Free Republic

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — John and Ann Berenberk dutifully watched the umpteenth Republican presidential debate on television on Thursday night and had an epiphany. It was about the candidate they had previously referred to as the tall, silent one. Fred D. Thompson. The last of the candidates to enter the race, Mr. Thompson, 65, a former Tennessee senator, has so far seemed to distinguish himself mainly by a laconic style that has made him_almost invisible beside the others on the stage in past debates, the Berenberks said. “But then last night — we hadn’t even been thinking about him —...

AMES, Iowa - Fred Thompson says his often-dour demeanor simply reflects his seriousness about the issues facing the country. ``I'm just Fred,'' he says, and the image that's served him through a successful political career won't be changing. Thompson, who played a tough-minded and gruff district attorney on television's ``Law & Order,'' offers precisely that image as he campaigns for the GOP presidential nomination. He's generally serious and direct, with little of the backslapping and joking of many of his rivals. ``I laugh when I am amused and I'm amused a lot,'' said Thompson, in an interview with The Associated...

FORT MILLS, S.C -- Campaigning in New Hampshire and South Carolina, Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson raised his voice and shook his fists as he described his vision of an America true to conservative values. The display of vigor last week was timely: Two months into his bid for the nomination, the former Tennessee senator is fighting to shake the image of a laid-back -- even lazy -- candidate who lacks the fervor of his rivals. Thompson not only has adopted a forceful speaking style, he has taken a more aggressive approach toward other Republican candidates. The push to put...

Burlington, Ia. — Republican Fred Thompson told potential supporters on Sunday that he’s running for president as a champion of ideals held by all Americans: a strong national defense, adherence to the rule of law and a market economy. “And immigration laws that actually work,” Thompson said at the outset. “That’s not just a Republican idea, I don’t think.” Speaking at Big Muddy’s restaurant in Burlington, the former Tennessee senator said he would be able to secure the votes of independents in a general election. Thompson criticized what he called Democrats’ insistence on infusing government into everything. “Would you trust...

Here's your chance to make a cameo appearance in Fred's Presidential campaign. Make a video telling us why you support Fred Thompson for President and upload it using the form below. We'll share these videos with all of our supporters on Fred08.com, and allow you, and them, to pick the best one. Here's your chance to be a star. Submit your video now. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sure, Fred Thompson is an accomplished lawyer, prosecuting criminals in Tennessee before serving as counsel on the Watergate hearings. And yes, he served the people of Tennessee as a common sense, conservative Senator for eight years....

Fred D. Thompson appears to be stepping it up, at least to a slow trot. After a series of leisurely weeks, Thompson's campaign announced yesterday that it plans to air its first television commercial since the former senator from Tennessee launched his White House bid just after Labor Day. In the ad, which will run in Iowa this week, Thompson introduces himself to voters as a "consistent conservative" who as a Republican U.S. senator "fought for tax cuts, and for conservative judges." He adds: "And I'm proud to have had a 100 percent pro-life voting record." Thompson plans to campaign...

This advertisement, the first for Fred D. Thompson since he announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination, is to begin running today in Iowa and nationally on the Fox News Channel. PRODUCER Revolution Media Group. THE SCRIPT Mr. Thompson says: “I’ve been a conservative my whole life. I grew up in a little hometown just like this. Started the first Young Republican Club in Lawrenceburg, Tenn. “In eight years in the United States Senate, I fought for tax cuts and for conservative judges. And I’m proud to have had a 100 percent pro-life voting record. “Common-sense conservative principles. Free...

When word began circulating in Republican circles last spring that former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson was considering a run for the presidency, the reaction ranged from relief the party had finally found a suitable standard - bearer to squeals of delight about the actor/politician and his resemblance to former President Ronald Reagan. It was arguably the high mark of the campaign thus far. Thompson seemed to squander the summer as he considered his run and raised fewer campaign dollars than hoped. Once he hit the campaign trail, he was forced to acknowledge ignorance about some local issues when stumping across...

That Southern charm may soften the appearance of the actor-senator’s hardened conservative views. Last month brough the moment in the presidential campaign I’d been dreading. The popular conservative from my home state, fellow Tennessean Fred Thompson, entered the Republican primary. The pundits and “insiders” have dismissed the actor and former senator even before he declared his candidacy on late-night TV. Some claim he’s a Hollywood lightweight, but I’ve heard that before (Ronald Reagan). Some dismiss him as a Southern simpleton, but I’ve heard that before (George W. Bush). And I’ve even heard some claim he has a wealth of sexual...

