Back in 2000, Sen. Thompson came to see me and my gang to tell us why we should be supporting his friend John McCain.
This was after I had already lost the battle with my then-publisher and some weak-kneed colleagues, and we had endorsed Bush. I told Thompson that, but he wanted to come see us anyway.
I felt like a scrub through the whole interview, because he was right about all the reasons we should be endorsing McCain, and there I was presiding over the editorial board that he knew had done the opposite. It was like having one’s favorite uncle explain, in the kindest terms, why he’s disappointed in you.
I say again — he was completely right. And all the things he said then are true now, possibly even more so. So it seems odd to see him playing with the idea of opposing McCain for the nomination.
But consider this: Thompson entering the race could be the best way to help McCain. If he entered as the white knight for the right wing, he could split the very vote that Romney, Brownback, Tancredo, et al. are already splintering all over the place. And Newt Gingrich too; I almost forgot. In fact, Thompson could probably stop Gingrich more easily than any other stratagem.
McCain would still have the support that he already has, for the most part. And in South Carolina, at least, that’s more support than anyone else has. Romney is already weak here despite all his efforts; Fred Thompson would destroy him. That would just leave Giuliani as a threat, and is the right really going to go for the Rockefeller wing?
Of course, Thompson could come on strong enough to eat away at McCain support, too, but I’m doubting it.
Interesting thing to contemplate.
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In Brad’s never ceasing attempt to downgrade Romney, he neglects (purposefully?) the fact that Romney leads in both Iowa and NH at this point. With Florida announcing today that it has moved up its primary to the same day as South Carolina’s, what happens here won’t matter anyway.
I voted for McCain in 2000 in the SC primary. Never again. First, because he allowed Bush/Rove and Lee Atwater disciples in SC to smear him and his family without any recourse — in fact, McCain went back into the Bush camp with his tail between his legs (talk about your PARTISAN lackey).
I would have had more respect for McCain if he put integrity over politics.
Second, McCain’s support for amnesty for illegal aliens is 100% wrong. This is America, Mr. McCain, not North America. Open borders will destroy our economy.
Third, his support for the undeclared War on Terror and the Iraqi Oil Field Protection Plan. Fourth, his political stand on the Confederate Flag again proves his desire to put personal political gain over principles. And finally, for the simple reason that McCain is older now than Ronald Reagan was when he first took office. Wait til he has to stand next to Romney in the debates down the road – it’ll be Clinton-Dole all over again.
Sadly, McCain will have to use people like Brad to do his dirty work. We’re already seeing the McCain strategy to label Romney a flip-flopper. Guess he can’t win on the issues. Wait til McCain pays off some of the SC political consultants to make the push-poll calls that accuse Romney of polygamy… it worked for Bush when he eviscerated the 2000 McCain campaign by
claiming McCain had a black child… the lackey learns from the master.
Fred Thompson’s greatest asset at this point is simply staying out of the picture.
Avoid the pirahnas as long as you can, Fred.
I write something about McCain and Thompson, and how that relationship might play out, and suddenly it’s not only about Romney, but part of a “never-ceasing” campaign against him.
Wow. You learn something every day.
Anybody have any thoughts about what I actually wrote?
Maybe you should read what YOU write…
“McCain would still have the support that he already has, for the most part. And in South Carolina, at least, that’s more support than anyone else has. Romney is already weak here despite all his efforts; Fred Thompson would destroy him.”
What are Fred Thompson’s qualities that would allow him to “destroy” Romney? I mean, besides being on TV and in movies? Oh, I guess he does meet what seems to be the new requirement for Republican candidates – a trophy wife. Thompson divorced his wife of 25 years and now is married to a woman nearly 30 years his junior. That’ll make an interesting First Lady. McCain – 2 wives, Guiliani – three, Gingrich – three… Romney – hmmm. only one wife. Married nearly 40 years.
If you think adult women don’t factor how many wives a guy has dumped into their vote, you’re sadly mistaken. Rudy and Fred will have a lot of ‘splainin to do.
And isn’t it ironic that the three top “liberal” candidates have been married as many times combined as Rudy has by himself?
The “family values” party seems to have a big problem valuing family.
As for McCain, Michael Graham (ex-SC political consultant and now Boston-based talk radio star) has this to say about McCain:
McCain Is McToast
I’m prepared to say it: Sen. John McCain is done as a presidential candidate. There are half a dozen reasons, each of them strong enough to end a typical presidential bid: Age, antagonizing the Republican base, an inability to connect with the moment, etc. But here’s a simple and visceral one: Does anyone really want THIS guy to be president?
Things got really heated when [TX Sen. John] Cornyn accused McCain of being too busy campaigning for president to take part in the negotiations, which have gone on for months behind closed doors. “Wait a second here,” Cornyn said to McCain. I’ve been sitting in here for all of these negotiations and you just parachute in here on the last day. You’re out of line.”
