New York magazine: Fred just might be enough of a lowbrow phony to get nominated; Update: Fred replaces campaign manager
posted at 1:20 pm on July 24, 2007 by Allahpundit
Half as nasty and twice as fun as that New Statesman sneer I posted in headlines the other day but the gist is the same, i.e., he’s a lightweight with little to recommend him except personal charm and a keen feel for the role conservatives want him to play. Money:
After getting the high sign from Thompson, Ingram began talking up a Thompson candidacy on Capitol Hill, where Ingram now works as Lamar Alexander’s chief of staff. “I was at the Capitol Hill Club at Bill Hecht’s table,” recalls Ingram, name-dropping the presence of a prominent Republican lobbyist. “Congressmen and lobbyists were coming up to me, and they were all really excited. It’s the closest thing to a presidential draft in my lifetime,” Ingram insists. I asked him whether the well-heeled well-wishers were familiar with Thompson from his Senate days. He hemmed and hawed a bit. “Well no, they mostly know him more from Law & Order than the Senate, but Fred’s not acting on the show. That’s exactly the way Fred was in his Senate office.”…
Thompson’s strongest card, his backers say, is his Hollywood-fueled image of strength. “People think that with presidential candidates, you need a lot of information about them,” says Tony Fabrizio, a GOP pollster not affiliated with any of the presidential campaigns. “That’s wrong. It’s all about the concept. He has the Schwarzenegger Factor. Just like it’s impossible to make Schwarzenegger look weak because people see him as the Terminator, voters see Fred as the tough-talking D.A. or the captain in Hunt for Red October. It’s powerful.”
Take advantage of the slow news day to gobble it up, keeping an eye out for the trip to the gun store and the obligatory quasi-zoological conservatives-in-their-natural habitat vignette at the end, where Fred’s laughter at one of Larry the Cable Guy’s fart jokes prompts a sad reflection on how voters prefer likeability to the rich substantive appeal of, oh, say, a Barack Obama. Exit question designed to make you read the piece: To whom did Fred once write, “The speech probably would not have seemed so long to some of us if you hadn’t been putting the wood to us so effectively”?
Update: Considering he’s already ahead in some national polls, I’ve got believe this is less a case of punishing his acting CM than simply making room for an old Washington hand who can run the campaign better.
Blowback
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csdeven in 3…2…1…
Kowboy on July 24, 2007 at 1:22 PM
csdeven goes ballistic in 5, 4, 3, …
doriangrey on July 24, 2007 at 1:22 PM
Someone mentions csdeven in -1, -2, -3…
MadisonConservative on July 24, 2007 at 1:24 PM
Every post should mention csdeven and a countdown in 5..4..3..2…
Bad Candy on July 24, 2007 at 1:28 PM
Slow news day? Lindsay Lohan gets caught with coke, piss drunk, and speeding, and you say that it is a slow news day? I swear, AP, sometimes I really question your ability to understand where the real pulse of the people is. Tisk, Tisk.
Weight of Glory on July 24, 2007 at 1:30 PM
I’m gonna reserve judgement on Fred until I actually see him campaign. csdeven dislikes that I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt and will start ranting in 5…4…3…2…
Bad Candy on July 24, 2007 at 1:31 PM
Dammit, Weight of Glory, you ruined the pattern! csdeven will hopefully join me in griping about you breaking the pattern in 5…4…3…2…1…
Bad Candy on July 24, 2007 at 1:32 PM
Congratulations csdeven – You have your very own fan club!
MarkM on July 24, 2007 at 1:33 PM
I’ve never seen Fred on Law & Order. I saw a few episodes of it a few years ago, but there was a different DA.
CSDeven will contradict me in 4…3…2…
jaime on July 24, 2007 at 1:34 PM
jaime gets the idea!
csdeven will announce he is mildly amused by this in 5…4…3…2…
Bad Candy on July 24, 2007 at 1:36 PM
My apologies to you and csdeven in 5…4…3…2..
