I could get used to him:
(Ahmadinejad) has shown the world that his forces can kidnap British citizens, subject them to brutal psychological tactics to coerce phony confessions, finagle the release of a high-ranking Iranian terror coordinator in Iraq, utterly trash the Geneva conventions and suffer absolutely no consequences.
The UN Security Council summoned its vaunted multilateral greatness to issue a swift statement of sincere uneasiness. The EU, which has pressured Britain to rely on Europeans for mutual defense instead of the US, wouldn’t even discuss economic sanctions that might disrupt their holidays. Even NATO was AWOL.
Tony Blair doesn’t appear to be in much of a mood for celebrating. I don’t know how he could be, given the troubling spectacle of British soldiers shake the hand of their kidnapper as a condition of release… Ironically, Blair’s options are fewer by the day as his own party moves to mothball the British fleet, once the fear of pirates and tyrants the world over.
Some in the West seem part of Iran’s propaganda war; claiming that the release of the hostages was a victory that proves the Iranian dictatorship can be reasoned with. To misrepresent unpunished piracy as a victory is as Orwellian as the congressional mandate banning use of the term “the global war on terror.” What are we
I only wish I could vote for him.
And if you liked the above text, you might find more to your liking here:
The Fred Thompson Archive at National Review Online http://author.nationalreview.com/?q=NDEyMg==
(On Ayan Hirsan Ali; On Porkbarrelling War Funding; On President Calderon and border security; on global warming; on the Flying Imams.)
Good solid red meat for Conservatives.
Go here to learn more about Fred Thompson
http://www.draftfredthompson.com
/stump speech
I’m with George Will: Good actor, probably a reasonable politician-but he is not the great salvation of the Republican party.
I think, that the reason he is being talked up so much is due to a couple of things:
1) McCain has faltered-he’s got two different set of folks on the right mad at him ( which I really do not understand). The religious right and the fiscal conservatives. The former for his views 4 years ago and the latter for McCain Feingold.
2) The Republicans ( and the nation for that matter) are desperate to recapture the spirit of the Reagan era. Especially true since the United States has not had a real president in at least 15 years, and may be closer to 19.
Thompson is viable, because George Bush has failed so miserably and deep down, where “red meat conservatives” don’t like to go to, they know this about GWB.
Problem is, the world today is not Ronald Reagan’s world and the Republicans need someone who appeals to middle of the road real people-NOT Conservatives. George Will has written twice on this subject and agrees with me. Besides-he looks like a Basset hound-Will’s words, not mine.
Skippy-
re- “Good actor, probably a reasonable politician-but he is not the great salvation of the Republican party..”
Some GeorgeWellian kinda guy said the same about Reagan in 1976..
re- “…who appeals to middle of the road real people-NOT Conservatives”
Oh yes, “Middle of the Road people”..you mean those who watch and live for American Idol every week..THOSE people.
Let me see. A guy who looks like “Tojo” describes an actor on TV looking like a “Basset-hound”. Rich.
You don’t speak for this conservative or many I know.
Ozwitch-
re- “Good solid red meat for Conservatives.”
Are you trying to manipulate a foreign election or are you just looking for entertainment?
b2
This column was posted several weeks ago. It was about the republican front runners.
It first got me ionterested in Sen. Fred Thompson
http://joeleonardi.wordpress.com/2007/03/18/a-republican-to-vote-for/
My recollection of Reagan’s rep before the 80 election is similar to B2′s. Mr. Thompson may just be the right fit and just may be today’s Great Communicator to reach that middling bunch of the electorate.
B-2,
Yea I don’t speak for you. I’m not a conservative. Or a liberal either. Both are learning impaired which is why they watch Idol. I’m a lot smarter than they are . I don’t watch that much TV any more, unless you count NHK or CNN.
One other point that Will made is that the longer he waits to enter, the harder it will be to catch up. Reagan at least had the luxury of a normal primary season and money requirements that are not so astronomical as now. Also he ran against an unpopular American President. Thompson’s problem will be how to run against the Dems AND distance himself from an unpopular American President from his own party.
Lex, you may just be right, Mr. Thompson MAY be the right person for this job. What are the issues left for him? In reality, these issues are for the whole Nation. Is this President out of the picture? By all means, the answer is a loud NO. But, he can take himself out of the picture, by his actions or choices. Whatever choice he makes will be written into the Bush Family Legacy, including all of the non-family friends.