McCain, a former Navy pilot, then used language more accustomed to sailors (not to mention the current vice president, who made news a few years back after a verbal encounter with Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont).
“[Expletive] you! I know more about this than anyone else in the room,” shouted McCain at Cornyn. McCain helped craft a bill in 2006 that passed the Senate but couldn’t be compromised with a House bill that was much tougher on illegal immigrants.
It’s what I’ve been talking about since 2000, John McCain’s “loose vent flap” problem. He’s not stable. He’s not disciplined. And he makes Rudy Giuliani look like an affable fellow.
The McCain Moment was 2000. He missed it–perhaps to America’s detriment. But it’s over. Nothing to see here, time to move on.
===
Yes, absolutely. That is precisely the guy I would want to be president. I see precisely the opposite — a man who has almost entirely mastered his anger, whose careful courtesy is an inspiration. I could learn a lot from him. But would I ever make it through the experiences that formed him? Seems doubtful.
I like Rudy, too, in terms of the things he’s done, from going after the mob to cleaning up New York. I like a number of the people in both parties — Richardson, Biden; I liked Huckabee when I spoke with him on the phone — but McCain stands out well ahead of the rest, easily, and that’s MORE true now than in 2000.
Of course, I could be setting myself up for disappointment within my own shop, because I haven’t even tried to find out where the rest of my board will be (although I know Mike sort of likes Richardson, too). And others could emerge as really attractive with greater exposure. But McCain, at this moment in history, is the standout.
>> “[Expletive] you! I know more about this
>> than anyone else in the room,” shouted >> McCain at Cornyn.
Wondering how this type of behavior aligns with Brad’s civility quest. Should McCain be banned from the party?
Brad, lets say John McCain were to suddenly announces: “in light of the fact that the surge has failed to curb the violence in Iraq it is now in the nation’s best interest to begin a phased withdrawal of that war-torn country”. How would that change your perception of him?
I believe McCain’s support will go to Thompson, when Thompson gets in. McCain’s support is from the center, and left, and will have no impact in the primary. Same goes for Rudy. The only poles that matter at this point are among Republicans and Democrats that will vote in the primary.
Thompson will crush to opposition because he has principles.
The new Fred! gear is in. Show your support at http://www.fredthompsonnews.com.
It seems as though the folks on the far right all despise John McCain. I’m not quite sure why but the posts here strongly indicate that is the case. The left would never, ever vote for him because of the war issue. So McCain would have to win a huge amount of support from the moderate center to actually become president. Plenty of those voters will be scared off by either his age or the war issue (which is becoming increasingly unpopular with moderate voters). He’s not particularly effective at raising money, something that could redress some of his poor image issues. His mantel of being a straight talker is long gone thanks to his pandering on issues such as the confederate flag. And how much respect does he have left after the way the Bush folks treated him in 2000 then he turns around and supports him? That has to be the gold standard for pandering.
Frankly the GOP has no chance in 2008 so it’s ridiculous to even talk about any of them as serious contenders. No one who continues to support the lost cause in Iraq has a chance. Add to that the $3/gallon gasoline prices (which will likely go even higher) with absolutely no coherent energy discussion and the odds of any Republican are about as good as a snowball on a July sidewalk in Columbia. As the real problems continue to mount the public will begin to ignore overblown issues like immigration and this make-believe “war” on terrorism.
Hillary really should win the election easily. She’s been proven right on the health care issue and many Americans are beginning to recognize that. Most people were duped into supporting the war in 2002-03 as she was so they’re willing to forgive her for that mistake. Bill Clinton remains popular. She’s doing very well raising money. I predict she will do well countering the right-wing smear machine. (We know it’s coming!) She’s certainly had plenty of experience in that department. Hillary Clinton will make a fine president and I strongly support her and urge everyone to get behind her candidacy.
>> “[Expletive] you! I know more about this
>> than anyone else in the room,” shouted >> McCain at Cornyn.
A master of his anger and paragon of “careful courtesy?”
This episode wasn’t some confrontation with an anonymous, unreasonable, ignorant heckler on the stump. This was McCain relating to one of a hundred senators whom he’ll have to work with again– either as an equal or as president.
Brad, either you need more medication or less.
I like Richardson, because I think we need someone who knows something about energy as our next president, and Richardson has the most experience there.
I am not impressed overly with Thompson, because there’s nothing to really judge him on. Being a class act after The State endorsed a pinhead, while nice, doesn’t really make anybody qualifed to be President. Maybe he’ll say something intelligent about the deficit, the war, or something, and I can form an opinion. Kicking Michael Moore…who cares?
