And They Attack Him For It… Blowing Off Steam, Throwing Sharp Elbows, and Running Against the Mainstream

“If what people really want in their president is a super type A personality, someone who has gotten up every morning and gone to bed every night and been thinking about, for years how they can be president of the United States… someone who can look you straight in the eye and say they’ve enjoyed every minute of campaigning… I ain’t that guy.

I can’t imagine a worse set of circumstances than achieving the presidency under a false pretenses, especially if you feel the way I do. I’ve gone out of my way to be myself, because I don’t want anybody to think they’re getting something they’re not getting. I’m not consumed by this process, I’m not consumed with the notion of being president. I’m simply saying I’m willing to do what’s necessary to achieve it if I’m in sync with the people. And if the people want me, or somebody like me, I will do what I’ve always done with everything else in my life. I will take it on and do a good job. You’ll have the disadvantage of having someone who probably can’t jump up and click their heels three times, but will tell you the truth. And you’ll know where the president stands at all times.”
- Fred Thompson
Friday on the stump in Iowa

And they attack him for it.
A Report From Inside Fredhead Central

PART I: Blowing off Some Steam

Most supporters of other candidates probably won’t read all this. They’ve already made up their minds and there’s no point in trying to discuss it with them. I hope they at least listened to the Limbaugh show again today make the case for Thompson.

Over the last few months, I have gained a lot of respect for the dedicated Ron Paul supporters. They have chosen and continued to support a candidate who was opposed by the mainstream establishment of the Republican Party. They have been beaten, put down, and written off as a bunch of nutcases more often than not. You know something? I respect that. It didn’t matter that the majority of the republicans made fun of him, and them. Even during his unconventional debate performances, they didn’t waver because he didn’t fit in, or didn’t perform well. They believed, and continue to believe, in the philosophy of the candidate they support. Many supporters of other candidates insulted them, although many times their aggressiveness brought made some of the criticism valid, but they didn’t budge. At the same time, I admire their spirit.

Looking back to the beginning of September, the core Thompson supporters have been facing some similar circumstances. Not from a majority of the conservative blogosphere, but instead from the mainstream media. As September turned into October, Thompson’s every move was scrutinized. Every word was misinterpreted, and to be honest, the field has been to open and large for a candidate to break out of the pack. Thompson made what could turn out to be a fatal error by waiting until September to enter the race. If he had entered in July, which was originally thought to be the date, he wouldn’t have had to spend half as much time playing catch up.

By December, after the overcrowded debates, misinterpreted intentions at forums, an uneven speech at the FRC, and quite a few stabs in the back, Thompson is fighting for political survival instead of running away with the race. While many supporters of other candidates can barely contain their glee at the turn of events, the media still tries to stick a fork in a politician whose not quite dead yet.

This morning, Fox News brought in two analysts to analyze whether the media had misquoted Thompson. Of course, to represent the conservative side of the debate, they brought in none other than Tammy Bruce, a well known talk show host, democrat, and Rudy Giuliani supporter. Ms. Bruce, a pro-gun/pro-choice feminist, decided gang up with her democratic counterpart in attacking not only Thompson, but going as far as to insult his supporters. Of course, here is the description of her event from her website:

The segment will air sometime between 10:20am ET and 10:40am ET (7:20-7:40am PT). We’ll take a look at exactly what’s happening here, which, IMHO involves Thompson being honest about what has been apparent, and then his attempt to backtrack. There is also word he will drop out by Friday, which I highly doubt. Iowa doesn’t really matter in the larger scheme of things while New Hampshire will be key for many. At that point everyone will have to access how much money they have and if they can even can compete in Florida on January 29, let alone Super Tuesday February 5.

So, to argue the Thompson point, Fox News brings in a loudmouth Rudy supporter who decided to call Thompson supporters nothing more than a bunch of “grassroots hayseeds” and “internet trolls” and the “weird, hostile, paranoid remarks I got from what’s called the Fredhead base.” And backtrack? What was she smoking?