Weight of Glory on July 24, 2007 at 1:36 PM
I’ve never seen Law and Order either. Are there enough viewers to even elect a president? I always got the impression it was a liberal show.
Rose on July 24, 2007 at 1:37 PM
csdeven will accept my apology in 5…4…3…2…
Weight of Glory on July 24, 2007 at 1:37 PM
Forgot the countdown, sorry. Maybe it’s more like 10, 9, 8,…
Rose on July 24, 2007 at 1:38 PM
No need for an apology. Watching cs in a Fred thread is kind of like watching Lohan self destruct. Except without the stint in rehab. lol
Kowboy on July 24, 2007 at 1:38 PM
csdeven shakes his head in disapproval at Kowboy’s lack of a countdown in 10,9,8,7,6…
Bad Candy on July 24, 2007 at 1:40 PM
Sorry.
5…4…3…2…
Kowboy on July 24, 2007 at 1:41 PM
csdeven wonders why Bad Candy increased the countdown to t-minus 10 in 5..4..3..2..
Weight of Glory on July 24, 2007 at 1:42 PM
csdeven begins to see the pattern that his name is being used in place of the third person in 5..4..3..2..
Weight of Glory on July 24, 2007 at 1:43 PM
Or actually get off his fat ass and announce that he is even running would be a nice start.
awake on July 24, 2007 at 1:44 PM
Viva Fred Thompson!
The Race Card on July 24, 2007 at 1:44 PM
csdevens head explodes from this thread in 5..4..3..2..
doriangrey on July 24, 2007 at 1:45 PM
Perhaps AP should end his Fred posts with 3…2…1
conservnut on July 24, 2007 at 1:46 PM
Dunno about the rest of you….but I’m still waitin’ on the explanation of the whole lieing episode from last week.
Pilgrim on July 24, 2007 at 1:46 PM
Looks like csdeven is on vacation, otherwise he/she would respond.
pullingmyhairout on July 24, 2007 at 1:47 PM
Variety is the spice of life. csdeven agrees with this bit of homespun wisdom in 5..4..3..2..1..
Bad Candy on July 24, 2007 at 1:47 PM
Fred! postpones his announcement AGAIN in 5..4..3..2..1..
pullingmyhairout on July 24, 2007 at 1:49 PM
I’ve started seeing a lot of this in the press lately: “journalists” saying people only like Fred because they’ve seen him on TV. But by that logic, I’d want Paula Abdul or (?? somebody help me out here. I don’t watch much TV) for president. I wonder what someone’s being on TV has to do with it?
I’m sure csdeven will enlighten me in 5…4…3…2…
jaime on July 24, 2007 at 1:49 PM
jaime on July 24, 2007 at 1:49 PM
csdeven nominates Ozzy in 5..4..3..2..
doriangrey on July 24, 2007 at 1:50 PM
I’ve never seen Fred! on tv before, all I know about him is what I’ve read. I’m holding my insults until he loses a debate.
cdseven will question the timing in 5…4…3…2…
Privatestock on July 24, 2007 at 1:52 PM
It’s the same thing they said about Regan. I have never watched Law and Order. All I know about Fred is from his time in government and what I have read from and about him.
csdeven to assault me for comparing Fred to Regan in 4…3…2…1
conservnut on July 24, 2007 at 1:52 PM
Hey, did anyone catch this part of the article?
That’s ridiculous, and anyone who has seen the Breitbart TV clip of Fred dissing Moore knows that he didn’t essentiallysay that. He essentially called Moore a hypocrite for holding up Cuba as an example for America, without acknowledging the totalitarian nature of Castro’s regime in which a documentary filmmaker can be imprisoned for dissent.
Funny, it’s almost like journalists just make things up.
Incidentally, Fred Thompson is a phony. The only reason people like him is because of what they envision he might be like. The Obama comparison is dead-on. Give it up, Fred-heads. It takes more than a southern accent to be a good conservative.
