Is Fred Thompson Considering A Run?

[Annie]

http://www.elephantbiz.com/2007/01/running_on_radio.html

Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, a lawyer and actor who currently plays District Attorney Arthur Branch on Law & Order, is now doing radio commentary on the Paul Harvey show, which reaches 22 million listeners per week. Thompson's most recent commentary, republished in text and original audio at National Review's website, looks at the the defeatist attitude in Congress:

Is it really in our country’s best interest to signal to the enemy that they probably only have to wait us out a little longer because congressional determination to defeat them is crumbling? Doesn’t such a resolution further diminish our chances for success at the very time our soldiers are preparing to go into battle?​

You can listen to the brief commentary here. (Click to listen or right-click to download).

FredThompson.jpgMight Thompson be prepping for a presidential run? He says he isn't running, but perhaps he is, unconventionally, courting Republican conservatives in case that when the field clears later this year it becomes obvious that, of the three likely to still be in the race, neither Arizona Sen. John McCain nor former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has a chance at the conservative vote, while former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's support among social conservatives is brittle and based less on a love for Romney than on their distaste for the other two. In that scenario, a late entry by Thompson could rapidly erode Romney's support and likely take down McCain too as Thompson does well with moderates and independents...

 

[Eightball]

Fred Thompson:

He might be a good choice! He's got some pretty good recognition too because of his Hollywood career as well.

If he doesn't have any bones in the old closet for the liberal media to dig up, he could be a good alternative.

Is he a fairly strong conservative, fiscally, and a believer in taking the fight against terror to the terrorists? How's his stand on unborn human life too?

 

[Avatar4321]

Im starting to worry there are too many conservatives running. if the conservative vote is split too much in the nomination process McCain could win...

 

[roadhouse158]

Fred Thompson:

He might be a good choice! He's got some pretty good recognition too because of his Hollywood career as well.

If he doesn't have any bones in the old closet for the liberal media to dig up, he could be a good alternative.

Is he a fairly strong conservative, fiscally, and a believer in taking the fight against terror to the terrorists? How's his stand on unborn human life too?

Like Bush, Thompson opposes abortion and generally supports enforcing existing gun laws over enacting new measures. Both say people should be able to invest some Social Security money.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/e2222.htm

Here's an old article from USA Today that answers your question

 

[Eightball]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/e2222.htm

Here's an old article from USA Today that answers your question

Thanks for the article.

Sounds like an interesting candidate. He's not conservative to the extent of Barry Goldwater, but he could be great on anyone's ticket as a V.P..

I like the fact that he's pro-life, but he seemed to go with that lame campaign reform bill of McCain's.

He's sounds like he's lived a rather interesting life, and might be grilled on his dating life in the past, but then again, the Demo candidates usually are given a pass by the media, and maybe Thompson would not get hit too hard in that category.
****
He might make for a strong ticket. I could see him in the V.P. role. Maybe a McCain/Thompson Ticket, or a Rudy/Thompson Ticket......or Gengrich/Thompson? I think he'd enhance any of those possible combo's.

Maybe he would keep the Prez candidate from wandering into the liberal/moderate leaning area too much too.

 

[Annie]

Why not? Lord knows the Right could use a conservative infusion:

http://blogs.knoxnews.com/knx/silence/archives/2007/03/fanning_the_fre.shtml

Fanning the Fred flames

The Fred Thompson rumors that he might run for president just keep on coming. Here's part of an e-mail I just received from a good source of mine:

Michael - I am hearing that the Fred talk is more than distant rumbles. Of course there is no way of knowing how he will come down on it, but he apparently is looking.

UPDATE: From comments: Last Friday, Carl Cameron reported from CPAC on FoxNews that Thompson was "seriously considering" entering the race for President. Since that time, hits on our website draftfredthompson.com have grown exponentially, plus other similar websites have been launched. I'd invite anyone interested in a FDT candidacy to please visit us, register and post you thoughts. While I have no direct knowledge of an imminent announcement, I know that he has been approached by trusted advisors who are encouraging him to run.

UPDATE II: Interest is gaining steam in the blogosphere.
Posted by Michael Silence on March 06, 2007 at 11:03 AM

 

[Bern80]

Anyone from "The Hunt for Red October" has my vote....oh wait Alec Baldwin was in that too.

 

[Annie]

More and more interesting:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,258222,00.html

...

WALLACE: There's been a lot of buzz, as we said, in Republican circles that there's no true conservative in the GOP presidential field. Now some top Republicans, including your friend former Tennessee senator Howard Baker, are putting out trial balloons about you possibly entering the race.

Question: Are you considering running for president in 2008?

THOMPSON: I'm giving some thought to it. Going to leave the door open.