You know what Tammy? Go F— yourself. If you have the audacity to call me a hayseed, then I can call you much worse, but at least you acknowledge that the rumors of this secret McCain deal are FALSE at this point. It will happen after South Carolina, unless lightening strikes and Novak’s pseudo poll that he published with no proof or scientific evidence actually turned out to be true and FDT finished with less than one percent. I’m sure if McCain comes out and actually cleans his clock in Iowa, there might be some tough decisions to make come Friday, but there are no secret conspiratorial deals or backroom shakedowns. That’s ridiculous and those on the blogosphere trying to push this little bit of inside knowledge are deluding themselves.

In the world of conservative talk, a lot of the personalities are split in who they support. The most well known Thompson supporter in that medium is probably Mark Levin. Levin will stay positive when discussing most of the other candidates. He is known to say that he really likes Mitt Romney, and will accept Rudy Giuliani. Rush Limbaugh is known to lean towards Thompson, as well, but will not hold himself back from complimenting other candidates. I must note, that none are too keen on John McCain (for obvious reasons), or Mike Huckabee. Even Steve Gill, author of the Fred Factor, usually has complimentary things to say about the other candidates.

Mitt Romney’s most vocal, well known supporter in the conservative media, is Hugh Hewitt. Hewitt has been on a personal mission to bring down any candidate who challenges Mitt Romney on the right. Hugh’s agenda is to turn this into a Giuliani/Romney race because he feels Romney could feel.

Hugh Hewitt, and many will probably take me to task for saying this, is an opportunistic scumbag. I feel better now after letting the cat out of the bag. Think I’m out of line? This is the same guy who linked to this report the day after Thompson declared his presidency:

Thursday, September 06, 2007
Thompson’s Health
Posted by: Hugh Hewitt at 9:55 AM

The most comprehensive report on Fred Thompson’s cancer I have seen is here. (HT: Politico.) Key graphs:

“The nature of the disease is that it tends to relapse,” said David Fisher, a lymphoma specialist and assistant professor of medicine at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. “How long one can live with the disease varies considerably.”

The post goes on to talk about how Thompson is going to die in the near future and Hugh uses it to imply that he can’t be president, but that’s not the point. Thompson isn’t going to die in the near future, but the fact that a well known personality from the same party would even try to link to push a story like that the day Thompson declared his presidency should disqualify him from ever being trustworthy again. It also opened my eyes that among the skeptical, Thompson wasn’t going to have much opportunity to make his case. Even if Hewitt is not an official member of Romney’s campaign, Hewitt’s attachment to Romney makes Romney look terrible. They should’ve told him to put a muzzle on it, but they didn’t. One reason some have become so skeptical of Romney is because of ignorant jackassed mouthpieces like Hewitt. If you have a public vocal supporter, then keep him on a leash. This guy tried to damage the credibility of the NRLC because they didn’t endorse Mitt. At the time, he thought it was a danger to Romney so he went on to try and hurt them. Thompson isn’t pure on the issue, but he does go farther in his opposition to stem cell research then Romney, has a perfect record on issues concerning life, and never had any serious youtube moments where he passionately defended the right to choose.

I am not one of those who tries to cast doubt on the sincerity of Romney’s shift to the right on abortion. I do have some private questions about the timing of it and his definition of what exactly it is he supports. Of course, it’s a lot easier to say you would support something when its the majority opinion, like Romney seems to say about the human life amendment, but if it was a majority opinion that abortion should be a federal law, who wouldn’t pass it? If a majority of the country felt the need for a human life amendment, I’m sure that every candidate would support it, but by saying that it’s a long term goal, makes it a little suspect since it ain’t happening in the short term. It’s nothing more than rhetoric to make people feel good about themselves, and not realistic in the next eight years. No matter how optimistic one pretends to be, the GOP starts the general election race in a hole, and in the House and the Senate, the situation is even worse. The party has absolutely no chance to retake control of congress while winning the presidency. The only conceivable way that it would happen in the next few cycles is if the Democrat won the election, and then things got worse in the next two years, like in 1994 and 1996. To be blunt, if the Democrats win the White House, then they will have control of both branches. We could be in for two years of Pelosi, Reid, and Hillary, God forbid John Edwards, as the leaders of our government. If the Republican nominee wins, it’s going to be close, and people aren’t likely to vote a straight ticket. Although congress has record low approval ratings, it’s still the GOP that gets the blame.

