More crown jewels from the AP:
Thompson lacks substance, but still wows Young Republicans
By BRENDAN FARRINGTON
AP Political WriterHOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Likely Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson was mobbed by supporters Saturday who wildly applauded him despite a speech brimming with rhetoric and lacking issues.
Thompson, the actor, lobbyist and former Tennessee senator, was met with chants of “Fred” and “Run, Fred, run” by many of the 350 people at the Young Republicans National Convention. The crowd interrupted his nine-minute speech with wild applause and he was mobbed on the way out the door.
In his speech, Thompson showed he could fire up the crowd with pro-America, pro-Republican lines. He was applauded after telling the group he the was No. 1 target of The New York Times and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and again after saying the country is the greatest in the world.
…..He didn’t win over everybody. Daniel Ruoss of Lauderhill said he’s supporting Giuliani, the former New York City mayor.
“Fred Thompson would not only have to hit a home run, he’d have to hit a grand slam for me,” Ruoss said before the speech. Afterward, he noted the lack of substance in the speech. “I would call it a double. I liked it, but we need more.”
“After that speech, I have to say I’m kind of leaning toward Thompson,” said Kevin Fickert, a 22-year-old attending college in Los Angeles. Originally from Massachusetts, Fickert said he liked Romney’s leadership as governor, but thinks Thompson has more appeal. “Thompson has this star power about him that I really like.”
This is ridiculous. Are they just that stupid? It’s getting disgustingly biased and annoyingly old in just one week (well, maybe not old to supporters of other candidates for the GOP nomination, but you get my point). Can they not write a complete story without taking some sort of shot? OK, so he didn’t turn a staunch Giuliani supporter. That’s news? Nobody expects anyone to drop whatever they’re doing and follow in a sea of support. People have the right to make up their own minds, and some have already pretty much made them up. That’s not to knock the fellow who likes Rudy. That’s his right and I don’t harbour any ill feelings towards him for it. Support whoever you like and as strongly as you want to, but when the AP tries to use one person’s opinion against a candidate, it gives me the feeling they were looking for any avenue to take a cheap shot. This is stupid and ignorant of them to think that we’re this shallow. This is not an editorial we’re talking about, but an AP report.
Also coming today, the New York Times weighs in on Mrs. Thompson:
Now, with the possible candidacy of Fred D. Thompson, the grandfatherly actor and former Republican senator from Tennessee, whose second wife is almost a quarter-century his junior, comes a less palatable inquiry that is spurring debate in Internet chat rooms, on cable television and on talk radio: Is America ready for a president with a trophy wife?
The question may seem sexist, even crass, but serious people ? as well as Mr. Thompson?s supporters ? have been wrestling with the public reaction to Jeri Kehn Thompson, whose youthfulness, permanent tan and bleached blond hair present a contrast to the 64-year-old man who hopes to win the hearts of the conservative core of the Republican party. Will the so-called values voters accept this union?
First of all, let me give some thanks to Evangelicals for Mitt and Hugh Hewitt for standing up to this nonsense (again, some or our commenters might not agree with those two). Secondly, I would like the New York Times to introduce me to the staunch Thompson supporters that are “wrestling,” or dealing with Mrs. Thompson being an issue. I have yet to meet one. It reminds me of the old LA Times piece where the author said that the blogs were full of discussion about how Thompson’s role in a TV show would come back to haunt him. Considering that there were only two posts in the entire blog in question shows what they will do.
This is what is known as throwing anything out and seeing if it sticks. We’ll find out if it does or not, but either way, they are killing their own credibility in the process (although it’s been in a coma for the last 40 or so years, at a minimum). At least 4 seperate hit pieces in three days. What has got them so riled up? Hmmm…. maybe it’s the fact that Thompson is even with Hillary in the latest Rasmussen general matchup, or maybe they’re just in a good mood.
July 7th, 2007 at 8:01 pm
Tommy,
What commentator here thinks the knock on Jeri Thompson was not a cheap shot?
July 7th, 2007 at 8:42 pm
Of course the MSM wants to trash Thompson…he’s a Republican has some chance of winning (and his name isn’t John McCain or Ron Paul).
