Fred's In
Will He Win?
I Used to Think So
But His Chances Look Slim
Fred Thompson announced his candidacy for president on Jay Leno last night.
And America yawns!
I used to think Thompson could parlay his Southern regional identity, red-meat conservatism, and actor's charisma into the GOP nomination.
And maybe he still can.
But there's a lot going against him.
First, Thompson is highlighting the name "Fred" as though his name were an important part of his appeal.
Talk about a bad idea.
Also, Thompson looks old in a skin stretched over skull way that reminds me of the 1996 version of Bob Dole.
That's not good either.
Finally, Thompson's basic campaign theme is "be scared, be very scared" on the war on terror, social security, and everything else (except global warming).
But Thompson's not the man for that particular message. If things are that bad, we would want somebody tough, determined, and policy-oriented like Hillary instead of a guy who spent much of their career as a skirt-chasing lobbyist and wasted his time in the Senate.
Since advisers, consultants, and communications people generally run campaigns, I'd normally say that Thompson's getting bad advice.
But given that his advisers and communications people keep quitting, it's hard not to conclude that Thompson just has bad ideas.
A lot of bad ideas.
Posts
45 comments:
You managed to get all of the leftist talking points into one post. Kudos.
But there don't seem to be any conservative counter-arguments.
Can talking points be true? You dispute where they come from, but not the substance?
Personally, I would welcome lazy ol' Fred Thompson as President ANY day before I hear of President Rudy. That man is truly terrifying.
There is no need to present a "conservative counter-argument" to some tired talking point, that is disingenuous. One must have an argument to counter.
If Thompson wants to win, somebody will have to like him enough to present his point of view. I guess you're not that guy.
Why would Thompson give a rip what you think of him? We you planning on crossing party lines and voting for a Republican?
So long as you prefer to rail against the stereotypes and charicatures in your head, there is no reason to sell him to you. You will never be his target audience.
Sure, I am part of Fred's target audience. Last summer, I called him the favorite for the GOP nomination and I would bet that Fred's people would like me (and others) to continue to think that. But neither they nor you have given me any reason to do so.
Perhaps part of Fred's problem is that he's only revealing his best message to the true believers.
You crack me up. You are funny.
Your drunk ramblings entertain me, JD. You have avoided the substance of Professor Caric's charges TWICE. Your defense is you heard it somewhere else...well, that disproves it.
I guess I'm frightened about water not being wet. People are always saying it is wet, but I am so tired of their rhetoric!
timb - I have not had a drink in almost 4 years. You really are a bastard, huh?
What "charges" or "arguments" has the good Professor put forth? That Sen. Thompson is a skirt chaser? He was an actor? Good god.
Jeez, JD! He is old and has skin stretched over his skull! And he has a funny name! FRED! That is like a cartoon name, it's funny! Get it? How could anybody vote for someone like that?
B Moe
That's a refutation from the idiot savant of Athens Georgia! Refutation as fourth grade sarcasm? I guess I shouldn't have expected better. At least Pablo would have thrown in some swearing.
PW's v Caric
0 for 3
Oh my Lord. Skin? On his skull? Oh, the humanity. And Fred? What kind of person is named Fred. The Devil, I tell you, Satan's spawn. And he was a lobbyist? And and actor? And an attorney? What is this world coming to?
Come on timmah. We are just tooooo dumm to understand what points Professor Caric made, what arguments he presented. It looks like he does not like his name, he thinks his looks are not right, he chased skirts, is peddling fear, and wrote some poem. Not much there there.
By the way, it is really classy to make fun of someone's looks when they have non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
By the way, it is really classy to make fun of someone's looks when they have non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
Well, maybe he didn't vote according to the group's collective ideology, therefore making him an inauthentic cancer surviving hypocrite deserving ridicule?
Oh my God, you actually tried to refute something! It's a new day in America.
Refute Fred's driving two blocks in a pick-up truck and then changing cars to his Mercedes, so people like you think he's "just a regular guy", and some corporate lobbyist.
Or is that story old hat, because you've read it before?
Because Democrats never play to the audience, just listen to Hillary or Al Gore give a speech in a black church. No pandering, there. Deh sho' ain't.
