Fred Thompson: Analysis
Politico is reporting that former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson (R-TN) is planning to announce his bid for President of the United States on or around the 4th of July. Thompson has been touted by many Republicans as the last best hope for the GOP. Some are not convinced that Thompson is not any different from the current crop of big-government conservatives that currently run the GOP and currently hold the top three positions in the GOP Presidential polls. Since there is really no consensus on who Fred Thompson is, or what his impact might be, I have conducted an analysis of his political positions and votes as they pertain to all three parties. (Some of these may overlap)
What Republicans will like about Thompson:
–Would like to impose a two-year limit on welfare benifits for recipients who are able to work
–Would like to slightly increase spending on national defense, law enforcement, and drug interdiction
–Supports decreasing the Captial Gains Tax, Cigarette Taxes, Income Taxes, taxes on domestic and international businesses, and would also support eliminating taxes on savings and investment
–Terrible ratings with the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and the Brady Campaign
–Would increase penalties on the selling and trafficking of illegal drugs
–Believes congress should eliminate federal funding to facilities that provide abortions
What Republicans will hate about Thompson:
–Voted for McCain-Feingold
–Believes that a woman should be able to seek an abortion under any circumstances as long as it is in the first trimester
–Is not “Christian enough” for James Dobson and the religious right
What Democrats will like about Thompson:
–Believes that a woman should be able to seek and abortion under any circumstances as long as it is in the first trimester
–Is not “Christian enough” for James Dobson and the religious right
What Democrats will hate about Thompson:
–Supports decreasing the Captial Gains Tax, Cigarette Taxes, Income Taxes, taxes on domestic and international businesses, and would also support eliminating taxes on savings and investment
–Terrible ratings with the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and the Brady Campaign
–Supports eliminating government regulation to encourage investement and economic expansion in the private sector
–Wants to allow the natural cycle of the market to create jobs without government intervention
–Supports school choice programs so that parents receive vouchers that can be used to send their children to participating schools.
–Believes congress should eliminate federal funding to facilities that provide abortions
–Wants to decrease spending in federal health care programs and research
What Libertarians will like about Thompson:
–Supports decreasing the Captial Gains Tax, Cigarette Taxes, Income Taxes, taxes on domestic and international businesses, and would also support eliminating taxes on savings and investment
–Terrible ratings with the Brady Campaign
–Supports eliminating government regulation to encourage investement and economic expansion in the private sector
–Wants to allow the natural cycle of the market to create jobs without government intervention
–Supports school choice programs so that parents receive vouchers that can be used to send their children to participating schools.
–Believes congress should eliminate federal funding to facilities that provide abortions
–Wants to decrease spending in federal health care programs and research
–Would like to limit the growth of government to 2%
–Is not “Christian enough” for James Dobson and the religious right
What Libertarians will hate about Thompson:
–Would increase penalties on the selling and trafficking of illegal drugs
–Voted for McCain-Feingold
–Would like to slightly increase spending on national defense, law enforcement, and drug interdiction
Overall, I think Fred Thompson could easily win the GOP nomination. The fact that he’s not the poster boy for the religious right and the fact that he tends to favor free-market reforms as opposed to government “solutions” could attract many Libertarians and independents who lean libertarian. Then again, the fact he supports market-based solutions as opposed to big-government might scare off some Republicans. Unless the Democrats field someone other than Clinton, Obama, or Edwards, I don’t see Thompson pulling a lot of votes from the Dems.
As of now, Fred is my second choice. Besides Ron Paul and possibly Jim Gilmore, he is the ONLY Republican I can support. If any other GOP candidate gets the nomination, I’ll either vote Libertarian (if they actually nominate someone besides Doug Stanhope) or I’ll leave it blank.
May 30th, 2007 at 10:12 am
Jace
I took my post down because of the great job you did on this!
THANKS KEEP IT UP!
May 30th, 2007 at 11:33 am
What effect do you think his record as a lobbyist and registered foreign agent will have?
He also has a big negative as being a southern republican and a big Bush booster in the past.
May 30th, 2007 at 11:53 am
Since when is being a southern Republican a negative?
As opposed to a northern Republican like Lincoln Chafee, Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, et al????
May 30th, 2007 at 11:58 am
On the Southern Republican thing, I have to agree with BB…being a southern Republican will most likely help him win the nomination. You can’t win it without the south…but you can win it without the North.
I don’t think his history as a lobbyist will have too much of an effect, particularly in the Republican Primary. If voters are willing to overlook all of Rudy McRomney’s combined flaws, being a lobbyist will be nothing.