The knock on Jeri Thompson was a cheap shot, but the part that was cheap was the line about “permanent tan and bleached blond hair”…which made her seem trashy. Unfortunately, Fred probably WILL have to do some work to defend the fact that hs wif is so young,just like Giuliani has to defend his marital record and Newt will have to defend his if he gets in.
July 7th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
Jason, I wasn’t talking about any of our contributors. We do have one or two commentors, not commentator, that wwill latch on to anything, and not just against Thompson. I wasn’t refering to you at all.
July 7th, 2007 at 9:11 pm
That first piece is pretty generic. The problem is the headline.
July 7th, 2007 at 9:22 pm
I’m curious to see what people think of a Mitt Romney/Fred Thompson ticket or a Fred Thompson/Mitt Romney ticket. Mitt’s got unparalleled organization and management experience (key for the Executive Branch), a good understanding of fiscal issues, looks presidential but fair or not, faces a battle due to lack of understanding about his religion and name recognition. Fred seems to gather a whole swath of support for nothing else other than the fact that he’s got Southern charm, is an actor, and is an adherent of a more mainstream religion. But Fred’s also got more foreign policy experience and as a former member of the senate has knows what it takes to negotiate to get bills through.
I really think that could make a good combination! What do you guys think?
July 7th, 2007 at 9:29 pm
Geez. I must have missed where the MSM talked about Obama lacking substance. Probably his audacious hope hypnotized them.
July 7th, 2007 at 9:31 pm
Emtee,
We’ll cross that bridge when the time comes, but it does sound appealing either way in the end.
Matt,
Glad you noticed that little omission as well.
July 7th, 2007 at 9:45 pm
Matt’s right in #6!
Ann Coulter wrote a BRILLIANT column about Obama recently. Forget what it was called, though.
July 7th, 2007 at 10:26 pm
The abortion lobbying piece yesterday at least was dealing with a somewhat relevant issue though upon further reading it’s shaping up to be a he said/they said type of deal. Whether that issue has legs or not remains to be seen. I’m holding out until the NFPRHA can show invoices or receipts for hypothetical service rendered.
As for a potential Mrs. Thompson as First Lady, I’m fine so long as she doesn’t try to impose a national health care system on Americans.
July 7th, 2007 at 10:39 pm
Quite the opposite of being a liability to Senator Thompson’s campaign. I believe that his wife Jeri is an amazing asset. I believe that America will quickly warm to her, she is attractive, articulate and actually quite wonkish on a number of pollicy issues.
July 7th, 2007 at 10:45 pm
JA,
Completely agree with you. Great words of encouragement!
July 7th, 2007 at 10:55 pm
I rather agree that Jeri won’t long be a hinderance on Sen. Thompson. If the scuttlebutt is true, she’s more into the campaign than he is at this point.
Though, I wish she would satisfy her ambitions by running for office herself.
July 7th, 2007 at 11:22 pm
Perhaps she has gleaned from recent examples that being First Lady lets you pick a senate seat in a state of your choice.
July 7th, 2007 at 11:49 pm
I like Powerline’s answer to the question:
“I don’t see why not. In 2004, America came fairly close to electing a trophy husband.”
July 8th, 2007 at 12:58 am
I don’t see the Jeri Thompson is a “trophy wife”. Fred’s first marriage lasted 26 years, and all accounts I have found, their divorce was amicable. And apparently she still likes him and will support him.
Then Fred was a bachelor for a dozen years or more? After dating several women, he marries his current wife, who is an accomplished person in her own right, and they want to tag her as a “trophy wife”? I don’t think so.
The tanned and bleached blond bit is just a cheap shot.
Heck, I admire Fred. He gives old guys like me hope…
July 8th, 2007 at 5:59 am
Fred Thompson – Empty Suit? (http://charliefoxtrotblog.blogspot.com/2007/07/fred-thompson-empty-suit.html)
You know that the left is feeling threatened, when they have already started trying to tear down Fred Thompson. And he isn’t even in the race yet….
