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Is the Good Ship Fred Righting Its Course?
National Review ^ | August 9, 2007 | Jim Geraghty

Posted on 08/09/2007 1:33:20 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

The mood within Team Fred is a bit more optimistic with yesterday’s news that William Lacy will be taking the reins of the not-quite campaign.

While friends of Fred will try to make the case that the troubles of the past weeks were minor bumps in the road, I’m told the mood within Fred-land was gloomy, as suggested by the sudden departures and fairly low-profile schedule for the not-quite-candidate. What we on the outside didn’t see were the tensions at the top and a sense of confusion over what the next steps were…

A quirk of the not-quite-campaign so far has been Thompson’s collection of talented people and putting them in positions.

Randy Enwright, for example, has great experience running state efforts of national Republican campaigns in Florida, as well as a fine stint at the Iowa GOP. But was he the right man to run an entire national campaign? Now with Lacy on board, it appears he’ll be able to focus on his strengths.

I noted that Jim Mills is – well, was - a talented, smart, jovial reporter and producer for Fox News; the question is how he works on the other side of the microphone.

Former senator and energy secretary Spencer Abraham is not “campaign manager”, at least as that title is commonly perceived; he’s more a key adviser. Those hyperventilating that Fred’s close friendship with and trust of Abraham means that he automatically adopts the former Michigan senator’s stand on immigration are, unsurprisingly, barking up the wrong tree. (Perhaps candidates should impose some sort of ideological apartheid for who they converse with.)

Lacy is one of the few political operatives with the right combination of personal experience with Fred’s past senatorial campaigns and significant experience successful national campaigns – running Reagan’s campaign in the Maryland primary in 1980 and serving political director of the Republican National Committee during Reagan's 1984 re-election campaign, California senior consultant for then Vice President George H.W. Bush's 1988 presidential campaign. With him now standing out as a trusted and experienced voice, the “lineup” for Team Fred might finally be gelling.

Those of us on the outside might want to remember that while campaign documentaries like “The War Room” make it seem like Clinton’s 1992 campaign consisted of the Clintons, George Stephanopolous, James Carville and a bunch of young interns, a successful presidential campaign requires accumulating hundreds of paid staff and volunteers. Very few candidates – mostly only those in political dynasties like the Bushes and/or Clintons – can press a button and see a campaign organization with the right people in the right place assemble overnight.

Jeri Thompson’s resume, as detailed in the Washington Post piece, demonstrates that she’s neither a neophyte who has no business influencing campaign decisions like Teresa Heinz nor a natural born campaign architect. Like most candidate’s wives, it’s a given she is Fred’s most trusted and influential observer. The question, raised in some quarters, is whether she, or any campaign wife, has the objectivity to see the candidate’s flaws and to make the unpopular arguments.

I’m told Thompson himself is actually pleased with the not-quite-campaign so far, and is watching the still-pretty-high poll numbers.

One other note which might explain the troubles of recent weeks: John McCain has been thinking about running for president since 1998, and clearly has been taking preparatory steps, collecting staff, etc., for the past few years. For Giuliani, his heavy-duty efforts for the national GOP began in 2002. For Romney, clearly he saw his 2002 election as the governor of Massachusetts as a natural stepping stone to bigger things.

As of late last year, Fred Thompson aspired to radio commentator Paul Harvey’s job, not President George W. Bush’s job.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; Politics/Elections; US: Tennessee
KEYWORDS: conservatism; electionpresident; elections; fredthompson; reaganesque; republicans; runfredrun
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To: Rick_Michael
Crazy?

Crazy like a Fox!

Know what I mean ;-)

Oops, sorry, got to go, the Illuminati are at my door, have to sneak out my escape tunnel...

21 posted on 08/09/2007 2:43:01 PM PDT by ejonesie22 (I am not really a Fred basher, I am a Paulitroll. THOMPSON 2008!)
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To: Mrs_Stokke

With all due respect, a republican has little chance of winning much of anything in Illinois. Judy Barr Topinka sees to that.

Unfortunately.


22 posted on 08/09/2007 6:59:20 PM PDT by prairiebreeze (PUT AMERICA AHEAD! VOTE FOR FRED!!)
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To: ejonesie22

LOL!

Do you sit up nights thinking this stuff up??

:^D


23 posted on 08/09/2007 7:00:16 PM PDT by prairiebreeze (PUT AMERICA AHEAD! VOTE FOR FRED!!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
OK, I posted this on another (lackluster) thread (so I'm coming clean). I really do want to support Fred...really. And I sincerely hope he's put this time to proper use, building a campaign staff of national capability, ironing-in important supporters within the party and preparing to raise prodigious amounts of money (all things that can't be turned on a dime). But Really People. Fred it's time to

OR GET OFF THE POT!

24 posted on 08/09/2007 7:07:57 PM PDT by Scott from the Left Coast
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Comment #25 Removed by Moderator

To: Scott from the Left Coast

And sorry for the double, one shouldn’t try to eat dinner and post at the same time.


