...Fred Thompson is a Barry Goldwater movement conservative.
After reading Barry Goldwater’s “Conscience of a Conservative” in 1963, he promptly became the first Republican in his family.
- California Conservative, June 26, 2007
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Bill Kirkland, a university friend who studied law with Thompson, recalled... “He was a very conservative Republican even then. He was a huge supporter of Barry Goldwater in the 1964 presidential election.”
- Sarah Baxter, Times Online, April 15, 2007
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A preliminary look at his record suggests that while he is not quite the second coming of Barry Goldwater or Ronald Reagan, he may be much better on most issues than the alternatives.
During his eight years in the Senate, Thompson had a solid record as a fiscal conservative. The National Taxpayers Union gives him the third highest marks of any candidate (trailing only Paul and Rep. Tom Tancredo)...
He has been a consistent supporter of entitlement reform, voting to means-test Medicare and supporting personal accounts for Social Security.
His record on free trade is solid. In the past he has been supportive of comprehensive immigration reform, but has been critical of the current bill, shifting toward a “control the borders first” position...
On federalism, there may be no better candidate. His Senate record is replete with examples of his being the lone opponent of legislation that he thought undercut federalist principles. He took this position even on legislation that was otherwise supported by conservatives...
Given the fact that McCain, Romney, and Giuliani are clearly big-government conservatives, Thompson has an opportunity to seize the small-government mantle.
Michael D. Tanner, Is Fred Thompson a Small-Government Conservative?, CATO-at-Liberty.org, May 31, 2007
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In 2000, Thompson got a 92 percent favorable rating from the American Conservative Union and a zero from the liberal Americans for Democratic Action.
- Mike Allen, The Politico, March 12, 2007
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Tom Griscom, editor and publisher of the Chattanooga (Tenn.) Times-Free Press... told me: ““Look, a lot of people call him a centrist because his introduction to politics was via Howard Baker. He’s actually a lot more conservative than people realize...” With a lifetime rating of 86% from the American Conservative Union over his eight years in the Senate (1994-2002), Thompson’s record in the Senate, with few exceptions, was rather solidly conservative. His breaks from the right were almost all related to campaign finance reform issues and to tort reform.
- John Gizzi, Right Angle blog on HumanEvents.com, March 14, 2007
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“I like Fred Thompson. He was a capable senator. He is a good communicator. I disagree with him on some things, but in our ratings — I don’t have the exact number in front of me, but I think during his career in the Senate he was in the mid to upper ‘80s, which we consider solidly conservative.”
- CBS interview with American Conservative Union Leader David Keene, April 20, 2007
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While he was never a leading social conservative voice in the Senate, Thompson’s voting record during his eight years in Washington should be acceptable to anyone to the ideological right. Thompson was rated highly by conservative groups during his time in office, and surely won loyalty from conservatives when he squired Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts around Capitol Hill during his 2005 confirmation process.
- Chris Cillizza, washingtonpost.com’s Politics Blog, March 19, 2007
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A political analyst and former Democrat insider says actor and former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson is a solid conservative who would be a formidable candidate for president in 2008, should he choose to run.
Political analyst Keith Thompson says his namesake reminds him of Ronald Reagan. “He has a solid conservative voting record on issues of life, on issues of international security and national defense, the terrorism issue, the war,” says the analyst, concluding with the observation: “I don’t know of an issue that he has fallen short of in the broadly defined sort of ‘Reaganesque’ conservative mantle.”
- Chad Groening, AgapePress?, March 20, 2007
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Thompson may very well be the only true Conservative candidate if he chooses to run for the Presidency. The former Senator is pro-life, anti-gun control, pro-traditional marriage (between a man and woman), against activist judges, does not condone “special” rights for certain groups, such as gay rights, and is a firm believer in State’s rights.