WALLACE: Well, you say leaving the door open. What's going to go into your decision-making process, what factors? Why would you do it? And what do you see — do you see some holes in the current Republican field?

THOMPSON: It's not really a reflection on the current field at all. As you know, some of them are very good friends of mine. I'm going to wait and see how it pans out, see how they do, how it develops.

A lot of people think it's late already. I don't really think it is, although the rules of the game have changed somewhat.

Part of it is internal, a little self-examination on my part. Adlai Stevenson, I guess it was, said, you know, the trick is to do what's necessary to be president and become president and still deserve to be president. And that's serious consideration.

I'm concerned about what's going on in the country, in our world, always have been. Just the fact that I left the Senate did not negate that in any way. I've been involved in national security issues and things of that nature since I've been out of the Senate.

I think we're going into one of the most perilous times that our country has been in. I think that there are great opportunities out there.

But it's not preordained that we're going to remain the strongest and freest nation in the history of the world. We've got to do some things well. We've got to do some things differently.

WALLACE: As you point out, by historical standards, it's still very early, March of 2007. But your potential rivals are out there already building organizations, raising tens of millions of dollars. Don't you, if you're going to get into this. ...

THOMPSON: Spending tens of millions of dollars.

WALLACE: That's true, too. Don't you have to get into this pretty quickly if you're going to do it?

THOMPSON: I don't think so. I don't think so. I could be wrong, but I don't. You know, historically, as you say, people have gotten in October, in that time frame. I don't think you can wait that long anymore.

But you know, times are different in another respect, too. They're different from a political standpoint, but they're different in the country, too. I think people are somewhat disillusioned. I think a lot of people are cynical out there. I think they're looking for something different.

They're not necessarily willing to abide by the same rules politically as to their own behavior as voters. And I think that they're going to be open to different things.

It will be interesting to me as I listen to people and learn and watch what's going on and what's the reaction, and the poll numbers and so forth, as to whether or not my instinct on that is right.

But whatever the case, the lay of the land will be different in a few months than it is today one way or the other, and...

WALLACE: Well, let me ask you...

THOMPSON: ... one advantage you have in not, you know, having this as lifelong ambition is that if it turns out that your calculation is wrong, it's not the end of the world...

 

[Annie]

Some interesting tidbits. Lots of links:

http://www.elephantbiz.com/2007/03/fred_fallout.html

Lots of interesting reaction and commentary in the media and blogosphere to Fred Thompson's announcement Sunday that he is giving serious consideration to running for president.

The Nashville City Paper interviews a couple of national political pundits who don't think Fred Thompson has the drive to become president - and notes that some Tennessee Republicans, such as U.S. Reps. Marsha Blackburn (R-Brentwood) and John J. Duncan Jr. (R-Knoxville), have endorsed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for president.

Matt Lambert, a Blackburn spokesman, told the City Paper that Blackburn "remains committed to the Romney campaign as the Tennessee co-chair for Romney for President as well as the national committee co-chair for Women for Romney."

As for Duncan, he's open to switching horses...

From the Knoxville News-Sentinel:

U.S. Rep. John J. Duncan Jr., R-Knoxville, endorsed Mitt Romney for president less than two weeks ago, but he says he instead will back Tennessee's Fred Thompson if he joins the fray. "If (former Sen.) Fred Thompson gets in there, then I definitely would support him," Duncan, a Republican, said in an interview. "He's been a long-time friend. I know him a whole lot better than I know (former Massachusetts) Gov. Romney."
​

That cracking sound you heard is the beginning of the crumbling of Romney's conservative support based on just the possibility of Fred Thompson running for president. Imagine how fast it will disappear if/when Thompson actually jumps into the race...



William Rusher at TownHall.com thinks Thompson's announcement represents a "major transformation" of the battle for the Republican presidential nomination. (Me: Yes it does.)

Thompson's announcement "is no minor development," Rusher says, noting that, Bob Beckel, Clinton's longtime press secretary and now a Democratic commentator for Fox, "promptly asserted that Thompson is the only possible Republican contender 'who scares me,' and he is right to worry.

It is a major development because Thompson has so many undeniable qualifications for the nomination. First and foremost, he is a true-blue conservative, comfortable with all the positions on social issues (abortion, gay rights, gun control, etc.) that give Rudy Giuliani so much difficulty and that have inspired John McCain and Mitt Romney to "flip-flop" in recent years to curry favor with social conservatives. In the second place, he is (as his television career demonstrates) an immensely attractive personality at 64, with a rumpled and thoughtful charm. Thirdly, his service for eight years in the U.S. Senate (four times Barack Obama's current tenure) attests to his success as a political leader. And finally, he hails from a border state -- Tennessee -- with all that implies for electability in the South and elsewhere.
​

Blake Dvorak at Real Clear Politics thinks Sen. Thompson "hit all the right notes" during his Sunday television appearance....

