Post- "Debate" On Fred Thompson

Sure enough, the major topic on CNBC, in nearly every interview involving politics, was the guest's opinion of Fred Thompson's performance in the Tuesday afternoon economics "debate" in Michigan.

The various CNBC anchors continued poke fun of Thompson, and bait guests with questions, clearly hoping they would judge Thompson to have failed to provide satisfactory responses.

How the network felt that two clearly leftist interrogators, Chris Matthews, former aide to Tip O'Neill, and Maria Bartiromo, would fairly handle a slate of Republican candidates for President is beyond me.

Wouldn't it have made much more sense to have people like Larry Kudlow, John Rutledge, and/or Brian Wesbury moderate the debate?

The two of them practically bludgeoned any candidate who did not agree with their pre-conceived notion that America is nearly in, if not already in, a recession. Having chosen an economically mis-managed and depressed state in which to have the debate, the two then baited the candidates to challenge the public-at-large's misconception about our country's economic health.

As this post, on my companion business blog, notes, I'm sorry to say Mitt Romney caved and declared a national economic emergency over one state- Michigan.

Thompson, however, got it right. He noted, if a bit obliquely, that economic opportunity does not mean a guaranteed job in your current locale.

But perhaps the best news regarding the debate was delivered by a pollster who appeared on Larry Kudlow's program following the debate. Despite Larry's hectoring about economic issues, the pollster, whose name I wish I could now recall, but cannot, said something to the effect of,

'Look, Larry, those are valid economic questions. But most Americans are not economists. They simply don't think that way. They aren't politicians, either. They just don't sit there and say, "hey, here's an economic problem- let's see which candidate has a viable program or plan to solve it."

Instead, they just vote for the person who they feel can be trusted to behave in a way that is similar to their own values and preferences.'

Which is pretty much what I wrote in this post last month. And this is why I believe Thompson has real potential among voters. Like Reagan, he's sensible, mature, and straight-shooting.

That said, on the basis of their economic-related statements, and focus on Hillary's weaknesses, I'd be okay with either Giuliani or Romney winning the Republican nomination as well.