Enrique on July 24, 2007 at 1:54 PM
I’ve got a few:
Fred is going to actually declare in 5..4..3..2..
People are actually going to start talking about what’s in the posting in 5..4..3..2..
Fred’s campaign will issue a reasoning as to why it flatly denied he worked for an abortion group, when it turns out he did in 5..4..3..2..
People will stop doing this whole countdown thing, the purpose of which is to avoid actually addressing what the post says in 5..4..3..2..
amerpundit on July 24, 2007 at 1:55 PM
doriangrey on July 24, 2007 at 1:50 PM
I have a couple of Black Sabbath vinyls, so I suppose Ozzy would be a good Republican choice. Run, Ozzy, Run!!! Csdeven will agree in 5…4…3…2…
jaime on July 24, 2007 at 1:55 PM
Where’s the cs countdown? 5…4…3…2…
Kowboy on July 24, 2007 at 1:56 PM
Enrique fills in for csdeven in -1…-2…-3…
conservnut on July 24, 2007 at 1:56 PM
Well, I read the article, AP.
I think it’s a fair assessment. Shocked?
But because I have no brain and am only going with the guy I like, I’m still for Fred! because I don’t think there’s anything major in there at all. It’s one guy’s fair opinion, based on observation and fact. I don’t necessarily subscribe to his conclusions, but this time, I don’t see it as a hit piece.
Tennman on July 24, 2007 at 1:56 PM
Killjoy!
Weight of Glory on July 24, 2007 at 1:56 PM
Only a couple? 5…4…3…2…
Kowboy on July 24, 2007 at 1:57 PM
Agreed. Although I’m still waiting for him to say something about the billing records. I’d like to hear what he has to say about them.
Kowboy on July 24, 2007 at 1:59 PM
People will not stop doing this stupid countdown thing, because nothing this article says is new to anyone here, and we’ve hashed out this stupid debate a million times, and we’re not gonna probably have any real reason to argue about Fred till he actually declares and starts campaigning.
csdeven will probably disagree and start ranting in 5…4…3…2…
Bad Candy on July 24, 2007 at 1:59 PM
I’m not much of a Fred!-head … but is there anything wrong with this concept:
Is it really so bad that some of us would like to, you know, hear Fred give a substantive speech, or hear him in debates, before we dismiss as a “phony?”
A Fred-hater ignores the substance of my question and responds with the usual Fred!-hate minus the details in 5 … 4 … 3 …
Professor Blather on July 24, 2007 at 2:01 PM
I should have added, so we might as well have some fun making a goofy coundown.
csdeven probably rants about Fred partially for fun and he’ll telly you so in 5..4..3..2..
Bad Candy on July 24, 2007 at 2:01 PM
I hate to say it, but don’t hold your breath. He’s said what he’s going to say about it. That’s my take on it. I could be wrong.
Tennman on July 24, 2007 at 2:02 PM
Someone yells at Tennman for skipping the countdown in 5 … 4… 3… 2 …
Professor Blather on July 24, 2007 at 2:03 PM
Agreed, the Fred posts have generated the same old comments over and over again. Usually from the same folks. We are just trying to have a little fun with it.
csdeven to scold me for having fun about this subject in 4…3….2…1
conservnut on July 24, 2007 at 2:03 PM
People who didn’t include a countdown will purchase csdeven countdown offsets in 5…4…3…2…
Beth A. on July 24, 2007 at 2:03 PM
5…4…3…2…1…Sorry!
Tennman on July 24, 2007 at 2:05 PM
Jeeze louise! These groupies are absolutely stupid!
csdeven on July 24, 2007 at 2:05 PM
Ok, this is just funny now. Cs has hijacked the thread and he hasn’t even posted in it. lol
But he will in 5…4…3…2…
Kowboy on July 24, 2007 at 2:05 PM
csdeven tired of waiting for Fred@#$%^&*() to announce an will himself anounce in 5…4…3…2…
sonnyspats1 on July 24, 2007 at 2:06 PM
They go after Fred! because they HATE country folk. They won’t tell you that….to much PC fallout….so they try to square up his wheels with ‘Actor’ so neo-cons like me burn an effigy in his yard. Typical hit piece….
