Free Republic

As soon as former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson announced that he was mulling over a run for the presidency, pundits and voters alike began to announce comparisons between Thompson and Ronald Reagan. Now that Thompson is in the race with both feet, it is worthwhile to examine more carefully ways in which he is or is not somehow parallel to Reagan. It is important to note at the outset that Republicans have to come to grips with the facts that there was only one Reagan and that he was not perfect (though he was very, very good). Constant seeking after...

Though Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson is running as the heir to Ronald Reagan's brand of conservatism, he made the rounds of symbolic Democratic strongholds in New Hampshire on Sunday. Thompson began his first visit to the Granite State as an official candidate Saturday evening with a single stop at a traditional GOP picnic at the Scammon farm in Stratham, then spent the night in the heavily Democratic seacoast city of Portsmouth. Thompson had no public events Sunday morning. His first appearance was in the heavily Democratic 'Queen City' of Manchester, the most populated city in New Hampshire. His first...

Rich Lowry’s latest column asks, “Why Fred?” In the op ed, Lowry attempts to head off some possible answers to his question by arguing that Fred’s adherence to federalist principles doesn’t count. It most certainly does, as it is one of the guiding principles upon which a Thompson presidency would be built. Lowry also cites the “forward-looking” health-care proposals offered up by Thompson rivals Romney and Giuliani as the kind of “fresh thinking” that Thompson will have to demonstrate. Um, sorry, Rich, but those health care plans are the kind of “fresh thinking” that is morphing the Republican Party into...

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...