Tommy G. Thompson took a major step toward a presidential bid when he said Tuesday that he will formally announce his candidacy in several weeks, kicking off his campaign in Wisconsin and Iowa.We need some Wisconsin in this thing. Russ backed out. So bring on the Tommy.
On the issues. First, he's got a plan for Iraq:
He'd have its 18 provinces set up their own governments. "Shiites would elect Shiites, Sunnis would elect Sunnis, Kurds would elect Kurds," he said.Second, he finesses abortions exactly like Romney and Giuliani:
He'd also divide up oil revenue among an Iraqi federal government, the territorial governments and its citizenry.
"I am pro-life, and I think that's the way to be," he said.Typical Republican finessing of the gay marriage issue: leave it to the states.
Pressed by Blitzer about the issue of overturning Roe vs. Wade, Thompson responded that the real question is what he will look for if he were to appoint a new Supreme Court justice - and that's a "strict constitutionalist."
So, what do you think? Does Tommy have a chance?
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20 comments:
Tommy: Welcome to the Camp,
I guess you all know why we're here.
My name is Tommy
and I become the Prez next year
If you want to follow me,
you've got to play pinball.
And put in your earplugs
put on your eyeshades
you know where to put the cork
Hey you getting drunk, so sorry!
I've got you sussed.
Hey you smoking Mother Nature!
This is a bust!
Hey hung up old Mr. Normal,
Don't try to gain my trust!
'Cause you ain't gonna follow me any of those ways
Although you think you must
Voters:
We're not gonna take it
We're not gonna take it
We're not gonna take it
We're not gonna take it
We're not gonna take it
Never did and never will
We're not gonna take it
Gonna break it, gonna shake it,
let's forget it better still
Tommy: Now you can't hear me,
your ears are truly sealed.
You can't speak either,
your mouth is filled.
You can't see nothing,
and pinball completes the scene.
Here comes Uncle Alberto to guide you to
Your very own machine.
Voters:
We're not gonna take it
We're not gonna take it
We're not gonna take it
We're not gonna take it
We're not gonna take it
Never did and never will
Don't want no religion
And as far as we can tell
We ain't gonna take you
Never did and never will
We're not gonna take you
We forsake you
Gonna rape you
Let's forget you better still.
Tommy:
See me.
Feel me.
Touch me.
Pay me.
Listening to you,
I get the music.
Gazing at you,
I get the heat.
Drafting you,
I climb the mountains.
I get excitement as you are beat.
Right behind you,
I see the millions.
On you,
I see my glory.
From you,
I get opinions.
To you,
I give the story.
Fred Thompson gives "300" a big thumbs-up.
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NzY1YTE4YzU5YjIwYmQ1NDQ5NDRjYjNhNTYwZjRiZTU=
No word from Tommy on this.
I pretty much vote for whoever likes the same movies as me.
I don't see him wanting Veep. He's got too much going on in the private sector to be the backup plan and he's too old to run for President after the next one exits.
Though there was a time when I would have loved to have seen him win this thing, at this point I think he's only doing this to boost his stature and raise his speaking fees.
It would take a lot to change my mind on his chances or his desire to really take it all the way.
His Iraq plan is interesting.
And RC, the voters always take it, it's just a question of where.
For some reason when I saw Tommy Thompson I thought of this.
Fred is more interesting at this point.
Tommy who?
I don't see him having a chance. So far at least, there is just nothing to separate him from the crowd. He needs something, a hook, and coming from Wisc. is just not it.
It is never wise to say "Never!" (The thought did occur to me, however ;-)
I think Tommy does have a legitimate shot, albeit as a longshot. None of the other 'true' conservatives have really grabbed the limelight amongst the opinion-leaders.
There are the one-issue candidates (Hunter, Tancredo, etc.), the moderates (McCain, Giuliani), and a significant void, IMO. Many of the opinion polls have shown that a large number of voters favor a Republican that hasn't run for office in about a decade (Newt Gingrich) over any of the announced candidates.
Tommy can establish credibility as a leader in Welfare reform. He has a plan for Iraq that, frankly, makes a lot of sense. If he can continue to talk the talk about conservative principles, and really hammers the points home in Iowa, the blogosphere and talk-radio-sphere will start taking notice.
