Thompson's Long Hello Nears End

Weekly Standard: GOP Hopeful Will Enter Race Emphasizing Conservatism, Support For Iraq War

(Weekly Standard) 
Others dismiss such second-guessing as the preoccupation of a chronically impatient pundit class. Thompson has always had a date in mind, they say, and he is unapologetic about his refusal to be pressured into the race. "The media are imposing models on the Thompson campaign that just don't fit," says one senior Thompson adviser. "It's still not yet a campaign. . . . Until you hit a date when the rubber hits the road, you can make mistakes. In these early days, Fred will tolerate mistakes made on his behalf and, in some cases, at his behest."

What's more, they say, it was not realistic for a candidate who was regularly polling second to jump in without a proper organization in place. "If you're Mike Huckabee, you can run with three people and a cell phone. Fred Thompson can't do that," says a second Thompson adviser.

Despite his difficulties, Thompson continues to place second in most national polls measuring support of Republican presidential candidates. "Giuliani's numbers haven't gone higher, McCain is down, and Romney's numbers are up where he's spending lots of money," says a third Thompson adviser.

"You've got to talk to people when they're listening," says Mary Matalin, an adviser to Thompson. "They're not listening in August."

Thompson hopes they'll be listening in September. On Wednesday, September 5, shortly after his Republican rivals debate in New Hampshire, he will appear on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to announce that he will be launching his campaign the following day in a speech broadcast on his website, imwithfred.com. That evening, he will call in to supporters gathered at Thompson-for-president house parties across the country. Thompson will travel immediately to Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina - three critical early primary states. The second leg of the launch tour will include several stops in Florida, which Thompson strategists have long viewed as critical to their bid to win the Republican nomination. He will finish his initial campaign foray with a visit to his hometown of Lawrenceburg, Tenn., on Saturday, September 15.

His message is likely to be a blend of traditional conservative campaign rhetoric - on abortion, taxes, and immigration - and blunt talk about the big issues facing the country. Although Thompson will focus on three - the war on terror, entitlement reform, and tax cuts - campaign officials insist he will also spend a good deal of his time talking about issues that matter to social conservatives.

All of this means one thing: Thompson wants to position himself as the only viable conservative alternative to Rudy Giuliani. In conversations with several Thompson strategists over the past week, one phrase was repeated nearly a dozen times: consistent conservative. It is a not-so-subtle reminder, they say, that Giuliani is not a conservative and that, while Mitt Romney may sound like a conservative now, he has not been consistent.

Thompson's announcement will come on the eve of Congress's debate over the direction of the Iraq war. General David Petraeus will present a progress report on the surge to Congress, starting with testimony on September 10. Thompson had been thinking of a September 17 or 18 launch, but his advisers worried that his thunder would be stolen by the debate about Iraq, so they moved it up. Now Thompson can announce his candidacy in a "news window" before that debate intensifies. He is expected to voice support for the surge (which plays well with Republican primary voters) but also acknowledge the difficulties in Iraq and criticize the White House. Indeed, other than McCain, who was calling for more troops before the war and has urged a larger U.S. military presence ever since, Thompson is perhaps the strongest proponent of the surge among Republican presidential hopefuls.

On January 11, the day after President Bush announced his plans for the surge, Thompson praised the new strategy in a commentary for ABC Radio. "I was struck by a couple of things [Bush] said that indicated not just a change in tactics but a whole new attitude with regard to what's necessary," Thompson said then. "He's taking the gloves off." Thompson, a strong supporter of the war who voted to authorize it in October 2002, ended his commentary with a soft but direct critique: "I'll bet that a lot of folks who support the president on this are asking themselves, 'What if we'd taken care of business this way two years ago?'"

When I interviewed him last spring, I asked Thompson if he was among that group ("Yep"), whether the surge is the last hope for a victory ("In Iraq? Probably"), and what specifically had led him to offer that criticism of the White House.

Thompson worried that the White House had waited too long to correct its mistakes on Iraq. "If we had done this three years ago, I just think we would have been in much better shape." He faulted the Bush administration then for its failure to communicate more effectively on the war. "You cannot carry on a war for any length of time at all without the support of the American people."

His advisers believe that Thompson's ability to communicate will set him apart from the rest of the field. Launching his campaign in the midst of a debate over the war in Iraq will give him an opportunity to prove it.

[hwy71so]

I would be concerned that his ACTing career may affect his touch with reality. Hollywood sure is loaded with liberal influences.

Allow me to be sceptical a bit.

I can not vote for a candidate who is pro abortion, or for "gay" rights. I don''t see how someone who has low moral standards can properly lead this country. Where does he stand on this?

I also eat meat. That means an animal has to die. I will either hunt it, raise it, or buy it at the supermarket. So, I either pay someone to kill it or I kill it myself. Is Thompson going to allow concessions to groups like PETA and HSUS?

How about the military? It is important our military receive the respect they diserve. Will he support those who elect to cut funds going to our troops?

I''m sure these have all been answered before and I just missed it. Anyway, these are key issues I look at, and I will be watching Thompson and the other candidates for the same.

