Fred Thompson Prepares For First Debate

(AP)  Fred Thompson, a veteran actor but a newcomer to presidential politics, steps onto a debate stage Tuesday for the first time in a decade.

He's been practicing for weeks.

Although nine Republicans will take part in the forum, which begins at 4 p.m. EDT in Dearborn, Mich., the focus will be on Thompson, a former Tennessee senator.

A late entry into the race, Thompson has sometimes struggled to answer questions on the campaign trail in his initial weeks as a full-fledged candidate.

He's no stranger to the small screen. He spent years acting on NBC's "Law & Order." But the last time he engaged in a political debate was 1996 during his successful Senate re-election campaign.

Over the past two weeks, Thompson has held seven to nine debate sessions at his McLean, Va., campaign headquarters outside Washington, aides say. In each session, Thompson would answer timed questions on a variety of subjects. Aides then would stop and review answers with him.

Among those helping: former New York Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, who has played Rudy Giuliani.

"We think that we'll hold our own, but obviously every other candidate on the stage has been going to these debates all year long. They've already gone through their preseason. This is our first scrimmage," said Todd Harris, a Thompson spokesman. "The most important thing for us is for Fred's message and answers to connect with Republican voters, and that's been our focus."

During the two-hour Michigan debate, Thompson will be positioned between top GOP rivals Giuliani and Mitt Romney. The debate is sponsored by The Wall Street Journal, CNBC and MSNBC and will focus on economic issues.

Thompson entered the campaign on the same day as the fifth GOP debate last month. He chose to announce his candidacy on NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" in Los Angeles instead of debating in New Hampshire, a decision that drew attention.

[gkc99]

I''''m just hoping one of the softball pitchers at the "debate" gets up the nerve to ask Freyed how he managed to avoid the Vietnam draft. Class of 1964, law school class of 1967, he had a chance to show how much he puts his a$$ where his mouth is in his pro-war "stance" of the moment. Like so many of the chickenshithawks, my guess is when asked to pick up a gun, he "had other priorities."

Is there any lower scum than lying neocon hypocrits?

[johnny343sc]

Liberals will eventually show their true colors... soft and weak on Terror, Crime, Values and Religion.

...If you vote for them- we still aren''t out of Iraq. No Commiecrat could promise that at the Democratic debate the other day. Tell you something???

Look, we Republicans aren''t happy with Iraq as much as the Democrats are, most Republicans don''t like Bush either. But the alternative is worse- vote for Democrats in 2008 and you might as well send a direct message to Osama Bin Laden and his gang that the US has no guts and isn''t willing to stand-up for itself. Bush has taught us that starting wars in the Middle East isn''t an effective way to deal with the terror problem/coming energy crisis as a whole.

But the alternative is losing our spine and voting Democrat in 2008... think with your head and not with your heart on this.

;)

[glossypan]

I think my fellow progressives are underestimating Fred Thompson. He is an actor, a profession that sets little con hearts aflutter. He has lobbied for rich clients across the political spectrum. They did not pay him big bucks just for being tall. He may well be plugged in to the Bush-Cheney-Rove machine, still a force in politics.

The first hurdle for any Republican is securing his party''s nomination. If anyone impresses Pat Robertson''s Christian Taliban, they will probably be the Republican nominee. Rudy is despised by the thumpers. McCain has been karlroved. Mitts modern day oracles and angels in the homeland may or may not play well with the trad fundamentalists.

Fifteen to twenty million sheep is a huge boost at the ballot box, even in the general election. If Pat anoints Fred Thompson, he will be a formidable foe for the presidency.

[hwy71so]

So, you libs actually think H.Clinton and/or Obama are qualified? So far Obama''s spilled a lot of "hate". And, Hillary is WJ''s Wife, not merely an acquaintance. Do you really think her hands are clean?

I hope that Hunter will step up the pace...

[briannorwood]

Fred Thompson preparing for debates.

I wonder what comic books he''s boning up on?

[adian1-2009]

I just hope that Mr. Thompson has devoted some time to reading what has been going on in the world during the last two decades. I''m not a Republican and would not vote for any Republican for President, but the good man seems to be a good man. I hope him good luck in the approaching debate. Most of the other pre-candidates, especially Giuliani and Romney, would be too bad for what our nation needs. Both of them are mere hypocrites with false credentials. Thompson, on the other side, seems to be a honest man. That takes him out of the crowded Republican field.

[jsilver2th]

this will about finish his campaign off

[usayesterday]

And here lies the problem. Any politician that has made it as far as to run for president, should be an orator. They shouldn''''t have to be practicing. Practice is for junior house members. Not presidents. We have lowered our standards for president to such a level that it is laughable. That is evident by who lives in the White House.
Fred Thompson shouldn''''t even be considered as presidential material.

Posted by kansas1946 at 10:42 PM : Oct 08, 2007
..............

Here lies another problem:

We''ve reduced the majority of communications to just a few short sentences with acronyms instead of words, symbols instead of written feelings, and voice mail as our means of "answering" a phone call.

10, 20, and 30 years from now (if we last that long) we will no longer be able to use words that are more than two syllables in length without showing the definition of the word (and how to pronounce it) next to each word said and/or written.

George W. Bush is the present day "orator" that we can expect, and see much more of, in the future unfortunately.

[usayesterday]

"Preparing for the debate" .... Translation: Trying to get him to stay awake for a full hour without dozing off.

Posted by thisandthat1 at 11:22 PM : Oct 08, 2007
...............

LOL!

So when Fred loses either the nomination or the 2008 election (whichever comes first), perhaps he can go on TV doing commercials for Viagra.

(Just like a fellow conservative relic did just a little over a decade ago)

[usayesterday]

Jeez, there are some really screwed up people in this world. They all post here.!!

Posted by pwrslm at 10:54 PM : Oct 08, 2007
.................

So are you the pot or the tea kettle?