George Will Body-Slams Fred Thompson!

[TwilightGardener]

September 13, 2007
Is a Fred Thompson Campaign Necessary?
By George Will

Fred Thompson's plunge into the presidential pool -- more belly-flop than swan dive -- was the strangest product launch since that of New Coke in 1985. Then the question was: Is this product necessary? A similar question stumped Thompson the day he plunged.

Sean Hannity, who is no Torquemada conducting inquisitions of conservatives, asked Thompson: "When you look at the other current crop of candidates -- Republicans -- where is the distinction between your positions and what you view as theirs?" Thompson replied: "Well, to tell you the truth, I haven't spent a whole lot of time going into the details of their positions."

He also is unfamiliar with the details of his own positions. Consider his confusion the next day when talk radio host Laura Ingraham asked him about something he ardently supported -- the McCain-Feingold expansion of government regulation of political speech. His rambling, incoherent explanation was just clear enough to be alarming about what he believes, misremembers and does not know.

Thompson said he had advocated McCain-Feingold to prevent, among other things, corporations and labor unions from "giving large sums of money to individual politicians." But corporate and union contributions to individual candidates were outlawed in 1907 and 1947, respectively.
----------------snip------------------------------
Is there, however, a huge cash value in the role for which he is auditioning -- darling of religious conservatives? Perhaps. But their aspiring darling recently said in South Carolina, "I attend church when I'm in Tennessee. I'm in McLean right now. I don't attend regularly when I'm up there."

"Right now"? He has been living "up there" in that upscale inside-the-Beltway Washington suburb, honing his "Aw, shucks, I'm just an ol' Washington outsider" act, for years. Long enough to have noticed that McLean is planted thick with churches. Going to church is, of course, optional -- unless you are aiming to fill some supposed piety void in the Republican field.

New Coke was announced on April 23, 1985, with the company's president piling on adjectives usually reserved for Lafite Rothschild -- "smoother, rounder yet bolder." Almost 80 days later, the public having sampled it, the company pulled the product from stores. Perhaps Thompson's candidacy will last longer than New Coke did.

--snip--
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/09/is_a_fred_thompson_campaign_ne.html

Granted, Fred would naturally be on Will's shit list because of campaign finance reform (he never liked McCain for that reason), but DAMN this is harsh--from a conservative writer, no less! Ouchie.

[auburngrad82]

1. Everything about the Tennessee Stud repulses me

I find no redeeming value in the man.

[gratuitous]

2. Considering Fred's on his third campaign manager

I get the feeling he's not the political juggernaut his supporters have made him out to be. Whether as an actor or a lobbyist, it seems his major talent is to say words that other people have written for him -- not that Americans haven't been gulled before by barely articulate Hollywood actors. But maybe (just maybe) we're catching on a little bit.

[tridim]

6. It's all about his wife's ego..

No doubt she calls the shots in that relationship, she wants to be first lady in the worst way. It's really obvious every time I see her mug on TV.

[tularetom]

3. Fish mouth fred is a walking mass of contradictions

Plus he's way too fugly to be president.

[jobycom]

4. So Will is trying to paint Fred the way Drudge is trying to paint Hillary in the Democratic Party?

Sounds like Will is blasting Thompson for being too liberal, in his concept of the word. Fred doesn't go to church, he's for "restricting free speech" (McCain-Feingold), and his accent is fake. HE'S REALLY A LIBERAL!!!111 :rofl:

Oh well, they can eat their own. I'll give them the ketchup. I know just the brand.

[Vanje]

5. Suspicions confirmed. Fred Thompson is an idiot.----nt

[FSogol]

7. Amazing, Thompson is the same type of fraud Reagan was.

Will still lauds Reagan as a hero. Doesn't Will see the contradiction of his comments?
What a hypocrite.

[Greyskye]

8. Please let Thompson get the Repub nomination!

:rofl:

[Cha]

9. ferd must think he

looks good and was an actor on L&O so everyone just needs to realize they're graced with his prescence in the 2008 repuke prez primaries that already have a full selection of that shit.

[BootinUp]

10. Apparently, Thompson is the only candidate that can

fill dubya's shoes.

[AlCzervik]

11. today must be opposite day because George will usually makes me want to puke

but today, not even a hint of chunk.

[Felix Mala]

12. Big Head Fred has some work to do if he wants to be the GOP

cajones in this election. He seems to look a little more tired every time I see him.

[TexasLawyer]

13. Today's column by Gail Collins in the NYT also skewers Fred

in a most humorous way. :rofl:

[TwilightGardener]

14. I read that one, too--someone had posted it. He must be a really easy target.

[EndElectoral]

15. I feel in my gut this is the guy the Repubs are going to elect

[Netbeavis]

16. He won't make it that far...he'll quit first.

I get the feeling its his trophy-wife who really wants to be the queen and she's the one pushing him out to run. So he say's "awright" and makes just enough effort to shut her up. When's he's done, he'll go back to Hollywood and speaking tours making more green that the poor "sucker" who wins the GOP primary.


He ain't in it to win it.

[Netbeavis]

17. that is like the 100th time George Will has used the New Coke story

Will is just a typical member of the Grumpy Old-man Party. If some candidate isn't talking about mega taxcuts for the wealthy, he's a naysayer.

Class A douchebag.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

18. George Will Is A Rare Conservative-A Burkean Conservative

I wonder what Burke would say about the Republican party...About Bush*'s foreign adventures...About the notion you can impose democracy at the point of a bayonetee...

Burke was a prudent man... A cautious man...He didn't oppose all change ; just thoughtless change that would do more harm than good... When I was in grad school I didn't like him... My political philosopher heroes were Rousseau, Mill, and to a small extent Marx, but I know now that we must accept man as he is not the way we want him to be...That sometimes prudence, caution, and temperance are important values...