Free Republic

Not being in the middle of it all gives me a rather unique advantage. That means I have no one to answer to for my views. I just watch things, and then I talk about them. In other words, this means I don’t have to lie about my biases in order to keep some false sense of objectivity alive for the gullible. In other words, I’m no Chris Matthews. Let me start then with the current batch of presidential hopefuls: Folks - meaning the current Republican candidates - you really need to watch out for Fred Thompson. None of you...

All right, a little grab bag for you here to polish off the highlights. It starts with what J-Pod calls the most “blatant act of obnoxious misbehavior during a debate” he’s ever seen and the long, awkward silence that ensues, then segues into the candidates’ dusting off some prefab zingers as the clock runs out. Fred did well here, especially in parrying Mitt’s “Law & Order” thrust. Like MK says, not a great performance but good enough overall. (VIDEO)

First impressions are supposed to be 90 percent of politics. If that's the case, Fred Thompson should have a decent shot at the Republican presidential nomination. The impression he created in Tuesday's Republican debate in Detroit wasn't that of a dominant figure or a replica of Ronald Reagan. But he came across as likable, knowledgeable on issues but not wonky, and unexcitable. So Thompson passed the test of whether he could run with the big boys - Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, and John McCain - in the Republican race. That was the only big thing that happened in the debate....

Fred Thompson may not yet have won the hearts and minds of Republican voters in the United States. But give the GOP presidential candidate this much - he knows who runs the government of Canada. "Harper. Prime Minister Harper," Thompson said, without hesitation Tuesday when asked during a Republican all-candidates presidential debate to name Canada's leader. That Thompson correctly answered the unexpected question saved him some mild embarrassment before an audience of Republican supporters at the CNBC debate in Dearborn, Mich. But it'll likely do little to quell larger doubts about a late-starting presidential campaign that has struggled to meet...

Redstate’s Erick Erickson interviewed campaign manager Bill Lacy after the debate. Marc Ambinder saw things very well for Fred: First time debater Fred Thompson seemed well prepared and did not give in to fruity abstractions when talking about obtuse topics. Some of his rivals may have assumed that he would wither under tough questions from the moderators: he did not. Some journalists may have assumed that he would slouch or tire; he seemed energetic. If this was a test, artificial as it may have been, Thompson passed it. He demonstrated that his campaign has density. He did not fall for...