Then there is the mainstream media… While the USA Today and Fox News tried once again to put a stake through the heart of the Thompson campaign over the weekend with the “I don’t desire to be President” quote, the man who actually asked the question tells Jim Geraghty that, once again, the media completely misinterpreted his actual question and Thompson’s response. Here is his response to the whole fiasco:

I continued to look at all the candidates, but I kept coming back to Sen. Thompson. I wanted the chance to hear him talk again and Saturday was my chance. My friend from D.C. was visiting town so we went together to hear Sen. Thompson. The room and crowd were smaller this time. The only seats left were next to a woman I know through my work with the Boy Scouts. We waited for Sen. Thompson to arrive. Rep. King of Iowa introduced him. He walked into the room and sat down at the table with one of our local radio personalities. Again his answers were refreshing. Instead of sound bite after sound bite, he gave long thought out answers. He was advocating the ideas I wanted to hear. Then the question and answer session arrived. I wanted to know does this man want to be my President? I got the last question in.

The answer was exactly what I hope it would. It was a great answer. At points during the answer I was ashamed I had asked the question. I knew the answer. Do I really want to support a candidate who lives to be President? Is that type of candidate really interested in serving the nation or serving his own self-interest? Sen. Thompson positioned himself as willing to serve, not for an enlarged ego, but out of a deep desire to serve his nation. He has desire to make our nation better for his children and grandchildren. Far from a slick Branson like presentation, he presented himself as a dedicated patriot willing to serve if we, the American people, were willing to have him do so. He refuses to be a President under false pretenses. He is not leading us into a shotgun relationship. He understands that under the founder’s concept of the social contract, both parties must be fully aware of the terms of the contract when entering into the agreement. If the American people do not want him to be President, he is not going to trick us into agreeing to him. As I said, the answer was refreshing. It was a great answer.

I went and saw Gov. Romney that night. Do not misunderstand me; if Gov. Romney is the Republican nominee for President, I will support him. His presentation was an event. His hair and teeth were perfect. He smiled. He pressed the flesh. His wife glowed as she stood next to him. Make no mistake; Gov. Romney wants to be President of the United States. Maybe that is why I do not trust him. In the end, Sen. Thompson was right, the next President should be someone who wants to serve the nation, not someone who wants to be President. Far from the press coverage that stated Sen. Thompson does not have the desire to be President, his desire is to serve the American people. He believes the best way to do that is to be President. If he is not elected President, he will not be disappointed. He will find some other way to serve the American people, just like he has throughout his career. After listening to Sen. Thompson and thinking about what he said, I can only conclude he is the best candidate for the job.

It’s just like this crew to completely try and screw someone. While all the GOP candidates have been treated unfairly by the media, the establishment has really had it out for the candidates who didn’t conform to their standards. Mike Huckabee has recently been seeing the effects of not being the establishment candidate. When you have read the National Journal’s Insider Polls, they never pick the outsider candidate for a reason. They are not a part of that crowd. Huckabee was never one of them, so in some ways, they have tried to bury him for it. Granted, some of the animosity towards Huckabee comes from the way he has run his campaign and the large problem that he doesn’t line up philosophically with the conservative movement.

Although some tried to paint Thompson as the insider and the candidate of the establishment, there is no real truth in the matter. Thompson ran for presidents on the heels of a grassroots campaign. The draft Thompson movement was the idea of a radio host, Steve Gill. He went to Howard Baker, and then to Thompson. Yes, the were some important figures involved in the process, but it wasn’t the “establishment.” They never were very infatuated with the idea, and approached it with skepticism. They remained skeptical.

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PART II: Throwing Some Sharp Elbows

I’ve read comments and posts that have said some things that are either false, or show a lack of understanding. So, I figured I’d create my own little factsheet in the style of those political ones that campaigns like to send out.

