Fred Thompson embarks on new career
posted at 10:23 am on March 24, 2008 by Allahpundit
A gubernatorial run in Tennessee? A new PAC, a la Mitt, to help elect Republicans? A treatise on conservative first principles and why America must urgently return to them, followed perhaps by a lecture tour?
Maybe eventually. But for now — acting!
After a failed run for president, Fred Thompson is getting back to pretending to be commander in chief.
Hollywood’s high-powered William Morris Agency announced this week that it has signed the actor/politician, signaling a return to the screen for the former senator from Tennessee.
Exit question for the Fredheads: Good news or bad news? On the one hand, you’ll get to see him regularly again. On the other, is this really what you envisioned the “true conservative” who was going to lead us out of the wilderness doing after the race? It’d be like Reagan losing to Carter in 1980 and then going out to make “Bedtime for Bonzo II.”
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages: 1 2 Next »
HAHA! Allah, you are one funny dude. I like reading your posts very much.
p40tiger on March 24, 2008 at 10:27 AM
Fred?
Vizzini on March 24, 2008 at 10:27 AM
Disappointing, but he does have to earn a liveing.
2theright on March 24, 2008 at 10:29 AM
I hope has the energy!
jake-the-goose on March 24, 2008 at 10:30 AM
So it was Ok for him to act before he ran for office, but not after?
Browncoatone on March 24, 2008 at 10:30 AM
A dude’s gotta eat.
I’d like it if the part/show/movie/whatever would be pussing the conservative view of things.
- The Cat
P.S. An oil tanker crew fighting off an evil murderous environmentalist cult, a Marine that just got home from Iraq defending his family one night from a siege on his house by people dressed in pink, Red Dawn II
MirCat on March 24, 2008 at 10:30 AM
No, no, you have it all wrong. The Messiah®™ is Obama. Fred was never the second coming.
Grantman on March 24, 2008 at 10:31 AM
We have a winner!
Seriously, Browncoatone’s got a point. He was acting BEFORE the run for President. What’s wrong with him going back to that?
And honestly, if Reagan had NOT won (yikes! Talk about a dark alternate reality!) he probably would have gone back to whatever he was doing before. Either more acting, or back to Governor of California. I really don’t get what the issue here is.
wearyman on March 24, 2008 at 10:34 AM
(sigh)
CP on March 24, 2008 at 10:35 AM
At least we chose Reagan to run, we didn’t give Fred the chance, so why should he bother with us.
N4646W on March 24, 2008 at 10:35 AM
I first thought: lobbiest!
BJ* on March 24, 2008 at 10:35 AM
I’ve no strong feelings either way. He’s a good actor, so I’m happy he’s going back to work. It’s years til another election season.
Why is this choice really relevent? An actor/politician goes back to acting when he doesn’t win a political race…
Hmmm…what a stretch.
You really miss goading the Fredheads, don’t you Allah? I feel your nostalgia in this post. No worry, we’ll find you something else. :)
tickleddragon on March 24, 2008 at 10:35 AM
Maybe he’ll turn whatever he’s in to a wildly successful show based on conservative principles or at least using conservative ideals as an underlying theme. Face time once a week? Not bad, Fred.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on March 24, 2008 at 10:35 AM
disappointed he doesn’t stay in the political game, but in hindsight, he never really desired it. (ex-fredhead)
jimmer on March 24, 2008 at 10:36 AM
Fixed it fer ya.
peacenprosperity on March 24, 2008 at 10:38 AM
Bet he’s now type-cast! He’ll have roles as politicians, lawyers, lobbyists, etc. For these he won’t even have to act.
sonja13 on March 24, 2008 at 10:42 AM
Whatever. Jindal ’16!
MarkoMancuso on March 24, 2008 at 10:42 AM
I won’t be seeing him, I don’t watch television. I will always “marvel” at this campaign though, when the American people ignored a masterpiece and picked up a stack of comic books instead.
