Election '08

At the risk of being a little too bold for my own good, there are a number of reasons why I believe that Fred Thompson is going to be the Republican nominee for President and might very well be elected. Thompson's face and name recognition are, at best, tertiary considerations on this list. Standing almost 6 1/2 feet tall, he commands respect without opening his mouth, and when he does, he speaks like that affable country grandpa everyone wants to have. He defines approachable gravitas. If you can't believe in a guy that looks like this as Commander-in-Chief, then you can't believe in anyone.

When making public appearances, every guy he meets is "buddy." And every guy would like to have a buddy like Fred Thompson. This will help win men over to his side rather easily.

While the set of characteristics necessary to achieve this testosterone-laden camaraderie usually serves to alienate women, Fred Thompson does not. Women love him, too. The proof that he's got the mojo can be summed up in a simple question for men: How many of your ex-girlfriends would campaign for you if you ran for election? Thompson's followers include his ex-wife and practically every woman he dated. American women loved Bill Clinton in the same way they look to Thompson. If husbands and boyfriends have made their significant others feel less than cared-for and secure, Thompson promises to take up the slack. He's a country gentleman with plenty of chivalry to share.

Moreover, when it comes to the issues, he backs things known to win elections -- he's on the record as being pro-gun rights, pro-life, anti-amnesty for illegal immigrants and pro-tax reform.

While we have yet to see how he will perform in debates, above any other candidate on the Republican side, Fred Thompson is a natural communicator. Whether he can muster the energy needed to overcome his deliberate, southern way of speaking to excite potential voters is the only question. After all, substance alone hasn't been known to win elections for quite some time.

While Citizens Not Subjects is under no allusions the the internal characteristics required to make Fred Thompson want to rule the free world are any different from other politicians, we are concerned with who can be affected who can be affected by the people and who can not. And whereas Cultural Marxists like Hillary Clinton will be going down with the proverbial ship despite Citizen pleas, Fred Thompson is a man who would at least hear us screaming. And, if our cynicism will allow us to dream, he might even listen.

Newsweek magazine made Fred the cover story the week of his announcement. The inside article is a tad threadbare in terms of policy discussion, but worth the read to understand him better as a person. Article link here:

Grin and Bear It

By Holly Bailey

Newsweek

Index

Front Page: Headlines

Section B: Border

Section C: Washington Culture

Section D: Political Sport

Section E: Election '08

Section F: War On Terror

Section G: Our Media Files

Section H: Citizen Page