Posted on 09/14/2007 10:13:22 PM PDT by Doofer
Nobody is more surprised to see former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson in the 2008 race for the White House than Fred Thompson himself. At age 64, with a successful acting career, a stable financial future, a second chance at family life, a bright beautiful young wife and two small children, running for President of the United States was likely not on his list of things to do.
That’s before the conservative core of the Republican Party drafted him. Fed up with out of control federal spending, deteriorating individual liberties, a lack-luster national defense and the growing tolerance for leftist notions exhibited by the current crop of “moderates” busy running their GOP into the ground, conservatives passed on all RNC panderers and drafted their own presidential candidate.
I could run down the list of conservative votes that make up his two term senate career, but others have already done that. I could talk about his down home southern charm, his good ole boy nature, his face and name recognition as a result of a life filled with personal accomplishments or even talk about those red pickup truck campaign stops reminiscent of much simpler days. But you already know these things.
Unlike all other candidates, it’s hard to find someone with anything bad to say about Thompson, someone besides his political challengers of course. In a fever to find trash on Thompson somewhere, the Democrat war room tracked down every girl he ever dated between his two marriages, looking for dirt. When every woman who ever knew Thompson had only praise for what a kind, gentle natured southern gentleman he really is, Democrats knew they had a real problem on their hands. Even his ex’s still like him? Never seen that before…
All of these reasons are true and valid. They all mean something. But there is an even bigger reason why Fred Thompson is the likely winner in 2008, a reason few political analysts can comprehend.
On the campaign trail this week, Thompson was asked why he was not participating in the Values Voter debate in Fort Lauderdale on Monday. In typical Thompson form, he responded, "Debates are important, but let's don't let the tail wag the dog here. Standing up there 10 in a row, you know, like a bunch of seals waiting for someone to throw you the next fish is not necessarily the best way to impart your information to the American people," Thompson said. "I'm not above acting like a seal every once in a while and waiting for the next fish. I just don't want to do it all the time."
And that’s why Fred Thompson could be the right man with the right stuff for 2008!
Atop the list of many disappointments in our federal government today is the clear message that nobody in Washington DC has the least bit of common sense or honesty about them. Okay, let’s say a few do, but so few that they aren’t worth counting. Modern politicians are just career politicians. They aren’t the pillars of our communities anymore and I don’t care which political party you’re trying to blindly defend.
Washington is full of career liars and every American knows it. Now, the average American voter can not always detect a lie when it’s told by a really good liar and let’s face it, our nation’s best liars aren’t reading scripts in Hollywood, our village idiots are. Our best liars are reading campaign cue cards in Washington DC.
The people may not always catch the lie as it’s told by the best liars in the business. But Americans inherently know the truth when they see it or hear it and that’s what they seem to like about Fred Thompson.
There isn’t a single American who wouldn’t describe modern campaign debates the same way Fred did, or feel about them just as he does, as a result. But what politician has the nerve to say it out loud for God and the whole world to hear? Besides Thompson I mean… I was starting to wonder if I was the only American who noticed what a ridiculous scam the alphabet network debates had become.
What other truths will the average American voter connect with?
For starters, any American that understands our current confrontation with international terror inherently knows that leaving Iraq has nothing to do with leaving the war. It only represents moving the central front in that war from there to here. It doesn’t take a national security expert to recognize the flaw in that plan. But apparently, it does take one smarter than the average politician or news anchor.
They also know that until we secure our own borders, we’re not serious about preventing the next 9/11.
Like Thompson, voters know that there is no such thing as a “pro-war” American. Americans don’t like war, any war, anytime, for any reason. Good men die and not one American likes it.
However, they also understand that there are only those Americans who are willing to fight to defend this nation and those who are not. They know which ones are responsible for the freedoms we enjoy today and which ones they can count on to secure those freedoms for tomorrow.
They know that some Americans will leave their loved ones behind and travel half way around the globe to some God forsaken hell hole where they might well die trying to protect and preserve the American ideal. They also know that there are those who won’t fight even once they have allowed the war to come to their doorstep and that these folks can’t be counted on for anything.
Voters are starting to figure out that we don’t have liberals anymore. Liberals believe in personal liberty, not federally mandated rights for a greater communal good. Liberals believe in personal freedom, not an endless supply of free (paid for by others) stuff. They are figuring out that what we have today is Democratic Socialists, not their grandfathers Democrats. JFK would be kicked out of the DNC today just like Joe Lieberman, if he dared to utter the words “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” at a DNC rally.
Americans know what real civil rights are all about. They are those rights which were “endowed by our Creator” (who is no longer allowed in our schools, our courts or our civic offices), and they apply to every man who was created equal by a kind and generous free-will God, not just special interest voting blocs. They are those “unalienable” rights that NO politician, NO voting bloc has the power to take away from any individual, no matter their race, color, creed or social agenda.
Americans know that it is our common love and respect for freedom, personal liberty and the opportunity to be anything we want to be, that bonds us together as a people, not the celebration of our differences based on such superficial nonsense as the color of one’s skin or ethnic heritage. It’s our common future of freedom, not our diverse past, which makes us One Nation.
Fred Thompson is the only candidate drafted into the 2008 race by the people. He is the people’s candidate. All others aspire to be president for a variety of largely selfish reasons. Thompson has been clear - he wasn’t thinking about running, he has never aspired to hold the office. He was asked to make a difference, sees a need and an opportunity to make a difference and is willing to make that difference. That’s the difference!
