Fred’s speech to Britain’s Policy Exchange
posted at 2:44 pm on June 19, 2007 by Allahpundit
I’m watching video of the Q&A now. He’s going on about Iran; I’ll update if anything exciting is said. In the meantime, I commend the speech to you, which has some elegant passages. Here’s the gist, using Harold MacMillan’s famous line about “events” as a springboard to argue for staying on the offensive:
No matter how clear the signals, sometimes in history even the best of men failed to act in time to prevent the worst from happening.
The United States and the United Kingdom have learned this lesson both ways – in great evils ignored, and in great evils averted. We learned it from a World War that happened and, in the decades afterward, from the World War that didn’t happen.
We must conclude that the greatest test of leadership – in your country or mine, in this time or any other – can be simply stated. We must shape events, and not be left at their mercy. And in all things, to protect ourselves and to assure the peace, the great democracies of the world must stick together. We must be willing to make tough decisions today in order to avert bigger problems tomorrow. We must be prepared to meet threats before threats become tragedies…
We in this alliance have had our own share of hopes mocked and plans upset. And now it is time to shake off the disappointments, to let go of controversies past, and to press on together toward the great objectives. To ensure security for our people. To be a force for stability in the world. To remain the stalwart friends of freedom.
For our part, we in the United States have never had occasion to doubt the fortitude and faithfulness of the British people. As much as ever, we count ourselves lucky to call the United Kingdom our closest ally, and we are proud to call you our finest friend.
The nod to Tony Blair, although only a few lines, is also affecting. More of this, less of the cornpone stuff, and we’re all good.
28-27, baby. This thing might be happening.
Blowback
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So you haven’t taken up whittling and grits as I suggested a month or so back, huh? To know Fred! is to whittle. To love Fred! is to eat grits.
lorien1973 on June 19, 2007 at 2:47 PM
Now can we call him statesman-like?
Tman on June 19, 2007 at 2:48 PM
This speech means nothing. Fred? has no credibility as a candidate or as a leader because he hasn’t even announced. Besides, he stole that speech and positions from Mitt!
Fred? is fake, not genuine. He’s not to be taken seriously because he’s not – repeat, not – an official candidate!
This post has been posted for csdeven as a favor because he’s really tired from typing this all the time.
I got ya covered cs!
ScottG on June 19, 2007 at 2:53 PM
Damn, ScottG beat me to it…
Bad Candy on June 19, 2007 at 2:55 PM
Good stuff but that’s no surprise…
DCJeff on June 19, 2007 at 2:56 PM
cs, Fred!’s talkin’ to ya.
KelliD on June 19, 2007 at 2:56 PM
csdeven=Rosie McRomney
DCJeff on June 19, 2007 at 2:57 PM
“There has been a great disturbance in the Force, as if
millions of voicescsdeven cried out in terror andwerewas suddenly silenced…”Much better, Obi-wan.
wccawa on June 19, 2007 at 2:59 PM
Good stuff from Fred!
My only quip with his speech is this line
Sorry Fred!, but the aussie’s hold that honor in my eyes.
rslancer14 on June 19, 2007 at 3:00 PM
rslancer14, the Aussie and the British government both do, the people not so much in Britain, until reality hits them by force, again.
Entelechy on June 19, 2007 at 3:02 PM
I’m very worried about the Queen, with all this Rushdie BS. And the reaction, God forbid, should someone try something.
I’m worried the reaction won’t be fierce ENOUGH. If there even IS one, outside of ‘Oh, dyeah!(…tut tut tut)’
tree hugging sister on June 19, 2007 at 3:07 PM
Calling Britain our closest ally is a “Patton Moment”! Unfortunately he’ll have to clarify his comment, which is never a good thing, and the declared candidates will jump all over the remark to say it’s Austrailia, Canada, France or Mexico! (Well maybe only Bush and Hairy Reed will say Mexico!)
Dread Pirate Roberts VI on June 19, 2007 at 3:17 PM
National Poll: Thompson 28% Giuliani 27%
P. James Moriarty on June 19, 2007 at 3:18 PM
Agreed! But England is up there.
Enough yacking Fred, and get off the potty.
Kini on June 19, 2007 at 3:18 PM
Rudy’s gettin’ smoked,
Mitt has been dusted,
McCain is in a daze
And Fred! is just starting to blaze!
Calling Fred!: We need an interview with Hot Air, stat.
omnipotent on June 19, 2007 at 3:24 PM
Tour de force!
(I also agree about Straya, but consider the venue)
Darksean on June 19, 2007 at 3:30 PM
Sounds pretty articulate for a gun totin’, pickup drivin’ redneck.
RedWinged Blackbird on June 19, 2007 at 3:36 PM
He has a good speechwriter.
Labamigo on June 19, 2007 at 3:39 PM
I’m liking Fred Thompson thus far. Sure, there are things that he and I might disagree on, but that goes for anyone. There is no perfect candidate, and even (please don’t throw things at me, I loved him as CIC), Ronald Reagan was less than perfect in the eyes of many.