As for Thompson helping McCain…maybe he will, if people like Brownback and Tancredo don’t self-destruct on their own first. But I am not excited about the idea of candidate A standing tall because candidates B,C, and D cut each other off at the knees.
On an entirely different point, I know it’s not related (at all) to what Brad is asking about, but Doug’s comment about marriage interests me. I have heard Doug Dobson blast away at serial divorces before, but the cannons are a little muted this time around aren’t they? I’m not sure a successful marriage is relevant to being a better President, although I would like a leader who doesn’t have a warped homelife.
McCain won’t win his home state’s primary. Many people in AZ are furious with him.
I’m a moderate on most issues, but on border security and illegal immigration I am a hawk.
I live close enough to the border to see Mexico out my window and I am furious with McCain.
I’m also furious with his toady Graham and plan to contribute $ to whoever opposes Graham next time around. Sorry if that offends you guys that live there, but he’s got to go.
Anyone who cozies up to LaRaza is either a useful idiot or a plain ol’ scumbag.
Cactus, well put. Graham has GOT to go. Ed
Lorrie Morgan on Ex-beau Fred Thompson
May 23, 2007 — Lorrie Morgan says her former boyfriend, Fred Thompson, would make a great president. Lorrie, who dated Fred for a couple of years in the mid-’90s, told Ralph Emery on his RFD-TV show “Live” that she definitely thinks Fred is presidential material.
“I always thought it,” she said. “I used to beg him to run for president. I used to say, ‘If you were in the White House, I would be so safe-feeling. I could go to sleep at night and know that everything was taken care of up there.'”
Lorrie said that even then Fred had presidential aspirations and that the two of them talked about a possible run.
“Fred is an extremely smart man, but yet when you talk to him you feel you’re on his level,” she said. “He would listen to what I had to say about him running, but Fred didn’t really need my advice about anything. I think that Fred Thompson is one of the best people I’ve ever met in my life, honestly.”
Lorrie said she blames herself for the end of the relationship. “It was very hard being politically correct for me all the time,” she said. “I don’t think it ever bothered Fred, but it bothered me.”
Actually Brad, I believe your analysis is wrong in many places.
By entering the race Fred Thompson doesn’t split the conservative base, he consolidates it around _him_. This means he will basically decimate the second tier, and pull a lot of Romney’s support.
Combine that with his tough stances on the border and immigration and Iraq, that means he pulls votes from McCain.
Add in his stance on abortion and the second amendment, and the above security issues, and he’ll pull from Rudy.
Put his skills as an orator on display, skill s at connecting that some call “Reagan-esque”, and he pulls from all of them at the first debate he is in.
So Fred Thompson formally entering the race and starting to advertise can campaign hits the whole field.
What it most definitely does not do is help McCain at all, whose campaign is dead due to his support of the Bush-Kennedy amnesty bill.
As a democrat Fred scares me the most of the GOP candidates. He’d be very formidable come November 2008.
Many Republicans and Democrats are bent out of shape by this Kennedy/Kyl /Bush Amnesty.
We’ve all seen the rhetoric about civil war,
treason, impeaching half the Senate eventually. We haven’t seen so much vitriol since 1860. A seventy-five year old California jewish grandmother, I’m good friends with, has totally given up on Senate sisters, Feinstein and Boxer.
She has four, (count-em) anti-Bush, Iraq War
bumper stickers on her car. She is to the left of Al Franken, but she is prepared to vote for Fred Thompson, if he can fence the border, and side track a general amnesty.
A few wackos are spray painting “Civil War
Coming” and “AMNESTY=End times 4 USA” on a few freeway walls in the area. Read the F.a.i.r. ( Stein Report) blog, there are a hundred contributors who accuse Bush of treason on several levels. The mood is very ugly, and likely to get worse if the Amnesty is actually passed by the Senate. Half of the Republicans dislike Bush worse than the DEM left does. Maybe a third of the GOP loyalists wish him poor health, and bad fortune. It is that palpable in many circles.
Oh, puh-leeze.
This statement alone undermines any accuracy that we might impute to the rest of your post.
Not because so many Dems (and, now independents) dislike Bush and his policies so intensely but because there’s so little evidence of ANY Bush-rejection from the Republican-base.
Exactly who do you think are those 30% who tell pollsters that they think Bush is doing a good job?
West coast talk radio, on a huge scale, normally GOP firendly, is attacking Bush
savagely. Read the comments on the F.A.I.R’s “Stein Report”. Virtually all of the comments suggest Bush is an un-idicted criminal.DEMS might want to remove him, but,let’s say a third of GOP base here, want to lock him up for the NAU , the unwillingness to build the mandated fence, and mindless AMNESTY. In California, there is intense hated of him with many Republicans!
Come here and listen to the “street rhetoric” These are the trences of a political war!