As far as cs goes…..I believe the cops said they say a red pick up headed away from his place at high speed.
Limerick on July 24, 2007 at 2:06 PM
Hey cs!!! We have been waiting for you
conservnut on July 24, 2007 at 2:06 PM
Fred announces his candidacy in 2,592,00… 2,591,000… 2,590,000… 2,589,000…
CliffHanger on July 24, 2007 at 2:07 PM
Good call Kowboy
conservnut on July 24, 2007 at 2:07 PM
*In Sister Mary Elephant voice*
Where have you been young man! We’ve been waiting for you!
Kowboy on July 24, 2007 at 2:08 PM
He’s here! csdeven begins ranting in 3..2..1..
Bad Candy on July 24, 2007 at 2:08 PM
One might call them groupies, but they are clearly my 8itches.
hahaha
Dance you 8itches, dance!
csdeven on July 24, 2007 at 2:08 PM
HA will introduce the new preview/spell check feature in 3..2..1
sonnyspats1 on July 24, 2007 at 2:08 PM
Amerpundit (while waiting for csdeven) will make a pertinent comment in 5…4…3…2…
jaime on July 24, 2007 at 2:09 PM
HA will introduce the new automatic csdeven countdown feature in all Fred related threads in 5..4..3..2..
doriangrey on July 24, 2007 at 2:10 PM
Admit it. You can’t watch The Flintstones can you? Every time Wilma says “Fred!” you just…. well, you know.
Kowboy on July 24, 2007 at 2:10 PM
csdeven gets annoyed when no one dances in 3…2…1…
Bad Candy on July 24, 2007 at 2:10 PM
Nope. On the other hand, I don’t get why so many people claim to support him when he hasn’t given a substantive speech or debated.
I’m not nearly as concerned about the billing records as I am about his championing of McCain/Feingold and how it has allowed a few well monied ultra-liberals-socialist take this country farther to the left.
JackStraw on July 24, 2007 at 2:11 PM
Actually, I was reading the article, cross referencing it to freds? lies and fakeries. It’s pretty clear that freds? history as an arm twisting lobbyist will be his undoing.
Can anybody say Abramoff?
csdeven on July 24, 2007 at 2:11 PM
csdeven will admit he’s mildly amused by the csdeven countdown in 5…4…3…2…1…
Bad Candy on July 24, 2007 at 2:12 PM
First of all, Fred doesn’t really have to explain anything…yet. So why should he?
Second, It’s true that the American public will like him for his star power. But that’s the general public, not mainstay Republicans. Anyone who doesn’t think we won’t go over him with a fine tooth comb is fooling themselves. The general public may vote on emotion, but primary voters do not.
Rightwingsparkle on July 24, 2007 at 2:13 PM
And how long are we going to beat this dead horse. How many times does he have to say it didn’t turn out like he thought it would and now regrets supporting it?
Kowboy on July 24, 2007 at 2:14 PM
I totally agree, he has a hell of a lot to answer for on McCain Feingold, it was a disastrous move, and he needs to make a promise to work to rectify the damage, but I must add, csdeven will announce he is disappointed you didn’t post a counttdown in 3…2…1…
Bad Candy on July 24, 2007 at 2:15 PM
Allahpundit and Bryan make special csdeven hijack thread in 5..4..3..2..
doriangrey on July 24, 2007 at 2:15 PM
Yeah. Why are we carrion on about it anyway?
Tennman on July 24, 2007 at 2:17 PM
That’s easy. They just plain like him. Period.
I don’t need to explain why I like pepperoni and mushroom pizza. I just do.
