A group of South Carolinians officeholders — with Rep. Gresham Barrett being the most notable among them — gathered today to call on Fred Thompson to get in the race:
AP P M1030 SC FRED THOMPSON S.C.Download
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AP-SC FRED THOMPSON S.C.
Handful of SC lawmakers urge Fred Thompson to run for White House
By JIM DAVENPORT
Associated Press WriterCOLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – A handful of South Carolina legislators on Wednesday urged Fred Thompson toward a formal presidential candidacy and said groundwork for a campaign was being laid in this early voting state.
State Sen. Larry Grooms said conservative voters in South Carolina are looking for something more than what the current field of Republican candidates has to offer.
"They’re all good guys, but there’s something lacking in every one of them," said Grooms, who was flanked by six other legislators and U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett, R-S.C., at a Statehouse news conference. "I think Fred Thompson is the type of candidate that many people in this state are looking for."
People close to the former Tennessee senator and "Law & Order" actor say he will form a "testing the waters" committee that will allow him to raise money and that he plans a campaign swing through various early primary states in late June before an official campaign launch around July 4.
Barrett said the supporters were simply trying to build excitement for Thompson in South Carolina.
"We know he’s behind the 8-ball and he’s got a lot of ground to make up," Barrett said. This will "help him establish kind of a skeleton crew so when he does announce that we’ve got some people in place that he can build on."
Barrett said he did not know of any planned visits by Thompson to South Carolina.
Other presidential candidates have been raising money and soliciting support in South Carolina for months. Arizona Sen. John McCain enlisted a majority of Republican legislators here earlier this year for his exploratory campaign.
But some, like state Rep. Mike Pitts of Laurens, have said they are considering taking their endorsement elsewhere. Pitts was particularly upset because of McCain’s support for the illegal immigration bill now being debated in the Senate.
Joining Grooms at the news conference Wednesday were state Sens. John Hawkins and Ray Cleary and Reps. Michael Thompson, Brian White, Eric Bedingfield and Jeff Duncan.
I don’t know. I like Fred, and he made a good impression that one time he came to see me, back in 2000. But he was such a jerk to Clint Eastwood back when he was White House chief of staff, so I have my reservations.
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Fred has a certain magnetism, and the characters he’s played on the big screen have been mostly tough, straight-talking and appealing.
But I think people expect him to be the next Ronald Reagan, since he was an actor– but that’s not going to happen. He’s not as funny or genial, and is rather brusque in real life. I also don’t think he has the energy or desire to make it.
But the fact that so many people want him to run is a sure sign the republican field is weak.
Mark G,
Thompson and the 3 current GOP frontrunners are all more qualified than the 3 Dim frontrunners. Any perception of a weak GOP field thus is only an indication that Reps have higher standards for their candidates.
Go Fred!!
Heh. With material like that, Lex, you ought to take your show on the road.
Maybe you could convince the Holy Rollers that Rudeeee! isn’t a serial groom and Mitt is a good Christian Rethuglican that got mixed up with a bad crowd in Mass.
Then there is this article about another high quality Rethuglican.
And, Fred? He’s about as authentic as his “old red truck.” Not to mention that fundie powerbroker James Dobson “doesn’t think that he’s a Christian.”
Ole Fred’s didn’t just fall off the turnip truck:
What! Thompson represented Toyota! O, woe is me!
I’m going to have a lot of fun with the Fredster’s entry into the 2008 race. In fact, I’ve started already.
I take RTH’s screed as evidence that Fred Thompson is yet another strong Republican candidate. Since the Democrats have, to date, not offered anyone who seems prepared to deal with the realities of global jihad, Iraq, Iran, Syria, attacks on Estonia, energy policy, trade, immigration, and what was really behind the 9/11 attack, I’m pleased as punch that Fred is mounting a campaign.
I read that Thompson’s response to Michael Moore’s debate challenge was put together in about a half hour. That show’s some wit and agility, precious commodities, no?
I don’t mean to disparage the other candidates, but Fred’s entry really does inject needed excitement.
