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Thompson tests conservative waters
The Washington Times ^ | April 19, 2007 | Ralph Z. Hallow and Stephen Dinan

Posted on 04/19/2007 4:13:30 AM PDT by Josh Painter

Evidence of former Sen. Fred Thompson's presidential appeal to victory-seeking conservatives is growing, including drawing more than 50 House Republicans yesterday to hear his pitch and walking out with some endorsements for the Tennessean.

"When Fred Thompson runs for president, I will endorse him," said Rep. Jeff Miller of Florida.

Rep. Dan Burton of Indiana said Mr. Thompson "is ready, and I want him to run."

Richard Land, one of the nation's leading Southern Baptists, told The Washington Times yesterday that Mr. Thompson is sure to win if he runs.

The actor-politician has invited Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder to attend any announcement of a presidential candidacy.

"If Fred Thompson enters the race, he will be the odds-on favorite to become the nominee," said Mr. Land, president of the South Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. "He will be a formidable candidate in the general election for the presidency."

Mr. Kinder, a staunch supporter of the Iraq war, noted that "Thompson won both his U.S. Senate races by more than 20 percentage points in a state that Bill Clinton carried twice."

"Fred Thompson has demonstrated massive crossover appeal [to Democrats and independents] reminiscent of Reagan," Mr. Kinder said.

Mr. Land and Mr. Kinder's enthusiasm adds to the conviction among Republican insiders that Mr. Thompson will enter the contest and become a magnet for Iraq war advocates and social conservatives looking for a candidate they can trust...

Mr. Land said Mr. Thompson's wife, Jeri Kehn, telephoned to thank him for a complimentary newspaper column. On Saturday, Mr. Thompson phoned to say he wanted Mr. Land present at any campaign kickoff.

"No date or time frame was mentioned," Mr. Land said.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: fred; fredthompson; nomination; republican; rfr; runfredrun; thompson
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To: Jedi Master Pikachu
Thompson isn't sure to win if he runs--to be technical about it.

To be technical it is even less likely that he will win, if he doesn't run. ;-)

Of course nothing is a sure thing, but Thompson still has a good chance of garnering a plurality, if not a majority of Republican votes in the primaries. One reason for that is his plain spoken conservativism, but another is that he is the best candidate to put up against any of the Dems.

Even then his election to the Presidency isn't a sure thing. The Dems seem to be polling in the majority right now. But Thompson will garner a good number of cross over votes the way Reagan did. He is the best hope right now of keeping the Reagan Revolution alive!

21 posted on 04/19/2007 6:14:40 AM PDT by HoustonTech
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To: CharlesWayneCT
"I really thought Mitt Romney would be that compromise candidate, and maybe he still will be, but he has some significant drag due to his being a “Massachusetts politician”. Although I would think that Rudy beating him in Mass. should show who the real “Mass. Liberal” is in the republican party."

But the biggest surprise on negatives has to be Mitt Romney, who one would assume hasn't got the name recognition to generate high negatives. Yet the poll shows that 54% responded that they would definitely not vote for Mitt in the general election. That bodes very ill for the GOP's best fundraising campaign thus far, and one has to wonder whether the Mormon religion plays a part in that result. Nothing he has done so far would create that kind of sharp opposition.

Mitt is unelectable and going nowhere.

RUN, FRED, RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This from today's WaPo poll via Captain's quarters

22 posted on 04/19/2007 6:33:05 AM PDT by Neville72 (uist)
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To: ElectricStrawberry
Question: Has a President ever been drafted for the job?

Have you ever heard of George Washington? In case you're not familiar with him, he was our first president and had to be convinced to serve.

23 posted on 04/19/2007 6:36:45 AM PDT by jellybean (FRED THOMPSON FOR PRESIDENT! Proud to be an Ann-droid and a Steyn-aholic)
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To: jellybean

I imagine a search of history would find other men who first got the idea of being president from friends, family, and others who urged them to run.


24 posted on 04/19/2007 6:41:31 AM PDT by CharlesWayneCT
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To: CharlesWayneCT

I’ll flip through my book of presidents and see what I can find.


25 posted on 04/19/2007 6:53:32 AM PDT by jellybean (FRED THOMPSON FOR PRESIDENT! Proud to be an Ann-droid and a Steyn-aholic)
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To: Fairview
It would be nice if this were true, but is it? I don't recall hearing millions of Democrats saying "I'm going to vote for Fred!"

