Politics
Is Thompson the Next Actor-President?
By David Brody
CBN News
May 7, 2007
CBNNews.com - ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. - You may not know his name, but you've probably seen his face - the face of TV character Arthur Branch on NBC's Law & Order.
When he spoke last Friday at Orange County at the Lincoln Club, the Law & Order music was blaring. He rose to prominence as an actor before he became a senator from Tennessee. Now he's sewing his "political oats" again.
"It's great to be here with so many old friends," Thompson said as he took his position at the podium, addressing members for the club's 45th annual dinner.
There's a reason for the Thompson buzz: the top three Republican candidates - Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney - all have questions when it comes to their conservative credentials. There seems to be no true-blue Ronald Reagan conservative in the bunch. That's why Thompson could jump in - because conservatives trust his credentials.
"Maybe, there's an appetite for a more ideological conservative in the Republican party," said Richard Wagner, a Lincoln Club member. "You know, the question is, 'Does Fred Thompson offer what the other candidates are not offering?' And I think that remains to be seen."
"The question, I think, for the Republican party is we need someone who can deliver our message," said Erik Brown. "Our message is a message of conservative principles. That's a winning message."
Fred Thompson isn't saying whether he will enter the race, only that he's definitely considering it. But his speech to the posh Lincoln Club was full of red meat and the flavor was conservative.
It was a pseudo stump speech promoting conservative ideas like federalism, free trade and lower taxes.
"I wouldn't think you'd have to make the lower tax case again. But you have to make it every day in Washington, D.C.," Thompson said from the podium.
Thompson also took shots at big government.
"I think our attitude ought to be for the federal government, 'Do what you're supposed to be doing and do it competently, then we might give you something else to do," he said.
When it comes to Iraq, Thompson says America must stay.
"As long as those brave people on the front lines, who are making our sacrifices for us, and doing so much, as long as they have a chance and they say they have a chance, we need to give them that opportunity to make that work there," he said.
So what makes Thompson unique?
His ideas seem similar in some respects to the other Republican candidates. But conservatives don't have the questions about him that they do the other leading candidates.
Political analysts on the right believe he may be as close to a Reagan conservative as there is - a likeable, grandfatherly, plain-spoken southerner with a commanding presence who is respected as a serious thinker - qualities that conservatives like because they're still searching for the right candidate.
"Each candidate that I have liked is missing a piece, and I was hoping that Fred Thompson would put all those pieces together," said Kathy Gremer, Lincoln Club member. "But if he's going to do it, he better get going."
If Thompson does gets in, he'll be at a financial and organizational disadvantage because of his late start. But that's not insurmountable, which is something the top three Republican candidates realize because they know full-well that Thompson has already done strongly in early polls.
If he does get in, his entry could indeed change the GOP primary race dramatically.
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