Fred Thompson in his high school football uniform.
Posted on 12/11/2007 9:03:28 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Freddie Thompson hit full height in the 10th grade, some 6 feet, 5 3/4 inches. His buddies called him "Stick." He was a nice-looking kid, played football and basketball, chased girls, horsed around in class, rarely cracked a book.
"Basically, just a carefree, underachieving kid," he says today. "Pretty good kid. Never gotten in trouble or anything like that. But didn't care much about my studies." Years ago, he put it a different way in an interview with The Washington Post: "I was interested in two things -- and sports was one of them."
He must have had something going for him, because he caught the eye of Sarah Lindsey. Freddie was smitten. She was a year older, a pretty brunette, smart, bookish and on her way to becoming salutatorian at Lawrenceburg High School in Lawrenceburg, Tenn. She planned to study English at Vanderbilt University. The Lindseys were pillars of the community, a clan that peopled the important jobs such as mayor and lawyer and county administrator. They owned a business manufacturing church pews.
The Thompsons were a rung down on the social ladder. Freddie's parents, Fletcher and Ruth, had grown up on farms during the Depression, and neither had made it beyond the eighth grade. They lived at the edge of town in a one-story house on a hillside that plunged to a creek. Fletcher sold cars for a living, on Route 43, and did it well, selling to the same folks again and again, eventually opening his own used-car lot. Freddie admired his father's manner, how he could be at ease with anybody, whether it was a guy who didn't have two nickels to rub together or the governor passing through town on a campaign stop.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Those "in the know" can see the huge wave about to crash down on Mike Huckabee. The man is a media-driven creation and is in for a savage reconciliation with his dismal record as governor.
I think it is still very early in the race and Fred is letting the others expose themselves so much that people will tire of them.
JulieJulie and GomerHuck are certainly doing that.McCrazy is gone and the Son of Rambler is leading in his own mind.
The news on the huckster is starting to turn on him.I have been waiting for this.I think FDT will be alright.They said RR was lazy as well.
“As I said, if he has stuff he needs to show it and now....”
Aw heck!! If Fred was a lesbian trans-gendered black Jewish female who lived alternative lifestyles and was a open participant in the secular abortion sacrament AND happened to be a presidential candidate....he would be plastered all over the evening news and every weekly birdcage sheet and daily rag...but because he’s one of “us” he’s lucky to get this Compost Puff Piece.....
There’s one in the field who’s noticeably not reluctant. HINT: she wears pantsuits.
My favorite Fred Thompson story is a personal one.
In 1992 when I graduated from the University of Memphis law school, our class had to select a speaker for the graduation ceremony. Memphis law school students that year were predominantly Republican in contrast to the faculty.
It was generally agreed among the students to ask Tony Thompson’s father to be the speaker. Tony was in our class, and his father had been on Matlock and in the movies.
At the time, Fred Thompson had been hinted as a possible candidate for governor but his claim to notoriety, notwithstanding his earlier involvement in politics such as Watergate or the ousting of Ray Blanton in Tennessee (Marie), was in the entertainment field.
Word circulated that the Dean was a bit disappointed with our choice. By the way, Dean Fred Davis leaned, I am fairly certain, Republican. He didn’t see what our class saw. One, Thompson would probably attend his son’s graduation. Two, he was a person of notoriety and thus interesting. Three, there was some unknown factor that he would assume some role in some way in the future which would help shape the country.
Fred Thompson gave a good, down to earth speech and impressed everyone with his common sense and lack of an obnoxious ego that the insecure often exhibit.
Two years later, he was elected as United States Senator for Tennessee.
Fred Thompson would make a good President because his personality is grounded in common sense. The very fact that he doesn’t want to go out an pander and create media events is a plus factor for me.
A recent report showed that only McCain was making more public appearances than Thompson on the GOP side. Just because the MSM is under-reporting him doesn't mean he's not out there doing the work.
Dream on.
The WaPo has been doing a front page series, a profile on all of the candidates - one each day. Glad it’s not a total attack.
Fred Thompson in his high school football uniform.
great story!
Sadly, there's probably a lot of truth to this. But have we actually changed that much since 1996? And does this mean that we as Republicans are just as obtuse as the American sheeple at large? Weren't the obtuse sheeple supposed to be on the rat side, while we in the GOP were supposed to be the thoughtful and responsible voters?
bump
Uhh....that's what he's doing.
A plus for me as well. I am so tired of being 'politicked' to, if that makes since. I apprecitate that Fred Thompson is comfortable saying what he believes.
Ping
Great article! Thanks for the ping.
rhino -
I read this board often and there are plenty of “conservatives” that want a cheerleader. I prefer steady and sober in a leader from my military/law enforcement days but different folks - different strokes.
The media coverage of Thompson is stuck on “lazy and lackluster” when he is possibly the hardest working candidate in the race if you take his life record and examine it closely.
Unfortunately, the nomination process looks much like the Heisman trophy award (whomever ESPN and the sports commentators promote wins).
I like Tancredo, Hunter, and Thompson but according to the media all three of those lack “gravitas” but despite the repeated negative coverage he is still polling pretty well IMO.
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