And if someone wants me to change that opinion, the burden is on them. I can’t figure out why the Fred!-haters can’t figure out that simple concept.
Bringing up the lobbying issue or McCain-Feingold is going to be much more effective than telling people: “You shouldn’t like him because you don’t have reason to like him … and I don’t like him, so you shouldn’t.”
Personally, I wish everybody would shut up about Fred! until he at least announces and declares some sort of campaign platform.
Until then, it’s all the mushroom-likers versus the mushroom-haters. Pretty pointless. Unless you’re a mushroom.
And someone mock’s my brilliant mushroom pizza analogy in 5 … 4 … 3 …
Professor Blather on July 24, 2007 at 2:17 PM
Oh, make no mistake, you’re doing the dance 8itch.
csdeven on July 24, 2007 at 2:18 PM
Dead horse? “Carrion” on?
BWA HA HA HA HA
Very nice.
That’s it. I’ve read the funniest thing I’ll find all week. I’m taking a nap. Said nap to commence in 5 … 4 … 3 …
Professor Blather on July 24, 2007 at 2:19 PM
No mocking. I just think you’re a fungi.
Tennman gets banned in 5…4….3…2..
Tennman on July 24, 2007 at 2:20 PM
Conceit – A guy who holds it with 4 fingers and pisses on 3 of them. Or csdeven. Same thing.
Kowboy on July 24, 2007 at 2:20 PM
If his excuse is that he didn’t understand the ramifications of the bill he was instrumental in writing and passing then he is too dumb to get my vote. I can’t imagine anyone who calls himself a conservative or a constitutionalist would by this argument nor would anyone who says they want a competent, knowledgeable leader.
Do a little research on your own, find one conservative organization that supported McCain/Feingold.
JackStraw on July 24, 2007 at 2:21 PM
csdeven figures out that everyone at HA is mocking him in 5..4..3..2..
doriangrey on July 24, 2007 at 2:21 PM
When a politician asks for your money, I think an explanation is important.
Spirit of 1776 on July 24, 2007 at 2:23 PM
Maybe because we already know about the other major candidates? Looked at their records and FRED! with all his drawbacks is still the least tainted?
Newt goes nuclear in 60… 59….58….
Romeo13 on July 24, 2007 at 2:23 PM
csdeven gets angry at enrique for cutting in on his action “THIS IS MY GIG, THERE IS NO ROOM FOR A WANNABE” 3…2…1
right2bright on July 24, 2007 at 2:24 PM
Nigel Tufnel begins a countdown in 11…10…9…
James on July 24, 2007 at 2:24 PM
And you don’t see how the converse could possibly be true? Some people just don’t like and they don’t need to explain why.
My reasons for being very dubious about Fred are based on issues but I know some people aren’t going to like him just cause, and they don’t need to explain why.
JackStraw on July 24, 2007 at 2:24 PM
I’m unimpressed by you csdeven, I’ve made no dance, I backed away from being a total Fredhead on that first Hannity interview, I’ve been marginally supportive, but as I’ve said, and I’ve been consistent, he’ll have to bring his A-game in the actual campaign. I’ve always been more annoyed by your rabidity than supportive of Fred’s run. I’m marginally in the Fred camp, but am ready to go with Rudy if he is a no-go. I’m in PA anyway, and primaries are always decided before they get here anyway…
csdeven will lie and spin and try and claim otherwise in 5…4…3…2…1…
Bad Candy on July 24, 2007 at 2:25 PM
You’ve never even had a pepperoni and mushroom pizza have you?
Kowboy on July 24, 2007 at 2:26 PM
Bad Candy on July 24, 2007 at 2:25 PM
And repeat his claim that you are his 8itch and indeed dancing for him in 5..4..3..2..
doriangrey on July 24, 2007 at 2:27 PM
It’s what I receive my weekly Zionist paycheck for.
