Story]

Thompson knows exactly who is drafting him, why they are drafting him and what they expect of him. He knows that true conservatives, fed up with systemic bi-partisan anti-Americanism in Washington, are at the core of the Draft Thompson movement. He knows that this group is through compromising their values for faux conservatives.

He will not want to fail those drafting him. This is exactly why he is the people’s choice. This is why millions of American conservatives have chosen him as the leader they believe in most. He understands what is being asked of him and he won’t accept unless he sees a way clear to accomplish those goals. That alone makes him attractive, but it also makes him extremely careful in his response to that call.

Courtesy of JB Williams at The National Ledger

Tons more at the link.

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Followup: A Second Helping of Fred

Stephen F. Hayes follows up with more from his interview of Fred Thompson. Good Stuff; as he says under they byline " We may well just have something here."

AS REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL candidates gather tonight in Simi Valley, California, for the first of several debates, one potential candidate will be missing: Fred Thompson. The former senator from Tennessee, still mulling a run, will instead appear alone tomorrow at the Lincoln Day dinner of the Orange County Republicans.

Those familiar with his speech, which Thompson wrote himself, characterize it as optimistic but tough-minded about the serious challenges facing the country. He will touch on several of the big issues that will be at the center of any Thompson for president campaign, if he decides to run.

[The Rest of the Story]

Among many other things, we discussed the surge (he's for it, but thinks it was late and should have been bigger); cutting spending (he faults both the Bush administration and congressional Republicans for their failures); the Democrats' attempt to cut funding for the Iraq War ("tragic"); why he chose not to run for president in 2000 (he didn't want to be a "caretaker president"); his reading habits in college (Russel Kirk, Friedrich Hayek, National Review and, to understand the other side, the New Republic,); his frustrations in the Scooter Libby prosecution with the CIA ("they set this whole thing up") and the Justice Department (the case was brought because of "a breakdown" at DOJ); and which longtime Democrat he contributed to in 2006.

Courtesy of Stephen F. Hayes at the Daily Standard

Great amplification of the original article, and a lot more stuff there.

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Novak: Fred Thompson Considering Internet Fund Raising Tactics

Well,they may be catching on to us! Like Grassroots Voter with their volunteer and donor check box. And 10000 signed up already. Heh. I'll probably put up a sign up sheet this weekend for anyone wanting to express an interest in volunteering to help the campaign or dontate to it, once it exists. I'll be posting a privacy notice and all that before I do anhting of that sort. More analysis on money and the campaign below the ReadMore

Thompson, starting far behind in the money chase for the Republican presidential nomination, is considering adopting the 2004 tactics used by Democrat Howard Dean (D-Vt.) to raise campaign money via the Internet. All the signs of discontent at the grassroots level suggest that he could succeed in doing this.

[The Rest of the Story]

The non-candidacy of former Tennessee Republican Sen. Fred Thompson continues to be the talk of Republicans, but there is concern among potential supporters that he has not put in place a fund-raising operation and is falling far behind the announced candidates in the money game. Rudy Giuliani (R) in particular has an excellent financial structure, especially in New York, Texas and California. But Thompson has acting commitments to make and probably will not announce until June at the earliest.

Courtesy of Robert Novak at Human Events

Given the timing of the network contracts, radio etc - And all the speeches Fred Thompson has scheduled leading up to early June, that sounds about right to me.

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Fred Thompson Tears Down "The 4th Wall"

A testament to how he is impressing the press - imagine that, a politician that takes the press seriously *and* treats it seriously, not like a campaign organ (Liberals, including Giuliani) or an annoyance (Conservatives, Traditionally).

I imagine most politicians have to put some sort of psychic barrier between themselves and the relentlessly dart-throwing media, if only to stay sane during the grueling weird endurance marathon we call "running for president." But this week, in an exchange with National Review senior editor Ramesh Ponnuru, Fred Thompson tore down that fourth wall, separating him -- a potential leader of the Free World -- and us, folks who chat for a living.

[The Rest of the Story]

Few probably would have paid much attention to a mild little essay by Ponnuru taking Fred Thompson to task for votes on a couple of issues that, as even Ponnuru noted, few if any actual voters care passionately about, such as federal pre-emption of state laws and a federal cap on attorney's fees in state tobacco cases. "But if conservatives mean what they say when they complain about the dangerous rapacity of the trial bar," Ponnuru challenged, "they ought to ask Senator Thompson a few hard questions."

Ask and ye shall receive. Much to everyone's surprise, Fred Thompson quickly dashed off a response, posted on www.nationalreview.com -- a devastating, substantive, smart, wry and above all personal response. For example, on his opposition to a bill that would federally regulate lawyer's fees in tobacco cases: "Get this: Under the amendment the states would have been required to send the attorneys' bills to the House and Senate Judiciary for approval," riffs Thompson. "As I said on the floor on May 19, 1998, 'I did not come to the Senate to review billing records from lawyers in private lawsuits.'

"This discussion," Fred Thompson goes on to say, "is not an idle exercise. Republicans have struggled in recent years, because they have strayed from basic principles. Federalism is one of those principles."

It's one of those small incidents that speak volumes. Can you imagine McCain or Giuliani personally debating a senior editor on National Review's Web site? By tearing down the fourth wall, Fred Thompson announced to conservatives, more eloquently than even his words could, that he really is one of us.

Courtesy of Maggie Gallagher at Yahoo

I guess after a decade+ of fake conservatives like Bush father and son, and conservatives with bile like Gingrich, a genuine intellectual conservative that is personable is a bit of a shock to the system. Good.

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Fred Thompson is NOT Ronald Reagan - and that's Good!