May 30th, 2007 at 11:59 am
OH,
BUT in the general election, being a southern Republican might hurt him a little.
May 30th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
Jace,
I guess I didn’t make my point well enough-yes, I was talking about the general election. He has a pretty pro-Bush voting record-NCLB etc. according to project vote smart.
May 30th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
bb,
Being a southern Republican is a big negative in the general. Southern Republican=expansive fundamentalism. It’s something that he would constantly have to swat down in the general.
May 30th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
It is unfortunate but a “good President” in 2008 may get the blame for some very bad things coming.
If The GAO, S.S. admin, and Chairman Bernanke are right and we face a “storm” that we are currenty in a “calm before” then any President will get blamed for the crisis they say is coming.
Congress, not the President, has to act and get the reforms going that a President will need to sign. No President can stop the train wreck we face, but Congress can and the President can sign the reforms as they cross his desk.
I doubt that will happen as Congressmen want to be re-elected and the voter don’t seem willing to support the reforms we need.
Those same reforms are needed to keep Congress from thinking it needs 100 million more immigrants over the next 20 years. No President is going to change Congress. Only voters can do that.
May 30th, 2007 at 2:46 pm
caroline,
The choice for GOP will come down to Rudy, Mitt (yankee Republicans), Newt or Fred (southern Republicans). I don’t believe either of the southern Republicans will be tagged as expansive fundamentalists in this cycle.
Other than Florida and maybe NC, the south will not see a presidential candidate during the general campaign. A southerner has an advantage under this scenario because he will be able to spend more time securing crucial states like Ohio and Pennsylvania. Rudy or Mitt would need to spend time in the SE whereas Newt or Fred could put those electoral votes in the secure bracket.
May 30th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
Are you saying that the south won’t vote for Rudy? I find that interesting. In the end, it won’t matter because most the GOP candidates have heavily supported the Bush agenda. If you want Bush to get a third term, then any of the candidates, except perhaps Newt who has taken on Bush, will do. Maybe you can tell me why Thompson didn’t excite the Orange county GOP? I saw the speech and it was a real snoozer.
May 30th, 2007 at 3:11 pm
No, I’m not saying that Rudy will not carry the south. But he will have to work it whereas a southern Republican could focus more on other critical areas/states.
Orange County, Florida or California?
May 30th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
If you are interested in encouraging Thompson to run, Chris Farris setup a website at http://www.ga4fred.org/ for people to sign on.
May 30th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
I think anybody running on the GOP ticket will have a problem. The leadership of the party is so in doubt with voters that they don’t trust the party even if they like the candidate. Maybe he can overcome that but it will be tough.
With only 25% of the voters affiliating themselves with the GOP and 38% with the Democrats, they are going to have to really pull in the independents that usually are split but leaned more left than right by a bit. Now even with “leaning” independents only 36% of the voters are currently likely to be in the GOP camp.
In 2004 the two parties were basically even. It is the GOP that has lost the voters while the Democrats maintained their 37-38% base.
Fred has an advantage the others don’t have. He isn’t viewed as an “insider” due to his views and his public life that has people familiar with a “TV image” rather than a “party image.”
He may be the only hope since I don’t see a 2nd tier candidate winning any nomination for President. We will certainly know a lot more after the first primary and maybe we will be surprised at how well Ron Paul, Tancredo, Gilmore or Hunter does, but right now, I don’t look for any surprises.
If the immigration issue is a hot issue at that time, it will have an effect on the vote, however. I think all the 1st tier would like to see Congress get something passed, good or bad, unfortunately, because some of the 2nd tier have a stronger stance on it, don’t they? So does Thompson, doesn’t he?
May 30th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
Orange County, CA.
BTW, he also has incurable non hodgins lymphoma.
May 30th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Jan
I agree good post!
May 30th, 2007 at 4:50 pm
Oops, forgot to mention that Thompson is the head of the Scooter Libby Defense Fund. I just remembered it when I went to the Plame thread. Do you think he’s agitating for a pardon for Libby?
May 30th, 2007 at 7:18 pm
bb
re: “A southerner has an advantage under this scenario because he will be able to spend more time securing crucial states like Ohio and Pennsylvania.”
Isn’t Ron Paul originally from Pennsylvania?
And any honest look at Ohio would probably find an intense desire for honesty in the next election, as well as the candidate. Because any honest evaluation of the Ohio election would leave one to wonder if Bush is the legitimate president today.
RP gets the honesty vote.
May 30th, 2007 at 9:05 pm
Thanks conspiracy Bill.