All other candidates see themselves as the answer to every problem. Fred Thompson correctly sees the American people as the solution to every problem and politicians as their biggest problem. Thompson clearly believes in himself. But he obviously believes even more in the power of the American people and I for one, share that belief.
People always claim to want real change, but seldom mean it. Our Republican President has a 30% public approval rating and our Democrat congress has less than a 20% approval rating. This means that 70-80% of Americans think we can do better than either of them… They are right.
Some say Thompson is too old, but frankly, on those rare occasions when I’ve been lucky enough to stumble into true wisdom in this world - it has never come out of anyone any younger than Thompson.
Some say he’s a Washington insider. He’s a former Senator who set his own term limits when he ran and lived by them. That’s hardly a career politician. Other’s say he’s too well connected in Washington. But anyone not well connected in Washington can’t get anything done in Washington.
Still others doubt that he is qualified to be President of the United States. Can you name the last President that we all would agree was qualified? Exactly what are those qualifications? I’m quite certain that nothing can fully prepare one to be president of the greatest nation on earth. Besides, the founders designed our nation to be self-governed by average people, not dictated to by some group of elitist intellectuals.
To be certain, Thompson has and will have his detractors. But he will also resonate with average American voters across the political spectrum like no other candidate can and that’s because he is making it clear that he is going to be true to himself first. He’d rather lose this race for the right reasons than win it for the wrong reasons and America is overdue for just such a leader.
Some will say I’m campaigning for Thompson here and maybe I am at this point. I sure wasn’t planning to, anymore than Thompson was planning to run for president ten months ago. I’m sure not getting paid to campaign for him or anyone else.
But any leader willing to march to the beat of his own drum and call things what they really are today, has my attention real fast. How refreshing!
Maybe we both just see a need and an opportunity to make a difference.
Maybe the American people see it too!
Good article. Thanks.
“Debates are important, but let’s don’t let the tail wag the dog here. Standing up there 10 in a row, you know, like a bunch of seals waiting for someone to throw you the next fish is not necessarily the best way to impart your information to the American people,” Thompson said. “I’m not above acting like a seal every once in a while and waiting for the next fish. I just don’t want to do it all the time.”
Translation?
There isn’t one. It’s folksy BS meaning less than nothing. He’s good at it.
Reason #1. Sally Quninn gushes about him.
The people who were whining that Thompson hadn’t gotten into the debates with the other candidates made me wonder if they’d ever SEEN any debates. We always complain about the format, and say they’re a waste of time. Then, when someone doesn’t participate in these silly TV shows—when someone shows leadership—we bitch about it.
Like Thompson, voters know that there is no such thing as a “pro-war” American. Americans don’t like war, any war, anytime, for any reason. Good men die and not one American likes it.That's not true. When there is a Che Guevara or Fidel Castro waging the war, American Leftists like it plenty.
ANd when we step on the necks of evil people and emerge victorious, we love it. It is human nature.
Yeah, you’re probably right. I thought it was folksy BS meaning that he considers himself too big a deal to participate.
Common denominator? Folksy BS. Just what we need.
Why I’m leaning towards Fred:
One, who chooses a career in government, will not fix government by choice. Only someone who feels it is their duty to serve in government will do their duty and fix government. Thus it is up to the people to elect only those who feel it is their duty to serve the nation. A careerist will only do what is best for their career. And that is what is wrong with both parties; they no longer are there to serve the nation but, to increase the size of their party and thus enhancing their careers.
Like I say I’m leaning towards him but we’ll see. It’s still early.
Great, great line!
I wish that Fred had appeared at the Iowa Straw Poll in August but I think that he has been absolutely correct in avoiding the various lefty run debates.
There is no way any conservative should should dignify these leftist attack "debates" run by George Stephanopolous or his ilk.
Translation?
He wants to get things done, not debate all day.
“He’d rather lose this race for the right reasons than win it for the wrong reasons and America is overdue for just such a leader.”
What? I’m pretty sure this is filler, but it’s a wierd line. Any help with this one?
He didn’t look very busy while the debates were going on.
Don't the candidates look a little bit like seals at the circus sometimes, waiting for someone to throw them the next fish in the form of a question that they can answer in a minute or so, which tells those listening so much about their stand on an issue?
doesn't need one. It stands clearly on it's own.
... Ironically that same night he was in California with Jay Leno, where many more people saw him and heard him than if he had been at the debate.
I've been screaming this from the rooftops for years.
We need to call them who they are: card carrying members of "Democratic Socialists of America" - this is NOT rhetoric.
http://www.dsausa.org/dsa.html
Back in my investigative reporter days, I infiltrated a a strategy meeting of the "Democratic Socialists" in a church, literally in the shadow of our state capitol (This was some 25 years ago.
This was right after Reagan was elected.) Basically, they admitted that they had lost a lot of gains, as it were, as to operating openly as Socialists - and that they would have to continue infiltrating the Democratic Party until they were strong enough to take it over.
They have been successful. It's time to take the gloves off and call them what they actually are - and I doubt they will openly deny it, as they are committed to it -
Democratic SOCIALISTS - repeat and repeat. WE need to use it every time we mention any one of these traitors.
Just maybe some of the sheeple will wake up
seriously, fred rocks.
Chinagate: The Movie
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