Big Fred
Mar 20, 2007 Americana, Blogophilia, Medialites, Politics and Poker
Mickey Kaus asks the question I’ve been asking:
Wherein lies the greatness of Sen. Fred Thompson? Just asking!
Me too. He’s being pumped like crazy by, for what it’s worth, some of my favorite bloggers. (Others are being characteristically skeptical — via IMAO!) But is this another case of mistaking the TV character for the person? Mickey continues:
All I remember is he was given custody of an important set of hearings–into China and campaign finance — and screwed them up. … He sounds good–in his John Fund interview he says lots of sensible things (especially about civil service protections). But ideally a presidential candidate has accomplished something–even if it’s only governing a state without steering it conspicuously into disaster. Obama hasn’t accomplished much [link added by me -- RDC], but he’s only been in the Senate for two years. Thompson didn’t accomplish much in two years plus a full six-year term, no?. … I’d love to be wrong on this. Please tell me why. …
I can’t. But I can explain the interest: Conservatives are in the dumps because there isn’t a Reagan, or even the version of George W. Bush they thought they were buying, in this race. But what exactly it is that they see in Thompson is not clear unless, as I said, they are actually voting for a rich baritone voice, six-and-a-half-feet of USDA Grade A beef, and — here’s the kicker — his role as a fair but firm, if a little politicized, urban crime-fighter. And there are two problems with that. Kaus identified one:
P.S.: He’s a bad actor! I never believe he’s the character he’s playing (even when the character is essentially Fred Thompson). … 1:53 P.M
That’s not Fred’s fault. It’s the producers’ fault, for the absurd casting of a giant Tennessean in the role of Manhattan District Attorney. It’s like casting me in the title role of The Wilt Chamberlain Story. And the other problem?
It’s only make believe.
UPDATE: What’d I tell ya?: “He might prove to be our Ronald Reagan Candidate.”
March 21st, 2007 at 7:15 am
FRED is better for 2 reasons.
1) He is a conservative as per his voting record
2) He is electable ,unlike Newt.
3) I like Rudy but I would feel like a sellout to my principles if I voted for him
4 The left will claim a Guiliani win as a victory for liberalism over conservatives. Time Mag will lead with a Cover ” Where the Right went Wrong”.
March 21st, 2007 at 10:12 am
Time magazine’s cover will read that anyway. :p
March 21st, 2007 at 3:02 pm
Do you find it interesting the Steven Hill’s character (not really) ended up making it to Congress a few years ago? Adam Schiff beat James Rogan.
March 21st, 2007 at 4:28 pm
I think that he is attractive to the base on the issues is what is driving his popularity. I don’t think that would be a good thing for the GOP as a party. I think they need a candidate who can take away some of the attacks from the left flank per se, which is why Giuliani is hands down the best candidate at this time.
March 21st, 2007 at 6:01 pm
I’m with Voice of Reason. I like Thompson just fine but I doubt that he’ll hold up over the long term. I think he’ll fade for the same reason I don’t think Obama will hold up: he just doesn’t have a record to fall back on.
Despite the fact that Guiliani is not a “true” conservative on a few issues, he has the one thing no other Republican candidate has: a brilliant record of trashing the hard left in their own home court. He simply didn’t take any mau-mauing, race-baiting or liberal whining when he was mayor. He identified it for what it was, marginalized the culprits, and then went on to make changes that everyone else thought were impossible. In this, he has many of the qualities that Reagan showed despite their policy differences.
March 21st, 2007 at 6:13 pm
I agree with both of you. Rudy is my guy.
January 21st, 2008 at 4:05 pm
I disagree with the suggestion that the republicans lack a conservative leader like Reagan or GEorge W. Bush… Take a look at Mitt! He’s the best thing that’s happened to the republican party in years.
Big Fred is an actor. He didn’t do anything as a senator. He may look like a “take charge” kind of guy, but he’s too lazy to be president, let along way too ugly to get elected.
January 22nd, 2008 at 4:09 pm
[...] was, as I said, pretty much always his main qualification for this job, [...]
February 7th, 2008 at 10:47 am
[...] one Jimmy Carter for him to run against]. If another one emerges, we’ll know (some of us were not fooled).And if you think that you (we) will “teach the nation a lesson,” a la Jimmy Carter, by not [...]
April 7th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
[...] I said the same thing about Fred Thompson. He is also a great actor, tall, stentorian, authoritative, and a very impressive and effective [...]
August 7th, 2008 at 10:52 am
[...] Well, here’s something a little large, and a little more significant, to not cheer about — but something that conservatives must understand if they don’t want to relegated to a fringe: The electorate is not all that conservative. We will not win the Presidency with a strong conservative candidate. You can’t deduce anything from Ronald Reagan. There was one Ronald Reagan. If another one emerges, we’ll know (some of us were not fooled). [...]