President Fred Thompson, the Idea vs. the Reality
By Erick Posted in 2008 | Fred Thompson — Comments (11) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
I've been getting excited about this possibility.
Former Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker (R-Tenn.) is contacting powerbrokers in the Republican Party to build support for a 2008 presidential campaign by his one-time protégé, former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.).
Baker, who Wednesday made a visit to the Senate, was asked by several Republicans about his involvement on Thompson’s behalf.
“He said, ‘I am making a few calls and I think it’s a great idea,’” said one Senate Republican who heard Baker discuss his efforts to advance Thompson’s prospects.
Here's the thing though, I really like the idea of Fred Thompson running for President, but I don't know that I'd like the reality. Unless he is willing to say up front that he is pro-life and that he would repudiate McCain-Feingold because of what it has actually done to politics, something he championed while in office, I think I'd still lean elsewhere.
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President Fred Thompson, the Idea vs. the Reality 11 Comments (0 topical, 11 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
One of Reagan's strong points was his insistance on loyalty to all things Republican. The MSM press is going to go after anyone holding the mantle of Repuiblican Presidential candidate. I think I'd rather have them attacking him for being loyal in a just cause than making things up.
Fred Thompson believes Roe vs. Wade should be overturned and the issue should be returned to the states. That's the view of Antonin Scalia by the way. He also voted to ban partial birth abortion. More importantly, he understands the issue of judges. Just look at the ads he cut for Bob Corker. If he runs, and I hope he does, he will quickly become the frontrunner. The support for Rudy, McCain, and Romney is weak to say the least.
In 1997, Thompson chaired the Senate Government Affairs Committee when it looked in the financing of the '96 Presidential campaign, specifically the People's Republic of China paying to enact the election of a President who would work in their interests. After looking into that frightening affair, I can forgive Thompson for supporting some sort of reform, and McCain-Feingold/Shays-Meehan was the thing down that alley or a while. What I'd like from Thompson is a promise that he would not veto a bill repealing that legislation.
Either way, both Rudy and (obviously) McCain support such balderdash, and that's not going to change.
I would suggest that should Thompson decide to run, this would signal a break from McCain.
Regarding McCain Feingold, it is obviously bad law, but the idea of "generic" campaign finance reform sounds good. Government by an elite ruling class with plenty of personal wealth to burn in a campaign is not the form of government I wish to live with. By excluding significant contributions or large coordinated fund raising efforts, that is what you're left with.
My suggestion is that ANY political science experiments implemented to address campaign finance have a sunset provision so that if it proves to be horrible (like McCain Feingold) it would have to be re-authorized or die a merciful death.
Back to FDT, please see my earlier post regarding www.draftfredthompson.com, visit us and learn more.
Erick...umm...correct me if I'm wrong, but don't we already HAVE a candidate who has said "upfront" that he's pro-life AND that McCain-Feingold should be struck down? Because...I was pretty sure that candidate was already in the race.
Because there is definitely room for a top-tier, conservative-on-immigration candidate. We know McCain is awful on the issue, and that Giuliani would likely be just as bad, so this could be an opening for a candidate of Thompson's stature.
But anyway, if not for some personal issues, its likely that Thompson would have just won a second term as Tennessee governor, and he would have been a frontrunner for 08 all along. Still, if McCain continues to falter, and Giuliani can't assure social conservatives with his talk on judges, then I think someone like Thompson could have a shot...if he can raise money that is.
"But anyway, if not for some personal issues, its likely that Thompson would have just won a second term as Tennessee governor, and he would have been a frontrunner for 08 all along."
Huh?
Senator Thompson declined to run for re-election to the US senate because his 20 yr old daughter was tragically killed in an accident. I don't know if you have kids, but something like that kinda changes your perspective.
While you never "completely" get over it, you do learn to cope and continue, which he has.
McCain is half a med from going Howard Dean on us... Do you really trust "I was for abortion rights before I was against them" Romney? c'mon folks... We need FDT if for no other reason than to have a legimate conservative choice.
So what exactly did I say wrong? I wasn't minimizing the personal tragedy, I just chose not to mention it. If not for it, then he may very well have remained in public office.
I am a bit unclear as to what his intentions would have been, however, as it was widely believed that he was going to leave the Senate anyway to run for governor in 2002. But then didn't he say he would seek reelection to the Senate because of 9-11?
Again, I'm not saying he did anything wrong in leaving the Senate and not running for governor. I can only imagine what he went through, and hope I never have to experience it myself. From a cold, purely political perspective, however, its hard not to think about what a potentially great candidate the GOP lost, even as one remembers how his own loss was much greater.
I agree that B.J. Clinton was over the line and should have been impeached on THOSE grounds. However, that doesn't justify what McCain Feingold did to the first amendment. Even then, from what I've read, (http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Fred_Thompson.htm)he is very Pro China and Free Trade. I still like Newt.
...and that he would repudiate McCain-Feingold because of what it has actually done to politics...
Who gives a crap what it has done to politics? It's the damage it has done to the Bill of Rights that people should be concerned about.
How about repudiating it ... even repealing it ... because it was illegal to pass such a law in the first place?
...the fact that Fred Thompson got involved in administering the Scooter Libby Legal Defense Fund [nothing wrong with it, but...] indicates that he's not been thinking like a 2008 candidate for President. It hands the Dems another subject for their negative ad campaigns--a very misleading and exaggerated ad campaign no doubt. Getting directly involved in the Libby Fund is a fine thing. It's just not something a candidate should do. It's something a friend would do. A friend not running in 2008.