RushBaby on March 24, 2008 at 10:43 AM
Not surprised at all. Fred is too honest to be a politician. (God bless him for that).
Connie on March 24, 2008 at 10:46 AM
When I chose Fred, I did it because he was the most conservative of a disappointing to unacceptable field of candidates. I did not choose him because I really thought he was the best the party could hope for. I am glad if this signals that he won’t be staying in politics. I hope none of the others who ran this year run again either. I’m hoping for a real conservative with some charisma and strong speaking skills to rise to the occasion next time around. These guys were all disappointments, and I don’t want them sucking the air out of the room in 2012 or 2016. They’re deadweight failures and they need to move out of the way for the next generation of conservative leaders to take their shot. Yes, Fred included. He was the best of a mediocre group, which means he was still mediocre.
aero on March 24, 2008 at 10:47 AM
Same here. Still bitter.
MarkoMancuso on March 24, 2008 at 10:47 AM
Law & Order: Special Lobbyists Unit
brak on March 24, 2008 at 10:47 AM
Good news for Fredheads. It’s easy to see him walk on water with special effects. Though, admittedly, they do well enough picturing it with them.
Spirit of 1776 on March 24, 2008 at 10:48 AM
“…it without them.” Pardon my typo.
Spirit of 1776 on March 24, 2008 at 10:49 AM
Maybe Jeri will run next time.
aero on March 24, 2008 at 10:49 AM
This comment comes off as accusatory and sneering at the “Fredheads” all at the same time.
Give it up! Your junta of anti social-conservative, anti-religion liberals hijacked the party and gave us a political traitor as the nominee for ’08. There is no need to continue bashing away at anyone that isn’t part of your perverted view of the GOP and world. It just shows the intolerance, bigotry, and utter lack of values that you and your ilk bring to the table.
highhopes on March 24, 2008 at 10:50 AM
Reagan lost the nomination in 68 and 76. I guess he had belly-fire, etc.
exception on March 24, 2008 at 10:51 AM
Oh, the bait, the bait …
AP knows perfectly darn good and well it’s nothing like Reagan going back to acting after losing to Carter in 1980.
Sadly, it’s a lot more like if Reagan had gone back to acting after losing to Ford in 1976. You know, instead of running another, ultimately successful, bid for the presidency.
Leaving aside the minor difference that Reagan lost to an incumbent by a narrow margin, thus leaving him with a lot more momentum to run again. Sigh.
Anwyn on March 24, 2008 at 10:51 AM
Don’t be too hard on teh Fred, Allah. Back in the 50s and early 60s when Reagan was honing his writing and speechifying, he too had a day job – hosting General Electric
TheatreTheater.If Thompson gets a few acting gigs a year pulling in some coin, maybe he’ll spend his downtime hitting the lecture circuit, writing op-eds, doing the cable-talking-head thing, making us (the few! the brave! the slightly embarrassed!) proud. Unless he’s napping.
Pappy’s gotta eat, and who listens to grumpy old pensioners these days?
SeoulMan on March 24, 2008 at 10:53 AM
AP is so in the tank for Thompson….
Wind Rider on March 24, 2008 at 10:54 AM
If Michael Mann directed it, I’d watch it.
MadisonConservative on March 24, 2008 at 11:00 AM
Wow! Talk about carrying a grudge.
A little generosity of spirit, please. After all, you were right and we were wrong. Such comments only make you appear small and petty.
rick moran on March 24, 2008 at 11:03 AM
Hey, a Fred Thompson flamewar! We haven’t had one of these for awhile. The nostalgia is overwhelming.
Actually, I’m a little disappointed in Thompson’s move. I don’t expect him to follow the Reagan model and start making speeches, but I was hoping he might do something to advance conservatism after basing his entire campaign on being the only ‘authentic conservative’ in the race.
