Fred Thompson: it looks like the dream (not my dream, but the dream nonetheless) is getting closer to becoming a reality—more reports are emerging today that he’s raising cash & a campaign team, and he’ll announce his candidacy in July. Not to rain on friends’ parades, but conservatives really should think about the fact that a Fred Thompson presidency wouldn’t exactly be the same as an Arthur Branch presidency. I know my candidate isn’t perfect, and I think it would be premature to be hailing him as another Reagan, but when you put the two side by side, I don’t see any comparison: Mitt Romney is the better man for the job, and easily offers more potential for America’s future.
Fred Thompson
Tidbits from the Republican Primary
Mitt Romney has a great Townhall piece blasting McCain-Feingold (by the way, he’ll also be giving the commencement address at my soon-to-be school, Hillsdale College).
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Fred Thompson: “mulling summer announcement,” though he hasn’t made a final decision yet. I would humbly point out to my fellow conservatives two things: 1.) there’s a Republican primary debate just days away, and 2.) right now, my guy is an actual candidate.
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Whoops: “Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani released his latest slate of New Hampshire supporters last week. One problem: Not all of them back the former New York City mayor.”
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Fred Thompson: “mulling summer announcement,” though he hasn’t made a final decision yet. I would humbly point out to my fellow conservatives two things: 1.) there’s a Republican primary debate just days away, and 2.) right now, my guy is an actual candidate.
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Whoops: “Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani released his latest slate of New Hampshire supporters last week. One problem: Not all of them back the former New York City mayor.”
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Division on the Right
I’ve got a bone to pick with two of our potential candidates: Fred Thompson and Newt Gingrich.
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Not on policy grounds—both men are (though not perfect) conservative enough to win my support, should they conquer the primaries. I think Thompson has a chance of winning, Newt not so much, but there are a lot of people excited about the mere possibility of their candidacies. Which is why the “maybe” status of their candidacies bothers me.
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If you want to be president, go for it. Make your cases and do your best to rally the Right. I wouldn’t jump ship (I’m convinced Mitt Romney is the best the field has to offer), but if you can convince the most voters that you’re the standard-bearer, I’ll be more than happy to fight for you after the primary.
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On the flip side, you need to make a decision. If you’re not going to run, you need to say so. A lot of people’s hopes are resting on you two—especially on Thompson—and it’s not right to get their hopes up over nothing.
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It’s this state of limbo that bothers me. Until you make a commitment, your presence in the mix only serves to divide the Right’s support, and help Giuliani—and if we’re going to save the Republican Party from becoming the RINO Party, we need to unite behind a real candidate.
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Not on policy grounds—both men are (though not perfect) conservative enough to win my support, should they conquer the primaries. I think Thompson has a chance of winning, Newt not so much, but there are a lot of people excited about the mere possibility of their candidacies. Which is why the “maybe” status of their candidacies bothers me.
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If you want to be president, go for it. Make your cases and do your best to rally the Right. I wouldn’t jump ship (I’m convinced Mitt Romney is the best the field has to offer), but if you can convince the most voters that you’re the standard-bearer, I’ll be more than happy to fight for you after the primary.
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On the flip side, you need to make a decision. If you’re not going to run, you need to say so. A lot of people’s hopes are resting on you two—especially on Thompson—and it’s not right to get their hopes up over nothing.
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It’s this state of limbo that bothers me. Until you make a commitment, your presence in the mix only serves to divide the Right’s support, and help Giuliani—and if we’re going to save the Republican Party from becoming the RINO Party, we need to unite behind a real candidate.
Fredmania!
This video actually sums up my reaction to Fred Thompson pretty well. Don’t get me wrong, I’d vote for him, but I just don’t see what the excitement is all about.
2008 Resource: Evangelicals for Mitt
Even though I’ve endorsed him, I’ll be the first guy to admit that some of the stances in Mitt Romney’s past have given me pause. I understand that, after six years of Bush, the conservative movement doesn’t want to get burned again. So I’d like to direct your attention to Evangelicals for Mitt. Tonight is the first time I’ve really dug into their site, and I must say I’m pleasantly surprised by how thoroughly they seem to explore the Governor’s conservative credentials. I think this guy’s the best—indeed, the only—shot the conservative movement has (and sorry Kate, but that includes Fred Thompson).
Conservative Standards 