26 posted on 08/09/2007 7:09:02 PM PDT by Scott from the Left Coast
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To: Scott from the Left Coast

That’s ok with me, it was twice as funny...LOL


27 posted on 08/09/2007 7:52:39 PM PDT by Aria (NO RAPIST ENABLER FOR PRESIDENT!!!)
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To: mnehrling

Come on, you’ve been around here long enough to a good debunking is no reason to stop spreading the same myth. We still get chemtrail threads, after all.


28 posted on 08/09/2007 7:59:01 PM PDT by The Pack Knight (Duty, Honor, Country. Right-Wing Conspirator and Friend of Fred)
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To: ejonesie22

Fred Thompson fact: When it’s cold, that white mist you see coming out of the exhaust of the red pickup? Barium salt!! CHEMTRAILS, MAN!!!


29 posted on 08/09/2007 8:01:39 PM PDT by The Pack Knight (Duty, Honor, Country. Right-Wing Conspirator and Friend of Fred)
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To: prairiebreeze; ejonesie22

My theory is ejonesie is naturally brilliant. He comes up with something really fast. No overnight thinking time allowed.


30 posted on 08/09/2007 9:04:04 PM PDT by hoosierpearl (To God be the glory.)
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To: prairiebreeze
Sad thing is I don’t. It doesn’t take but like 3 seconds.

It’s like fish in a barrel.

A barrel built with cheap Mexican labor containing tracking devices that link directly to the massive antennas build into the structure of the CFR facility that watches our every move and pumps fluoride into our water supply via Pepsi One dispensers in an obvious attempt to brainwash us into accepting a monolithic one world government. It is Pepsi ONE you know...

Coincidence, I think not!

Don’t even ask what they are doing through the distribution of Coke ZERO...

(See, just too easy....)

31 posted on 08/09/2007 9:17:12 PM PDT by ejonesie22 (I am not really a Fred basher, I am a Paulitroll. THOMPSON 2008!)
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To: The Pack Knight
Damn, I knew it!

That bastard...

Should have known it to, only a fascist commie drives a RED truck...

32 posted on 08/09/2007 9:19:21 PM PDT by ejonesie22 (I am not really a Fred basher, I am a Paulitroll. THOMPSON 2008!)
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To: mnehrling; 2ndDivisionVet
I thought the Abraham story was killed as a myth within a few days after it first appeared?

Apparently the word still needs to get out.

Why?

As recently as an hour or so ago I noticed a couple posters who were still under the mistaken impression that Abraham was the man.

However it didn't take long for them to be corrected, I'm glad to say.

33 posted on 08/09/2007 9:20:47 PM PDT by Doofer (Fred Dalton Thompson For President)
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To: hoosierpearl
I thank you. Maybe it is that, but it is also easy. Just act paranoid and sit in a corner with a dictionary of Poly Sci terms and a chemical element chart...
34 posted on 08/09/2007 9:22:15 PM PDT by ejonesie22 (I am not really a Fred basher, I am a Paulitroll. THOMPSON 2008!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

When I’ve seen Fred speak he says pretty much what I would say, and since I’m one of the most brilliant minds in the country I support Fred!

Fred and I have a feel for the pulse of the country and he’s striking the right chords, just like Reagan did.

Thompson is the marriage of man and moment.


35 posted on 08/09/2007 9:27:11 PM PDT by word_warrior_bob (You can now see my amazing doggie and new puppy on my homepage!! Come say hello to Jake & Sonny)
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To: Doofer
He got a promotion. He is now in charge of the brainwashing lasers that are emitted from the top of the CFR building.

Fred felt like Spencer could beter serve his nefarious purposes by helping to brainwash innocent children into to believing that Santa is building the NAU in his workshop...

Abraham is also in charge of smuggling in more illegals and Muslims terrorist via the use of small tequila bottles and hand made pinatas...

36 posted on 08/09/2007 9:31:39 PM PDT by ejonesie22 (I am not really a Fred basher, I am a Paulitroll. THOMPSON 2008!)
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To: word_warrior_bob

I agree with what you say, and since I am the most brilliant mind sitting in my office, you must be right...


37 posted on 08/09/2007 9:34:38 PM PDT by ejonesie22 (I am not really a Fred basher, I am a Paulitroll. THOMPSON 2008!)
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To: ejonesie22

We should let each other know when we’re doing some serious thinking, we don’t want to set off any Drew Barrymore like Firestarter flames on the innocent.


38 posted on 08/09/2007 9:37:01 PM PDT by word_warrior_bob (You can now see my amazing doggie and new puppy on my homepage!! Come say hello to Jake & Sonny)
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To: ejonesie22

We should let each other know when we’re doing some serious thinking, we don’t want to set off any Drew Barrymore like Firestarter flames on the innocent.


39 posted on 08/09/2007 9:38:55 PM PDT by word_warrior_bob (You can now see my amazing doggie and new puppy on my homepage!! Come say hello to Jake & Sonny)
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To: word_warrior_bob
Well I’d being doing good to light a birthday candle right now, but we'll coordinate somehow...
40 posted on 08/09/2007 9:46:43 PM PDT by ejonesie22 (I am not really a Fred basher, I am a Paulitroll. THOMPSON 2008!)
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