Fred may certainly have a place in the party and possibly within the next administration. Yet I think his days for seeking the Oval office have passed. I wouldn't commit myself to supporting him again.
Besides, I got another girl in mind...
Posted on 09/01/2008 1:06:41 PM PDT by Zman
The Weekly Standard
Fred Thompson in 2012? Laying the groundwork for another presidential run. by Stephen F. Hayes 08/29/2008 3:00:00 AM
IF FRED THOMPSON was the latest entrant in the 2008 Republican primary process, he may well be the earliest in 2012. Not that he will admit it.
Over the course of the past two years, there has been much talk that the Republican party lacks a strong conservative leader. In May 2007, Thompson offered himself up and, on the issues, made a plausible case that he could be the guy. But his late entry to the presidential race, together with his refusal to do the things that successful Republican candidates have done for years, meant that he disappeared from the presidential scene almost as quickly as he'd arrived.
In an interview Thursday, Thompson acknowledged the mistakes of his campaign and conceded that his refusal to play the game the way it's been played for years cost him. "I've gone my own way--sometimes to my own detriment," Thompson says. "I discounted and underestimated the rulebook--Mitt and the Huck were raising money, forming PACs..." he says, his voice trailing off.
Consider those lessons learned. After a break following his withdrawal from the race last winter, Thompson has quietly begun doing exactly the kind of things he did not do enough of last time: solidifying relationships with grassroots conservatives, campaigning for Republicans in local races, and raising money.
Now, in conjunction with the Republican National Convention next week in Minnesota, he is launching FredPac, a political action committee devoted to electing conservatives committed to "first principles." And he is working on a book that sounds a lot like the kind of book a would-be presidential candidate might write. "I'm going to be talking about my views," he said in an interview Thursday. "And it is going to be partly autobiographical--kind of an only-in-America story."
So what's the bottom line? "Where does all of that lead me--in terms of my country, my family, where we need to go?" he asks. Then he answers his own question. "Some of it will depend, of course, on who wins the election."
It's certainly quacking, but is it a duck? Thompson downplayed any suggestion that these moves portend another run for the presidency. "It doesn't have anything to do with my own ambition," he says.
Fair enough. It is, of course, possible to do all of these things and ultimately decide not to run for president. But as Thompson can attest, these are the kinds of steps one must take in order to run and have a chance to win.
Thompson says the PAC will support candidates who are "consistent" and "conservative" on the issues that matter most to him: judges, taxes, trade, and entitlement. "In some ways it will be a traditional PAC," he says, "but it will also be focused on the causes which will endure."
These efforts are not intended as an implicit criticism of John McCain. Thompson, who spent Monday campaigning on behalf of McCain in North Carolina, considers himself a strong supporter of his friend and former rival. Thompson said that while he would strongly prefer that McCain choose a running mate who opposes abortion--"I'd want to see the candidate be pro-life"--he would actively support a ticket that included Joe Lieberman.
Thompson says that the 2008 election will be a contest between a liberal in Barack Obama who is making attractive promises that he cannot keep and a Republican in John McCain who is willing to make difficult decisions on issues that Washington has chosen to neglect. "I don't know what we'd look like after four or eight years of Barack Obama expanding government," he says. "People have to ask the question: Who is this guy?"
Thompson will be speaking at the convention on Tuesday night. If McCain were to win in November, Thompson would almost certainly be one of the names on his short list for Attorney General and perhaps even Director of National Intelligence.
"I'm going to stay involved in the causes and people that I believe in," says Thompson.
"There are many ways to serve, and a real hunger for substance," Thompson spokesman Kevin Kellems said.
Quack.
Stephen F. Hayes is a senior writer at THE WEEKLY STANDARD.
Well, maybe four years is enough time to grow a fire in his belly to actually run instead of just participating.
...and Fred will do just as horribly in 2012.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Or, maybe have made up his mind!
He could star in a film where he is President, that might work.
Fred’s gonna look worse than Hillary in 2012!
Heh heh heh! You got it!
If Fred truly had much better overall results than what he really did this year during his entire Presidential run, then he would definitely have a serious chance the next time. Fred blew it in ‘08, and I truly don’t see him completely doing everything that he truly needs to do to seriously win any possible future Presidential run. The same things can also truly be said about Duncan Hunter, Sr., Tom Tancredo, and Mike Huckabee, IMHO. Rudy Giuliani will probably soon be running for Governor of New York, and Mitt Romney’s political future is truly a “big unknown” at the present time. Mitt may also truly be finished politically.
Sorry but not no, HELL NO! If he was a lazy a$$ this time around, he’ll need a hover-round chair for 2012. Sorry Fred you blew it BIG TIME!
Wow, I am impressed with the unanimity here!
Yes, Palin, if she and McCain pull this off, is the future of the party and the movement. We are in fact better off now than at any time since Reagan lost in 76. We at least have a candidate for the future.
This election is not just about the next 4 years, though, they are critical obviously. They are about our future as a movement. Which is why the left is freaking out about Palin!
Nah, if / when McCain wins, Mitt will probably have a job. He’s got a future. Maybe not POTUS, but a future, without a doubt.
“Palin/Jindal 2012”
Can we call 6 terms (24 years) a dynasty?
I was/am a Fred supporter and was very disappointed that he dropped out of the race, but I also know that his time at the top of the ticket has passed. We have some young exciting CONSERVATIVES in Jindal and Palin and there time is now. BUT there still is a place for Fred if he wants to serve, and that is in Congress. We need him to run again for the Senate so we can have conservatives to implement the policies that have gone by the wayside. I think Fred could be an asset but, unfortunately he’s now a supporting player, not the star.
I wish that I could have cast a vote for Fred this November. Never say never but Fred had his chance and even with the weakest field in my memory, he just wasn’t up for it. When you lose to a man taking coach-class airlines to speeches and has almost all of his campaign directors resign en masse, either the will or the effort just ain’t there.
Fred may certainly have a place in the party and possibly within the next administration. Yet I think his days for seeking the Oval office have passed. I wouldn't commit myself to supporting him again.
Besides, I got another girl in mind...
Palin/Jindal
Fred as Secretary of State, given the mandate to clean it up and make it represent AMERICAN interests again
Thomas Sowell as Treasury Secretary
Walter Williams as HUD honcho
Dept of Education abolished
Uh, no.
He should wait until 2024.
He’s showed he ain’t got the ambition.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.