[ih2005]

Caught Thompson on Leno - gawd, dull. You decide if Huckabee''s candidacy is rising:

(1) "Huckabee Building Support in New Hampshire" by Soren Dayton in The Daly Acts
Wed Mar 14 2007 11:04 AM

"Though he is mentioned derisively as a %u201Csecond-tier%u201D presidential candidate, former Arkansas Governor and Republican presidential aspirant Mike Huckabee is quietly making gains in New Hampshire, the earliest primary state.

Debra Vanderbeek signed on last week to run Huckabee%u2019s New Hampshire operations. Venderbeek served as chief of staff for former Rep. Jeb Bradley and is an experienced Republican political hand.

%u201CI was surprised to see Deb go with Huckabee,%u201D one Republican state legislator told The Daily Acts. %u201CThat fact alone is enough to get me to take a second look at him. I respect Deb%u2019s judgment.%u201D

http://www.thedailyacts.com/stories.php?story_id=59&comment_added=true

(2) "Democrats Beware: An Economic Populist Is Rising In the GOP''s Presidential" by David Sirota in SirotaBLOG 8/14/07

"Huckabee has an extraordinarily different message than any of the other Republican presidential contenders - a populist economic message that may be shunned by conservative operatives and K Street lobbyists in the GOP-dominated Money Party in Washington, but likely has an appeal among rank-and-file working-class Republican voters."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sirota/dems-beware-an-economic-_b_60370.html#postComment

[juwboy]

Blue Dastard:

Jews are outnumbered by about 50-to-1 in the US.

So, why are Gentile-Americans like yourself so weak and ineffective at presenting your case to the Government?

[oleander8]

He dangled the carrott for so long it is inedible....BIG yawn.......LOUD snore...

[trillion1]

A B actor and a D politician. This is the GOPs hope?

[bluestardad]

THE BLITZ IS ON TO FRAME THE DEBATE OF STAY THE COURSE FOR IRAQ WAR...

PROVIDING COVER FOR ALL THE AIPAC INFLUENCED POLITICIANS TO VOTE FOR MORE FUNDING OF THIS ILLEGAL WAR.

[brianbwb-2009]

Weekly Standard: GOP Hopeful Will Enter Race Emphasizing Conservatism, Support For Iraq War

Weekly Brian: GOP Hopeful Will Enter Race Emphasizing Continued Corruption, Support For Iraq War. More To Die So He Can Get A Piece Of The Pie

[omega39-2009]

Thompson should easily generate support among that 30% that still support Bush, only that 30% though.

[freedomway1]

Fred Thompson will stay on offense against terrorism.

www.fredthompsonforum.com

[gkc99]

So, how did Thompson dodge the Vietnam draft?

Or won''t we hear this from the Slime Boat Party?

[klifton2-2009]

Bring ''em on! Hey! The more the merrier. Bush has lowered the qualification bar so low just about everyone or everybody can give a shot at being prez. Remember, the most scary part of a democracy is that if there are enough stupid voters, an idiot can be president. Look what''s in the White House today. Can it get worst? Possibly. Knowing the IQ of your average American voter, anything is possible. Some way some how there will be another idiot occupying the White House that will make Bush Jr look like a genius. America is the land of the voting blind where a one-eye man or woman is King. Don''t take my word for it! Look very closely what you have in the WH, Congress, and the Senate!

[ianlou]

Mudrose, it''''s "Je ne sais quoi". It is a French term which means "I don''''t know what". Is this an example of the intelligence of the republican field?
Posted by heartlight3 at 03:28 PM : Sep 04, 2007

What makes me look twice is a Repub speaking French? What happened to the right wing blather like... "Those Ungrateful Frogs..." and "we''ll call them Freedom Fries"? that we''ve all come to expect from this lot?

[feelfree1]

There are recent claims that Cheney has instructed the anry eunuchs at the Weakly Slander, the Wall Street Journal, etc., to launch a propaganda blitz this week, in support of yet another illegal war of aggression against Iran.

I wonder if this claim pans out?

[perimogi]

Fred is my man, we shall see if he prevails.
Go Fred.

[heartlight3]

Mudrose, it''s "Je ne sais quoi". It is a French term which means "I don''t know what". Is this an example of the intelligence of the republican field?

[tejasdemo]

Thompson is one of the best options the USA has to achieve the change and consistant success it strives for. Fred is direct and straightforward and is a far cry from the manipulative liars and scammers that are presently playing games with our heads at this time.
Posted by jack3213 at 12:02 PM : Sep 04, 2007

Which episode of Law and Order did you see this ? Lol.

[tejasdemo]

Lol. C''mon in the race ya ol hillbilly geezer.
I bet the country cant wait for another southern idiot to run us right in the ground.

Lol

[alicia64]

Does it bother anyone that he takes a limo to his public appearances - stops a couple of blocks short of the rally and gets in a Pick-up and drives in to show he is a good old boy?

[oleander8]

Go away, Fred...the carrott you''ve been dangling for 6 months is no longer edible.

[getit1776]

Another boring old *** for president. Let''s pair him with Huckabee for a real snoozer.