Could Fred Thompson Really Get The Republican Presidential Nomination? (UPDATED)
March 29th, 2007 by JOE GANDELMAN, Editor-In-Chief
Could 2008 be the year when the Republican party goes into the Presidential election offering voters a REAL “Law and Order” candidate?
What once seemed worth a “Yeah…right….” is now looking like it COULD possibly happen…
Fred Thompson, the veteran politico and actor, is clearly being examined seriously by GOPers and as that’s happening some other Presidential nominee wannabes are starting to feel the heat, according to a Gallup poll:
A new USA Today/Gallup poll suggests actor and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson could be a factor in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, should he decide to enter. Included for the first time in this poll, Thompson places third behind front-runner Rudy Giuliani and second-place John McCain. There has been little change in the Democratic ballot in recent weeks, other than a slight improvement for John Edwards. Hillary Rodham Clinton remains the Democratic leader, with Barack Obama, Al Gore, and Edwards also getting significant support.
Why is this happening? As Gallup notes, Republicans — particularly conservative Republicans — are not particularly enthused over the kinds of candidates who are out on the hustings so far:
One of the major themes running through early media coverage of the Republican campaign is the idea that Republicans are unenthusiastic about the existing field of candidates. The current group of candidates is thought to be either too moderate (Giuliani and McCain), too unknown (Sam Brownback, Mike Huckabee, and Jim Gilmore) or both (Mitt Romney and Chuck Hagel). There has been constant speculation that some well-known and unquestionably conservative candidate would enter the race to fill this perceived vacuum. Some have long thought Newt Gingrich would be that person, though his unpopularity among the general public casts serious doubts on his ability to win the presidential election. More recently, Thompson — who served in the U.S. Senate from 1994 to 2003 but retired and returned to acting — has said he would consider entering the race.
In his debut in Gallup’s Republican primary trial heat, 12% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say they would be most likely to support Fred Thompson for the party’s 2008 presidential nomination. That is good enough for third place in the crowded field of 14 candidates, behind Giuliani (31%) and McCain (22%), according to the March 23-25 poll.
So some independent voters have already liked what they’ve seen.
Meanwhile, the Old Media and the New Media often draw parallels to Thompson and Ronald Reagan, etc. But is that the WRONG comparison? Here are some things to consider:
But is that really enough?
Various reports say the Bush associates and the Bush family are split now between supporting Senator John McCain and Mitt Romney. Would Thompson get the support of the existing establishment (versus the older-style Republicans)? Would they try to beat his candidacy back, or go with him because he might look for a winner?
The bottom line is Thompson is less another Reagan than perhaps, in terms of Republicans, another Ross Perot.
Perot burst upon the American scene like a political skyrocket after appearing on Larry King Live. He was one of the FEW independent candidates who looked like he actually had a chance to win. Why?
He became popular because Americans from both parties didn’t like their choices — the first President Bush and Governor Bill Clinton.
And so it is with Thompson.
Republicans seem to feel that right now they would have to hold their noses and choose one of a flawed field (in terms of conservatism and social values). Then Thompson comes along, a relatively fresh national campaign face, with ideas more in line with mainstream conservatism plus the communication skills so vital in 21st Century American politics.
So: will the Thompson boomlet last?
Various reports suggests he is looking at this very seriously this time.
But remember what happened to Ross Perot. He had Big ‘Mo. And then he pulled out…and when he got back in, it was too late. His moment in political history had passed him by.
Thompson has a skilled actor’s timing. Does he have a skilled politician’s timing?
UPDATE: The Washington Post headline also uses the same Law And Order pun we do in an excellent piece. Some highlights:
“Law & Order” star and former U.S. senator Fred Dalton Thompson is considering a bid for the White House that would test whether Hollywood can once again launch a Republican to the world’s premier political stage….…..The onetime senator from Tennessee is known to many Americans for playing New York District Attorney Arthur Branch on “Law & Order” and an admiral in the film “The Hunt for Red October.” But his real-life record as a no-nonsense lawmaker who also served as the minority counsel to the Senate Watergate committee is appealing to party activists dissatisfied with the current crop of Republican hopefuls.
“He has a conservative bearing and a conservative presence, but he’s independent in his thinking and his voting record,” said Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), who added that Thompson is “seriously considering” a presidential campaign at the urging of many friends. “He has a commanding television presence that makes every other politician in America jealous.”
The ability to communicate and come over well on television doesn’t necessarily win elections but it makes it a lot easier. Some Republicans and Democrats have it, some don’t. Thompson has it. And those who don’t have it, need to work on it.
