Fred Thompson's Entry Into The Presidential Campaign

At long last, it is going to be official this week. Fred Thompson is declaring his entry into the Presidential race.


I heard a wide variety of views concerning Thompson's campaign on Larry Kudlow's CNBC program this afternoon. For the most part, Kudlow led his guests to dismiss Thompson's candidacy.

Maybe it's just me, but I think this is an example of how pundits can miss the essence of a candidate's appeal.

Among Thompson's sins were: a too-late entry; all the 'good positions' are already taken on key issues; Giuliani and Romney's numbers are already too high, and stable; he looks fickle.

How about this for an opinion? Thompson's entry brings a more natural, experienced, friendly, genuine face to some classically appealing conservative positions. In the new internet/YouTube age, along with compressed primary schedules, nobody really knows what will and won't work in a Presidential campaign.

It doesn't entirely surprise me that these commentators, with Kudlow at their head, dissed Thompson as a minor figure. They seem to discount the essence of the candidate's character and experience, preferring to reduce everything to poll numbers and position papers.

If you go to YouTube and search on "Fred Thompson," you'll see a fair collection of recent interviews featuring the new Presidential candidate.

As much as I like Romney, and would vote for either him or Giuliani, at this point, I'd still prefer Thompson to both of them. His genuineness, rich and varied career, and obvious passion and honesty for his positions seems, in my mind, to distinguish him from his competition.

I've written my own ideas for Thompson's campaign here, this past May. His strengths are clearly his Senate experience, honesty, and basic genuineness when he expresses his views. You don't get that whiff of a focus-group- or poll-based response.

My guess is that Thompson's greatest weakness is whether he has sufficient time to get fieldworkers going to get him into enough primaries, and represented in the field, to have a decent chance. Then again, his acting work gives him near-instant name and face recognition, unlike, say, Ron Paul.

I'm excited about Thompson's entry, and expect to write more about it in weeks to come.