I have to agree with this AP story on CNN that Fred Thompson has style, but lacks substance and specifics at this point (and, I argue, will always come up short in that category, especially compared to Romney's resume and agenda). Here are a few highlights:
Fred Thompson's easygoing, no-nonsense style is clearly his strength and undoubtedly has helped him soar in presidential polls. It may only get him so far.
Sooner or later, the all-but-declared candidate will have to answer the question: What else do you offer?...
His stump speech consists of broad conservative themes, talk of bipartisanship and commentary on issues of the day, but it largely lacks any vision for the future of the country. He deflects questions on what a Thompson presidency would look like and demurs when pressed for specific proposals for how to fix the nation's ills. He opines on hot topics, from taxes to terrorism, in online columns and on his Web site, usually without being challenged....
Faced with questions about where he stands on abortion, he cites a National Right to Life endorsement in his 1994 Senate race and brags, "I was ranked 100 percent on abortion-related issues." But the group gave him a less-than-perfect score in subsequent years, and a Project Vote Smart candidate questionnaire from 1994 indicated that he backed abortion rights in the first trimester.
Thompson also has been forced to defend his lobbying career amid questions about some of his clients, including deposed Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
In response to such inquiries, Thompson told reporters: "Nobody yet has pointed out any of my clients that didn't deserve representation." That kind of statement is not likely to deter reporters from looking more closely any more than it did in 1987 when Gary Hart dared people to investigate him amid allegations of philandering. They did and he ended up withdrawing from the race for a time when an extramarital relationship was discovered.
Thompson also has had to deal with a few unforced errors. Last week, he felt the need to clarify a remark he made while criticizing the failed immigration overhaul bill in the Senate. He bemoaned illegal immigration from Cuba and elsewhere, and said: "I don't imagine they're coming here to bring greetings from Castro. We're living in the era of the suitcase bomb."
A day later, he posted an explanation on his Web site. Democrats assailed him for not understanding Cuban-Americans....
Still, for all Thompson's style, he left others waiting to hear more substance.
Fred Thompson's easygoing, no-nonsense style is clearly his strength and undoubtedly has helped him soar in presidential polls. It may only get him so far.
Sooner or later, the all-but-declared candidate will have to answer the question: What else do you offer?...
His stump speech consists of broad conservative themes, talk of bipartisanship and commentary on issues of the day, but it largely lacks any vision for the future of the country. He deflects questions on what a Thompson presidency would look like and demurs when pressed for specific proposals for how to fix the nation's ills. He opines on hot topics, from taxes to terrorism, in online columns and on his Web site, usually without being challenged....
Faced with questions about where he stands on abortion, he cites a National Right to Life endorsement in his 1994 Senate race and brags, "I was ranked 100 percent on abortion-related issues." But the group gave him a less-than-perfect score in subsequent years, and a Project Vote Smart candidate questionnaire from 1994 indicated that he backed abortion rights in the first trimester.
Thompson also has been forced to defend his lobbying career amid questions about some of his clients, including deposed Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
In response to such inquiries, Thompson told reporters: "Nobody yet has pointed out any of my clients that didn't deserve representation." That kind of statement is not likely to deter reporters from looking more closely any more than it did in 1987 when Gary Hart dared people to investigate him amid allegations of philandering. They did and he ended up withdrawing from the race for a time when an extramarital relationship was discovered.
Thompson also has had to deal with a few unforced errors. Last week, he felt the need to clarify a remark he made while criticizing the failed immigration overhaul bill in the Senate. He bemoaned illegal immigration from Cuba and elsewhere, and said: "I don't imagine they're coming here to bring greetings from Castro. We're living in the era of the suitcase bomb."
A day later, he posted an explanation on his Web site. Democrats assailed him for not understanding Cuban-Americans....
Still, for all Thompson's style, he left others waiting to hear more substance.
Labels: Fred Thompson
posted by James Phillips | 9:41 AM
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