There are no TRUE conservatives being rolled out here. The closest one IS Thompson.

I disagree. Duncan Hunter is. Fred is the second best conservative.

Here, here. Thank you for this comment and your passion. We need more of this kind of talk and less talk of “viability” and “electability” and “Fear Hillary!”.

BTW~ I gave my money to Fred and have the sticker on the back of my car. I live in SoCal too. I even waited in line for 10 hours for a glimpse of RR’s casket, and I’m not embarrassed to call myself a conservative in public. You all should try it…

If Republicans can’t choose based on his highly qualified analytical papers and proposals and elevate themselves above the mainstream media pablum, we will have missed a chance to elect a really great conservative President.

Now I can understand that some would disagree with his positions. But nobody seems ready to take him on over that. Instead its all style. And we aren’t even Democrats. Yikes.

Seems like Fred’s always testy these days.

I think you would be, too, if you kept getting asked a question you’d answered in detail not all that long ago by people who are getting paid to know that you had answered it.

Hope he can stay in it long enough to make a good run.

aero on January 2, 2008 at 5:05 PM

Heh. Okay let the record show I would have said that it was entertaining. Poor Skinner though:) I don’t think she was out to get him and she got reprimanded by Grandpa.

Guliani gives me conflicting views. Mitt and Huck give me the shivers. Ron Paul gives me the shingles.

And the Dems…Crimus, they just give me an itchy trigger finger.

I enjoyed that interview. Fred is pretty entertaining when he has just a slight edge to him.

Spirit of 1776 on January 2, 2008 at 3:55 PM

SHHHHH! You’re messing up the MSM’s meme! Fred’s boring, not entertaining. Fred is boring. Fred is uninteresting. Don’t look at the wrinkly guy who doesn’t kiss the MSM’s collective hiney. No “edge” to see here. Move along.

You wouldn’t let a mailman drive a bulldozer, would you? Same concept, the Chief executive clothes are just too big for Fred to fill.

If Fred were the mailman, he would have previously worked heavy machinery(He was in the Senate, where a lot of presidential candidates come from). Poor analogy.

He shut down his entire business once to look for the lost child of one employee. He turned around the Olympics when he could have declined the offer. As far as his job at Bain Capital he was basically supposed to be a miracle worker, and he did it quite well. Most of what Romney did during his life required exceptional skill and competence. Knock him for his policies if you like, he’s as competent an executive as they come.

You probably won’t like hearing this, but shutting down your entire business for the sake of one employee’s personal problems is not a good executive decision. It’s extremely to his credit as a human being, don’t mistake me for not thinking so. However, does this mean that if someone is being held hostage by terrorists, he would close down the DHS or FBI for their sake? That’s a cogent paradigm. Again, I’m not trying to downplay the weight of his noble action, but it was neither a good executive decision, nor does it apply in any way to the qualifications for running of the highest office in the land.

And yes, I will knock him for his policies if I disagree with them, and I certainly won’t vote for him if I know he’s good at implementing policies I disagree with! Again, good for him if he’s a competent businessman, but if he’s going to be pushing for universal health care and stricter gun control, I’d rather he be poor at getting those passed.

Essentially, you listed proof that he is efficient and competent at what he wants to do. That’s fine. I posted proof that Fred Thompson cares about clean government. I’m curious to know if Mitt has done anything in that regard.

Now, granted, that was one example, albeit with a very commendable result. So, feel free to present an example of Mitt going above and beyond “his job”.

He shut down his entire business once to look for the lost child of one employee. He turned around the Olympics when he could have declined the offer. As far as his job at Bain Capital he was basically supposed to be a miracle worker, and he did it quite well. Most of what Romney did during his life required exceptional skill and competence. Knock him for his policies if you like, he’s as competent an executive as they come.

In contrast Fred has never run anything of his own and his most important venture to date, his campaign for president, is sinking like a stone under his leadership. You wouldn’t let a mailman drive a bulldozer, would you? Same concept, the Chief executive clothes are just too big for Fred to fill.

Yes, I realize Bush wasn’t exactly the most sterling businessman, but he was governor and has done more good than ill generally.

its quite another to have been in the fight and had to make compromises to get things accomplished. Fred’s no better than a hope-and-smiles Obama of the right.

pedestrian on January 2, 2008 at 4:17 PM

There’s that word being used by conservative hypocrites again. “COMPROMISES.”

When Democrats flip-flop, it’s called “flip-flopping” or sometimes even “selling out.”

When Romney flip-flops, it’s called “compromising”

When your only credentials for president are “I was in the Senate and did nothing except vote” and “See my shiny, far reaching policies I have never even attempted to suggest or implement” it kind of puts a damper on my enthusiasm.

Implementation for a Senator would be authoring legislation on a particular matter and getting it passed.

BKennedy on January 2, 2008 at 4:17 PM

I give you that. He has little in that regard. Then again, neither do any of the other candidates. In some cases, it’s worse. How about McCain’s connection with Charles Keating in the S&L scandal? How about Huck’s backing of further taxation in his home state? How about Mitt’s cozying with the Brady organization over the AWB?

To be perfectly frank, in the base contest between bad record and no record, the better odds lie with the latter.

Really? So why are you supporting Romney then? Can you list all the bills that Romney has “co-authored?”

Of course, I’ll give you that he HAS had spent some time backing a few bills, but I’m not sure you’ll want to talk about that.

Gregor on January 2, 2008 at 4:16 PM

Well Gregor, Romney’s never been a Senator. Perhaps you should check out a basic outline of the US governmental system.

Romney vetoed loads of liberal legislation as Governor. When he went to implement something he sought conservative advice from the heritage foundation, and most of the attacks on Romney come from the Boston Globe, which was willing to pay two reporters to stake out Romney’s lawn for 2 months, and thus cannot be trusted. (They’re run by the NYT, btw.)

BKennedy on January 2, 2008 at 4:17 PM

Yet another post made up of complete lies.

OK, so he’s a lawyer who caught a Democrat with his hand in the cookie jar and did his job.

BKennedy on January 2, 2008 at 4:09 PM

That’s slighting him, don’t you think? His job was to represent his client. The outcome, her compensation and reinstatement, was his job. If he were the typical cold lawyer, he wouldn’t have gone further to out Blanton. He did more than was needed.

Now, granted, that was one example, albeit with a very commendable result. So, feel free to present an example of Mitt going above and beyond “his job”.

Does it mean he wants to press the shiny red “nuke the world 10 times over” button?

Again, hyperbole. Don’t go there, remember? Now, as to the “things only a president can do” comment, don’t act naive. You know that the president has the power to pressure Congress in order to either prevent or help a bill going through. He also has executive privilege, and the ability to approve military excursions up to a certain amount of time. Since, as you said, the war on terror is an issue of concern, I’m sure he’s considered potential moves that could be made.

In short, give him some credit. You’re not giving him nearly the benefit of the doubt you give to the likes of Romney.

It’s obvious that BKennedy isn’t really looking for an answer and there’s no possible answer that he’ll accept.

Proof of my earlier statement that BKennedy is one of the most dishonest commenters on HotAir.

Gregor on January 2, 2008 at 4:13 PM

When your only credentials for president are “I was in the Senate and did nothing except vote” and “See my shiny, far reaching policies I have never even attempted to suggest or implement” it kind of puts a damper on my enthusiasm.

Implementation for a Senator would be authoring legislation on a particular matter and getting it passed.