There are few people more profoundly different from me than Sen. Fred Thompson. I am, or so I have been told, a high-energy New York Italian-American. He is a laid-back Tennessean. I root for the Yankees. He couldn’t find Yankee Stadium even if his plow horse knew the way up the Major Deegan blindfolded. I come to an opinion quickly. Fred takes his time to look at all sides, study the implications, review the options and then proceed with the dedicated focus of a laser. He is what New Yorkers may describe as “folksy,” and by doing so they miss...

When Fred Thompson finally joined the presidential field last month, Newsweek greeted him with a cover story that bored into the essential question about the man: Is he too lazy to win? The answer seems to be yes, and, for evidence, the article cited Thompson's reluctance at the Minnesota State Fair to meet the sculptor of the Butter Princess, a 90-pound female bust carved from pure butter. He apparently wanted a strawberry milkshake instead and had to be coaxed into greeting the dairy sculptor. It was, Newsweek decreed, "a small but telling moment," a reminder of doubts about Thompson's willingness...

"Helped Themselves a Lot Tonight: Fred Thompson" - National Review "We had been waiting for any speech, any debate appearance, any event with Thompson to be a 'wow, that was fantastic.' Well, tonight was that moment we've been waiting for." - National Review "Fred Thompson delivers the first blow..." - ABC News Political Radar "Fred going on offense." - Politico "Thompson revved up." - Time "Kudos to Fred Thompson for coming out swinging tonight." - Townhall "He [Fred] ought to get serious points for guts." - National Review "'If a man can do all that and be lazy, I recommend...

The great white hope, their Savior, the next Reagan, the actor, no fire in the belly, the staff turnovers, the uhs, the Guccis, the lobbying, more uhs, the too-late entrance, the ups and downs of his campaign, the constant predictions of this is it, the make it or break it debate, and yet he's still here. He's still at least second in most polls and even first in some. He has always been a top-tier candidate even prior to his official entrance into the race. But why? Why is Fred still doing so well if he hasn't started a firestorm?...

Here's my anonymously sourced, second-hand Fred Thompson story that confirms the conventional wisdom. Takes place at a dinner in Washington last winter. Thompson is sitting next to a Hollywood insider who asks him, Why weren't you interested in being president of the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America)? Look, Thompson says. Dick Wolf (creator of "Law and Order") pays me a lot of money to work two days a week. Why would I work for less money and work six days a week? Okay, says the insider, I get that. Then a few weeks later comes the news that Thompson...

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...

Jeri Thompson: The woman behind the man Naperville-raised Jeri Thompson is GOP hopeful's biggest cheerleader Recent months have seen Jeri Thompson painted a variety of ways in the press, from doting mom to trophy wife. She says she knew that would happen, but because she has granted few interviews, it can be hard to tell who she really is. The Sun had an exclusive opportunity to get to know the 41-year-old Naperville native a little better one afternoon last week. She sat down to talk before attending a major Chicago fundraiser for her husband, Fred Thompson, 65. The recently...

He was billed as the charisma-fueled Ronald Reagan-style conservative savior -- but screen star Fred Thompson is drawing mocking reviews for his latest role, as a Republican White House candidate. "Lazy," "subdued" and "rambling," blared recent media critiques of the ex-senator's first month in a fluid 2008 Republican field. Thompson's short-lived honeymoon might have been expected: he teased the media and surfed a wave of favorable coverage by hovering on the edge of the Republican field for months -- and so had huge expectations to meet. If pundits are to be believed, the "Law & Order" star's campaign is yet...

Yes, he's an actor. But that doesn't mean he can perform. The New York Times presents a searing portrait of Fred Thompson's lackluster performance on the campaign trail, with the worst damage done within the quotes attributed to the candidate. "Can I have a round of applause?" Thompson is forced to ask a silent Iowan audience at the end of his 24 minutes of remarks. After a rustle of clapping and some laughter, he grumbles, "Well, I had to drag that out of you." Drag seems to be the operative word here. Iowans saw a "subdued, laconic candidate who spoke...

NEVADA, Iowa, Oct. 3 — Twenty-four minutes after he began speaking in a small restaurant the other day, Fred Thompson brought his remarks to a close with a nod of his head and an expression of thanks to Iowans for allowing him to “give my thoughts about some things.” Then he stood face to a face with a silent audience. “Can I have a round of applause?” Mr. Thompson said, drawing a rustle of clapping and some laughter. “Well, I had to drag that out of you,” he said. Mr. Thompson is a former United States senator, a television actor...