Fred Thompson is running because a large segment of the Republican Party base wanted him to, and all but drafted him. The big problem with this is, there are many people who aren't interested in a Thompson presidency, if not outright hostile to the idea.1. The media-who have been downplaying his candidacy from day one, and have even attempted to sabotage his campaign by the release of unsubstantiated rumors meant to suppress the vote for him. Example-Tim Russert has recently all but become the spokesman for the McCain campaign, suggesting that Thompson might soon withdraw and throw his support behind McCain. He did this during a broadcast of NBC Nightly News, on the night of the Iowa caucus. Three days later, on Meet The Press, he conducted a favorable "interview" segment with McCain, just two days before the New Hampshire primary, in which he trumpeted McCain's lead in the polls.
2. The power players in the Republican Party itself. I'm telling you for a fact-they don't want him. They know that Thompson is not interested in the politics as usual, pay-the-piper king making that goes along with traditional party politics. Thompson wants to do what he honestly feels is right for the country-whether or not that happens to coincide with the interests of the Washington elites.
3. Fred Thompson himself-he's just not made for the dirt ball politics that make or break a candidate. He wants to make his case, he wants you to listen thoughtfully to what he has to say, and make your decision. Then, providing he wins your support, he wants to go about the business of doing what's right for the country, with no nonsense and no strings attached. Because of the way he is, Fred Thompson is not going to kiss your babies-or your ass.
4. Fred Thompson is a Federalist-He doesn't just talk the talk, he walks the walk. Unfortunately, most of the people in power don't view the philosophy as anything more than than a curious anachronism, at best. They don't want it-or him.
As such, my advice to Thompson supporters is as follows-write, e-mail, and phone your Republican Party officials on all levels and express your support for the Thompson campaign. That is the only chance that his campaign will ever get off the ground. If the Party apparatchiks are willing to support him and stand by him-or at the very least accept him-then he has a chance. If they do not, then he has no chance. It is just that simple.
Then, let Thompson himself know that you expect him to run his campaign as though he wants to win it. If he does that, he might just pull it off. Stranger things have happened. Just take a look at his wife.
3 comments:
There's a chance I'd vote for him. But he definitely needs to start seeming to give a shit. Obama has the same problem, but he's gotten a bit better lately. With Thompson, you almost expect him to say, "Vote for me... Or don't. Honestly, I don't care. I mean, look at how how my wife is. You think I really care about very much in this world aside from fucking her?"
I think he wants it, he just isn't a natural politician. You would think that would be a plus, but in his case, it's not. He really isn't that good an actor either. His first role was playing himself in a movie. For the most part, he's been playing the same role in almost every part he's ever played. He puts himself across in a good, thoughtful manner, but he's not the kind of guy that is capable of working a crowd and ratcheting up the enthusiasm on a large scale.
He's the kind of guy that can work small crowds on a more intimate level, but in a larger forum, it doesn't translate. It's really too bad, because I intend to vote for him if by some odd chance he wins the nomination. I have even considered changing my registration in order to vote for him in the Kentucky primary, but by the time that comes about it will probably be long decided.
I threw that bit in about his wife at the end because it was an excuse to use that picture. Yeah, she's something else, huh?
Yeah, I'd definitely vote for a Jeri Thomspon/Michelle Obama ticket.
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