Myth: “Fredheads will suddenly rally around another candidate (sometimes the candidate that one person favors)”

Truth: Either wishful thinking or overestimating the excitement that people actually have for this election. The truth is that probably the majority of the leftovers would go to McCain, but not a be a huge number. Most of them would probably just go back to whatever they were doing before because honestly, the majority of them think they all suck. Not everyone is as involved in the process as Erik Erickson at redstate. A portion of them would just lose interest and likely sit out the primaries. One reason that Fred has a large number of supporters is that there is an amount of distrust for the whole process, and the candidates participating in it before Thompson became an option. I hate to burst anyone’s bubbles, but the chance of the Fredheads rallying around another candidate in the event that Thompson doesn’t last with the same enthusiasm is unrealistic. Many of them would still support the nominee, but you wouldn’t see them out giving up their valuable time anymore for something they didn’t believe in wholeheartedly. Like the candidate, a lot of them are making the sacrifice, and don’t plan on spending the rest of their lives involved in politics. I am a perfect example of this. I retired from involving myself in politics before Thompson, and although I will stick this one out through the general election in some compacity, this is my last go around. I don’t like politicians, and it took an honest one to reignite my interest. That flame would dim considerably, and slowly fade away.

Opinion: “I don’t understand how Fred still has 12%. Can’t they see he’s going nowhere?”

FACT: We have six candidates who represent six different ideas. Some of their support crosses over from the soft support, but the top five all have a base of around 10% that are not going anywhere until their candidate drops out. Out of the other four candidates, none of them really appeal to the Fredheads, so why would they change? Nobody has a majority of support, and only Thompson has a majority of republican voters who think he’s conservative. Every one of the other candidates is a moderate, according to that same majority. None of the candidates are a majority, as of now, and will have a difficult time uniting the base. The fact is that a lot of us drafted him. These people signed the petition to urge him to run for office. He didn’t choose them. They chose him.

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PART III: Running Against The Mainstream

While pundits and the MSM try to finally drown the flames in the belly of the Fredheads, they haven’t succeeded yet.

Some Random Quotes on the full video address:

“Reaganesque”- The Moderate Voice

“Good news for Fred… POTUS (XM Radio) airing in his 17 minute message its entirety”- Jim Geraghty

“Thompson is slurred as “lazy”; but, in fact, anyone in his mid-sixties, who has survived non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and is campaigning daily under media scrutiny could hardly be lazy; courageous might be a better characterization.”- Victor David Hanson at the Corner

“100,000 views on youtube”

“take a look at the Thompson video. Politics as, from time to time at least, they really ought to be.”- Peter Robinson, The Hoover Institute

Let’s look take a closer look at Peter Robinson’s posts at the Corner:

On the Internet as of sometime this afternoon, Fred Thompson’s closing argument to the people of Iowa.

Whereas Romney is saturating the airwaves with attack ads, Thompson pays the voters the courtesy of speaking calmly, and in detail-the video runs to just over 15 minutes. Why should the good Republicans of Iowa support Thompson? Because, the candidate argues, he can win.

I believe I am the only candidate in this race who can bring our party to victory in the fall. First, because of the firmness of my principles and the trust that that engenders. Secondly, because of the detailed program I’ve put before the people. Third, because I’ve been tried and tested – and I’m a known quantity in public life.

But, most of all, I think I know how to talk to the American people about the opposition and the danger their victory would pose to the principles we hold dear.

In the passage I found the most striking, Thompson does something no other Republican contender has attempted: appeal to Democrats.

You know, when I’m asked which of the current group of Democratic candidates I prefer to run against, I always say it really doesn’t matter…These days all those candidates, all the Democratic leaders, are one and the same. They’re all NEA-MoveOn.org-ACLU-Michael Moore Democrats. They’ve allowed these radicals to take control of their party and dictate their course.

So this election is important not just to enact our conservative principles. This election is important to salvage a once-great political party from the grip of extremism and shake it back to its senses. It’s time to give not just Republicans but independents, and, yes, good Democrats a chance to call a halt to the leftward lurch of the once-proud party of working people.

