Posted on 10/05/2007 11:16:43 PM PDT by Plutarch
Fred Thompson, appearing at the Americans for Prosperity event today, was supposed to give a press availability, which would have been his first big question-and-answer session with the national press corps in Washington. The availability never happened, and the campaign’s description for why has a decidedly, anti-Washington press corps bent – which probably won’t hurt him too much with key constituencies. (That is, outside the one with all those barrels of ink, television viewers and Web readers.)
Todd Harris, a campaign spokesman, said Mr. Thompson’s speaking engagement ran later than expected and “it came to a decision between doing a media availability or spending time with the Virginia delegation,’’ adding, “We opted to spend time with the delegates as opposed to the Washington press corps.”
For good measure, Mr. Harris added, “It’s not all about the D.C. press corps.” Though, he added, Mr. Thompson – whose performance on the stump has come under withering criticism that continued through his appearance at the Americans for Prosperity event – has held plenty of press availabilities out on the road.
(Excerpt) Read more at thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com ...
I am sure that many FDT fans will applaud Fred for sticking it to the Washington Press corp. Maybe then he shouldn't have scheduled the Q&A in the first place, because now it looks like he is ducking after recent bad reviews because he expects more of the same.
The advantages of Thompson's campaign include his solid conservative principles, charisma, and folksy charm. These are all qualities that should shine forth in media exposure (and despite the media's attempts to make him look bad). If Thompson's campaign doesn't think that he can come out a winner with national media exposure, then the basis for the campaign is undermined from the start. How is FDT to make progress without the ability to positively connect in venues such as TV interviews? His stump speech? Maybe FDT will show them in the upcoming debate.
Good for Fred Thompson!!!
Take the press down a peg at a time!
It can be done if we - Republicans/Conservatives - stick together and not eat our own!!!!!!!
BFD!
On the other hand, if this were just another press availability, it would be...just another press availability.
Instead, it's a "What's he doing?" story that actually draws attention to the candidate.
All in all, a win.
It is not just about the candidate, it is about the staffers the candidate surrounds himself.
Fred’s communications director, Robert Traynham, is openly homosexual.
http://www.race42008.com/index.php?s=Robert+Traynham
from: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1906640/posts?page=236#236
Gee, could you possibly have another candidate you like better than Fred? I do believe the article explains why he cancelled the press questioning. There is no mystery there and I really doubt Fred is afraid of the press. Nice try, but no soap, Fred is still my candidate of choice. Anything, and I mean anything, that comes from the slimes about Fred is suspect.
“Todd Harris, a campaign spokesman, said Mr. Thompson’s speaking engagement ran later than expected and “it came to a decision between doing a media availability or spending time with the Virginia delegation,’’ adding, “We opted to spend time with the delegates as opposed to the Washington press corps.””
You even admit that this is a suspect posting by you, there isn’t anything to work with here.
We don’t know what happened or why, we don’t know squat.
What is there to talk about? This one is not one of your better postings.
You pretended that this was an excerpt, giving the impression that it is a longer article, it isn’t, you posted all of it.
That may be why your commentary on it is longer than the short blog itself.
‘Fred’s communications director, Robert Traynham, is openly homosexual.”
Big deal, Ken Mehlman is gay too.
“(and despite the media’s attempts to make him look bad)”
Unfortunately FT is doing a good job of that himself as of late. Schaivo, Soviet Union, oil in FL, etc.
A homosexual press secretary, you are creeping us out dude.
I get nervous around guys that are obsessed with the fact that a press secretary is a practicing homosexual.
They did change the time of his speech and it was later than originally planned. Which I don’t think was the candidate’s doing. I was trying to watch it on C-span and someone else was speaking at the time he was scheduled.
He has had plenty of press availabilities on the road, even having reporters ride with him on the bus. The Politico article about the 12th commandment had that writer travelling with Fred in a vehicle. I think that shows plenty of willingness to meet with the press. The delegates are more important in the long run than anyone else, they cast votes.
Some of the people who follow him on the road are national press corps.
Fred should be his own man. He knows the Press are going to try to destroy him. He shouldn’t rush to a public beating. He will address the Press soon enough. Putting the people first is a much better tactic. I do think he will have to eventually cast caution into the wind and just get out there and fight with the barbarians.
FDT’s strategy is a mystery. Uncoventional is one word but incompetence is my concern.
FWIW O’Reilly was slamming FDT the other night. Apparently O’Reilly’s staff is unable to contact FDT’s campaign in a timely manner. They are unable to reach FDT’s staff for routine responses to the events of the day. I’m sure the Fred heads will call O’Reilly a commie symp cross dressing Rudy butt boy. Regardless FDT’s campaign is not inspiring confidence.
It seems that times have “changed.”
“Giuliani Scolds Congress on Spending”
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/05/giuliani-scolds-democrats-on-spending/
That’s what I saw in going to the link
Oops! Sorry...hit on the wrong link.
Will check the other one out now.
I am currently in a holding pattern with all the candidates. If you could take the best part of Fred, Rudy, and Mitt, and put them into one package, you would have a great candidate. You have to wait until we get closer to election day, when the pressure is really on. Like in sports, real diamonds shine from heat and pressure.
To expound on your reply...
“For good measure, Mr. Harris added, “It’s not all about the D.C. press corps.” Though, he added, Mr. Thompson – whose performance on the stump has come under withering criticism that continued through his appearance at the Americans for Prosperity event – has held plenty of press availabilities out on the road.”
I’ve seen that “withering criticism” right here, and it never seems to be able to hold water.
As far as this goes...
“For good measure, Mr. Harris added, “It’s not all about the D.C. press corps.”
Yeah him!
I LIKE that. ;o)
“Fred should be his own man. He knows the Press are going to try to destroy him. He shouldn’t rush to a public beating. He will address the Press soon enough. Putting the people first is a much better tactic. I do think he will have to eventually cast caution into the wind and just get out there and fight with the barbarians.”
Something that a lot of people don’t know, is that in electoral politics, Fred is known as a brilliant campaigner.
Twice he won elections by huge margins, the first one was for Al Gore’s seat when he came from 20 behind, to a 20 plus victory, his reelection to that Senate seat was even larger.
He is famous for running his own campaign, I think that Fred is playing this out at a pace that fits the race’s distance.
He is not saturating the market all at once, but trying to feed the grassroots first to continue the bottom up momentum, he then reinforces that energy when he starts with the heavy Fred guns, at the top.
Contrast that with the one election, one term Gov. that is doing everything that seems right on the surface, but is riding on hollow underpinnings.
Heh...he’s using the internet to reach like minded citizens...he’s not spending the $100M that others seemed to think they need to spend.
I think he’s brilliant to go to the people on his own.
He just might turn conventional campaigning on it’s head.
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