Like it or not, Mr. Thompson is in the Bush Family vehicle as a passenger, with the President as the driver. We are coming down a major highway and hit a fork in the road. We must make a choice of either “A” or “B”. This is one or the other, BUT NOT BOTH! I don’t like either choice, but this the hand we were dealt. Option A- raise the taxes to pay for this war and its short term and long term costs. Then begin the process of rebuilding our military. This would also mean rebuilding the VA, for the additional troops coming home. Option-B leave some of the tax cuts in place, and start bringing the toops home now.
Personal thoughts- I have serious problems with both options. We have a nation sending mixed signals to its people. We have people making great sums of money and they’re getting tax cuts. While this is happening, we have a military that is having real funding issues, a.k.a. Walter Reed. There is a real need to be careful, and say we need to put a real priority on certain issues. We, as a Nation, expect from our military something called “sacrifice”. We need to remember, there is this thing called, “end of life cycle”. This is true of everything in the military. We can not keep on recycling people, they burn out. Not a good thing.
Many from the civilian world, put nothing in the pot towards National Securiy. Equally true, you will find people, when asked about their input to National Security, they’ll tell you, “Nothing”. When you get into the resarch of their lives, you’ll find many things they are doing for our communities, troops or vets.
To close, wouldn’t it be neat to be a fly in the vehicle taking Thompson and Bush of the transfer of power of the Presidency. You’re sitting there listening to the discussion between these two men. Bush: Well, how does it feel to be taking on all of these headaches? Thompson: With all due respect, Sir, it is not my head that hurts, it is more down and back, if you get the idea.
Skippy said: One other point that Will made is that the longer he waits to enter, the harder it will be to catch up.
“The longer he waits to enter…”?? Ya know, I’m trying to ignore all this BS campaigning for an election that’s 18 frickin’ months away as I type. 18 months!! I like what Newt has to say on this subject:
“The idea that people are going to spend an entire year campaigning in order to spend an entire year campaigning just strikes me as destructive,” Gingrich said. “I think you’re going to find that most of the money that they raised the first quarter they wasted, hiring consultants and pollsters and frankly hiring fundraisers.”
What he said.
Painful as it is to say it, on this subject Gingrich is right. I’m not saying I agree with what we have done to the Presidential campaign season, but it is the way it is. Virtually half the primaries are in the first week of February. Thompson would need to have a lot of delegates sewn up by then. Its an Al Gore type fanatasy to hope that convention deadlocks and turns to Thompson in a draft.
But I agree with you Buck, this is all way too early. Campaigning for a year is bad enough.
I don’t know, but I must be getting to be an old grouch. I’m no kid, I’m a Viet Nam era- vet. I find myself more in agreement with ideas or principles, rather than with people. I’m neither Republican, nor Democrat, neither liberal nor conservative. George Will, Skippy and Buck are on to something. The Federal Government has been rumbling about “campaign reform”. This might be the right time for these people to actually do it. In my opinion, all of the primaries should be on the same day, including the state caucus system. We also need to establish principles of “fundamental fairness” for incumbent politicians. The covers a whole host of issues in our Government, in all three branches.
With this type of issue, the voters could backlash in many different ways. I do not think this last election was a mandate at all for the Democrats. But it was the only real way to say to the incumbents of the last Congress, your performance was a total failure. The harest issue for Fred Thompson will be the labels Republican and Conservative. The electorate in this country is ripe for the idea of voting against things, rather than voting for things or principles.
How about returning to the days of the “smoke filled rooms” and letting the state’s party leadership decide who gets their delegates– do away with primaries completely. Imagine: the conventions would actually mean something again, and the campaign would begin after the convention. Wouldn’t that be great?
Grumpy,
About the tax cut thing, well an article in the WSJ a week ago stated that tax revenues were slightly ABOVE historical averages at 18.9% of GDP, and they are still rising faster then the GDP.
The military may need more funding, but spending cuts in the form of entitlements is where the answer is… The revenue stream is good and getting better.
Skippy-san: I consider myself a conservative, with some liberal leanings. I am well educated, successful in my career and consider myself to be fairly intelligent. I’m a quick learner as well.
Oh, and I watch American Idol too…
Kris,
Sorry. B-2 just knows how to bring out the worst in me, I guess. He’s like that guy in the ready room who knew, with just a glance, what to say at any time to put you on the ceiling. Its a talent. I think he enjoys waving the red cape in front of me.
Now that said, admitting you are a conservative is the first step to recovery………..there’s always room for one more in the center.
Skippy -
what Kris said.
