Fred Thompson Looks Old, Tired and Stupid…

 

The Republicans debated in Michigan last night and it was the first, long anticipated appearance, of candidate Fred Thompson. I watched for about five minutes, and wasn’t impressed.

Thompson did not look too enthused to be at the debate at all and seemed relatively disinterested in the questions. Many of his answers were predicated with long pauses – much like the pauses of one George Bush, as his feeble mind fishes for an answer. Of course, Chris Matthews really didn’t press him much. He did field a question about the Canadien prime minister, and got it right, but I was thoroughly taken aback at what he got wrong, namely the economy and Social Security.

When asked if though the country was heading to recession, Thompson resoundingly said no. He pointed to 22 straight quarters of growth and low inflation among other things. However Thompson forgot he was in Michigan. Of all the states in the north, Michigan is in the toughest economic shape – maybe the toughest shape in 30 years. The auto industry is crumbling slowly and unemployment is rampant. Thompson was obviously catering to a national audience, but he really should have dug deeper into the facts surrounding the Bush economy before he lept at that answer.

A recent poll by Zogby suggests that 60% of Americans feel the economy is the number one issue going into 2008. That same poll shows that most people feel the economy is slumping, are worried about their jobs, think globalism is hurting us, and feel that there will indeed be a recession. Some believe we are already in a mini-recession as well.

On Social Security, Thompson feels that the system COLA’s should be indexed to inflation rather than wages. That would be convenient given the fact that inflation has been very low for twenty years or so. However, Thompson’s policy may be short-sighted given the fact that if the economy, that he believes is so strong, does indeed begin to ebb and inflation does rise rapidly, the Social Security system could take a destructive blow and maybe decisive death blow.

Overall, Fred Thompson seems like another old school nit-wit much like Reagan and Bush, who has not thought out all of his policy ideas, rather offering the same old warn out conservative platitudes that are working to squeeze the middle class into oblivion right now. Conservative ideals regarding the economy and Social Security do not work. Reagan and Bush have proved that beyond a doubt. Just talk to working people – they’ll tell you. Of course rich conservatives don’t mingle with the serfs.

Thompson Announces Candidacy on Leno…

 

As reported on Shadow Democracy Radio September 2nd, Fred Thompson – veteran actor and former Republican senator from Tennessee – launched his campaign for the presidency in typical Hollywood style. “I’m running for president of the United States,” Thompson told Jay Leno in a taped appearance on NBC’s “Tonight Show” that airs tonight.Thompson called top opponents Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney formidable but added: “I think I will be, too” as he rejected the notion that he was getting into the race too late.

“I don’t think people are going to say, ‘You know, that guy would make a very good president but he just didn’t get in soon enough,'” Thompson said as the studio audience laughed. Poking at his rivals who have been running since the year began, he added: “If you can’t get your message out in a few months, you’re probably not every going to get it out.”

In a multi-phased campaign rollout, Thompson also is calling attention to his candidacy with a 30-second ad broadcast during a Republican debate in New Hampshire that he is not participating in. He also is explaining the rationale for his candidacy during a 15-minute Webcast on his campaign Internet site just after midnight.

“On the next president’s watch, our country will make decisions that will affect our lives and our families far into the future. We can’t allow ourselves to become a weaker, less prosperous and more divided nation,” Thompson says in the ad that will air on Fox News Channel (go figure).

Thompson may have a bit of momentum, but it won’t be easy for the former Tennessee senator, who has a street reputation for laziness. His campaign has been unable to drive fundraising and suffered through multiple staff changes, the most recent coming this past Tuesday with the departure of his spokesman of just two weeks, Jim Mills.

“There is a genuine interest in Senator Thompson here, a real curiosity about him,” New Hampshire Republican Chairman Fergus Cullen said Tuesday. “But that curiosity is giving way to skepticism and maybe even cynicism about him in part because of how he’s handling his grand entrance. For him to then go on Jay Leno the same night and be trading jokes while other candidates are having a substantive discussion on issues is not going to be missed by New Hampshire voters.”

In Durham, N.H., as people waited in line to see the Republican candidates debate at the University of New Hampshire, one person ran around in a fuzzy yellow duck suit carrying a sign that said, “Fred, why are you ducking the debate?”

“He should be here,” said Bob Crossley, 50, a real estate agent from Wolfeboro, N.H., waiting to get in. “It’s kind of like defaulting in sports. If you don’t show up, you lose.”

In spite of all this, Thompson consistently ranks among the top Republicans in national polls and state surveys. He is a Bush-like conservative – pro-Iraq War, anti-middle class, anti-union, etc., and seeing that no one on the GOP side has remotely excited the base, Republicans are searching for someone with like-minded credentials who can win in a general election. During his 1994-2002 Senate tenure, he was considered a reliably conservative vote, however, he strayed from the party line on a few issues, including advocating for campaign finance reform. Overall, he may be the best shot for a Republican base that may finally be sick of all the lies and corruption, while the economy and international policy situation erodes. Whether he can beat Hillary Clinton or anyone else, remains to be seen.

Thompson at a Glance…

NAME – Fred Dalton Thompson

AGE-BIRTH DATE-LOCATION – 65; August 19, 1942; Sheffield, Ala.

EXPERIENCE – Actor, 1987-2007; Tennessee Senator, 1994-2003; attorney, Arent, Fox, Kintner, Plotkin & Kahn, 1991-94; Tennessee Appellate Court Nominating Commission, 1985-87; special counsel to the Senate Intelligence Committee, 1982; special counsel to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 1980-81; special counsel to Tennessee Gov. Lamar Alexander, 1980; attorney in private practice, 1975-94; minority counsel to the Senate Watergate committee, 1973-74; Assistant U.S. attorney, 1969-72; lawyer, private practice, 1967-69.

EDUCATION – B.S., Memphis State University, 1964; JD, Vanderbilt University, 1967.

FAMILY – Divorced and remarried; five children, one deceased.

QUOTE – “Republicans have to realize that not only do we have to do things differently and better as a country, we need to do things differently and better as a party.” – August 2007, interview, The Associated Press.

More on Thompson soon.