 

[CTRLALTDEL]

I hope he does run. I like him a lot (even though he's Republican). If Ahnuld can do it so can he. It's odd that most of the Republicans I do like are from Hollywood (Arnold/Thomson).

 

[UnAmericanYOU]

Yep, FDT. He is a good friend of John McCain, but he thinks (correctly) that Johnny has no chance.

The pressure's mounting, he'd better make a decision and soon.

http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Fred_Thompson.htm

The GOP field is crowded, but with big, fat RINOs, come with me to dark side:

http://draftfredthompson.com/index.php

The VRWC lives for tomorrow.

 

[Annie]

Think he's 'not running'?

http://pajamasmedia.com/2007/03/_exclusive_to_pjm_fred_thompso.php

PJM Seattle
March 19, 2007 12:57 PM


by Fred Thompson

The comic book movie “300” about the Spartans and the Persians in 480 BC is still breaking box-office records. Now it seems the rulers of modern-day Persia, Iran, are not amused.

“300,” shows a small band of Spartans saving the lives of their countrymen AND the seeds of modern Democracy by kicking the much larger Persians forces effectively in the backside at Thermopylae until the sheer numbers overwhelmed them. If I remember my history, that’s exactly what happened.

But the Iranians have filed a flurry of complaints with the United Nations, claiming “300” is “cultural and psychological warfare.”

Who are these guys who are getting all flushed over our cultural insensitivity?

People who want to blow Jews off the face of the earth. The regime that stormed our embassy in 1979 and kept Americans captive for 444 days. Iran’s Hezbollah puppets have killed more Americans, than any other terrorist group except Al Qaeda. Explosive devices from Iran are being used right now against our soldiers in Iraq. They’re clearly more skittish about cultural warfare than the sort that actually kills people – like the one against Israel that Iran financed just a few months ago.

I must say that I’m impressed that Hollywood took on a politically incorrect villain. Must have run out of neo-Nazis. So now these sensitive souls in Iran think that Hollywood is part of a U.S. government conspiracy to humiliate them into submission. I can only wish we were that effective.
Fred Thompson is a former US Senator from Tennessee, an actor, and — many say — a potential candidate for President of the United States.

 

[Bullypulpit]

If Fred is throwing his hat into the ring, it shows just how moribund the Republican presidential race really is...And how bereft of ideas the GOP is.

 

[Mr.Conley]

Fred Thompson can't run for President. Law and Order needs him.

 

[Gunny]

Im starting to worry there are too many conservatives running. if the conservative vote is split too much in the nomination process McCain could win...

Too many conservatives and no one of them can carry the Republican AND moderate votes.

 

[Gunny]

If Fred is throwing his hat into the ring, it shows just how moribund the Republican presidential race really is...And how bereft of ideas the GOP is.

The problem in a nutshell .... the Republicans groomed no one person with mass appeal to suceed Bush.

 

[Emmett]

Fred Thompson willo do just fine and YES... he will be a candidate!

 

[Bullypulpit]

Im starting to worry there are too many conservatives running. if the conservative vote is split too much in the nomination process McCain could win...

Can Rudy Giuliani meet the standards of today's so called conservatives? Can John McCain meet those same standards? Can human muppet, Newt Gingrich meet them? Given that they have nine marriages between them, can they even call themselves conservatives? I think "libertines" and "adulterers" would be more appropriate.

Mitt Romney is the only one who has remained married to the same woman, and he's a Mormon, which doesn't sit well with the most rabid of the religious right wing-nut base. That, and he's done such a fast 180 on the right-wing red-meat issues (abortion, same-gender marriage) that I'm surprised he didn't get whiplash.

 

[Gunny]

Fred Thompson willo do just fine and YES... he will be a candidate!

He's a better candidate than what's offered so far, IMO. Based on the current crop, might as well pull Robert Dole out of mothballs and let him run again.

 

[Gunny]

Can Rudy Giuliani meet the standards of today's so called conservatives? Can John McCain meet those same standards? Can human muppet, Newt Gingrich meet them? Given that they have nine marriages between them, can they even call themselves conservatives? I think "libertines" and "adulterers" would be more appropriate.

Mitt Romney is the only one who has remained married to the same woman, and he's a Mormon, which doesn't sit well with the most rabid of the religious right wing-nut base. That, and he's done such a fast 180 on the right-wing red-meat issues (abortion, same-gender marriage) that I'm surprised he didn't get whiplash.

I don't see where marital status should be an issue.