SC GOP Debate: FRED THOMPSON RISES!
This has been the most contentious and exciting of the Republican debates so far. The headline: Fred Thompson has arrived. He dressed up one side of Mike Huckabee and down the other. Fred’s line of the night against the Huckster after recounting the Arkansas’ Governor’s record: “He’s no Reagan conservative, he sounds like a typical liberal Democrat”.
Fred is on fire in Myrtle Beach tonight!!
And in the meantime…. Ron Paul is slowly drifting into senility and year-long fodder for Jay Leno. Is there medication in the house?
-Bruce (GayPatriot)
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I only caught the last 45 minutes of the debate, but you are right, Fred was on fire! I think it is his element. The south, his people, so to speak. But most important is that he makes most sense. I am a Romney guy, but if he does win the nod, he has to take a serious look at Thompson. He is someone who has been inside Washington, has left and still has a lot of friends there. In watching Thompson, it is his command of facts that is really great. If he had gotten in earlier, he would have been my first choice. But, he will make a great V.P. in the Romney administration.
Comment by Mark J. Goluskin — January 10, 2008 @ 11:46 pm - January 10, 2008
I think Romney will hang on a little while longer, but I don’t expect he can take it. He needed to win at least one of Iowa or New Hampshire. He lost both, and not by very close margins. Many Republicans have doubts about Romney: not his Mormonism, but his combination of slickness + a relatively late adoption of conservative positions, a combination that doesn’t win much trust. I could be wrong here, but I just can’t see Romney winning or placing 2nd in either South Carolina or Florida – which gives him a bad position for Super Tuesday.
I think we haven’t seen the true Republican frontrunner yet. Huckabee: impressive win in Iowa, but come on, he’s a liberal Democrat (Fred is right) outside of a few narrow social issues. McCain can’t win it either, I don’t think: He’s today’s front-runner, but he has acquired too much deep resentment from conservatives (and from libertarian-ish Independents like myself) over McCain-Feingold, the Gang of 14 judges deal, his leftist positions on Global Warmism, and more.
So if Huckabee, Romney and McCain have all had bows as front-runner but won’t be able to finally pull it out… Who does that leave us with? 2 good candidates who have yet to make their official entrance: Thompson and Giuliani. We’ll see. It’s gonna be an interesting ride, between now and the day after Super Tuesday.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — January 11, 2008 @ 12:35 am - January 11, 2008
(P.S. “Official entrance”, is poorly chosen words on my part: I meant, their entrance into the nomination “story” in terms of a contest they’re actually trying to win. For Thompson that will be South Carolina; for Giuliani it will be Florida.)
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — January 11, 2008 @ 12:47 am - January 11, 2008
Ace has a couple good Fred clips:
Knocking McCain on immigration:
http://minx.cc/?post=251684
Knocking Huckabee on everything:
http://minx.cc/?post=251676
And the post-debate focus group, praising Fred.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — January 11, 2008 @ 1:12 am - January 11, 2008
If you’ve stidued all the information on Fred at his official site and you know what the others are saying they’re offering today then it’s time to learn the rest of their records to compare them to Fred’s;
http://sayanythingblog.com/readers/entry/candidate_research_know_who_youre_voting_for/
Comment by Winghunter — January 11, 2008 @ 2:26 am - January 11, 2008
I think we saw THE Repubican nominee tonight, the Fred Thompson we all wanted to see.
Romney can’t close the sale.
McCain has enraged conservatives on too many issues.
Guiliani has gone to the 9/11 well once too often.
Huckabee’s witty oneliners don’t sound that great the third and fourth time around. His lack of foreign policy knowledge is scary in a potential Commander in Chief. And he is willing to just plain lie about his record — a trait shared by many politicians which in civilians is considered a bit….. sociopathic.
What Thompson did to Huckabee tonight he will do to either Hillary or Obama.
Comment by Sandra Mendoza — January 11, 2008 @ 3:11 am - January 11, 2008
I only caught a small portion of the debate (I am really debated OUT). I agree I think the smart money is one Thompson and Guiliani.
However, the real ticket will be Guiliani and Thompson. McCain, Romney and Huckabee are fading fast…..
Comment by PatriotMom — January 11, 2008 @ 5:56 am - January 11, 2008
I forgot all about it and took a nap. Can’t find video anywhere.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — January 11, 2008 @ 6:29 am - January 11, 2008
Bruce, I love your earnest reinvention of FreddieThompson’s “surge” during the debate… but MikeHucka-boom responded well when he said that Freddie better hope the writers’ strike ends soon because Freddie is all out of ideas, quips and quotables if calling Hucka-boom a “liberal” is the best Freddie can do. Huckabee a liberal? That is about as true as “Thompson is charismatic and electable”.
You gotta love all those angst-ridden, sitting on their hands, angry at the world arch-conservatives who think Freddie represents any kind of hope for the GOP, the conservative movement, the future or America. Time to set Freddie’s snooze alarm for 15 minutes and when it goes off he’ll give something more to the redmeat crowd and they will salivate like Pavol’s dog in a lonely lab kennel. It matters not; Freddie has proven beyond a doubt he’s a lazy, late-to-the-party has-been who is fatally flawed for three reasons: 1) he’s an attorney/actor; 2) he’s a former fatcat lobbbyist who did squat as a Senator; and 3) his wife is actually calling the shots in his campaign and HE’s the virtual blow-up doll with the lipstick.
“Fred is on fire”? LOL.
The South Carolina primary results will the final nail in Freddie’s coffin and conservatives can get back to talking about being part of a larger coalition of winners on E-day in November.
