Posted on 09/08/2007 12:44:28 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
He may have entered the race at a late date compared to his rivals, but it seems certain former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., will have little trouble locally finding support in his race for the White House. Several national polls showed the Law & Order actor in first or second place in the competition for the Republican presidential nomination, even before he entered the race.
With Sevier County's strong ties to the Republican Party and Thompson's ties to Tennessee, folks have been quick to jump on the Thompson bandwagon.
"I think Fred Thompson is our best chance to get a true conservative in the White House," former Sevier County Republican Party Chairman Rob Ailey said. "I believe he has proven his conservative credentials. I think he's just what our country needs now - a leader like Ronald Reagan who is someone we can feel comfortable with and someone we can trust. Fred reminds me more of Reagan than anyone else in the race."
That comparison to President Reagan has become crucial this year as each Republican candidate has compared himself to the Gipper at one time or another. Reagan's popularity across party lines reminds many in Sevier County of a better time when leaders were stronger and Washington was less partisan," Ailey said.
Corey Johns, special projects manager for the Sevier County Economic Development Council and vice chairman of the Knox County Republican Party, agrees Thompson bears a strong resemblance to Reagan.
"I think Fred has the commitment to stand his ground like Reagan did when he told (former Russian leader Mikhail) Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall," Johns said. "I think Fred is the kind of candidate the Republicans need now."
Johns, who claims a distant family relation to Thompson, says the candidates Hollywood ties strengthen the Reagan comparison.
Beyond his ability to invoke a politically happier time for many conservatives, Thompson also has the to appeal to folks across the political spectrum, Johns said. That will make him a more attractive candidate than some of the more polarizing names on the ballot.
"He already has the name recognition and he's had some great fundraising numbers," Johns said. "People are finding Fred instead of Fred finding people. He has instantly become one of the top two candidates in the race and that's because people already know him and like him."
Sevier County Republican Party Chairman Ashley Johnson is somewhat constrained by his position to not endorse candidates, but instead to support each Republican through the primaries. Still, he says Thompson's will be a very strong candidacy.
"I think Fred, along with some of the others in the field, are very viable candidates," he said. "Traditionally the primary race hasn't really started until after Labor Day, so I don't think he's started out late. Plus, the name recognition he already has, helps him overcome what some are calling a late start."
Not everyone is behind a Thompson candidacy, though. Jim Anderson, former president of the Sevier County Democratic Club, says the more people learn about Thompson, the more they'll question his candidacy.
"I don't think people know enough about Fred Thompson to make an intelligent decision about him yet," Anderson said. "I would say right now he's an image - people may think he'd make a good president because he has a good voice and he's played the president in a couple of movies. I think the more we learn about him, the more conservatives and liberals are going to realize he might not be a great president."
Among Thompson's problems with Republicans are the fact that he doesn't oppose all abortions and supports affirmative action in some cases. For Democrats, Thompson's stances on everything from global warming - which he says may be attributable to changes in the sun - to his insistence the United States must keep forces in Iraq will present problems, Anderson said.
Both sides may be concerned about the fact that Thompson spent years as a lobbyist in Washington, fought for the insurance companies working to avoid paying for asbestos-related claims and helped defend President Richard Nixon during the Watergate hearings, Anderson said.
Anderson has outlined his concerns about Thompson's positions on the Web page http://sevierdemocrats.blogspot.com.
You said it. Especially because of the "problems" for Thompson with Republicans--he's for "SOME" affirmative action.
I'm completely against affirmative action, but I gotta tell ya, Mr. A--that is SOOOOO 9/10.
If we have the good sense to nominate Fred Thompson, and the democrats nominate Hillary Clinton, I see a repeat of Reagan versus Mondale.
Mark my words, you will be deafened by the volume of the "feminists" running to take the "He was so MEAN to a WOMAN!" pose when that happens.
Gee, go figure. Some demorats not in favor of Thompson? Wow, this guy is really onto something. I believe it to be stupidity.
I love how these journalists and Democrats level vague charges with no context, meant to create a false impression and mislead, like the bit about Fred Thompson being for “some” affirmative action.
Just which affirmative action programs does Fred support? What is this guy’s definition of “affirmative action”?
Fred stands for federalism, and always has. His political views are based on firm principles informed by the limited role of the federal government laid out in the Constitution. Just yesterday he said the federal government should “show no favor for any particular class of citizen” and should “not set aside categories for special treatments.”
I think if that were the case, Sen. Thompson would manage to carry more than his home state and DC.
The journos are REALLY scared of this guy in a way they simply are not by Hunter, Tancredo, Paul (haven’t heard much from their supporters around here lately) because they’re not going anywhere, or by McCain and Giuliani (because if they have to have a R pres it’d be one of those two), or even Romney, who, I suspect, is going to start fading now. Thompson’s straight talk really does make Romney look like a good-looking politician with very nice teeth and nothing else.
Agreed on all points except I have certainly heard from Congressman Hunter’s supporters on Freep. I respect him but really think he is more a Secretary of Defense type than Commander in Chief.
I haven’t been around much until last night so I haven’t seen ANY of those supporters. I like Hunter, too, and think he would be exactly what we need in Veterans’ Affairs—EXACTLY what we need.
Funny, however that brings up a point.
Being a carpetbagger, Hillary really doesn’t have a home state.
So she might carry only DC.
Agreed on all points except I have certainly heard from Congressman Hunter’s supporters on Freep. I respect him but really think he is more a Secretary of Defense type than Commander in Chief.This is exactly what I've been saying for a while now.
Oh...that must be why he was elected by over 60% of the people in your state, Mr. Anderson, because people were fooled.
Scared much?
In other words an EMPTY SUIT
Blue Highways was a great book, btw.
Romney is a few bucks short of the $400 haircut of John Edwards. He's got the rest the tan and the bleached white teeth, and the EMPTY SUIT.
Not familiar with the book, but the song is a great classic by Neil Diamond.
The book is a nonfiction tale about a man who outfits a van and lives in it for a year while driving the “blue highways” around the country—the small roads away from the highways, the small towns, woods, etc. Reading it’s like taking a vacation.
Same idea as the song. I’ll have to check it out. Thanks.
I think the whole article lends itself towards the impression there is a real fear of Democrat voters defecting to the Thompson camp if Fred is "for real" and plays it right.
But yeah, he is stupid. : )
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