Thompson Goes Electric

RealClearPolitics ^ | October 22, 2007 | Jay Cost

[Pining_4_TX]

Hey, if he would promise to veto every spending bill, do absolutely nothing as president, and just leave us all the hell alone, I’ll vote for him, too. ;-)

[A CA Guy]

Thompson DID NOT stand out IMO.

Mind you, I am someone who hopes this guy can get it together and pulls it out, because we do not IMO have a good enough electable candidate that is conservative without him IMO.

He needs to do a gut check and come out swinging far harder than he has.

[bray]

Then you weren’t watching since he stole the show with his final answer. His down home speaking is very effective.

He doesn’t have to be Reagan, he only has to be better than the Wicked Witch of NY.

Pray for W and Our Troops

[A CA Guy]

I watched the whole thing.

I think he needs to do better.

I think if we can’t get him as the nominee, then beating Hillary will be much tougher.

[John Valentine]

Fred’s got the credentials, but needs to get attention and votes.

He's got MY attention. And I don't know what more he would have to do to get YOUR attention.

He definitely DID win (or at least tie with Giuliani) the Florida debate. His answers were clear, substantive, correct and can stand up to media scrutiny. His wit is natural and unscripted, indicating an engaged and nimble mind.

EVERY criticism I have reqad against Thompson concentrates on his personal characteristics: he's too bald, he has bags under his eyes, he seems tired, his voice isn't animated enough, his wife is too young, his speeches are too short, he talks too slow. Need I say that these criticisms are shallow?

The man has what it takes to be president. He's not an overweening wannabe. He hasn't been prepping for the job since he got home from his High School Senior Prom. He is a lifelong conservative. He is committed to limited government. He will appoint the kind of judges that won't legislate from the bench. He will actually LEAD on entilement refomr, and tax code reform. He won't be stampeded by anybody.

Fred's my man.

[A CA Guy]

He’s not getting it done yet IMO.

I think he may be our only shot though, so I hope he gains steam... FAST!

[2ndDivisionVet]

"What leads him to think that, on the basis of one term in the Senate, he knows better than those advisors how to win the presidency? The people who worked on the Bush campaign(s) and achieved victory and won the presidency . . . do you think his behavior is what they would recommend?"

He served almost two terms in the Senate, winning a special election when Albert Gore, Junior was elevated to the Vice Presidency, and winning reelection years later.

[Soul Seeker]

But much more importantly, I think Thompson has assessed that breaking these rules could win him support. People outside the Beltway, whose daily lives are not regimented by the news cycle, appreciate that the perpetual campaign has reached a point of asininity. Accordingly, a candidate could win supporters over in the real campaign by claiming that he ignored all of these rules, which essentially mandate twenty-two months of nonstop campaigning. This is a twist on running against Washington. It is running against the Washington press corps. A Republican candidate can do this all the more. After all, the perpetual campaign is mediated by the press, which conservatives loathe. Instead of saying that he broke the media's rules, a candidate instead can say that he broke the Drive By Media's rules. That is a great way to win conservatives over: run against the Drive By's.

I'm quoting this bit of the analysis because it amuses me. I admit I love the idea of running not just against Washington, but it's press core.

Whether it's true is only for Thompson and his closest stratagists to answer to.

I remember how much of G.W.B's term everything he did was referred to as part of some master plan. A rope-a-dope. haven't heard that so much the last couple of years. I'm sure some of it was planned, but the ratio of "rope-a-dope" vs coincidence vs stupidity I just don't know anymore.

Here we have an analyst struggling to compute why Thompson's still a player, second in most polls, when he's been trashed from the left and right. So the grand theory arises to explain it. the Theory could be true, or it could be the reincarnation of rope-a-dope. I don't really care.