- Liberally Conservative blog, March 11, 2007
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Fred Thompson is the very candidate for whom the Conservative Movement has been searching. No other candidate projects the charisma and charm, as well as the name recognition and conservative credentials to which Fred Thompson can lay claim. Like President Reagan in 1980, Fred Thompson is the true conservative leader that can take the Party forward in the 21st Century.
- Dave Hinz, The Hinz Report, March 6, 2007
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No my friends, the man who you should start supporting now, as in today, is a man of character, a man of true Conservative values...
That man, my fellow Conservatives, is Tennessee’s Fred Thompson!
- Doug Hagin, The New Media Journal, March 23, 2007
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Fred Thompson vs. the current crop of Republican candidates is like the children’s story where the three little bears find one bed too soft, one too hard, (and) unlike the current front runners Fred is “Just Right” to most conservatives on the issues. More so than any other candidate, and with the integrity of principled conviction on those issues.
I asked a very liberal acquaintance of mine recently that is an insider with Democrat Gov. Christine Gregoire of Washington that I have friendly political discussions with for his response to 3 words: *Fred Dalton Thompson* ....a serious look formed instantly on his face and he said: “I like Fred, he would be a serious candidate for you guys, I might even have to vote for him because he is one of the most genuine and real politicians I have ever seen. I have a lot of respect for him and he would make a good President.” I was dumbfounded because we had talked about other candidates before and I am convinced of his sincerity.
- Michael R. Bednarz, BednarzBlogSpot, March 18, 2007
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While Thompson wasn’t America’s greatest senator, his career is strong enough and independent enough that nobody could call him a Bush lacky but it would be hard for conservatives to dismiss him as a “RINO.” He seems just enough to the right to bring in the right wing, and just enough to the center to bring in centrists, especially as the Democrat Party continues to be bullied and drag left by the MoveOn? crowd.
- Posted by Chris on Mason Conservative, March 09, 2007
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Reagan was most conservative in the arena of national security and firm foreign policy. Reagan understood that America was the only nation in the world with the power and moral authority to defend freedom and liberty around the globe, in defense of freedom and liberty here. Reagan commanded respect across the political aisle at home and abroad and remains one of the most loved US Presidents in US history even today.
But he was somewhat liberal on social issues. Or, like Thompson, he was at least an anti-federalist who sought to return private assets and personal liberty to the states and the people at every chance. He was “compassionately conservative” so-to-speak, though not nearly as compassionate towards modern secular socialist principles as either Bush administration since.
Thompson might indeed be more ideologically similar to Reagan than either Bush. He too is very strong on national sovereignty and security, with firm views regarding Americas role in the world and the need for strong national defense and foreign policy initiatives. But he is not a believer in any world order under UN control and one must wonder about both Bush Presidents in this regard.
He clearly understands what’s at stake in the current international war against terrorism networks with world-wide reach and he seems to be much more willing than Bush to call a spade and spade when addressing the current crop of anti-American leftists working to undermine American interests in congress right now.
Combined with the fact that Thompson is a great communicator, unlike Bush, these are very valid reasons for the current excitement surrounding the prospects of a Fred Thompson candidacy.
- J.B.Williams, MichNews.com, Mar 19, 2007
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Is Fred Thompson a conservative? Human Events’ John Gizzi put that question to Tom Griscom, publisher of the Chattanooga Times-Free Press and a longtime friend of Thompson.
“When I asked him whether Thompson is a conservative, Griscom told me: ‘Look, a lot of people call him a centrist because his introduction to politics was via Howard Baker. He’s actually a lot more conservative than people realize. Fred’s not an extremist - he’d never be part of the religious right, but he’s certainly more conservative than Howard Baker.’”
Gizzi notes that Thompson has a lifetime rating of 86% from the American Conservative Union over his eight years in the Senate (1994-2002) and says “Thompson’s record in the Senate, with few exceptions, was rather solidly conservative.” The exceptions were almost all related to campaign finance reform issues and to tort reform.
- Bill Hobbs, Elephant Biz, March 16, 2007
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Fred Thompson is a Hard-Core Conservative.
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