Posted on 09/08/2007 8:32:15 PM PDT by finnman69
No one noticed the wince. If they did, no one wanted to talk about it, because Fred Thompson's campaign staff (which still exists, the fresh exodus of three top staffers aside) had set up his presidential launch on The Tonight Show so deftly. This was history, and when history's being made you can forgive Jay Leno's dying-man groping for punchlines or a 10-minute giggle-proof lead-in segment where burly housewives and shirtless yokels bumped, grinded and cross-dressed to Rihanna tunes. Sweat it out. You'll want to tell your grandkids about the night you watched Fred Thompson begin his quest for the White House. ------------------------- The rationale for Thompson's run has been refreshingly phony: It's all about his looks, his voice, his personality. His backers have confused all of that with leadership, and Thompson, like the worst actor, is starting to believe his reviews. That's a mistake. The point of Fred Thompson is that he was never serious.
(Excerpt) Read more at reason.com ...
Supporting a candidate is great. Supporting a good man is even better. Supporting a guy who has absolutely zero chance in the election is ideological suicide.
I do not doubt Thompson is a conservative. I do not doubt he is a decent actor.
I doubt he is a good leader. I doubt he would make a good president.
“Interesting that the worst comments about Fred so far are from the right, not the left. Didn’t Reagan say something about not eating our own?”
I don’t believe I made any disparaging comments about Fred in my post. Just because I am not convinced that Thompson is a conservative isn’t bashing him. If he is nominated, I would vote for him. I won’t be disappointed in him but I am afraid his avid supporters will be.
Look, we have ten different candidates running and they all have their supporters. It is important to slug it out now during the primaries. Once the candidate is chosen, then we can invoke Reagan’s eleventh commandment and get behind our candidate. That is what he did. Reagan wasn’t all too kind to his primary opponents.
The only eating I remember him talking about was jelly beans.
How is Thompson on trade? Do you think he is a secret CFR, NAU “conservative”? Look at other “conservatives” such as Lindsey Graham, Brownback, Orrin Hatch and oh yes ...George W.
There are lots of “conservatives” who will go along with what the base wants because they know what they have to say to get elected, but what about free trade, illegal immigration, and sovereignty? Some of our “conservatives” have sold their souls to big money. It pains me to say this but it is true.
So what do you suggest I do? Support a guy I don’t have any faith in just for what? To save us from Hillary? Rudy? Mitt? What about saving us from Fred? I really do think that many of the Thompson supporters are for him more out of fear than a strong belief in his candidacy. Not all, so to you who support him for all the right reasons, don’t get all offended.
Yes, I do believe Hunter can rise in the polls. I do believe he can win. I also believe if he were nominated, he would capture more votes than anyone else the GOP could nominate. If I didn’t I wouldn’t waste my time. I have absolutely no interest in any other candidate at this time.
I will say that if I had to go for one of the current front runners, it wouldn’t be Thompson.
“Fred’s been a disaster so far. Just saying”
And how, pray tell, has he been a disaster?
And who do you support?
Thompson’s record on the issues you have raised have been posted time and time again on FR, do a search and focus on Sturm Ruger’s posts.
This is what gets me most about the Fred bashers. They keep asking the same questions even though those questions have been answered ad infinitum here at FR. Fred’s record is out there for all who are genuinely interested in finding it.
If you don’t like Fred after looking at his record then fine.....but please......look at his record!
What you just said!! I want a candidate who is conservative deep down in his soul, steeled in his beliefs from a lifetime of living them. I want a true believer, not an election year sloganeer.
Oh, geesh. Not this again.
Since you cite his ACU rating to "prove" he is a conservative, here are some lifetime ACU ratings from various politicians. In order of most conservative to least conservative:
JOHN KYL (R-AZ) 96.9
CHRIS CANNON (R-UT) 96.3
JEFF FLAKE (R-AZ) 94.7
SAXBY CHAMBLISS (R-GA) 94.4
SAM BROWNBACK (R-KS) 94.0
LARRY CRAIG (R-ID) 93.4
TRENT LOTT (R-MS) 92.4
WALTER JONES JR. (R-NC) 91.9
LIDDY DOLE (D-NC) 91.0
LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC) 90.6
MEL MARTINEZ (R-FL) 90.0
ORRIN HATCH (R-UT) 89.9
MITCH McCONNELL (R-KY) 89.7
JEAN SCHMIDT (R-OH) 87.8
BILL FRIST (R-TN) 87.8
RANDY KUHL (R-NY) 87.5
JERRY WELLER (R-IL) 86.4
CHUCK HAGEL (R-NE) 86.2
What do those politicians all have in common? They've all been denounced as RINOs, traitors, sellouts, unworthy to hold public office, given nicknames like "Brokeback", "Goober", "McCain's VP", and had freepers proclaiming that these guys are soooo awful that we should vote for the RAT in the general election if they make it through the primary. And every single one of them has a lifetime record of supporting the conservative position MORE often than their hero Fred does.
