Fred Thompson, damn it
Posted by Ron Coleman on May 22, 2007
There’s nothing not to like about Fred Thompson, okay?
But I still haven’t seen the steak. Sizzle, yes. Yet he’s perceived as being so unconnected to the miasma of Washington insiderism (as if he never served in the Senate?) that even smart guys like Glenn Reynolds become almost thoughtless boosters. Check this out:
FRED THOMPSON ON CORRUPTION AND THE U.N.: “When Fidel Castro and Kim Jong Il have as much say in U.N. matters as the entire populations of Poland and New Zealand, you’re going to have problems.”
I’m sorry. This is not original. It is not insightful. In fact, it’s not even bold: “You’re going to have problems”?
Fred — Glenn? — and, yes, NRO? This pedestrian observation is something any conservative, or indeed intellectually honest regardless of political stripe, observer of international relations and the UN could have made and probably has made, in some form or another, for the last 20 years. Yet for this he gets a syndicated column, which is picked up on NRO; a featured quote on Instapundit; millions of adoring right-wing bloggers?
Come on!
What is your policy prescription, Senator? Do we leave the UN? Defund it? Sue it? Level it? Audit it (again)?
I love Fred’s stage presence. I love his magical powers. He’s friends with a former boss of mine. He seems like a decent conservative.
Far be it from me to ask a question so banal as, “Where’s the beef?” But I’m at the barbecue. I’ve got my plate. The bun is open. I smell something cooking. But my stomach, she is growling. And the sun is arching into the west.
Dean Esmay said
One might also note that he is lacking in executive experience. Well being a prosecutor is some kind of executive experience, but not that much.
Bob Miller said
Today, a banal truth is also seldom heard.
Dave Schuler said
Dean, do you mean “lacking in executive experience compared to the ideal candidate” or “lacking in executive experience compared to the sitting senator he would in all likelihood be facing in the general election”?
Martin L. Shoemaker said
Dave, if I’m going to criticize those opponents for lack of executive experience — and I have, and will — then it would be hypocritical for me not to criticize Mr. Thompson for the same reasons.
Now if it does come down to a choice between two novices and Mr. Thompson is one of them, then he’s probably the novice who will get my vote. But I’m not thrilled by that choice.
HokiePundit W&M 0L said
Bob Miller is on to something. I’d rather have someone have banal conservative thoughts than whatever brilliant-yet-wacky thoughts McCain, Giuliani, and Romney may have, let alone the Dems. I think this is the reason why Thompson is popular: he’s got solid conservative credentials, a likeable demeanor, and a bit of elan, even if his resume isn’t what we normally see in candidates. I think he comes across as having as much or more “gravitas” (as though any of us really know what that means) as any other candidate. I think Republicans see him as a calmer, more charismatic, and less ideological successor to Dubya. Where Dubya was the cowboy coming in to dramatically break the Clinton-Gore machine and kick some butt, Thompson is the wise father-of-your-girlfriend who will keep things responsible.
Ron Coleman said
I bet you if I weren’t so lazy I could find ten identical utterances by Giuliani and McCain, for starters.
Casey Tompkins said
Go for it, Ron!
Up above you say
(by the way, your comment window just UNDERLINED “blockquote” within the HTML tags. How goofy is that!? 🙂
Anyway. Since it’s such a pedestrian observation, and has probably been made countless times, it should be a trivial matter to demonstrate that, no?
Mind you, I’ve heard non-elected folks like the ‘stache (Bolton) voice similar sentiments, but how many politicians?
So maybe it’s time for you to put up, mi amigo! 🙂
Actually, if you’ve listened to Fred’s recent interviews, he’s come across more as an old-school con than a neo-con. Heck, sometimes he sounds almost Federalist. My kinda guy.
As for experience, that is (mostly) lacking across the board. True, Hillary has some legislative experience, as does McCain and many other candidates. Note that they are now running for an executive position. Also note that the only currently running candidate with such experience is, well…
…Rudy, the gun-grabbing abortion-lover. {/snark} Ok, there might be an ex-governor amongst the Seven Dwarfs on the GOP side, but let’s talk viable candidates, shall we?