So in seeking the nomination of my own party, I want to say something a little unusual. I am asking my fellow Republicans to vote for me not only for what I have to say to them, but for what I have to say to the members of the other party-the millions of Democrats who haven’t left the Democratic party so much as their party’s national leadership has left them.

This is reminiscent of Reagan’s talk to the people of North Carolina in 1976. Simple, straightforward, modest production values-just the candidate in front of an American flag and an Iowa flag-but (to use the word again) compelling. Reagan’s 1976 talk enabled him to recover after a string of primary defeats, winning in North Carolina, then going on to come within a handful of delegates of wresting the nomination from Ford. Will Thompson’s talk move voters in Iowa? Does his campaign have the money to get it on the air? Throughout the state? Or even in a few of the most important markets? Beats me. But we have here a serious man, making a serious case-and doing so in the context of a campaign that has otherwise descended into mere caterwauling.

Even at this late hour, I wouldn’t count Fred out.

And Michael van der Galien at the poligazette:

In a last attempt to convince Iowa Republicans to vote for him this Thursday, former Senator Fred Thompson has put a video on YouTube in which he speaks to Iowans – and Americans as a whole – for more than 17 minutes. Instead of putting out a 30 second ad, Thompson decided to take voters seriously and to carefully to explain to them why he’s the man to lead America.

…

Of course his main argument (why people should vote for him) is that he’s the only real conservative candidate. He has, he argues, the best conservative record – which is certainly true. However, everybody knows that. The problem isn’t that Thompson isn’t conservative enough, it’s that he’s not passionate and energetic enough. In the video, however, Thompson overcomes that prejudice: he doesn’t suddenly appear extremely energetic, but perhaps this is an issue that shouldn’t matter. He comes across as calm, reasonable, knowledgeable and stable. A strong leader, in other words.

You know what? There are three days left until Iowa. Thompson is campaigning in Iowa hard. Maybe it is over after Friday, maybe not.

I will say this much, if it is not Thompson, then the GOP will have a much harder time uniting the base. It’s something that can’t be overlooked. People are still skeptical of Romney, many conservatives are still sour with McCain, and the religious right won’t rally around Rudy. Huckabee would split everyone, but yesterday’s news threw his chances into serious jeopardy.

The sad thing about the Huckaboom is that it might’ve mortally wounded Thompson. A temporary boomlet at that specific time not only will likely prove to early to Huckabee, but also might possibly not leave enough time for Thompson to recover. The temporary boomlet might’ve just cost the GOP it’s best shot to carry the base in the south. Every other candidate loses to Hillary in states like Arkansas and Tennessee, leaving the party on the defensive in states that they shouldn’t have to worry about.

Huckabee did have a chance, but for a voter like me, the combination of his tactics and his positions dropped him to the lower end of my list of acceptable alternatives. If he and Thompson both underperform in Iowa, then only one of the candidates could conceivably limp onto South Carolina. If Huckabee busts in Iowa and continues, it would stifle McCain’s gains in the south and could give Romney the nomination. If Huckabee can somehow miraculously survive the events of the last days, then he could survive. If Huckabee falls and Thompson performs well, then Thompson would jump back in the south. But time is quickly running out, and the south might’ve hastily placed their bets on the hare, only to see it blow up in their faces.

I now understand what it is like to support a candidate running against the mainstream. In that since, I can understand a little of what a lot of the Ron Paul supporters have felt. I have a newfound respect for them. I don’t agree with them on every issue, but I can appreciate why they feel the way they do.

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Part IV: Some Other Thoughts

We really and truly don’t know what will happen on Thursday. I don’t do predictions, but If I was chosen to pick the winner of Iowa at this moment, I’d go with Mitt Romney. After that, it’s anyone’s guess. Will Mike Huckabee’s antics cost him a lot of support? If it does, where does it go? Which poll is most accurate. The DMR poll doesn’t look particularly good, but CNN’s poll with Opinion Research is historically one of the more accurates, and everyone knows that Mason Dixon is one of the most reliable and widely respected polling firms for statewide elections.

