Posted on 08/18/2007 6:26:47 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Actor and former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson is not officially a presidential candidate, but he looked like one with crowds surrounding him Friday at the Iowa State Fair.
Thompson could not have found a better state fair tour guide than Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley.
When Thompson was a senator from Tennessee, the two were colleagues. Now, Thompson is visiting Grassley's turf and constituents for a possible run for president.
"I am unabashedly pro-life, I am pro-Second Amendment, and I don't apologize for the United States of America," Thompson said.
That's a message Virginia Stone, of Waukee, liked to hear.
"I think he's great," Stone said. "Because I think we need somebody that's going to be in your face, unapologetic and pro-conservative in the Reagan tradition."
On Iraq, Thompson offered a familiar message. For now, it's stay the course.
"We've got to make very, very sure that we don't run up the white flag when there's any opportunity there to prevail," Thompson said.
That's a message Iraq war veteran Mitch Beeler, of St. Charles, wanted to hear.
"You can see it in his eyes. He really cares about these people. He cares about the troops. He cares about the national security of America," Beeler said.
Thompson did not mention ethanol in one of the nation's leading ethanol-producing states. KCCI asked him about ethanol.
"The energy situation is a multi-faceted puzzle with a lot of pieces, and we've got to do a lot more in a lot of different directions, especially from a supply side. And ethanol is a part of the solution," Thompson said.
NewsChannel 8 political analyst Dennis Goldford said the visit is a high-stakes gambit by Thompson.
He said it's late in the caucus process, but it's not too late for Thompson.
He said that Thompson needs to make lots of return trips and set himself apart from the other Republican candidates.
"What he's selling is not a particular set of issues -- all other Republicans are selling those. What Fred Thompson is selling is himself, so he's got to meet people in the flesh, and see if he can, as I like to say, get their hearts pounding a little bit because that's what they've been missing in other candidates," Goldford said.
Thompson is expected to formally announce his candidacy next month.
Actually, I think the main similarity between Fred and Reagan is the neither takes/took themselves too seriously. Most of the other candidates (Guiliani, Romney, Edwards, Obama, Clinton) come across as flaming narcissists.
I’m thinking that FRed is at the point in life where he’s chosen to run, but winning is not the most critical thing in life to him so he can say, “This is me. Take it or leave it.”
I’ve not donated a single dime to the pubbies since ‘06 but the minute that Fred announces, my first $100 will be sent {via the net}. I look forward to a piaps/Fred debate next fall. The network will probably have the beast standing on a box so she can appear as tall as Fred {and he’ll have to wear pads under his pants to fatten his thighs}.
I love the fact that he doesn’t take his directions from the political clowns of the msm, who wanted everyone to jump through their hoops for 18 months before the election so they would have something to cover, thus justifying their worthless existence.
If Fred wants to win in a walk, he needs to talk to the people, not the press. The other candidates are silly in trying to curry favor with the msm assassins, whose calling in life is to kill Republicans’ campaigns. Just recall George Allen, for a vivid example.
Ditto that.
Or ask Presidents Bush, Nixon, Reagan, Ford or any GOP Governor, Senator, Congressman/woman, Legistlator or dogcatcher in the USA. The media is out to get anyone with an “R” after their name, or anyone else that is even one iota pro-WOT (see Senator Joseph Lieberman). We feared a “fifth column” so much during World War II that we put almost all Japanese-Americans in concentration camps and had the FBI watching recent German & Italian immigrants. Fast forward to today, when we have a VAST fifth column in our newsrooms, blogs and radio shows, yet we do NOTHING!!
Republican presidential hopeful, former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., participates in a live radio broadcast at the Iowa State Fair Friday, Aug. 17, 2007, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
That is exactly what makes him the biggest threat...
And the best candidate for the office at this point in history...
Fredipedia: The Definitive Fred Thompson Reference
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Just reading this thread and seeing those pictures of Fred made me feel better. Thanks.
What Fred Thompson is selling is himself,
Just speculating.... but that maybe what a few of the other lower tier candidates are afraid of or should be.
Wow. That girl is just about snorting that ice cream. Not that I can’t appreciate that or anything.... slurp.
I am in the same boat as you partner. I expect a flood of cash to the campaign on day 1.
I can make you feel even better. I went to see and hear him yesterday. He passed my tests. I was very pleased.
Now wait for that #*$&% Hillary to start talking about how she actually loves this country....(but wants to convert everyone and everything in it to true believers in her new governmet/religion/cult called "Hillaryism")
Bump! IT'S FRED TIME!!
http://Vets4Fred.net It's time for Vets to sign up!
That will be a pant suit load...
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