Ron Paul is not a serious candidate. He may win the YouTube electoral college, but is not a factor in the real world.
If I was advising him, I would encourage him to continue as a GOP candidate in order to get free media until Feb. 4th. Then jump to his real home with the Libertarians and have the biggest third party impact on a presidential election since Ross Perot (that is if he can avoid being caught talking about JFK conspiracy theories).
May 30th, 2007 at 9:10 pm
caroline wrote: “BTW, he also has incurable non hodgins lymphoma.”
Well your gal Hillary has incurable bitch disease…will she stoop to your low level and attack a man for getting cancer (which btw is in remission and not a real factor).
May 30th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
Wow, I’m not surprised that you would sink to the bottom when making a comment. I have no idea what she will say about that but I’m sure it’s better and classier than the reaction the GOP had towards Elizabeth Edwards.
May 30th, 2007 at 9:49 pm
caroline
It is Bart!
May 30th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
John,
That’s who that response is directed to, not you.
May 30th, 2007 at 9:59 pm
caroline
I know I was just making a small joke! I guess very small!
May 30th, 2007 at 10:59 pm
bb
If I wanted to go the conspiracy route I could easily do so. Bilderbergers, CFR, international banksters, Jesuits, U.N., PNAC, Bohemian Grove, ect… Are you a member of any of these groups?
May 31st, 2007 at 6:34 am
John,
Okay, I guess I missed that!
May 31st, 2007 at 8:11 am
caroline,
John has a very subtle sense of humor unrecognizable to normal people.
You are the one who attempts to diminish Thompson’s viability by using the C card. That is below contemptable especially since you make it sound like he is going to die. But one expects no less from you or others of your political persuasion who haven’t had an original thought in years.
May 31st, 2007 at 8:31 am
Bart
It was a hard because it was such a truthful comment!
May 31st, 2007 at 8:53 am
You are the one that freaked out regarding the fact that he has cancer. I merely stated a fact and I guess merely stating a fact is too much for you.
May 31st, 2007 at 8:54 am
PS. Every day I feel better about leaving the GOP! Thanks bb!
May 31st, 2007 at 9:01 am
Bart
WOW you are helping the decline!
How much is Hillary paying you?
May 31st, 2007 at 9:15 am
Well, I’m sticking with Mitt Romney! No other candidate (from both sides) comes close to Mitt in terms of experience, integrity, intelligence, great work ethics, morality, strength as a leader, self-control, courage and enthusiam. Too, he really looks presidential, an that counts when meeting with Heads of State. I see Fred Thompson as being somewhat of a procrastinator, one who may have problems as a snappy decision-maker. Why, he’s already missed two important GOP Debates and will miss another next week since he wont make up his mind whether to ‘run’ until July 4. Indecision, indecision!
May 31st, 2007 at 9:29 am
P.S. Thompson also voted FOR “McCain Feingold” (big mistake)and voted against impeaching Bill Clinton. He ‘flipped’ from pro-choice in the mid-ninties to pro-life today…then recently tried to convey the idea that he was never pro-choice when asked. But the way he went about it was very disingenuous, to say the least. Mitt Romney, Thompson and Brownback were all pro-choice back in the ’90s but all have made the right transition to “pro-life.”
May 31st, 2007 at 9:30 am
I have links if anyone wants them. Have a good day.
May 31st, 2007 at 10:33 am
caroline should have left the GOP…good riddance.
May 31st, 2007 at 10:52 am
That is why GOP leadership like you will make Hillary the President.
How much is she paying you!
May 31st, 2007 at 12:54 pm
Hmm, if gospellitghtz is correct, it looks like the RR may take Thompson out.
I can see it now:
Multiple Choice Mitt
vs.
Flip floppin’ Fred!
Come one, come all
to the match of the century!
May 31st, 2007 at 3:43 pm
So, are we saying that we still don’t have a “great” candidate? Sounds like it. If we don’t have a “Reagan,” can we win in 2008?
May 31st, 2007 at 4:15 pm
bb
Were you ever a Mouseketeer? Because I’ve read that they have too much influence in the media.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=GD52UK7pfVI
May 31st, 2007 at 5:11 pm
I think Thompson is a great person but he needs to have a term as Governor of TN to gain experience as a manager. I think it’s important to know if a candidate has an illness (incurable or not). I may still vote for someone with health issues but this knowledge would affect my choice for Vice P. BTW, as Governor of MA Mitt Romney always voted on the side of Life…as did Thompson as Senator of TN, even tho they were both pro-choice.