There’s also the fact that the day before the caucus a very prominent 527 group is planning on launching a barrage of attacks ads specifically targeted for reaching likely caucus goers. Thompson is not on the recieving end of those.

Lastly, I mentioned that I would talk about some interesting inside information about another campaign. Huckabee’s final push for the Iowa caucus is being helped by Newt Gingrich. Joining him this week for the final push in Iowa is Rick Tyler, who has taken personal time away from his full-time job serving as former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s top spokesman. He’ll be helping with the media on the road and will do some surrogate interviews for Huckabee.

Think things will get more interesting? We’ll have to wait and see.
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Part V: Final Thoughts

There’s still one point that so many supporters of other candidates, like Tammy Bruce, Hugh ‘The Tool’ Hewitt, and others who just don’t seem to understand Thompson or his supporters.

Like Senator Thompson, people would accuse me of lacking “the fire in the belly.” I hate politicking, and I don’t like politicians. I can’t stand getting myself involved elections anymore. I don’t have the fire in the belly. If things don’t work out for Thompson, I’ll hang around until the end of the election since I have an interest of helping out the GOP this time. After that, I’ll ride off into the political sunset.

I quit involving myself in politics after 2006, and had absolutely no intention of getting involved again. I retired after those midterms, with no desire to really follow the race for 2008. I still hate this, to some extent. I’m getting close to 30 years old, and spending a year or two of my life in this avenue is probably the last thing I need.

Like many others, I am the “hayseed” that Tammy Bruce refers to. I don’t buy into heroic myths of leadership, I don’t like egos, I hate panderers, and I despise your average politicians. I wouldn’t be here if Thompson hadn’t of become a candidate. I’d probably wouldn’t have really cared who became the nominee. I had lost the desire for political activity, and to be honest, I still don’t have the desire for it.

Fred Barnes on Fred Thompson’s Address to the voters:

“If he can get 30 seconds instead of 17 minutes, he would have a better shot.”

Hey Barnes, you wonder why so many people don’t trust politicians anymore? It’s because they are all the same. They aim for little soundbytes to please the media and make potential voters feel all warm and gushy.

The following quotes might make some voters feel secure, and people who love the political process use these little quips to decide who ‘wins’ or ‘loses’ a debate, but to a lot of people who believe that fundemental changes are needed to make this country a better place, it is insulting to our intelligence:

Answer: “Jesus was too smart to ever run for public office”

Answer: “I believe the Bible is the word of God”

Moderator: “how do we get back to Ronald Reagan’s “morning in America”?”

Moderator: “What do you dislike most about America?”

Mr. Barnes, there are many of us who think a 17 minute address is worth a lot more than a thirty second soundbyte. Many of us want a candidate who doesn’t tell us what we want to hear, but what we need to hear.

“I honestly want – I can’t imagine a worse set of circumstances [than] achieving the Presidency of the United States under false pretenses.”
- Fred Thompson

Mr. Barnes, in that answer, I learned so much more than in any of the responses or soundbytes I posted above… and they attack him for it. We live in ’shallow’ times, and choosing the lesser of two evils has become the norm. The voters vote on the candidates, but the establishment packages them for presentation.

If Senator Thompson loses, then like him, I will ride off into the political sunset. I’ll continue in my current capacity here blogging through the general election, but after that, I too, will disappear from the every day political mediums. In my case, it might be political exile because I am still young, and maybe another candidate will one day come along that doesn’t tell me what I want to hear, but what I need to hear, and what he plans to do about it.

Whoever wins the 2008 election will inherit a mess that hasn’t faced a new president since 1968. They will have to inherit a war. Electing someone who doesn’t have experience dealing with international affairs is something that I don’t have much faith in. The moment the next president enters office, they will have to make instant decisions with the lives of American soldiers on the line.

They may not have time to analyze data, or ponder over differing advice from multiple advisors. President Bush did this, and though the results of those decisions are still pending, he has lost the trust of a majority of the American people. The fate of many rests in their judgement, alone.

Out of all the candidates, whose judgement do you trust the most? The lives of American soldiers are on the line.