Note that Gore is not (yet) running, nor is Richardson.
Perhaps the good professor sees further into things than you? 🙂
Barrette said
Additionally, Fred says what he says daily to a mainstream audience in his radio column. Statements like these, while made every day in the blogospere, rarely show up in traditional media.
Eric M said
At the risk of stating the obvious, Thompson can’t deliver the beef. I don’t mean that literally, of course, but if he starts dishin’ out filet and sirloin then he has officially tipped his hand and let everyone know that he is in fact running. In doing that he is no longer such a great story and he is going to have to get off his butt and start campaigning and raising money at the pace that the other contenders are. Right now, he gets to sit on the sideline, fire off witty one liners, and freeze millions of potential campign money from going to anyone. With as much time as we have until Iowa, where would you rather be sitting?
HokiePundit W&M 0L said
Good point, Eric M. Why try to hastily assemble a power base when you can lay it down piece-by-piece and let it solidify before building on it? People may be so worn out by the extended campaign season and tired of mudslinging that Thompson becomes a welcome relief.
Ron Coleman said
Chill out, Casey. It really makes no difference whether I spend half an hour gathering links or not. The statement does not move me.
Casey, I like Fred. But I’ve got this gnawing in my stomach.
Casey Tompkins said
I AM CHILL!!
Heh. No, seriously. If I sounded antagonistic, then my bad. I just wanted to take you up on your offer. 🙂
When I first heard whispers of the “draft Fred” movement, I wasn’t too impressed. I’d heard of the guy, but … {shrug} Now that I’ve heard what he’s had to say lately, well; I already said it above. We don’t have a lot of executive-experienced candidates, and his ideas are attractive.
Eric and HokiePundit touch upon a possible strong advantage for Fred: he seems to “get” the Feiler Faster Principle. His now-infamous “cigar reply” has become an instant classic. If memory serves, one of his co-workers decided a quick clip would be the appropriate reply and calls Fred, who replies “I already know what I’m going to say.” It took less than thirty minutes from start to finish, posted on breitbart.com. This is at least one clue that he has a strong innate grasp of our modern political culture.
I personally think that’s one of the things which hobbled Kerry in ’04, even with most of the MSM on his side. Neither he nor his staff seemed to understand the speed and fluidity of today’s information culture. It’s not just about news any more. Someone quicker or more tech-culturally aware might have defused the Swift campaign to better effect.
Anyway, back to Fred. If my idea is correct, Fred knows he can wait until (say) November of this year, and still put together an effective staff, then a campaign. If the FFP is correct, he’ll be able to headhunt among the other candidates for talent as well. The entire culture is more fluid.
To my mind, this is a situation similar to the post-WW1 era, where a few generals “got” the new paradigm which combined trucks, self-propelled artillery, and planes (all powered by the newly-reliable internal combustion engine) to empower a return to maneuver warfare; something rarely seen since Napoleonic times. The Russians got it, a bit, as did the Italians (who lacked the industrial infrastructure). The Brits were fumbling towards it, and the French clueless due to Victory Disease. The Germans were generally less-wrong, and were lucky enough to get some trial runs before May 1940. The Americans had some good ideas, as well as the excellent luck of watching (and learning) from the sidelines for two years.
Patton, especially, “got” it. In fact, he was one of the few Allied generals they respected and (I suspect) feared.
Bottom line: those who grasp the new paradigm best will reap the greatest advantage.
Mikey NTH said
The utterances may be banal.
But shouldn’t that concern us when a banal utterance is seen as refreshing candor?
Telling Michael Moore that he’s so full of it his breath stinks shouldn’t be seen as a revelation, now should it?
I want someone confident enough to tell the truthers and the isolationists “Bah! Humsh@t!” I think the nation needs that.
Ara said
Please nominate Fred Thompson.
Pretty please.
With sugar on top?
B. Durbin said
I don’t know about President, but I certainly support Thompson as press secretary.
You can see it, can’t you?