Frankly, I was hoping he’d create a production company to create if not conservative movies, then at least counter the overwhelmingly liberal movies being made about the war in Iraq. A number of conservative commentators have asked for movies that show our troops in a positive light. Basing a movie on the reports from Michael Yon would be a good start and I think if well-made, it could do well at the box office.
Slublog on March 24, 2008 at 11:06 AM
Ummm… dude. He acted like he was running for president. And that – poorly.
al sends
afterdarknesslight on March 24, 2008 at 11:07 AM
Yep. I thought of that after I posted. My bad.
Precisely. But maybe he will. One can act and campaign, fundraise, etc.
Allahpundit on March 24, 2008 at 11:07 AM
He has to earn a living and he doesn’t have the brains or the balls for politics.
dogsoldier on March 24, 2008 at 11:12 AM
Nothing you can say will change my mind about teh Fred! A statesman with the best interests of his country at heart. Yet, we have an America-Hating Messiah about to win the dem nomination and probably the general election. We get what we deserve in this country. Good for Fred! might as well earn a living while he still can.
ihasurnominashun on March 24, 2008 at 11:13 AM
Your junta of anti social-conservative, anti-religion liberals hijacked the party
There are a quite a few of us conservatives disgusted by the whackjob “religiosity” of certain segments of the GOP. Would you prefer we didn’t vote at all? Or voted Democrat? (oy, just threw up in my mouth a little)
political traitor as the nominee for ‘08
When McCain wins (and he would be getting my vote over quite a few reservations – I say would be, as I’m a conservative but not American so obviously cannot vote), will you apologize to the “political traitors” that got the Republicans four more years? Or will you be eagerly jumping on the bandwagon?
You’re going to get a Dem Congress and at least a couple of new Supremes in the next four-to-eight years. I’d rather have some RINO SCOTUS nominees than see two, three, four of Obama/Clinton picks sail through the Pelosi-Reid Socialist Internationale.
It just shows the intolerance, bigotry, and utter lack of values that you and your ilk bring to the table
Can I call a technical beclowning?
SeoulMan on March 24, 2008 at 11:15 AM
If Obama can act like a post-racial messiah, how can we FredHeads object to our second coming of Reagan acting like an actor under the new moral equivalence rules? Personally, I was hoping he would act like a Vice Presidential candidate, but clearly I haven’t been hoping audaciously enough throughout this entire presidential campaign.
Hopefully this means that Fred’s mother is doing better. Any news about her?
Terrie on March 24, 2008 at 11:16 AM
Yep, Allah took every opportunity to piss on Fred! earlier during the primaries & now he deems his previous career a joke.
Hey Allah, American Republicans told Fred! they didn’t care for him. So why should he beat his head against a brick wall just to get a date with them?
omnipotent on March 24, 2008 at 11:17 AM
They told Reagan they didn’t care for him in 1976. They told Goldwater they didn’t care for him in 1964. Conservatism meant more to them than their presidential runs.
Allahpundit on March 24, 2008 at 11:18 AM
I’m going to guess that Fred won’t be on the short list for McCain’s veep…*sigh*
JetBoy on March 24, 2008 at 11:20 AM
Allah
Reagan was hard of hearing
EricPWJohnson on March 24, 2008 at 11:21 AM
Allah, you just poked this Fredhead right in the eye with that remark. And somehow it still made me laugh out loud.
Beatnik Joe on March 24, 2008 at 11:21 AM
Fred! couldn’t even win in SC. (and I’m a recovering Fred!head)
Goldwater won the Republican nomination in ’64, so that’s not a fair comparison.
Reagan made it all the way to the convention in ’76. So that’s not really a fair comparison either.
Try again.
omnipotent on March 24, 2008 at 11:23 AM
Luckily Fred never made anything remotely like Bonzo, so he won’t be doing Bonzo II.
digitalintrigue on March 24, 2008 at 11:28 AM
Make that “
Dawn of the DeadDead Man Walking: Return of the Gipper”nukemhill on March 24, 2008 at 11:30 AM
I think you guys are being hard on Allah without cause. There’s nothing wrong with him returning to acting, but I personally would have liked to see him do a little more for conservative politics. I was never a “fredhead” exactly, but I wanted to vote for him and probably would have if he’d been in the primaries in Texas.
