From The Road
December 29, 2007 8:33 AM

Thompson: Foreign Affairs Knowledge Is Important

By
John Bentley
Topics
Fred Thompson
(CBS)
From CBS News' John Bentley:

FORT MADISON, IOWA -- Could Huckabee's lack of foreign policy experience be hurting him in Iowa? It made the difference tonight for at least one voter at a Fred Thompson event in Fort Madison.

"I was a Huckabee supporter until about a week ago," said Brian Wright, a Fort Madison resident. "And then I heard his comment about Pakistan today."

Wright asked Thompson a question about the political implications of the Benazir Bhutto assassination and how it will affect the presidential race, saying that he once supported "another candidate" but was now considering Thompson.

"I have no idea of the political implications of that question," Thompson said during the customary question and answer session after his stump speech. He went to add that knowledge of international affairs, however, is crucial. "We shouldn't have to wait until some disaster happens – either at home or abroad – to be reminded of how important this is," he said.

"I do know what the ramifications of having a president who doesn't understand the nature of the world that we live in are, and that would be a dangerous situation."

With the latest poll out of Iowa showing Huckabee leading Thompson by over 20 points, the former Tennessee senator could use every voter he can get.

"Knowing that Senator Fred Thompson has foreign policy experience with the world leaders, I believe he's the best choice," said Wright, adding that Huckabee turning Bhutto's assassination into an immigration issue "turned me away from him."

Add a Comment
by larryjlong December 29, 2007 7:18 PM EST
Mike Huckabee may be very intelligent. Unfortunately there are too many educated fools running in this election cycle and Fred Thompson ain''t one of them.

Give me a man with common sense and princples any day over intelligence.

Yet when one looks at Senator Thompson''s Bio, one cannot but notice how intelligent he is too.

That is just some of the many reasons I will vote for Fred Thompson for President of our great country.

GO FRED! GO FRED! GO!

Larry J. Long
An East Tennesse Fredneck
Reply to this comment
by larryjlong December 29, 2007 7:10 PM EST
GiantRobot2 sounds more like a ranting liberal than a supporter of conservative principals.

I heard many times that women are from Venus and men are from Mars, what planet is GiantRobot2 from?

He sure ain''t from around here or he would know better than what he has just pontificated.

GO FRED! GO FRED! GO!

Larry J. Long
An East Tennessee Fredneck
Reply to this comment
by adi2000-2009 December 29, 2007 6:29 PM EST
To "GiantRobot"....How the hell can the Reverend know the root cause of anything when he doesn''t know what countries border Pakistan or when martial law was raised? Sounds like he doesn''t do his homework to get to the "root" of anything.

If you want to attack Thompson do it like everyone else by saying he''s not slick enough...but after listening to his interview about Pakistan on Hannity and Colmes and on CNN, you sound foolish leveling those charges against Thompson....espcially comparing his answer to Hucks.

The American Spectator gave grades for the candidates answers and knowledge of what is happening in Pakistan. McCain and Fred got an "A"....The Reverend got a "D" ...Even the junior senator Obama got a "C"!!!!

....and believe me the journalist is no friend of Thompson...he just knows an intellegent, clear, concise answer when he hears one....and a rambling, mixed up answer like the Reverends

...talk about one of them rambling...it''s not Thompson on foreign policy
Reply to this comment
by bobtx1 December 29, 2007 6:06 PM EST
Comparing the RINOs (Huck,Mitt,Rudy and McCain) to Fred is like comparing Pop Warner fotball to the NFL. Fred is the real leader among them.
Reply to this comment
by adi2000-2009 December 29, 2007 5:26 PM EST
Too many real Conservative commentators are comparing the Reverend to John Edwards for my taste.

He has no clue what is going on in the world. How his fans and handlers can continue to make excuses about "what Huck meant to say" is beyond me. He is a very fluid, articulate speaker that made zero gaffes on issues he understands(such as abortion/***/aids(oh that''s right). When it comes to the crisis in Pakistan...hell, even where Pakistan is, he is clueless...another Jimmy Carter.

I will never forget though him calling all Conservatives who stood up against the Kennedy amnesty bill "racist"....or should I say, he said our opposition was born out of racism. No difference. I am used to be called a racist falsely by liberals....I guess we got called the same by another liberal, it seems.
Reply to this comment
by samtmullins December 29, 2007 5:11 PM EST
FRED THOMPSON
The only TRUE conservative who understands that we are in a LONG GLOBAL WAR against ISLAMO-FASCIST & JIHADIST who want to kill & subjecate us under radical Islamic rule...

Fred Thompson is the ONLY candidate who has laid out policies in detail to fight this evil & has called us to raise a "Million Man Standing Army" through increasing our military & fight this war like we did in WWII...

Fred Thompson is the only candidate with the foreign policy experience to handle this task and the savy & respectability to deal with world & political leaders on the world stage...

Fred Thompson is the ONLY candidate willing again to adress in detail the looming problem of Social Security for the future...

Fred Thompson is the only candidate who has proposed in detail how to stop the influx of illegal immigrants & SECURE THE BORDERS through immediate enforcement of EXITING LAWS. This INCLUDES IMMEDIATELY BUILDING & COMPLETE THE BORDER DOUBLE FENCE as passed already by Congress...

Fred Thompson is the ONLY candidate who is a true federalist and believes we should be able to govern ourselves more effectively & directly from state & local levels without illegal Federal intangelment by limitting federal powers as set forth in our Constitution...

THIS IS WHY WE NEED FRED THOMPSON for PRESIDENT in 2008 ! ! !
Reply to this comment
by alekmassey December 29, 2007 4:32 PM EST
I''m afraid Huckabee is better suited to being a governor of dubious esteem than anything else.
Reply to this comment
by winghunter December 29, 2007 3:54 PM EST
The Huckster''s astonishing ignorance about the rest of the world is only the half of it.

To appreciate what he has said reveals his intentional dishonesty.
Reply to this comment
by giantrobot2 December 29, 2007 1:34 PM EST
Everyone should go to Mike Huckabee''s web home page and watch the brillant speech he gave in Washington about terrorism.

It was magnificant, he went into great depths as to why the terrorist are fighting us. Mike Huckabee is an extremelly intelligent man. He really understands the root cause of the issue. He wants to drill down and resolve the root cause, not just put out a fire.

Fred doesnt havent a clue what he is talking about, really! He rambles on in speeches leaving the viewer perpexed as to what he just said.

Fred Thompson is one of those I dont want to get in their and fix the details guy, he is the type of person who rambles on with speeches trying to confuse the listener that he knows something.

Mike Huckabee is the "roll up the sleeves" type guy. He wants to get to the root cause. He wants to "prevent it" not just "fix it" attidude.

Go watch his speech, it was totally magnificant. Mike Huckabee is extremelly intelligent.
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