This entry was posted on Thursday, March 29th, 2007 at 12:45 am and is filed under Mitt Romney, John McCain, Fred Thompson, Republicans, Conservatives, Politics, 2008 Elections, As Yet Unassigned. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
March 29th, 2007 at 3:07 am
In a word, yes. FDT is for real. Perot was attractive to many because of his highly unorthodox pledge to use his own money for his campaign, and because he was so ready to point out the shortcomings and hypocrisy in both of the major parties. Most of us look back now and ask if he wasn’t a little off his rocker. I don’t think anyone’s likely to say that about Fred Thompson. And as for Reagan having been a party workhorse, read up on Thompson, from Watergate to the Roberts confirmation. His experience is vast, and his positions are steadfast. He is a true conservative, though perhaps not quite so much as Newt, but it appears he is far more electable than Newt, and may have a steadier moral compass.
March 29th, 2007 at 4:08 am
Fred Thompson kinds sounds like George W. Bush in this piece.
Taking about the stripping away of traditional presidential powers. Um…Earth to Fred, the Executive has been stripping powers from the legislative and the judiciary pretty heavily lately.
Look at some of his statements in that article:
“hapless Justice Department”
“The Democrats vow congressional hearings to determine if (if you can imagine this) politics were involved”
“Considering the times we live in, do we really want to continue to try to chip away at the traditional powers of the president? Regardless of who wins the White House, don’t we need a strong president?”
and my personal favorite:
“In 1993 Attorney General Janet Reno rode into town and fired every U.S. attorney in the country but one-all Republican appointees.”
I’m sorry but as ever since I could vote I’ve been a member of the Republican Party, and the party I joined didn’t depend on the actions of the Democrats to justify their behavior. Back then Republicans held themselves accountable to their own standards and didn’t need to whine about Democrats doing it first to justify a questionable practive.
Thats why I can’t support the GOP much anymore, I’ve always been a moderate, but the GOP had always seemed to have more integrity and small government appealed to my libertarian side and my sense of personal responsibility.
Fred Thompson looks just like George Bush here, denial of wrong doing, blaming the opposition, down playing and aguing for dropping an investigation of what could be not only partisanship, but also against the law, making an appeal for the current level or even more of executive power, and to top it off jumping on the “Clinton did it first WAAAAMBULANCE”. We don’t need more years of this type of irresponsible attitude. Thumbs down to Fred. Ron Paul is looking better and better to me.
March 29th, 2007 at 10:14 am
Where the hell has he been for the last six years while the GOP has taken it from all sides? Ohhh thats right…hes been out in Hollywood with his wife young enough to be his daughter attending uber liberal hollywood elitist parties with those that have waged a viscious war against the very party he now wants a nomination from!!!
Meanwhile all the others wanting the nomination have been right there in the trenches with us fighting the good fight! But not Fred…no…he was too busy attending Oscar parties and play acting on television to be bothered with it all!
Get real. I will not vote for him.
March 29th, 2007 at 11:14 am
I don’t know. There’s plenty of other actors to consider for the role of President.
I think the Fred Thompson fanboys are swooning because he’s an actor who looks presidential. That’s not enough.
Beansox nails it. Well done!
March 29th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Beansox nailed pecisely ZERO.
He has spant years a a real Federal prosecutor, Including co-Chief counsel to watergate that broke open the tapes inthe oval office.
Broke open a “Pardons for Sale” that brought down a governor.
Has maintained a law practice all those yearas a well.
So much for your ignorant “Just an Actor” approach.
The past 6 years doing nothing?
Try another Lie beano.
First off, let me remind you that 6 years ago he was a sitting SENATOR, with another year to run in his term.
More recently, he was the point man for getting Cheif Justice Roberts through the Senate.
Assisted in getting Alito thru there too.
And he is currerently on a government foreign policy advisory group, at the request of Sec of State Rice. He is up to date onthe growing threats in places like the Phillipines, the Spratleys, Thailand and other places that aren’t even on the radar yet - places where small supportive actions can preclude later larger wars.
Has been involved in the Americn Enterprise Institute.
OK - I accept your apologies for being a liar Beansox and Psycheout.
March 29th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
I still say he’s been relatively inactive during these last, incredibly tumultous years. Alito and Roberts are nice, and being on an adivsory group is respectable, but he seems to have largely gotten out of politics, elected politics, when things got ugly. Not saying he jumped ship or anything because he couldn’t hack it, but he just hasn’t been thru the worst of the giant sh*tstorm that is the Bush administration. Probably why he smells the nicest to a lot of folks at this time.
March 29th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
Thompson actually went through some important family issues around the time he decided to retire from the Senate. I am blanking on what exactly they were, sorry, but they were significant. I have no problem with a man in his 50s spending time with his family and working a fairly comfie job for a bit. When Washington and Jefferson retired to their estates to farm and write letters and just hang out, we all celebrate their embrace of private life and escape from Washington. When Thompson does it, apparently it shows he’s abandoning others?
For people who take the above incorrectly, I will not be voting for Thompson because I disagree with his policies. I think they are wrong. This doesn’t mean I have to condemn him for irrelevant junk.
March 29th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
Here’s another opinion piece on Thompson as GOP candidate.