Should Conservatives Look at Thompson’s Record or His Rhetoric?

Townhall ^ | 06/28/2007 | Janice Shaw Crouse

[Tax-chick]

At this point, though –– about a year-and-a-half before the election –– Thompson has not even declared his candidacy, so any analysis of his potential in the race is pure speculation.

Quite so, Janice, so why don't you go bake something and have a Guinness.

[Chi-townChief]

This guy’s sucking up to McCain is what disturbs me.

[Chi-townChief]

Hunter looks like our guy for this go-round.

[traderrob6]

First requirement ...conservative, second electable. Fred is the only candidate presently that satisfies both.

[xcamel]

Dunkin Dough Nutz

[Norman Bates]

You would think the prospect of President Hildabeast would be a motivating enough factor.

I might remind you that argument didn't seem to work around here for Rudy Giuliani.

[Reagan Man]

Run Fred Run!

[FourtySeven]

I would be happy to vote for Hunter if he made it past the primaries. Unfortunately, the Rudy-bots were right about one thing, name recognition is important. The only people in this country who know who Duncan Hunter is, are political junkies like us.

Ask anyone on the street. They might not even know who Thomoson is by name, but if you say, “That guy on Law & Order”, a mental picture comes to mind right away and they say “Oh yeah, I know him”. You say to someone regarding Hunter “You know, the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee”, they’ll answer, “There’s a House Armed Services Committee? What do they do, arm Congress?”

[TornadoAlley3]

Record.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Calling it “rhetoric” implicitly dismisses it without consideration.

I call is “his current expressed principles.” And they should be compared to his record, to see if there are inconsistencies. But we don’t plug our ears to what a candidate is saying in order to justify dismissing him.

[fireforeffect]

As the article states, seeing his daughter’s sonogram “changed” his position. THAT is a good, credible reason to “change” your position, that no one can argue with.

As to McCain-Fielngold, “I was wrong” works for me. No weasel words.

[Neu Pragmatist]

Yes, but you are comparing Rudy to Fred, and truly there is no comparison. Rudy is a Lib . Fred is not .

[Atlas Sneezed]

With his star quality and down-home demeanor lifelong record as a solid conservative, and his remarkable ability to clearly articulate the principles of conservatism and Federalism, he is already running second among the Republicans in some polls and first in others.

(There, fixed it.)

[Atlas Sneezed]

I don’t see any inconsistency between opposing the creation of a federal abortion police state, and wanting the citizens of each state to have the right to establish their own abortion restrictions.

He may differ from the extremists on both sides, but he doesn’t differ from this conservative.

Face it, you can’t “win” on abortion based on “it’s murder.” You can only win on “it’s a state issue.”

[what's up]

“changed” his position

Like I said, Miers changed her position too. Yet she was horse-whipped by conservatives.

“I was wrong” works for me

He doesn't say he was wrong on many aspects of the bill which are anti-free speech IMO.

And his support of McCain for President earlier? Well...that does give me great pause.

[BillyBoy]

>> His current rhetoric matches his record. <<

Fred Thompson's current "rhetoric" that he's against all amnesty "until the border is secure" and that he wants to crack down on employers who hire illegals certainly does NOT match his 1994-2006 "record" on this issue. I wish Fred voted like Hunter & Tancredo on immigration. He didn't.

Fred Thompson's Senate "record" on immigration is actually pretty simular to "RINO traitor" Lindsey Graham.

[ElectricStrawberry]

Not only “helping”...but co-sponsoring the theft of your rights...#3 on the list, right behind McCain and Feingold.

Regardless of the fact that the provision I had the biggest problem with was just overturned by the SC(free-speech blackout periods), Fred showed with that one act that he CAN and WILL thieve my 1A rights...especially if the bill “feels good” (CFR was a very politically sexy bill in the Senate at the time...41 co-sponsors)......despite later saying “oops...went too far” when campaigning for another office, some people just care about 1A rights and infringements thereof.

Shhhhh.....not supposed to talk of this Fred thieving 1A rights stuff.

[BillyBoy]

>> This guy’s sucking up to McCain is what disturbs me. <<

Shhh. The Fredheads want us to believe that it's "treasonous" for Lindsey Graham to do that in the Senate, but when Fred had the SAME "record" in the Senate, we should get aboard the Fred Express and promote him to leader of the free world.

[scory]

I don’t expect any candidate to be the “perfect conservative” with a completely unblemished record. I am still looking into Thompson and so far I like what I see. That he changed his position on abortion bothers me not at all. I changed MY position on abortion from one of largely indifferent approval to staunchly opposed so I am not going to hold his earlier stance on the issue against him.

So far all the attacks against Thompson I have read haven’t amounted to much beyond peevish carping. I will not vote for a RINO like Rudy under any circumstances. I would vote for McCain against any rat but never for him in a primary. I would also vote for Romney against any rat but I don’t know if I trust him enough to vote for him in the primary if Thompson, Hunter or Gingrich are running. I think Newt would have a hard time winning a national election. What I know of Hunter is very positive but can he win nationally? Thompson can beat Hillary and looks like he might be the real deal.

[what's up]

Agreed. It makes me think that Fred, despite his populist conservatism, is far from being a tough fiscal conservative.

I think most likely his main thrust will be toward anti-business, blue-collar voters. Many on the right (even here on FR) are actually of this same persuasion even though there used to be many more fiscal conservative here; nowadays social issues far outweigh fiscal considerations.

That's why you have this current rah-rah atmosphere regarding Fred IMO.

Still undecided as to my vote and will be till probably 08 and I'm not saying I won't vote for Fred. But until Fred starts really talking, it's difficult to know what his proposals will be for President.