“Thompson Strong on Style, Not Substance
Analysis: With Substance Lacking Fred Thompson’s Strength Is His Style
By LIZ SIDOTI Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON Jul 5, 2007 (AP)
Fred Thompson’s easygoing, no-nonsense style is clearly his strength and undoubtedly has helped him soar in presidential polls. It may only get him so far.
Sooner or later, the all-but-declared candidate will have to answer the question: What else do you offer?”
What?!? Are you kidding? First can we count how many times in the first 4 lines (Title, Subtitle, 1st & 2nd sentence) does the AP make the point that Fred Thompson is all style and no substance? That’s right, 4 times. Talk about being as subtle as a sledgehammer…..
July 8th, 2007 at 6:14 am
Yeah, I’m not a Fred supporter, and I tend to agree he’s not been very substantive so far, but these attacks are surprisingly blatant. The MSM has spent 7 months going hard after Romney, knowing that he was capable of winning a general election, and are know clearly attempting to scuttle Fred’s chances. When comparing these attempts to the coverage Democrats have received, particularly Obama, it’s really pretty astonishing how the MSM isn’t even pretending to be objective anymore.
July 8th, 2007 at 9:53 am
are you kdding? They for about four months have propped fred up as the savior of our party and now he finally starts to get some scrutinty that the others have been dealing wtih all year adn we are suprised.
msm is biased towards republicans in general. we have to do twice the amount as work as dems. unless you are mccain, their love child, who gets a free pass just like the dems.
they love to prop people up and then rip them down, it makes for better news, and more money for them. msm is a joke, it spure entertainment mascarading as some objective news reporting mechanism.
July 8th, 2007 at 12:55 pm
Tommy,
Yes they can be more biased . . . and get used to it. Thompson supporters need a thicker skin IMO.
This was an absolute cheap shot that was uncalled for . . . and in the “FASHION” section no less.
How can they be more biased? When they start incessantly repeating outright LIES as “gospel truth” about your candidate (after these have been corrected/answered by the candidate himself or campaign)then come back and complain some more.
Examples:
I still see story after story say that Romney . . .
1) has only hunted twice (absolute lie).
2) said he’d be “to the left of Teddy Kennedy on gay rights” (such a whopping distortion that it’s meets the definition of a lie)
3) used to be OK with gay marriage and is now against it (outright lie).
4) Was an absolute supporter of McCain-Feingold and is now against it (outright lie).
5) Used to strongly support the McCain-Kennedy immigration bill and is now against it (outright lie).
Need I go on?
It’s sad, but many Romney supporters have become fatigued in trying to fight off these lies and distortions.
I understand your frustration about your man being attacked (we’ve all gone through it), but it’s just part and parcel of trying to become the GOP nominee.
The media love a new story and have been helping pimp Thompson up to the top tier in the race. However, they love to tear somebody apart even more . . . especially a Republican.
July 8th, 2007 at 2:55 pm
I think thats it – the media. Thompson would never taken off if he had not received the kind of positive, “no-bad news” coverage in the first few months of the year. Now, a possible Fred run is old news – people expect him to enter. The real story now is how cheap of a candidate he really is. Today’s media like to create – rather than report – the news.
July 8th, 2007 at 11:12 pm
It’s fairly clear now that the Hillary machine is no longer worried about the primaries and has turned her attention to the one Republican that scares the daylights out of her.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:01 am
The Media gives a Thompson candidacy, the Media takes it away…
Thompson supporters need to cope with the fact that the media can be negative as well as positive about their candidate. Supporters of McCain, Rudy, Romney have all had to come to this conclusion. Other candidates would love to be mentioned at all…
July 9th, 2007 at 9:00 am
I don’t know enough about Thompson, I’m waiting to make a decision until he joins the debates. That said I did read a piece that made a valid point, a fair amount of women were going to look at his marriage with suspicion. Trust me on this, I’ve heard only snickers about his marriage. How he’s a typical “old coot” that got married for his wallet and he’s too foolish to realize it.
July 9th, 2007 at 9:01 am
I’m not saying it’s true, just that I’ve heard that.