The point is that we all can’t have it all in a candidate.
Pulchritudinous Patriot on June 19, 2007 at 3:41 PM
Fred Thompson is the man!
msipes on June 19, 2007 at 3:55 PM
His non-campaign-campaign-strategy is looking not so much just brilliant anymore, but, rather, sublime.
RWB on June 19, 2007 at 4:11 PM
Suggestion to the Fred-campaign – don’t join the debate circuses. They are a waste of time, gotcha-style entertainment for the few who care to watch, and self-agrandizing for the media ‘intelligentsia’. Leadership, current and potential, can be displayed and marketed in other ways. Gingrich has a few good ideas on how.
The world and the country face problems too serious to focus on repeated and wasted entertainment.
Entelechy on June 19, 2007 at 5:05 PM
OK, I’m in the middle of video one….he keeps looking at his notes and he’s stuttering like porky pig. He’s blathering on about “friends” we have in Iran. I’m glad to hear him support the idea that other candidates have been saying for months, that being we should blockade Iran. I’m not sure I like the idea of needing support from the international community to do that. If we have to act unilaterally to put pressure on them to cease uranium enrichment, then the hell with the international community.
He looks VERY uncomfortable.
csdeven on June 19, 2007 at 5:06 PM
My goodness cs…….it wasn’t the Sermon on the Mount! What’ll we do???????
Limerick on June 19, 2007 at 5:26 PM
Video two….he starts out looking pretty good, but reverts back to his notes and repeating himself. He obviously doesn’t understand the situation well enough to speak from memory. Ouch, that looks real bad. He starting to sound like he’s going to try to distance himself from Iraq being a success. He brought up a bleak outlook on Iraq, but that he hopes that’s not true. Get off the fence fred?. Well, he’s back to stammering and looking at his notes. Then there’s this little gem….”Whats gonna happen to the oil supplies and all that”. All THAT fred?? What’s ALL THAT refer to? Camels? Donkeys? Goats? What?
Notice how freddie boy, like a slick huckster, always uses vague references allowing the listener to fill in the blanks as to what he means? Pretty neat trick, but it don’t fool me. freddie boy doesn’t have a plan.
Again, he distances himself from traditional wisdom on Iraq. He isn’t sure that Iraq will become a haven for Al Qaeda if we leave too soon. I thinks he clueless, but this was the first time I’ve heard him try to actually LEAD on an issue.
IE…He said “we need to do every thing possible to avoid the appearance of utter weakness”. No kidding? What would some of those things be fred?? Don’t leave it up to the audience to divine what you have in mind. BE SPECIFIC.
I LOVE IT!!! He siad it again! As long as his friends sons who are in Iraq are optimistic, he’s optimistic. Okay freddie boy, let a bunch of soldiers and Marines, who only have their small limited view of the overall situation, let them lead this country.
Please, please, please, come back and debate real candidates so we can vet your sorry butt off of the national scene.
I’ll be back later to finish video 3 and 4.
csdeven on June 19, 2007 at 5:33 PM
I’m starting to really like Fred! and I already love Rudy so it’s looking like a win-win here to me.
Max Power on June 19, 2007 at 5:39 PM
Actually, he said the same thing on a sub stint on Paul Harvey’s News and Commentary about a year ago. About the same time someone first asked him if he’d ever consider…
Freelancer on June 19, 2007 at 5:41 PM
There is allot of “Um a” in his speech. He’s got to work on that.
Egfrow on June 19, 2007 at 5:45 PM
Or don’t. It’s not like anyone actually takes you seriously anyways, troll. You’ve made it abundantly clear that no matter what he says or how well he says it, you’ll bash him for it anyways.
Do us all a favor and go back under your bridge and let the adults talk, hmm?
Hollowpoint on June 19, 2007 at 6:09 PM
That would be a disservice to the voters, he’ll almost certainly have to join a debate before the primaries- I’d certainly like to see how he performs, especially since he’d end up debating the Dem nominee before the general election.
Now skipping the first two dog-and-pony show debates? No big deal- few people watched, and with so many candidates debating and so little time allotted to each candidate, they weren’t terribly meaningful.
Hopefully in upcoming debates they’ll narrow the field of those invited to participate to the top tier candidates so they can give better responses than 30 second sound bites to a few questions each.
Hollowpoint on June 19, 2007 at 6:16 PM
Got to say, I’m with you. Seems to me I heard Fred say something about how they seem to demean the office. It wouldn’t surprise me if he didn’t join in the frolicking.
Unlike others, I don’t devour the primary debates. It’s way too early. These candidates should be putting their energy into defining the issues and coming up with solutions. I, like csdeven (OH HORRORS!) want to see what kind of solutions Fred is going to offer when he declares his candicacy. If we’re just going to identify the problems, well and good, but we want to know what we’re going to do with them through the leadership of the presidency.
I’m remaining hopeful that Fred turns out to be all that I hope for. If not all that I’m hoping for, at least substantially, solidly conservative.
