The buzz is getting louder…
Our latest weekend USA Today/Gallup poll is full of interesting insights into American public opinion. Tops among them may be the changing landscape of the Republican primary field.
Of course it’s early and much can change. But, as I noted here, that’s the point. We do not hold out that the candidates you see in the lead now are going to get their party’s nomination. But the process by which the candidates move up and down in the minds of their party faithful in correspondence to what’s happening in the real world is fascinating and important.
This most current poll of Republicans included in the list, for the first time, actor, lawyer and former Senator Fred Thompson. I’m not sure what voters may think about Thompson’s performance in The Hunt for Red October as the rather stilted Rear Admiral Joshua Painter. But he’s certainly creating a mini-stir of attention from rank and file Republicans. Thompson now gets getting 12% of the GOP vote. At the same time, Rudy Giuliani is down 13 points, and Mitt Romney has sunk from 8% to 3%.
Given that John McCain comes in at 22% — little changed — Thompson is suddenly in third place among Republicans.
Doesn’t the Daily Worker have editors? What does “gets getting” mean?
Sheesh!
The Democrats should counter Thompson with Martin Sheen, who’s run the country , in fantasyland, for several years now. That is, if he’s currently residing outside the Betty Ford centre.
How old is Thompson? Is he of an age to consider at least 1 term?
Where does Newt register in the polls? I’d say he’s at least as likely as Fred to win the GOP nomination. But Dan Quayle hasn’t announced yet either.
A dream ticket of Guiliani/Thompson or Thompson/Guilian? Either one works for me.
Newt was at 8%.
More here –
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/sleuth/2007/03/fred_thompson_more_than_flirti.html
Since Giuliani is a Republican In Name Only, his candidacy isn’t going to fly anywhere in the Republican heartland. If they WANTED to vote for a northeastern democrat, they’ve already got a plate full of choices.
The Hunt For Red October, now it makes sense. I thought I’ve seen Fred Thompson around before Law & Order.
In all honesty I’d vote for him before any of the Dem hopefuls. Real senate experience should come in handy.
Agreed bob: Thompson/Giuliani Dream Ticket! Go Fred!
All that the Republicans need to come up with is a scandal free candidate with a firm conviction to stay the course on the WOT, keep taxes at a minimum and do something to clean-up the out of control illegal alien situation and I think the public will be satisfied. In my opinion, the person that can stay on task with those three issues goes to the head of the pack.
While early potential Republican candidates are surfacing, it’s fun to watch Hillary and Obama grind each other down like tectonic plates. No political advantage in that.
Penny – “All that the Republicans need to come up with is a scandal free candidate….”
Sounds good to me…. now where is that person?
The GOP is a collection of silos..each with it’s own assortment of weakness and strengths.
What they need is to get their collective act together and decide what the stand for as a whole.
I think your suggestion of the three pillars approach is a fine place to start.
Now communicating that position would be good job for Fred! As for Rudy …. he’s been a good leader in the past without letting his liberal bent interfere with getting things done…so why couldn’t he do it again?
His big problem is that he’s damaged goods and unlikely to survive because of his cancer.
The last thing the US needs is a president laid out by illness and all the BS that goes along with succession of command.
Fifty percent of adults would not vote for Clinton
http://thehill.com/campaign-2008/fifty-percent-of-americans-would-not-vote-for-clinton-2007-03-27.html
I see a Thompson/Giuliani ticket as key to unlocking the doors to the White House in 2008.
OMMAG – I agree with you that the Republicans are in disarray right now. They have brought it on themselves, and, as much as I respect Bush for his Churchillian vision and stance on the WOT, he has dropped the ball on a lot of other things. We didn’t need his Medicare prescription drug giveaway, we needed Social Security overhauled. He’s vetoed damn little congressional porkbarrel spending. I’m angry at his kowtowing to Mexico which has a vested interest in moving as many of their economic basketcases to us.
I’d like to see every single candidate Dem or GOP be required to write a detailed position paper on their plan for Iran and post it online simultaneously to announcing their candidacy. But, then, that’s like wishing for a MSM that in an intelligent principled non-biased manner assisted citizens in obtaining and organizing important information.
Watch the next couple of months. Cheney will step down for health reasons and Condoleezza Rice will be named to succeed him. If she takes it the balance of the contest could change dramatically. Not only would most of the GOP faithful vote for her but she’d draw a massive number of people who usually vote Democrat who would be in love with the notion of a black and/or female president.