Grin and Bear It: Is Fred Thompson Made of Presidential Material?

Newsweek/MSNBC ^ | Sept. 10, 2007 issue | Holly Bailey with Richard Wolffe, Eleanor Clift, Eve Conant and Mary Carmichael

[2ndDivisionVet]

Fred Thompson does not want to meet the Butter Princess. Everywhere he turns at this morning's meet-and-greet at the Minnesota State Fair, he is surrounded by hundreds of star-struck onlookers, many of them "Law & Order" fans who line up three-dozen deep for a close-up with the actor who would be president. Thompson, a sometimes reluctant campaigner, is in full movie-star mode, and has his good-ole-boy charm set on high. All the women he meets are "honey" and the men "buddy." Even dressed down in khakis and a blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up, he is hard to miss. At 6 feet 6, he is head-and-shoulders taller than anyone around him. Posing for picture after picture, he reflexively stoops to fit in the frame. Some fans ask him to autograph DVDs of "The Hunt for Red October" and "In the Line of Fire," movies in which he had small but memorable parts playing powerful, world-weary men. "Run, Fred, run!" comes a shout from the crowd. Thompson lets out a long, low chuckle. All in all, he looks downright thrilled to be here.

[Randy Larsen]

Thank You...

[Smokin' Joe]

Is anyone even going to remember what happens in these early debates???

Anyone with a lick of sense will see that it is a forum for the MSM to establish misquotes and launder the candidate list early. Ask Ron Paul about that. As for Fredd not wanting to dig into that mess yet, I can't blame him, but it is high time he stepped up to the plate. I think he and Hunter would make a good ticket.

[SuziQ]

He neatly avoids the upcoming debate; and, if he's afraid of debates, he can't beat Hillary.

He'll be at the one three weeks later. Considering the fact that very few are watching them right now, it's not a big deal.

[Ditter]

Maybe my recollections are wrong, I admitted that might be the case. He might have been standing in a hole (no he was on the sidewalk), I might have been standing on a hill (maybe). He was not a very imposing physical specimen, stoop shouldered and his hands were small and soft (we shook or at least touched hands). At any rate there was no reason for you to call me stupid or lazy, you could just ignore me and think what you like, as I am doing about you.