Is leaving Law & Order, thereby removing one of the last remaining reasons I continued to watch a show that has become increasingly political in tone.
Fred Dalton Thompson is planning to enter the presidential race over the Fourth of July holiday, announcing this week that he has already raised several million dollars and is being backed by insiders from the past three Republican administrations, Thompson advisers told The Politico.
Thompson, the "Law & Order" star and former U.S. senator from Tennessee, has been publicly coy, even as people close to him have been furiously preparing for a late entry into the wide-open contest. But the advisers said Thompson dropped all pretenses on Tuesday afternoon during a conference call with more than 100 potential donors, each of whom was urged to raise about $50,000.
Thompson's formal announcement is planned for Nashville. Organizers say the red pickup truck that was a hallmark of Thompson's first Senate race will begin showing up in Iowa and New Hampshire as an emblem of what they consider his folksy, populist appeal.[...]
A member of Thompson's inner circle, who insisted on anonymity, said the former senator will offer himself as a consistent conservative who can unite all elements of the Republican Party. "The public is increasingly cynical and disenchanted with government," this adviser said. "Competence is at the heart of what people want from government, and they need to have a sense that government can do the things they care the most about. They want a reason to continue Republican governance. Thompson can be seen as the adult with a firm hand on the tiller."
Thompson's entry will definitely make things more interesting. Ever notice how, in many of his recent interviews, he seems to pause and give a little thought to what he is about to say in response to a question. The pause that refreshes...
Me thinks he is going to be able to poke sharp, pointy things, with some precision, at the hurried, off-the-cuff, "bumper-sticker" remarks of other candidates.
Appearances and illusions. If sitting at the knee of grandpa while he dispenses advice, fired in the crucible of experience, appeals to many then Thompson's mannerisms may translate into a whole lot of votes.
Will Harper be our true blue Conservative if he gains a majority? If not the cycle repeats its self but this time around the West must make an attempt to exit, [ Alta, BC, Sask ].
nothing wrong with age, experience.
not just another pretty face....
What a great choice, he has always been able to resolve every conflict inside of about 46 minutes.
Seriously, I heard him skewer people in a couple on interviews, Yoop is correct.
I can tell you this, the terrorists will be watching Fred Thompson's campaign closely and hoping with all their mass murdering baby killing dirty filthy hearts above all else that he fails. I wouldn't want to be a terrorist or anybody on the left for that matter, and have to deal with a President Thompson.
I'd vote for Lennie Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) but he's dead.
Go FRED!
There is something to be said for someone with telegenic sense.
He has a 'cut through the red tape' cigar chomping style.
With a balding pate, he has experience tempered by grandpa warmth. Flaunt the 'chrome dome'!
I think he may surprise and do quite well.
Damn. finally someone worth voting for.
not since Reagan...
Let's not forget Michael("mad mikey") Moriarty from the show's past glory days will be running as an independent Prez candidate.
So "political" TV shows have produced 2 prez candidates...seems TV is a good stepping stone for federal politics these days...when will Marty or charlie Sheen make a dive for it? ;-)
If Thompson has the brass to actually BE a Goldwater/Regan Conservative, he'll probably win. He has the TV skills, for sure.
Now if we could just get Harper to give up the slide to the "middle" (LEFT!!!) he's doing, we'd be doing all right. ~:D
Yoop and Ross have said, word for word my thoughts.
Go Fred!!!
Yoop and Ross have voiced my thoughts to a T.
Go Fred!!!
Time to take out another lease on a red truck and pretend to be all down home and country.
Speaking as a Republican, Fred's entry would be welcomed. Don't get me wrong, I respect Bush's WOT efforts and policy, but he has dropped the ball on many other things. His Medicare prescription bill was unnecesssary and costly. He did it to box the Dems in. He is just not getting it on the illegal aliens issue, but, most of the idiots in Congress aren't. His No Child Left Behind bill was more money down the public schools rat hole. Bush was not a disciplined cost cutter although he kept his promise to not raise taxes. He has played nice with Putin for far too long.
He should have routed the Dems hypocrisy and bad behavior with more force. But, on the other hand, the media has never given him a fair forum.
Americans will not put a mealy mouthed, weak on terrorism, Dem in the WH. That's the legacy of 9/11.
The Dems in suicide mode will probably run Hillary, it's all they've really got. Obama with each utterance is looking more and more muddled and inept. She's pure poison for them on so many levels.
I hope Fred makes the committment. His slap down of Michael Moore was pure artistry.
He already looks like a president, what more could they want? I'd like to see Fred up against Al Gore, I'd pitty Al, he wouldn't know what hit him.