Switching from a gulfstream to a Prius before attempting to fleece the masses into thinking that they should pay out over their supposed earth destroying ways, also funny.
He still owns that truck, doesn't he, timmah?
I am still waiting on your points or arguments made against Sen. Thompson. So far it is skirt chaser, actor, lobbyist, and cancer survivor, and truck driver. Lord, how could anyone want to vote for someone like that?
skirt chaser and truck driver
Hmm, there are some elements of attempted masculinity there.... clearly, Fred must be gay.
I agree with that. Well, except for the "gay man" part. I'm sure Ann Coulter would argue that anyone who slept around as much as Fred Thompson should be considered a "slut." That would make his marriage a lesbian marriage.
And who can argue with Ann?
One of the funniest things about ever arguing with any of you is that you do not defend things, you just say: well, someone else did it.
There a thousand reasons to disdain Thompson: first among them, the fake truck (what a fake bastard), second, enough corporatist, thirdly, former staffers of Thompson indicate he is lazy and doesn't like details (frankly, I've enough of big picture fuck-ups), fourthly, he flirted with entering the race for 5 months and all he promises is more fiscal irresponsibility.
Stop me now, I'm swooning over an actor. I saw Scott Baio on O'Reilly tonight. Is he the 2012 nominee?
Pot / Kettle statement of the day.
"One of the funniest things about ever arguing with any of you is that you do not defend things, you just say: well, someone else did it."
Not someone else, timmy, everyone else does it. Its marketing, its politics, it works. That was really Freds truck, he really drove it around his home town. When it came time to take his show on the road, the old red truck wasn't so practical but he still wan't the effect so he had it trailered.
Do you think Hillary effects a black dialect when she lectures her household staff?
Marketing works for some people, but not for others.
It's working for Hillary. Her team's primary emphasis is to sell her as smart, determined, and capable. Given that Hillary projectss these qualities with such little effort, they have the luxury of pursuing their secondary emphasis on "she's also one of us" qualities of charm, humor, and approachability.
But the effort to market Thompson as "looking and sounding" like a good candidate isn't working nearly as well. I saw an article at Pajamas Media that attempted to sell Thompson as having a "authoritative voice" (when he talks "slowly") being tall (but not intimidating), and being an appealing actor (but not the kind of actor who projects danger). Author Bill Bradley couldn't even make Thompson "look and sound" presidential without heavy qualification.
Of course, it would be a lot harder to market Thompson as "smart, determined, and capable."
B More, playing rubes for suckers is not marketing; it's fraud.
Personally, I'm not a huge fan of President Clinton (the next one), but I have yet to hear here affect a black dialect. Maybe it's a combo of your hatred from Dems and disdain for black churches which causes you to hear it?
P.S. Could you please read that as me calling you a racist (when I wasn't), because the resulting hissy fit is so damn entertaining. Plus, you typically go away for awhile (that's always a good thing).
Of course, it would be a lot harder to market Thompson as "smart, determined, and capable."
Especially since he doesn't have the advantage of flashing a bit of cleavage on the senate floor.
emphasis on "she's also one of us" qualities of charm, humor, and approachability.
And we're the ones accused of fraud?
"Personally, I'm not a huge fan of President Clinton (the next one), but I have yet to hear here affect a black dialect. Maybe it's a combo of your hatred from Dems and disdain for black churches which causes you to hear it?"
Or maybe it is the fact that I have been to enough black churches that I know what it sounds like. I so love it when some anti-godbag yankee presumes to lecture me about southern religion.
but I have yet to hear here affect a black dialect.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsLHxja43iY
Maybe it's a combo of your hatred from Dems and disdain for black churches which causes you to hear it?
Or not.
B Moe, let's just make it explicit. I don't believe you've ever been in a black church. Further, I believe you're a Yankee, since West Virginia seceded from the Virgina to join the Yankees. You're as antebellum as Abe Lincoln.
Go drink a faux mint julip under the giant willow tree and sputter like Foghorn Leghorn back at PW, where you deride commeters for daring to ask questions. [How dare someone defend George Soros! You sure showed cynn and semanticleo!]