It was said he worked for the abortion group. His campaign flatly denied it. Turns out, he did! No explanation required?
amerpundit on July 24, 2007 at 2:27 PM
Mushrooms are just brussel sprouts in disguise. They have no place on my pizza.
JackStraw on July 24, 2007 at 2:29 PM
cs admits not understanding what 5-4-3-2-1 infers in 5-4-3…
News2Use on July 24, 2007 at 2:29 PM
O/T
Do you really think that several 8itches whining carry any more weight that one 8itch whining? The only issue left is: which one of you is the head 8itch?
On topic….
Ewwwwwwww freddie boy, you got some ‘splaining to do!
Lobbyist + Abramoff + freds? sons no-show job =
Buh bye fred? you lying faker!
csdeven on July 24, 2007 at 2:30 PM
Why bother until he officially launches? Most of these attacks aren’t making much impact now anyway(later, maybe they will). Might as well wait, he’ll just end up explaining it twice, once for political junkies and once for the rest fo the primary voters.
This logic will escape csdeven in 5…4…3…2…1…
Bad Candy on July 24, 2007 at 2:32 PM
If I read the articles correctly, technically, he never actually worked for the group. He did some consulting for another partner. And that was only about 20 hours over a 14 month period.
Yes, his campaign denied it, but his words were that he did not recall doing anything for them. Myself, if I were in the same place presently, would be showing some staffers the door for not doing a little research before making the denial.
Kowboy on July 24, 2007 at 2:32 PM
New York magazine: Fred just might be enough of a lowbrow phony to get nominated
The Democrat ridicule and mockery squads are out early and in full anti-Fred mode, which can only mean that they are mortally afraid of him. This for a man that hasn’t even announced his candidacy yet.
But, as we’ve seen in the Democrat’s sordid past, this is their modus operandi – impugn early and impugn often. It’s kinda like their voting philosophy – vote early and vote often.
pocomoco on July 24, 2007 at 2:33 PM
Ok, for once we agree on something. I pick off the mushrooms.
Kowboy on July 24, 2007 at 2:33 PM
csdeven claims victory in 5..4..3..2..
doriangrey on July 24, 2007 at 2:35 PM
Kowboy on July 24, 2007 at 2:33 PM
Why are you even bothering to eat pizza then, might as well pick off the pepperoni and the tomato sauce as well…
Oh and csdeven makes some o/t comment about pizza in 5..4..3..2..
doriangrey on July 24, 2007 at 2:37 PM
csdeven always claims victory. It reminds me of the black knight in Monty Pythons Holy Grail movie.
conservnut on July 24, 2007 at 2:37 PM
Of course I see that! That’s my whole point.
But from what I’ve seen, there’s just one pattern:
A thread is posted on Fred!
A few Fred! supporters comment.
The Fred? brigade leaps into the thread and begins telling the mushroom! lovers that they’re stupid to like mushrooms.
If the converse is common – if Fred! lovers are going around insisting that the Fred? crowd join them in their Fred!-fest – then I haven’t seen it.
If it exists, if that happens, its equally silly. Gotta try the pizza before you decide if you like it.
I just want to hear what Fred!/? has to say, before I display my own Fred!Cred and/or Dread.
‘Nuff said. Now I’m going to bed. This topic is dead. Or so its been said.
Dr. Seuss sues me for copyright infringement and/or literary malpractice in 5 … 4 … 3 …
Professor Blather on July 24, 2007 at 2:38 PM
amerpundit,
Yes, I think he should address it, but I’m just saying he doesn’t really have to at this time. So he isn’t.
When he declares he will have to answer plenty.
Rightwingsparkle on July 24, 2007 at 2:38 PM
Newt is playing this thing right I think. While Fred?! has been “testing the waters” for a while, Newt has sat back and watched the sharks circle. Come late September he’ll make his decision public and the sharks will be too busy eating the carcass of Fred?! to go after him full steam.
Should be interesting.
Pilgrim on July 24, 2007 at 2:41 PM
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