(Not to mention, from a stricltly electoral perspective, Tommy can carry a purple state - Wisconsin. Rudy's not even a lock to win his home state, Hillary or no Hillary. If you believe that the Presidential map will hold closer to 2000 and 2004 than the 06 mid-terms, a candidate has to start flipping states before they can start practicing the oath of office.)
If he doesn't finish at least second in Iowa, though....he's toast.
Do we really want a president named "Tommy"? The last double-m president was less than stellar.
With Jimmy and Tommy, we're just a Lance and a Hoyt away from having a legitimate boy band. Right?
Tommy Thompson is smart and experienced, but does anybody want him to be our president? I don't see him having the same leadership qualities as most of the other candidates in the race.
In partial defense of Thompson on gay marriage, I believe that it really is a state issue.
But if I were him, I might go one step further by saying that the state's interests in marriage revolve around the ownership and, in the events of death or divorce, the disposition of property; the custody of children; and broadly speaking, public health issues. Therefore, irrespective of one's beliefs about marriage or the morality of homosexuality, it makes sense for the state to have some provisions for marital covenants between consenting adults, irrespective of their genders. This, I believe, is the track which McCain wanted to follow--as evidenced by an appearance on 'Hardball' last year--but shoed away from.
While the institutions of marriage as defined by the state and the Church may be coterminous, they're not really the same thing. So, while as a pastor, I would never preside over a homosexual marriage ceremony and would not regard such a relationship as being analogous to a Christian marriage, I see no reason for we Christians to impose our views of marriage and sexuality on the society as a whole.
Were Thompson to take a similar approach to this, he might lose some support from the Religious Right, although in so large a field with so few of their number running for President, their votes are likely to be dispersed anyway. I think that many Christians, like me, would support such a position and that he would gain points from others as well.
It would have the added advantage of being constitutionally sound, yet indicating an open-mindedness that people haven't recently associated with the Republican Party. It also would be consistent with traditional conservative principles as enunciated by people like Goldwater, Reagan, and Gerald Ford.
Tommy Thompson deserves to be taken seriously as a candidate, I think, as does Mike Huckabee. As Mitt Romney continues to fade and, it appears, so does John McCain and as people grow more wary of Rudy Giuliani, I wouldn't be surprised to see the stock of Huckabee and the two Thompsons jump.
It remains difficult for me to see how the Democrats lose in 2008, unless they make the mistake of nominating Hillary Clinton or John Edwards.
Mark Daniels
Sue Ann (the other other Thompson) would be a great first lady.
TT is someone I would enjoy watching campaign. I'd not necessarily vote for him, but he is interesting, and I like that. McCain, in contrast, bores me.
So, what do you think? Does Tommy have a chance?
I've only vaguelly even heard of him.
But if he's a Republican who was able to govern a heavily Democrat state with positive approval ratings, he's probably worth a look. Also, we need constructive ideas for Iraq in the debate, so I welcome his and Biden's.
We need the next prez to be a bit more liked/respected across party lines than Bush and Clinton were. Is he the kind of guy who could do that? Just how right wing is he? I'm wary of someone who says he's the man the right can rely on the most. I guess I have to google him. I want a Republican who will make the social conservative right have to compromise more! BTW, I'm annoyed at the way Rush Limbaugh has been going after Arnold Schwartzenegger lately just because Arnold is focused on serving California rather than being the "most reliable" to right wing ideologues.
It's possible to make starting late work to your advantage. We're already getting sick of some of the front-runners!
I saw Tommy in Madison this afternoon in the parking garage under the U.S. Bank Plaza on the Capitol Square. Shook hands, didn't say much.
Given the lack of a crystal clear consensus frontrunner for the GOP, I'd say he's the sleeper to watch in Iowa.
He's better than most!
Jazzbass just came up with Thompson's slogan:
"Vote 4 Thompson: Better Than Most!"
I agree with most of what he said; I also believe that abortion should have been decided by legislation and not a court ruling....anyway, he has the same chance to be elected as I do.
At least the guy isn't spousally challenged; or a sequential monogomist; or a great great great grandson of a guy who was rumored to be friends with the father of a slave owner.
"Does Tommy have a chance?"
No, He doesn't. I think the New York mayor or McCain will win the nomination.
Yep, it's only a matter of time before someone puts that video of drunken Tommy on YouTube. it will soon be the only image they have in their minds of that buffoon. He'll opull out before the first caucus.
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