One question though – Why would one need to “recover” from being conservative? Isn’t being in the “center” kinda like not capable of choosing a side? Seems to me that that is more of an affliction than knowing your own views.
KMB, the article in WSJ, I have not read it, therefore I cannot comment on it. For the sake of continuity of the discussion, I don’t like doing this, but let’s assume what you and the WSJ are saying is true about the percentage of GDP. There is an accumalative shortfall for the Defense / Veterans budget. We should not be indexing our performance to the GDP. We should be looking only at the performance of D.O.D./V.A.. I personally believe they have done the best they could have done within the funding.
You have noted entitlements and your perception of their need to be cut. I want you to step back and look at the total military. Question, how many these men are not, at the present time or in the the future, a potential veteran? Therefore, every member of the military/ veteran’s community is a member of the U.S. Constitution responsibility for both the Legislature and the Administration. This comes from the Constiutional responsbiliy for both branches to maintain a standing military. Failure would be construed as non-compliance to the same U.S Constitution..
Lee,
Because seriously, the term conservative has lost its real meaning or the meaning it used to have. As has the term liberal. They are terms now used to slot people and I think they have very little value.
I used to, when I was younger, see the world in very black and white terms. I do not see it that way any more. I’m older and more self knowing know. The world is more grey than anything else. If I were to make a catalog of what I believe you would find that on some things I am conservative and on others I am liberal. Some would call that indecisive. I don’t. I call it examing an issue, and making the call I’m comfortable with. I’m sure I’ll get a light off on that from somebody, but I just can’t see it any other way. I’ve just learned from my life experience, as has every one else. Living overseas has a lot to do with tempering my world view.
There is a thing I will find that talked about if being liberal meant standing up for basic fairness and econmic justice, then I guess that makes one a liberal. It said it more eloquently than I just did however.
Guys like me have been abandoned by the Republican party. And because the Dems have tied themselves too strongly to things I cannot stand (e.g. feminism and gay rights), there is no room at that table either. So it leaves me in the middle-finding my own way. Probably the difference is that Conservatives believe I deserved to be abandoned-I don’t.
Skippy-
Great answer, can I plagerize some of it? I poked you, but, truthfully, I agree on more of your points than I can disagree with. I find myself voting for the person who seems to me to be the “most american” if I find a way to pigeion hole them that way. Sadly, there seems to be more of our political leaders bent on self-preservation than on running our country. My main nit-picking point for the most part is our countries borders and security. That said, seems to me that for the most part, the Republicans hold trump card on that. Thanks for the thoughtful response, I appreciate it, considering my irreverent poke at you!
I have to agree with at least part of what Skippy says here. Actually to not examine each issue by the issue makes no sense to me. If I am a “x” then must I agree with whatever that party faithful says to be true? No thanks. I would prefer to actually exercise the brain that God so graciously gave me.
Being “in the centre” doesn’t have to mean being either indecisive or wishy-washy. In my mind, it means being independant enough to make up your own mind on a case by case basis. Ironically, of course, assuming that both Skippy and I reside in the centre, we might well be there for different reasons. Meaning even though we may both examine each issue by the issue, where he is right I may be left and vice versa.
That being said, I think those in the centre tend to at least lean more one way than the other. Then we throw in issues where we go the other way, all part of the master plan to confuse the masses. And Skippy is a great example – at first, I was sure he was a lefty. Then over time, he has made a few comments that snapped my head so far to the right that it hurt. I guess now I know what I do to others.
Kris
I’m curious – wherefore art thou liberal leanings?
Skippy: thank u. My comment was in part serious, but in part a poke at you as well…
If I have to categorize myself in only one way (left, center, right) I can only say that I am slightly to the right of center. I think it’s safe to say I’m a Libertarian at heart – which puts me smack in the middle of most everyone around here I believe.
Oh Michelle – I don’t kiss and tell…
Who knew? A prude in our midst
)
Michelle –
Technical question- Kris, how do you get emoticons in the comments? That’s more than a parentheses and a colon………
Trying to stay in the headlines is soo hard for Iran these days.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/World/Rest_of_World/Tehran_begins_producing_N-fuel/articleshow/1881347.cms
Headline should read:
Iran Produces N-Fuel, Gives World Finger
[...] to Lex and [...]
Skippy: it’s easy – do the following (without the spaces):
For a smile face: : – )
For a winking face: ; – )
To stick out a tongue: : – P
That should be enough for Snake to come out of the woodwork with increased blood pressure…