For what it's worth, the few times I've checked the DU opinion of Fred, it was begrudgingly respectful. They also seem to think he would be a formidable opponent.

26 posted on 04/19/2007 6:56:26 AM PDT by jmc813 (The 2nd Amendment is NOT a "social conservative" issue.)
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To: ElectricStrawberry
Question: Has a President ever been drafted for the job?

Um yea. Ever hear of George Washington? He was more than happy to retired back to Mt. Vernon after the war. Instead he was essentially drafted to run and serve as first President.

27 posted on 04/19/2007 6:57:58 AM PDT by AFreeBird (This space for rent. Inquire within)
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To: jellybean

Beat me to it.


28 posted on 04/19/2007 6:59:37 AM PDT by AFreeBird (This space for rent. Inquire within)
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To: jellybean

There wasn’t an “election” for GW with a primary and a general election with the People (supporters) voting.

If you have to go all the way to #1, who was elected by the first Electoral College.....to find a candidate that was drafted by voters (maybe I should’ve been more clear...but somehow I think you know what I meant)....then I can see your hidden answer.

Clarification so you can’t play in the grey areas:

Has a Presidential PRIMARY winner ever been drafted by the voters....been pushed into the race by the voters and actually won? Honestly, I don’t know, but thinking of the last 10, the answer is “no”. They’ve all set their sights on the Big Seat, and then gone after it full force without having to be drafted by supporters.


29 posted on 04/19/2007 7:01:46 AM PDT by ElectricStrawberry (27th Infantry Regiment....cut in half during the Clinton years......WOLFHOUNDS!!!!)
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To: ElectricStrawberry

George Washington, Dwight Eisenhower.


30 posted on 04/19/2007 7:19:23 AM PDT by gpapa
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To: jellybean

Is it too early to request the ambassadorship to Fiji?

RFR RFR RFR!!


31 posted on 04/19/2007 8:04:45 AM PDT by Squidpup ("Fight the Good Fight")
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To: Squidpup

I would suggest you don’t attempt bribery. Fred doesn’t hold with corruption, you know. :) LOL


32 posted on 04/19/2007 8:07:19 AM PDT by Politicalmom (Better a democrat with an energized opposition than a leftist “Republican” with no opposition.)
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To: Sturm Ruger
Testing the waters? Good Lord Fred jump on in, the waters fine. We are waiting for you anxiously.
33 posted on 04/19/2007 8:08:21 AM PDT by NavyCanDo
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To: AFreeBird

....and how many primaries or general elections with the People voting did GW win?


34 posted on 04/19/2007 8:18:29 AM PDT by ElectricStrawberry (27th Infantry Regiment....cut in half during the Clinton years......WOLFHOUNDS!!!!)
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To: gpapa

Washington doesn’t count as he wasn’t elected by the People in an “election” and thusly couldn’t be drafted BY the People. I know the questin was vague.

...but thanks for Eisenhower, as I AM a product of the American school system and I’m always looking for the truth.

Only difference I can see right off is that Eisenhower had established himself as a well-known and victorious leader of the military in a way that Fred could never do as a 7th billing actor on a TV screen.


35 posted on 04/19/2007 8:30:00 AM PDT by ElectricStrawberry (27th Infantry Regiment....cut in half during the Clinton years......WOLFHOUNDS!!!!)
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To: ElectricStrawberry

None, since the 12th amendment didn’t apply to the presidential elections until 1804. Even so, technically, people don’t vote for the president anyway, the Electoral College does, so no president has been elected by the people.


36 posted on 04/19/2007 8:37:27 AM PDT by AFreeBird (This space for rent. Inquire within)
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To: ElectricStrawberry

In a one word answer - YES


37 posted on 04/19/2007 9:26:04 AM PDT by ODC-GIRL (Proudly serving our Nation's Homeland Defense)
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To: gpapa

In addition - Lincoln


38 posted on 04/19/2007 9:28:57 AM PDT by ODC-GIRL (Proudly serving our Nation's Homeland Defense)
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To: Sturm Ruger

BTTT!!


39 posted on 04/19/2007 9:45:12 AM PDT by Chena (I want a President who will also be tough against liberalism. (Kevin McCullough))
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