It' up to his strategists to do what's working and limit what's not working. Hopefully they are up to that task. i can only speak for myself and I'm not supporting him because he's breaking the rules. I'm supporting him because he's the only one with an acceptable conservative record at the top of this race. Given i have access to the internet, I'm about as plugged in as any of these reporters or punditry on either aisle and have the ability to disregard their assessments of him provided the record is strong enough to make it worth my while. I've determined it is.

[matthew fuller]

"Thompson DID NOT stand out IMO. "

More FR members (40.3%) thought that he helped himself more that any other ( MH@ 16%). But I basically agree with you, he should have done better, and I am pulling for him. He is not yet electrifying. He needs to take lessons from the master- Zell Miller. I will never forget that speech.

[Toliy]

Hey, if he would promise to veto every spending bill, do absolutely nothing as president, and just leave us all the hell alone, I’ll vote for him, too. ;-)

What you just said bears repeating!

[NurdlyPeon]

What is the desperate reality that leads him to pursue a path that no political adviser would ever advise? What leads him to think that, on the basis of one term in the Senate, he knows better than those advisers how to win the presidency?

For every set of political experts following the script which results in winning the presidency, there is another set of political experts who follow the script which results in losing the presidency. The "script" has a success rate of exactly 50%. Thanks for your opinion, but I'll stick with Fred.

[mylife]

He is establishing himself as “outside the beltway”

Question is, can he handle the beltway?

[dk/coro]

As well this one-issue Libertarian should!

Ron Paul may understand how to write a prescription for Viagra; but he has not a clue regarding Real Politik!

(Just my unbiased opinion of this lightweight spoiler. *S*)

[Randy Larsen]

Who would you choose right now!

[sageb1]

Agree. Ron Paul attracts far too many wackos. Certainly there are things we all agree with him on, but frankly, there is something not quite right between the good doctor’s ears.

[SoConPubbie]

"Well look, the guy takes forever to get in, seems to not mind being almost a ghost and keeps posting these cute Internet stories about his campaign. I want meat on the bones.

Fred’s got the credentials, but needs to get attention and votes. If we as a party can’t get an electable candidate going strong, then we get President Hillary and that is the most NOT PRICELESS thing you want to face IMO."

You can post this drivel after he has released his Immigration proposal and his stance against LOST?

What are you, a liberal?

What is it going to take, Fred walking on water? or are you just another naysayer working for another campaign or a another person of no values who just wants his guy to win no matter what? or maybe a transplant from DU?

With the exception of Duncan Hunter who is unelectable because he has zero name recognition, there is no one else running who has been consistently conservative.

Your opinion to me is worthless given Fred's performance in the debates and, more importantly, his position on the issues.

Finally, if you want someone to listen to you or your purpose is to sway people, try giving some supporting evidence along with your opinion.

You gave none!

[SoConPubbie]

"He is establishing himself as “outside the beltway” Question is, can he handle the beltway? "

Well, he spent 1 1/2 terms in the Senate and I have seen nothing that would lend anyone who has been paying attention to make such an asinine statement.

Care to support your statement with some evidence or observations?

[SoConPubbie]

"What is the desperate reality that leads him to pursue a path that no political advisor would ever advise? What leads him to think that, on the basis of one term in the Senate, he knows better than those advisors how to win the presidency? The people who worked on the Bush campaign(s) and achieved victory and won the presidency . . . do you think his behavior is what they would recommend?"

Well, apparently his advisors don't agree with your assesment!

And since most of the first tier candidates are recent converts to conservatism and are lying about their past record or ducking it (Rudy, Mitt, Huckabee, and to a lessor extent McCain, presumbably on the advice of the experts you purport to respect, I am not sure your opinion on this matter is one that most people should respect!

[SoConPubbie]

"So what is his next rule breaking going to be, even less campaigning and debate preparation?"

So says you.

However most pundits and FreeRepublic members thought Thompson did a good job and acquited himself well.

[mylife]

Asinine?

It is well established that Beltway politics is brutal.

GWB went there with the reputation of being a “uniter”.

Was he able to unite?