Esthier on March 24, 2008 at 11:30 AM
As you pointed out earlier in the comments, though, pursuing an acting career in no way precludes political activism. (It sure doesn’t for many liberal actors.) Being a “star” means he could get conservative ideas heard in a way the rest of us, even many active and successful politicians, can’t accomplish no matter how brilliant we are. For example, I know exactly how Sean Penn feels about the war in Iraq. I have no idea, however, how the governor of Georgia feels about it, and he or she is the executive of a medium-sized state!
I don’t know if Fred intends to use his acting career as a vehicle for political activism, but just the simple fact that he seems to be going back into acting doesn’t mean he’s betrayed the conservative movement.
aero on March 24, 2008 at 11:31 AM
He could pretend to court Rosanne again. *shudder*
Okay, I gave myself the creeps with that one.
Slublog on March 24, 2008 at 11:31 AM
Hey, he gotta feed his family.
Metro on March 24, 2008 at 11:35 AM
Better than an Erectile Dysfunction spokesman.
profitsbeard on March 24, 2008 at 11:36 AM
Hmph. I guessed talk show host.
I still think he could use some work on un-memorized lines, if he’s ever going to try another run.
Tanya on March 24, 2008 at 11:38 AM
Bob Dole just rolled over in his
gravebed.omnipotent on March 24, 2008 at 11:38 AM
He could pretend to court Rosanne again.
Now that is acting!
SeoulMan on March 24, 2008 at 11:39 AM
That argument is disingenuous! Thompson is in his late 60′s with a young family and got summarly dismissed by the republican base. He has every right to live his remaining life making a comfortable life for his family instead of being fodder for cable news hacks and conservative blogs.
ihasurnominashun on March 24, 2008 at 11:41 AM
Hey Fred,
How about playing in some patriotic movies. Remember those?
faraway on March 24, 2008 at 11:43 AM
How about playing in some patriotic movies. Remember those?
Hard to be cast in them if Hollywood doesn’t make them anymore.
SeoulMan on March 24, 2008 at 11:45 AM
I’m glad he’s back to doing what he does best: acting. I’m sick of the Hollywood elites getting involved in politics.
crr6 on March 24, 2008 at 11:48 AM
Sometimes Allah, you are an eye poking twit.
1980 was Reagan second run and Reagan got to run against Carter (possibly the worst POTUS in history), and he did not have to slog through a battle heavy primary like he did in 1976. The situations aren’t completely analogous. That said, I had hoped for Fred the remain a public voice for conservatism. His being an actor does nothing to diminish his ability to do that but enhances it. The more he in the public the more name recognition he has and the further he can carry his mesage on conservatism. Nor does this prevent him fromrunning for governoer does it?
I’d be real nice if he teamed up with David Walker and forced the GOP to acknowledge the coming disaster of Medicare.
It still puzzles me as to why you love to give your beloved Fredheads, who by the way are very good for trafic especially me, the periodic sharp stick in the eye?
Theworldisnotenough on March 24, 2008 at 11:52 AM
Because it’s fun for him, and we keep coming back.
aero on March 24, 2008 at 11:55 AM
heh heh heh.
Good ole Fred.
csdeven on March 24, 2008 at 11:56 AM
Isn’t Fred actually doing what an “authentic conservative” would do? He’s going back to work! Career politicians are the ones who stick around K Street as lobbyists or lawyers.
Of the three times “my” Congressman has retired/lost/or resigned (Bob Livingston) from politics, not one of them ever returned to live with the “folks back home” instead of sticking around DC.
highhopes on March 24, 2008 at 12:02 PM
Bumb punk ass bloggers dis’ing Fred is like Paris hilton dis’ing Thomas Jefferson.