Ditto on the unwatchable, MoveOn.org-washed scripts on L&O this season.
"Time to take out another lease on a red truck and pretend to be all down home and country."
Posted by: DThomas at May 31, 2007 10:39 AM
He won't have to lease a truck; he still owns the original 'little red truck'.
As to pretending; you may be on the backside of wrong. I highly recommend reading the following link. Long, but informative.
http://www.metropulse.com/articles/2007/17_18/coverstory.html
It includes this interesting observation from the past:
"Major Garrett is now a reporter for the Fox cable news channel. In 1994 he was a political reporter for the Washington Times . He came down and followed Fred on a tour of East Tennessee. After a hard day of campaigning we were sitting on the front porch and I asked him what he thought.
He described an incident from that afternoon. They stopped at a convenience store in Sevier County. They left the red truck in the parking lot; there was no one else there. They got soft drinks and Fred spent some time talking to the store clerk. When they came outside, cars and trucks were pulling into the parking lot and people were gathered around the truck. Fred pulled the tail gate down, got up and gave a short speech, and everyone hooted and hollered.
Garrett said he had covered political campaigns all over the country that summer and the usual problem for politicians was trying to find a crowd and jump in front of it. He was amazed that Fred could conjure one up in an empty parking lot in rural Sevier County."
I personally think that a Thompson run at the White House strikes terror into the hearts of the Dems, the left, and the libs. If he jumps in he's got some of my money, and if he wins the primary he has my vote, and the vote of anyone else I can convince.
I had a look at MoveOn.org. I noticed that they are ranting about the high price of gas. But doesn't big AL want gas to cost more? Maybe its just a crime for gas to cost $4.00 US per gallon if the oil companies are making the money. If the $4.00 was all tax, it would be just fine, maybe a little low even.
Do they know what cognitive dissonance is.
One thing we can be sure of is Fred won't have any time for Lard-butt, Mush for brains Michael Moore.
Wonder which of the Democratic candidates Moore and the Hollywood Dick Heads will be supporting?
Fred might be just what the USA needs right now.
Liz:
Which candidate will the Hollywood types support? Al Gore, he's one of them now after his hit docuganda. But wait, Fred is also one of them. That's the kind of conundrum that makes the lefties curl up in the fetal position.
Wonder which of the Democratic candidates Moore and the Hollywood Dick Heads will be supporting?
The real question for anyone to be asking themselves is which party do the terrorists not want in the WH? Clinton Do Nothing Redux or a Republican that is going to stomp their asses if they do any more murder and mayhem here? We all know the answer to that and it applies to every election globally. Spain blew it. Their local jihadis will be back for round two as they were successful in influencing the last election. France has wised up.
It's pretty apparent we can't look to Congress for our safety. Americans have figured out that when push comes to shove it's critical to our safety not to have a spineless amoeba, a Dem again, in the WH.
Everything else in the '08 election takes second place.
Read that Spielberg met with Fred and said he's support and fundraise
Fred: Marlboro Man
Stephane: Latte Sissy
Until the possibility of Fred's running came along, I had determined to ignore the 2008 election and not bother voting. Something I have not done for years.
Yes, I thought the "choices" being peddled were that bad. Gawd-awful.
Fred, I'll campaign for.
Technically speaking, in this day and age, Fred Thompson has two strikes against him: He was a politician and he is a hollywood type. Both sort of rate lower than a used car salesman. However, Fred has one thing going for him. Like the good old boys in NASA's early days, he has the right stuff. He is an honest talking, patriotic gentleman who's word is his bond and you can be sure that he will tell it like it is. He envokes the feeling that you can trust the guy and that is something few politicians can do.
For whatever reason, people like George Bush, Preston Manning or Stockwell Day never get past the media skewer and break the stereotype image they are painted as. I think Fred's image as a wise grandfatherly type who speaks from the wisdom of his years will survive the Dems and the MSM.
Bruce Willis for Vice President.
Fred comes across as a person one could trust to do the right thing and nothing beats trust. If Fred decides to run there's no doubt that quality will be apparent, he oozes it. The American people can't miss it.
Texas Canuck, don't forget that one of our best presidents, Reagan, was an actor. Fred also has a law degree and that he isn't part of this Congress with it's 29% approval rating is a good thing. His Senate career wasn't particularly distinguished. He is saying the right things now. He hasn't any bad baggage that I'm aware of. He's got a presidential voice right out of central casting not that it means much.
Meanwhile the Dems have the Hildabeast and Obama as frontrunners. After them is the moonbat left. How pathetic is that.