Hits the nail onthe head, squarely.

And I’m also pretty excited about the prospects in Fred Thompson. But I’ve never thought Fred Thompson sounded like Reagan, as people often suggest. He doesn’t. He sounds like Fred Thompson, which is different from Reagan in style, tone and voice (and other forms of rhetoric and communication that I’m no expert in). What they do have in common are two important things: 1) The ability to communicate clearly and 2) The fact that when they speak, what they say makes sense; it resonates with that implicit sense that each of us has inside of right and wrong, of good and bad. You can tell Fred Thompson is speaking the truth when he speaks. And when he’s giving his opinion, you can tell he’s sincere.

[The Rest of the Story]

And so we can’t put it into words, but he reminds us of Reagan. Reagan did the same thing: he communicated clearly and he spoke to that inner sense of good and bad. I like Fred Thompson as much as you do. But, to be honest, Republicans are over-anxious to compare every likable candidate to Reagan. Thompson doesn’t sound like Reagan. But we can be glad that Fred Thompson sounds like Fred Thompson.

Courtesy of KJ Lopez, blogging at NRO's "The Corner"

Well Put. Let Fred be Fred.

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NY Sun political blog notices FDT

FDT shows up on the radar, and it looks like Giuliani and McCain are losing support.

The story, at least on the Republican side, is that so far this month both Rudy Giuliani and John McCain are dipping in support. Mr. McCain's below 20, and Mr. Giuliani's just above 30.

So, why are both of these candidates falling? Mitt Romney has edged up ever so slightly (from 7 to 8 to 9) over the last three months, but the real story is Fred Thompson, as this graph below the fold should make clear...

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So far, we've decided not to include Fred Thompson in our indices. He has significant public support, but he's not a declared candidate. And if we are just going to start including popular folks who aren't running, why not include Newt Gingrich on the Republican side, Al Gore on the Democratic side, John Kerry on the Democratic side (OK, just kidding, he's not popular), or, well, just about anybody else. Soon, the chart would just look like a bowl of spaghetti — and no one wants that.

Still, he's becoming a major factor in the race as conservatives unhappy with the Big Three, who've been casting about for a conservative "savior" candidate, jump on the Draft Fred bandwagon

...So, how has the Fred Thompson boomlet affected the other candidates in the race? Well, it's interesting that since February, the last month where Mr. Thompson wasn't a factor, Mr. Giuliani and Mr. McCain have fallen in the neighborhood of 5 points each.

Courtesy of Ryan Sager at the NY Sun Political Blog

This reporter has been a solid source of opinion and news - give him a read regularly.

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Cal Thomas: Run Fred Run!

Well said Cal!

He has Ronald Reagan’s communication skills and speaks plainly in ways most people can understand. Anyone who has listened to him substitute for Paul Harvey on ABC News Radio senses that, in this, he follows in Reagan’s footsteps. Radio is an intimate medium. People who are able to connect with a radio audience often can connect on TV and in person. Thompson, the actor, plays other people. On radio and in news interviews, he “plays” himself.

Thompson conveys Middle American, common sense values. When he is asked a question, he doesn’t sound as if he’s giving a poll-tested pabulum answer. Agree or not, his statements spring from conviction.

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There’s something else to like about Fred Thompson. He doesn’t appear to be lusting after the job as if he needs it for his self-image. This, too, is much like Reagan, who knew who he was before becoming president and was the same after he left office.

It is said of Thompson that he has always “answered the call” of his country, whether it was serving as minority counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee, or in other capacities, including United States senator.

Courtesy of Cal Thomas at Human Events Magazine

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From the Courthouse to the Whitehouse (AoTD 4/14-16)

(4/14/07 10:00 AM MDT) This is simply the very best analysis and biography to date on Fred Thompson. Read a bit here -then go get a cup of coffee and sit down and read it all at the Weekly Standard (use the ReadMore to see the link)

A strange thing happened a few weeks back when I went to the Café Promenade at the Mayflower Hotel for an off-the-record interview with an unpaid adviser to the non-campaign of unannounced presidential candidate Fred Thompson.

Fred Thompson showed up.

...by the end of the conversation, two unexpected realities had emerged. If he joins the race for the Republican nomination, and if he campaigns the same way he spoke to me last week, Fred Thompson, a mild-mannered, slow-talking southern gentleman, will run as the politically aggressive conservative that George W. Bush hasn't been for four years. And the actor in the race could well be the most authentic personality in the field.

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Thompson seems to recognize that he wins the guy-I'd-want-to-get-a-beer-with primary the moment he announces. He comes across as a regular guy--"folksy" will be the political cliché that attaches to his candidacy--and punctuates explanations of his positions with the kind of off-the-cuff homespun witticisms that Dan Rather spent a career trying to come up with. ...

... "Literally, I don't think Fred ever acts," says Tom Ingram, a longtime friend from Tennessee who now serves as chief of staff to Senator Lamar Alexander. "He played himself in Marie, and he's been playing himself ever since." ...

... Thompson never moved to Hollywood, choosing to stay in Tennessee, where he continued to practice law and remained involved in Republican politics. ...

... As we spoke, I was struck by the fact that Thompson didn't seem to be calibrating his answers for a presidential run. On issue after contentious issue, I got the sense from both his manner and the answers he gave me that he was just speaking extemporaneously. Many of his answers would drive a poll-watching political consultant nuts.

Courtesy of Stephen F. Hayes at the Weekly Standard

Hat Tip A Commenter here at Colorado For Thompson

This is just the tip of the iceberg here. Want to know what those answers are that would drive political consultants nuts? Hit the link - the answers are there! Then read it all, and tell your friends!

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