Besides the idea that you think black church goers are so stupid they would imagine Hillary Clinton, who they have heard speak a million times, is one of them just because she's in front of them defies all logic. But, when you don't particularly like them, they're being Democrats and all, you tend to be remarkable reality ignorant.
Fool
PS Whereas, is it a such a leap that good ol' white boys like yourself might be fooled by soem "plain-talking" moron in a beat up truck? Oops, since he won that election, looks like the rubes can be fooled.
Let me repeat my essential opinion re: you: Fool
Pickup truck that he's owned for years versus weird drawl for a particular audience... who's the biggest fake? I gave the link, but fell free to keep ignoring it.
He did NOT own that pick-up for years. Is it that simnple to fool you. he bought FOR the 1994 election. Read the article.
So, ef, you too are of the opinion that black people are just too dumb to not notice a) Hillary's not black or b) she's not their usual pastor?
dolt
I guess since Hillary did not purchase her algore-ish fake southern black drawl when addressing a black audience, it should be considered more authentic. Owning a pickup truck for 13 years is the pinnacle of pandering, and only a rube would fall for it.
tim - Your personal attack on me was uncalled for. It shows quite clearly, what type of person you are.
So, ef, you too are of the opinion that black people are just too dumb to not notice a) Hillary's not black or b) she's not their usual pastor?
Clearly, timmy, thats what I'm saying. /sarcasm (not that I wanted to put in the /sarc tag, but I am sure it would otherwise be lost on you). Next time ask the in-your-head voices to quiet down while you are trying to read.
"B Moe, let's just make it explicit. I don't believe you've ever been in a black church."
This statement makes what you are very clear, timmy, I don't think I need to be explicit.
And as for what kind of rubes believe what: do you not own a television? Have you not seen the commercials between shows?
And for the record, I grew up in WV, I have lived in GA for over 20 years and am very comfortable with southern people and cultures, be they black, white or hispanic.
B Moe
Hang on B moe... He has you very specifically defined in his head, right down to which leg you put in your pants first. Any suggestion that you went near, let alone in, a black church without a lighter and a can of gasoline would force him to reevaluate everything he has prejudged.
JD, could narrow down which personal attack I leveled against you that hurt your delicate feelings? I want to make sure I know what makes you simper like a Collins.
ef, B moe and I, in our multitude of conversations, have established pretty decent bios of each other. While I believe he's wrong about almost every moral, political, legal, philosophical, and ethical question our society poses, I do not think he ever set fire to a black church.
Oh, and for everything he's not explicitly wrong about, he's genially mistaken about the rest.
With that said, he's annoying, wrong, snarky, and argues pretty disingenuously...somehow I'm imaging in one of his more charitable moments he would describe using the same words.
I only win, because I'm actually right.
P.S. The one thing B moe has always been right about is that fire can melt steel.
PPS So, ef, take your #3 of me and see if you can't fill in the borders with some glitter.
timmy is also very careful to actually argue the point. Notice what an excellent case he made for his contention that honest political ads work better than pandering and deception?
B Moe
Tim - You said I was drunk. As you specifically know that I have been clean and sober for almost 4 years, that seemed like a fairly crass personal jab at me.
I wrote a long apology, but the filter ate it...at least that's what I surmise, 'cause it's not here.
Let me sum it up like this: JD, I did not know that about you. I know from watching people around me how difficult addiction is to deal with. Had I know I would have never said that (in my world that's shorthand for acting crazy or stupidly). Please accept my apology on this score. I may tease you and belittle you (and accept the same right back), but that is beyond the pale.
I commend you on your four years and request you accept my apology for unintentionally harming you.
PS That Edwards lunch you were supposed to take me to was $1000 a plate and held last week! You never did back to me on where we were meeting and when you were sending the check, etc. I missed my chance to hobnob with Ann Delaney!
PPS That PS aside, the rest of this post is deadly serious. I hope you accept the apology
I hate glitter. It gets everywhere and there is inevitably a bit on your face when you go to work the next day.
good point. No one wants glitter on his face at work. Let your creative side choose your brush, ef:)
Fair enough. Thank you.
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