A few of these politicians have been pissed off freepers because they are gutless types who let the Dems run circles around them (Lott, Dole, etc.) Many of them (Kyl, Chambliss) are subject to nothing but bitter gutter level attacks because they voted the wrong way on ONE bill and it's someone's pet issue. Ususally this is amnesty for illegal aliens, which is rather odd since the same people who want to lynch Kyl for that don't seem to have a problem with the fact Fred Thompson has given support to amnesty in the past. If you bring it up, they're either say you're "lying" and Fred was only trying to help "legal" immigrants (no matter how many times you show them the word ILLEGAL to describe the aliens that Fred supported "aspirations of citizenship" for), or they'll "hey Fred didn't vote to give 20 million amnesty, it was only 1 million", as if rewarding people for breaking the law is OK as long as it's not blanket amnesty. A couple other politicians denounced as "RINOs" here simply rub people the wrong way, like Jean Schmidt. Or, there voting record is solidly conservative, but they're friends with McCain. According to the Fredheads, being McCain's buddy and supporting his legislation is automatic grounds to make you a RINO... unless of course your name is Fred Thompson.
Most of the Fredheads who keep pointing out that "nobody's perfect" and "Reagan said a person who agrees with me 80% of the time is not my enemy" have no problem screaming "RINO" at people who agree with them 90% of the time and some even stoop to backing the Democrat if they don't get their way in the primary.
Either an 85% ACU rating makes a person a reliable conservative or it doesn't. To say Fred's 86% rating is proof that he's Reaganesque but Graham's 91% rating makes him a traitor is total bull. They get those ratings for a reason. Whether the Fredheads like it or not, Graham's record is simular to Fred's on just about every issue, but Graham HAS voted slightly to the right of Fred on several important bills, including the defense of marriage amendment and the Clinton impeachment.
I have no interest in the Fredhead hypocrites definition of Fred's "true conservativism" by his congressional ratings, as long as the Fredheads break their own rules of thrsehold of a "true conservative"
If you believe anyone with an 85% conservative rating is a fairly acceptable conservative, take it up with your fellow Fredheads. When they stop their blantant hypocrisy, I'll take them seriously.
Packaging doesn’t seem to require proof. Same thing with Romney.
I was comparing Fred to Hunter who has an ACU of 92, and to the other candidates. You have not said anything that indicates that Fred is significantly less of a conservative than the other candidates.
Yes, many with a high ACU have been bashed here at FR as traitors, like Graham. Now, point out to me specifically how Fred's record puts him in the same boat. The main reason why Graham is hated here at FR is mostly because of his support for the recent shamnesty bill. Fred opposed it.
And BTW....calm down....mindless ranting doesn't score points against Fred.
Well put, UPS, but an apathetic, star-struck, short attention span electorate refuses to absorb that information. Maybe if we break it down to simplest terms: Can the balloon juice, pops, and show us some past actions, or history, that indicates a career of conservative activism! We know you can say the right things at the right times, kind of, but just what have you done to deserve our vote?
Exactly! Talk is cheap! Sayin’ ain’t doin’!!
I'd say that's a good enough reason to vote for him right there!
Crikey! Does anyone remember what they said about Ronald Reagan when he ran for governor and subsequently president? ["second-rate B-movie actor"]
You can now scratch Hagel from your list...
He doesn't like either Rudy or Romney. His schtick is to define republican candidates quickly and in a negative way. Google his articles on Rudy and you get that Rudy is an upeast shifty politician, Romney is yuppy poser. He has some grudgingly good things to say about Ron Paul though
Does this guy have a degree in anything remotely resembling a college major that would require a passing grade in writing skills?"
I can't resist but to hoist you by your own petard:
"There is sure sure are some sad, sad articles being posted for perusal on FR these days."
I agree with your point, however poorly it was written!
AV
Looks like a good time to edit “snogging” on wikipedia to be defined as “deviant sexual intercourse between David Weigel and Anderson Cooper” and cite weigels post.
Uh, if you look at that list again, the REASON most of those folks got labelled "RINOS" is because of their positions on illegal immigration. Fred is on the "right" side of THAT issue.
Why ask when you can go to Wikipedia and find out? ;-). Please feel free to correct any typos while there.
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