TheSitRep on March 24, 2008 at 12:06 PM
Jees , I’m a moron.
TheSitRep on March 24, 2008 at 12:08 PM
I’m just glad that Fred is not going back into the practice of law. As a lawyer he would be springing terrorists out of Gitmo on technicalities and confiscating my illegal bathtub gin as part of his vendetta against moonshiners.
Also, I think his acting days are over. He was type-casted as the big tough authoritative figure with the grumbly voice. Now with Jeri’s new diet, he has lost so much weight he looks like a slightly taller version of Larry King. Who would cast him to play the heavy with that gobble neck?
God I miss Fred threads.
tommylotto on March 24, 2008 at 12:08 PM
heh.
geckomon on March 24, 2008 at 12:10 PM
Gucci model.
Hening on March 24, 2008 at 12:11 PM
It’s not a bad thing to have an unabashed conservative in Hollywood.
Farmer_Joe on March 24, 2008 at 12:22 PM
Delighted to see you comment, good ole friend!
RushBaby on March 24, 2008 at 12:24 PM
“Bedtime for Bonzo” was a very underrated film.
rivlax on March 24, 2008 at 12:25 PM
Indeed. I hope he’ll turn up with Evan Sayet’s conservative bunch!
RushBaby on March 24, 2008 at 12:26 PM
You’re a Bonzo!
frankj on March 24, 2008 at 12:28 PM
So, AP is doing the “Thompson troll” again and csdeven reappears like majic…..
Curious.
TBinSTL on March 24, 2008 at 12:29 PM
Don’t forget about TommyBoy, west-coast lawyer extraordinaire!
omnipotent on March 24, 2008 at 12:32 PM
If BKennedy shows up we will have a right proper
3 amigos reunion.
ChrisM on March 24, 2008 at 12:39 PM
**Shudder**
omnipotent on March 24, 2008 at 12:40 PM
Are you implying that csdeven is Allahpundit’s sockpuppet?
aero on March 24, 2008 at 12:47 PM
Jackie Broyles just soiled himself.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on March 24, 2008 at 12:49 PM
Attorney General Fred Thompson is out of question I guess. Wouldn’t Thompson be in line for a “save xyz Executive Branch Agency/Department” in a McCain administration?
gabriel sutherland on March 24, 2008 at 12:58 PM
They are buddies & Fred! refused to bad-mouth McCain during the primary. So it’s not out of the question.
omnipotent on March 24, 2008 at 1:02 PM
Allah is still trying to put down Fred, eh? I think he’s just mad because Fred’s got a hot wife, while Allah is gay.
Jungliszt on March 24, 2008 at 1:02 PM
C’mon dude, this isn’t dKos.
omnipotent on March 24, 2008 at 1:04 PM
If Allah is gay, why would he be angry that Fred has a hot wife?
jaime on March 24, 2008 at 1:14 PM
Positives:
- cheered up AP
- brought back csdeven
- brought back tommylotto
- gave crr6 another raison d’etre
- …and, best of all, just for you crr6, better to have him in the bosom of the ‘enemy’ than outside.
Entelechy on March 24, 2008 at 1:25 PM
I hope Fred continues to make a comfortable living for his family. Nothing wrong with that.
I also hope he has a clause in his contract that makes him available should an appropriate govt. role be offered, but I’m not optimistic it’ll be offered or accepted. Oh well.
My darkest thought is that he sees McCain will win the nomination but lose the general, and knows this is the time to redirect his career away from federal govt. Of course, this is a reflection of my own opinion that McCain will lose, even with my (reluctant) vote for him….
cs89 on March 24, 2008 at 1:36 PM
Bringing back csdeven & tommylotto is a good thing? Ok I’ll shut up now.
Browncoatone on March 24, 2008 at 1:44 PM
Shocka!
AP slamming Fred and FredHeads.