A shill for GE, eh? There’s the real Reagan-Thompson connection.
And yes, it is a sign of a weak field if they are falling back on a familiar face from the TeeVee to be the president.
Yeah, Mike, it looks like you Rethuglicans are willing to overlook the log in your eye while crowing about the speck in the Dems’.
I sure hope that some Dem operatives are looking into the size of Fred’s house; what kind of car he really drives; how much money he made to set up the S&L debacle; and what he had to do for a Teamster pay out. (We can forget the cost of haircuts for ole chrome dome.)
Which one of the ten li’l GOP injuns addressed Estonia? LOL Each of the top three Dems have a proposal for insuring most Americans. Where are the Rethuglicans? Sucking up Big Pharma dollars and watching Jack Bauer for torture tips? Top tier Dems have energy independence proposals that simultaneously counter-act global warming. If comments on here are any indication most of the GOP party faithful are still in denial (financed by Exxon et al) about both global warming AND running out of oil. (Hint: we can’t drill our way out.)
As for the “global jihad,” we’ve seen the bankruptcy of GOP/neo-con ideas for the past eight years. The U.S. is in a worse position now than before invasion/occupation of Iraq thanks to your party. There are plenty of competent national security advisers on the Dem bench. It’s a good thing, too. Dubya is leaving a total mess.
RTH –
1. To clarify, although I often vote for Republican candidates, I am not a member of that party; I am a Groucho Marxist.
2. Such is Fred’s power that when you Google “thompson estonia” you get a PDF file on Testicular Measurements and Daily Sperm Output. I am not making this up.
All candidates from all parties should be afraid, very afraid.
I know Thompson is in remission from non-Hodgkins lymphoma, but he doesn’t appear to be very healthy. I’m wondering if he’s up to the rigors of a nationwide campaign. Or maybe its just a result of having a 35 year old trophy wife. 🙂
Maybe he’ll make just enough of an effort to get a VEEP slot. Say what you will about the Democratic candidates, but Hillary, Obama, and Edwards all would appear to be in better physical shape than McCain, Giuiliani, and Thompson. Can you imagine a one-on-one debate between Obama and McCain? The contrast would be akin to Nixon-Kennedy and Clinton-Dole.
Sad to say, but Romney’s chief asset at this point is that he LOOKS presidential.
In the age of television, it will matter.
Spot on, Doug.
A healthy investment in negative campaigning during the primaries should sink Romney’s ship. If not, a load of bare knuckled “independent” attack ads during the election campaign should keep the fundies at home on election day.
The GOP candidates are all too worried about a few Mexicans picking our vegetables to get over concerned with healthcare or energy.
There is no way on God’s green earth that Fred Dalton Thompson is going to win the Presidency. He may (because the Republicans don’t seem to like anyone else), be the Republican nominee, but he will not be able to beat Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, or John Edwards (or Al Gore either, should he decide to enter the race and wind up the nominee).
The Republicans had better be looking for a middle-of-the-road moderate, instead of a far-right conservative to run for President. The most moderate that they have now is Rudy Guiliani. So, they had better go with him even though they don’t like him. Because only he has a true chance of beating any of the 3 or 4 Dems that are/will be running. And, even Rudy will have a hard time beating any of the Dem candidates, because the nation as a whole are tired of Republicans right now, and want a change.
So, more than likely, the next President will be a DEMOCRAT!
“South Carolinians for Barack Obama, John Edwards, Hillary Clinton, and Al Gore”!
John Edwards is a champion of the poor and the middle class. I take great issue with conclusion of Brad Warthern’s blog on John Edwards. All I gathered from Brad Warthern’s observations is John Edwards is human. He can force himself to look like he is “ON” even when he is dead tired and exhausted. Humans are not perfect beings. If you put any person under microscope you are going to find major flaws. People often say things they don’t mean. John Edwards is not my candidate. I am a Democrat who supports the war in Iraq, and thinks it will be a disaster if we pull out. When we pulled out of Vietnam, the Vietnamese who supported us were put in dungeons and tortured for years on-end in re-education camps.