Comment by Michigan-Matt — January 11, 2008 @ 9:24 am - January 11, 2008
Fred Thompson is like the “Chatty Cathy” doll…when somebody pulls his chain he can come out with some pretty cogent policy. (unlike Chatty Cathy)
The problem is that the chain pulling is rather random at best. I am a Christian and don’t like the Huckster playing the “Jesus” card…it demeans Jesus at worst and makes Huck look like Elmer Gantry at best. Think I am drifting back to McCain or Mitt…reluctantly on both. On election night I just may rent a bunch of old Ronald Reagen or John Wayne movies and pig out on chocolate ice cream with lots of sauce…….P.S. I think Ron Paul and Brittney Spears have something in common????
Comment by Linda Strickland — January 11, 2008 @ 10:23 am - January 11, 2008
Sorry Ronald Reagan….sp check was off LOL
Comment by Linda Strickland — January 11, 2008 @ 10:37 am - January 11, 2008
Finally, Fred came out winging and justified my support. I only hope translates into a win or a good showing on the 19th.
Comment by Roberto — January 11, 2008 @ 10:59 am - January 11, 2008
Carl Cameron and Chris Wallace conducted a clinic on how to ask good questions.
Can’t wait for Edwards to scoot so we can get a two person Democratic debate with the same substance.
Comment by Geena the Transgirl — January 11, 2008 @ 11:23 am - January 11, 2008
Anyone have a handy link to the full video?
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — January 11, 2008 @ 11:47 am - January 11, 2008
Transcript
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/01/the_south_carolina_gop_debate.html
Comment by Geena the Transgirl — January 11, 2008 @ 12:25 pm - January 11, 2008
Anyone but Romney. I think Huck or Fred would make a good President. Giuliani wouldn’t be bad, if he kept his pledge on judges. Whoever’s coattails can sweep Republicans into both houses will get tax cuts, Al-Qaeda offense, judges, a reduction in American Holocaust victims. But Romney? The adherent of a bizarre scient-fiction cult as Prez? (And pls. don’t give me this “Mormonism is a religion” crap, c’mon!) I grew up in an America with whacky liberals, but NOT an America where a cult-member could ever be President. I’ve voted Republican since 1984; if Romney is the candidate I will, for the first time ever, sit this election out.
Comment by Randolph — January 11, 2008 @ 12:31 pm - January 11, 2008
Plus, Romney has almost exactly the negative-ratings Hillary “enjoys.”
Comment by Randolph — January 11, 2008 @ 12:33 pm - January 11, 2008
Thanks, GTT.
This seems to be a full debate video:
http://dakotavoice.blogspot.com/2008/01/video-sc-gop-debate-1102008.html
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — January 11, 2008 @ 4:12 pm - January 11, 2008
Only caught a few minutes of the debate but Thompson certainly hit some targets.
It’s too bad the primary system is so worthless (caucuses, cross-party voting, the weight given to two tiny and odd little states, and the fact that so many voters choose based on who they think can beat the other party and not who would be the best president).
McCain is the man I’d most like to vote for but I can’t. It’s certainly possible to be a bona fide ware hero (Bob Kerrey, John McCain, Bob Dole) while being a poor choice for president.
Comment by Robert — January 11, 2008 @ 9:32 pm - January 11, 2008
I’m a McCain guy, but I also like Fred Thompson and would consider him a serious contender if he had more of a record (just one term in the Senate, even less than Hillary’s experience).
Comment by Justin Wong — January 12, 2008 @ 9:34 am - January 12, 2008
I can’t tell you how much I hope you guys nominate Thompson. He’s even less appealing than Bob Dole. He seems tired and cranky all the time. That might appeal to the base but it’s not going to carry a general election. Please, make my day. (I don’t think he can get the nomination for the same reason.)
Comment by Houndentenor — January 12, 2008 @ 10:05 am - January 12, 2008
Mark Levin has a good run down of McCain’s record here.
As opposed to a bipolar bitch, a “magic negro” and a pretty boy ambulance chasing, trial bar tool? I’ll take “grumpy” ol’ Fred, thank you.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — January 12, 2008 @ 8:49 pm - January 12, 2008
Well if America doesn’t want someone “tired and cranky” I guess that might eliminate Hillary as well eh. Thompson would at least carry Tennessee, something ‘favorite son” ALGORE couldn’t do.
Comment by Gene in Pennsylvania — January 12, 2008 @ 10:41 pm - January 12, 2008
FTR-For The Record. For Justin again, Mr. Thompson won Al Gore’s old senate seat, finished that term and ran for re-election. Also, I do not understand how you can back Sen. “F— You” McCain when you mention much better, REPUBLICANS like Sen. Tom Coburn as your future choice for president. But, we can not cede any turf to a RINO-Republican In Name Only. I’m sorry, but when you look at the record of Sen. “F— You” McCain, it suddendly got very moderate after the Keating banking scandal in the late 1980s. He was the ONLY senator that did not suffer consequences. Do not think that either Sens. Clinton or Obama will not bring that up to win the White House!
Comment by Mark J. Goluskin — January 13, 2008 @ 12:46 am - January 13, 2008
Unfortunately, no, frighteningly, Huckabee’s campaign seems to be picking up steam, not losing it, as he now leads the rest in the latest nationwide polls.
Huckacide.
Comment by American Elephant — January 13, 2008 @ 9:07 am - January 13, 2008
I never believe polls. It’s very liberating.
Comment by Vince P — January 13, 2008 @ 10:01 am - January 13, 2008