Tennman on June 19, 2007 at 6:40 PM
Hollowpoint, I don’t suggest hiding or playing ostrich, oh no, to the contrary. The Lincoln-Douglas debates, or similar. Just not the current medium, format, moderators. They are simply dumb, futile and cheap for such an important office.
Entelechy on June 19, 2007 at 6:50 PM
csdeven on June 19, 2007 at 5:33 PM
Boy oh boy your panties sure are in a was now, Fred is in the lead now ahead of Rudy…And he still hasn’t declared yet, boy thats going to leave a mark on your forehead that will never go away.
doriangrey on June 19, 2007 at 7:04 PM
From an email sent by Democratic Party:
Bwahahahahahahahaha!
IrishEi on June 19, 2007 at 7:27 PM
Video 3 and video 4 were ok I guess. Nothing special. But one thing I noticed about fred? is that he speaks better when talking about others accomplishments (which he does, A LOT) from the perspective of history. Unfortunately for him, he has no vision for the future and sounds like a bumbling boob when pressed on current affairs.
csdeven on June 19, 2007 at 7:30 PM
He’s trying not to, and for the most part he’s getting a pass because he isn’t a real candidate. fred? would love to use the ignorance of the US public to keep his poll numbers up and then declare just before the primaries and avoid showing people what a poor non-candidate he is.
The problem is that if fred? doesn’t debate and he’s nominated, he wont be able to avoid the presidential debates and the dem candidate will expose him and we lose the White House.
No, lets vet every one of them. Beat the crap outta them. Expose every weakness and all their histories. THEN and only then will we be able to nominate the candidate that is best qualified.
csdeven on June 19, 2007 at 7:36 PM
I’ll call your year and raise you a year.
Face it, freds? got some real credibility issues. And that will continue until he grows a pair and gets in the race.
csdeven on June 19, 2007 at 7:45 PM
Ladies and gentlemen, that sound you hear is csdeven’s head exploding.
There.
wccawa on June 19, 2007 at 8:37 PM
So I take it that you agree that fred? is in some serious doo doo. Good, glad to see you coming around. You must have heard all his “um a’s” and his constantly need to refer to his notes. And of course his message for the most part was void of any real attempt at leadership. This is just another piss poor performance by fred?.
Mighty will be freds? fall.
csdeven on June 19, 2007 at 9:35 PM
Well, the freddies will continue to convince themselves that all these miss steps and piss poor performances are part of freddie boys grand scheme to lull the real candidates to sleep. That, along with a career on some TV show he was on, is more than enough for the fredheads to anoint fred? as king.
As if ANY real candidate does what they do based on how another candidate appears to be behaving. Rudy, Mitt!, and McCain are doing what they feel is best and that is not based on how inept fred? makes himself look.
csdeven on June 19, 2007 at 9:56 PM
Anything new come to your brain cell? This is getting boring.
Tennman on June 19, 2007 at 10:15 PM
Yawn. Another hijacked thread.
wccawa on June 19, 2007 at 10:54 PM
More bad news for freds? piss poor performance on Leno. I just caught the tail end of the body language segment on O’ Reilly.
She says he’s a fake too. OUCH!
csdeven on June 19, 2007 at 11:52 PM
Lets see, my posts talk about fred? and what do ya know, fred? is the topic of the thread.
csdeven on June 19, 2007 at 11:55 PM
I hear that Fred is declaring on the fourth of July.
csd You remind me of some of my middle school students. They’re after attention and negative attention will do just fine. Life’s too short my friend.
In November ’08 Fred will beat Hitlary and you’ll be happy he did.
Mojave Mark on June 20, 2007 at 12:30 AM
My friend, I keep looking for the ignore button, but, sadly, I don’t seem to have that option.
And so, I bid you a good night. See ya on the next Fred thread. I guess we’ll do this for the next year or so, eh?
wccawa on June 20, 2007 at 12:31 AM
If Fred! was the Reagan2 so many seem to desperately want to believe he is, wouldn’t his supposedly monumnetal leadership skills and vision have shown up on the radar before now? I am worried that far too many hopes and dreams are being (dis)placed onto this man, and mostly because of a not-well-thought-out reaction against other non-perfect (oh no!) candidates.
Thompson seems fine, and I like him, but seeing him for what he is – not fantasizing about what we wish he were – is the way to proceed. The GOP is in a very precarious situation, and we should leave wishful thinking to the hapless Dems.
Halley on June 20, 2007 at 12:57 AM
Yeah, who hasn’t? I read that fred? would declare sometime around the middle of July, perhaps as soon as the 4th. Someone who respected their possible supporters would announce a date that he would announce. Newt has given us the exact week that he will announce if he does.
My conservative values demand that any person who wants my support, should hang it out there and take a chance. fred? wants to get all the support he needs and then announce. Sorry, that is a coward that decides his positions on polling and what conservatives need is someone that takes the first step and convinces the rest of us to follow him. fred?, so far, is not that guy. As a matter of fact, and ANY reasoned examination of his recent speeches and “interviews” will come to the conclusion that fred? is a fake.
csdeven on June 20, 2007 at 8:41 AM