The next thing you are going to tell me is that AP is facing eternity without Jesus.
saved on March 24, 2008 at 1:52 PM
Shouldn’t Mcshame give him a big fat pension for his gigantic scam of staying in the race just to prevent Huckabee from winning south carolina?
SaintOlaf on March 24, 2008 at 1:53 PM
AP isn’t fit to work on Fred’s craft service cart.
spacemonkey on March 24, 2008 at 1:58 PM
I’ll pitch-in to that fund.
We owe Fred! for that (bumping-off HuckSter), if nothing else.
omnipotent on March 24, 2008 at 1:59 PM
Screenplay scene adapted from a proposed David Mamet play:
OPEN SHOT NARROWING ON A HUDDLED FIGURE- Seen from behind against a backdrop of a glowing LCD screen a furious tapping of computer keys is heard. Suddenly the tapping stops. The figure looks up toward the ceiling, leans back in the chair with hands clasped behind head.
FLASHBACK YEARS AGO TO SCENE OUTSIDE A MASSAGE PARLOR IN A SEEDY BRONX NEIGHBORHOOD- The younger self of the hudddled figure exits onto the street under a neon sign with only .ASS… left burning in the dim light. He is carrying a fold up table with a face piece cut into it. As he limps down the street with a turn he looks back up at the second story window from whence he came. Stops. He nods to a woman standing beside the curtains and gives her a wry smile……
CUT BACK TO PRESENT TO COMPUTER SCREEN WITH THE LINES FROM A BLOG BEING HIGHLIGHTED-
(O.K., AP, this probably isn’t a story about you, but hey, it could be with a few edits. Even then, you’d probably have to get a new table…)
OkieDoc on March 24, 2008 at 2:01 PM
Did any other Republican Candidate have the “balls” to to say in a televised debate *the main thing that is wrong with public education in America is the NEA*
Did any other Republican Candidate have the “balls” to to say (repeatedly) in a televised debate *Social Security is going down the toilet, and we better start dealing with it*.
These “balls” you speak of, I don’t think they mean what you think they mean.
ChrisM on March 24, 2008 at 2:12 PM
Fred (unlike the others) is doing EXACTLY what he said. He didn’t NEED to be President like these other guys. He listened to the voters… they didn’t call, so he is going back to what he was doing… JUST LIKE HE SAID HE WOULD!!!
No story here!
edgehead on March 24, 2008 at 2:22 PM
Return to work??? You guys have this image of him as if he has his lunch pail in hand and started punching his time clock.
He signed with William Morris. Now some smarmy Jeremy Pevin type is going to try to get Fred work in commercials, or pit parts in movies or, ugh, sexually harassing to Roseanne Barr. I don’t think it is going to work. His looks have gone to hell. He is too thin and too old. He doesn’t still have “the look” for the roles for which he is type-casted.
tommylotto on March 24, 2008 at 2:33 PM
In Reagan’s case in 1976 it was a long-shot attempt at the nomination.
For Goldwater it was obliteration at the polls while being the seedbed for future conservative success.
For Fred it’s partly about taking one shot at the Presidency (I don’t expect him to run in 2012) and partly due to having two young kids.
I expect him to campaign a little for his friend John McCain and possibly radio commentaries. He’ll be much the way he was pre-Fred hype: fairly quiet.
seanhackbarth on March 24, 2008 at 2:46 PM
YESSS!!!! A man with a face born for radio.
tommylotto on March 24, 2008 at 2:52 PM
Ok, did I miss something that changed with the definition of being conservative.
_
When did it become a requirement that to be conservative you had to be a professional politician? And why would we want nothing but professional politicians?
_
I only started to support Fred right before the end, but if he goes back to a profession he loves I say more power to him.
_
My only wish is there were more people running and holding office that actually HAD another profession to go back to after serving for a while. We would have a far better government with fewer people in it who were in it as their only focus in life.
woodythesingingcowboy on March 24, 2008 at 3:16 PM
Comment pages: 1 2 Next »