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Fred Thompson on Hannity & Colmes!

Hey Fredheads–Fred endorses John McCain!

I’ve always said it was just a matter of time. :)

Fred Thompson, the one-time Republican presidential candidate, endorsed Sen. John McCain Friday, calling on the party to “close ranks” behind the presumed nominee.

“This is no longer about past preferences or differences. It is about what is best for our country and for me that means that Republican should close ranks behind John McCain,” Thompson said in a statement reported by the Associated Press.

Thompson’s endorsement was expected. The two men were colleagues for years in the Senate and shared what associates called a friendship. But while he was in the race, Thompson had bristled at the idea that he was going to drop out and endorse McCain.

Snoopy happy dance Snoopy dance!

You Fredheads who still haven’t voted in your state primaries…vote for McCain!

stein hoist Another former Fredhead, Janette

stein hoist Fred!

Super Tuesday (Thank God it’s over)

Okay, I’m not gonna gloat about McCain winning big last night. Unlike some people, I’m not into insulting supporters of other candidates (except Paulbots). I’m of course happy, but I’ll keep a lid on it.

I thought it was funny as hell that the media pundits were all acting shocked that the South went to Huckabee. I wasn’t surprised a bit. I wish McCain had been able to pull it off, but Huckabee’s a strong force down here, for several reasons. First of all, he’s “one of us.” He speaks our language, and I don’t mean the religious stuff (although that’s some of it). Did you hear him mention “Roll Tide” and “Rocky Top” and the Bulldogs? That’s in Southern blood. But more importantly, Southerners are independent. Rebels, if you will, and they/we hate the media elites telling us how to vote. I think the media and blog jihad on Huckabee strengthened Southern resolve. Keep bashing Huck, and it repels Southerners. Hell, if it weren’t for some of his ideas and his lack of foreign policy credentials, I might have been tempted to vote for him just to poke the elites in the eye. But the issues do matter to me, and I couldn’t reconcile a lot of his with mine. Besides, McCain needed every vote down here and unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for Alabama. Congratulations to Mike Huckabee and the Huckabee supporters–y’all had a really good show last night, and your networking efforts have been amazing.

Well, Mitt Romney had a bad night, although I have to admit I’m not really surprised things ended up the way they did. Is anyone? (I mean other than Hugh Hewitt.) I thought California would be closer than it was. He of course won some states, more than Huckabee did, but didn’t meet expectations. We’ll see if Mitt and Huck stick around for the long haul. Honestly, I hope they don’t because I’m ready for this part of the election to be over. (Sorry. Just my opinion.)

So from here…there are a lot of Fredheads like me who have picked a candidate, and some who still haven’t. It strikes me as very strange that just a few weeks ago, we Fredheads were all on the same page, but after he dropped out, we went to war. Well, really, a one-sided war. Whatever. I do hope that the Romney supporters who were Fredheads can remember that, instead of saying (as I’ve heard over the last couple of weeks) that ex-Fredhead McCain supporters are somehow looking to destroy the conservative movement or that we’re not “real conservatives.” We all want the same things in the end; it’s just a question of how we get there. I DO think John McCain can bring about a resurgence in the Republican Party and in the conservative movement, as he brings independents on board. They won’t be invading the GOP, they’ll be joining. That’s how Reagan did it, after all. But I’ll write more about that later.

The big picture: Of the total votes cast, a lot more were cast for Democratic candidates than Republican candidates. We have to get our people voting, and we need independent voters. I know Super Tuesday just ended and that there are still nine months until the general election, but we’ve got work to do. There are people who say they will not vote in November. My job is to make you want to vote for John McCain in November (with the presumption being that he will be the nominee), and if you give us–meaning those like me–a chance, I know we can.

To the Woodshed, RINOs!

Excuse me while I join the Anchoress in escorting Reaganites In Name Only (oops! I mean angry conservatives! or did I?) to the woodshed. I’ll be the one holding a whip, just itching to use it.

It seems the standard GOP voter - and apparently Rush Limbaugh - wants to disinter Ronald Reagan from his noble tomb and hoist him onto the campaign trail because he is their saint and savior, and if they can’t vote for someone exactly like him “Ronaldus Magnus” well, they’re going to sit out this all-important election.

Excuse me, but Ronald Reagan would have had no patience for the likes of you.

Attention, fellow former Fredheads–you who say you’re a Reagan conservative, but refuse to learn the art of politics and teamwork in the pursuit of achieving big-picture common goals: If you plan on sitting out the elections, or, God forbid, voting Democrat to “teach a lesson” or whatever, you are not a Reagan conservative. You are not a real Fredhead, either. Neither of these men would do such a thing.

Don’t believe me? Don’t just take my word for it, although I know this to be an absolute truth–here’s another thing the Anchoress mentions:

Ronald Reagan above all was a pragmatist and a realist. He understood something that some voters seem to have forgotten:

“When I began entering into the give and take of legislative bargaining in Sacramento, a lot of the most radical conservatives who had supported me during the election didn’t like it. “Compromise” was a dirty word to them and they wouldn’t face the fact that we couldn’t get all of what we wanted today. They wanted all or nothing and they wanted it all at once. If you don’t get it all, some said, don’t take anything. I’d learned while negotiating union contracts that you seldom got everything you asked for. And I agreed with FDR, who said in 1933: ‘I have no expectations of making a hit every time I come to bat. What I seek is the highest possible batting average.’ If you got seventy-five or eighty percent of what you were asking for, I say, you take it and fight for the rest later, and that’s what I told these radical conservatives who never got used to it.“
– Ronald Reagan, An American Life

Oh, how soon those dragging around Reagan’s corpse forget.

I find it literally jaw-dropping when I read someone invoking the name of Ronald Reagan, while in the same sentence (!) petulantly announcing that none of the candidates are conservative enough and that voting this year is simply not an option. Or even more amusingly, announcing that Candidate X has “betrayed” conservatives or “stabbed us in the back,” while betraying conservatism themselves. Huh??? Epic FAIL.

I’ll allow the Anchoress to finish. (Read the comments, too.) God bless her for saving me from a head explosion.

And thank you, Wuzzadem, for making me laugh as you always do. After the last couple of days, I needed it. :)

“Now it can be told” - Fred Thompson wants the VP spot

Carl Cameron hinted at it the other day, but now he says it’s a fact.

I reported first that he was eyeing a White House bid. At the time several insiders told me OFF THE RECORD that it was largely a trial ballon to gauge his popularity and float his name as a possible vice presidential nominee. I was sworn to silence.

Those insiders have now lifted the conditions on our conversations. From March to August of 07 through postponed announcement days, staff changes, firings, resignations and general disarray the Thompson camp was stunned by the incredibly positive response and didn’t really know how to manage it. The trial balloon soared mighty high and he found himself being dragged into a race that he was not even sure how to run.

That explains a lot, anyway.

He has not said who he will endorse. He is friends with John McCain. But if he doesn’t throw his support behind anyone …it makes it easier to be picked by everyone.

Exactly.

As I said in the comments here when the question was raised, “what do we do now?” (as so many have asked)…

Well, I know this much: Fred Dalton Thompson isn’t gonna sit home on election day. Fred wouldn’t vote for a liberal, either. I’d say if you don’t know who to support now, let someone like Fred convince you to vote for his guy, I guess.

Just so you know, though…it will probably be John McCain. He was his 2000 Presidential campaign co-chairman, after all. I’d consider that a pretty good endorsement, even if it was eight years ago (although that’s not my reason for switching to McCain). Fred never really came out swinging against McCain or Romney, though, so you never know. Maybe he’ll wait until a nominee is chosen to endorse someone.

We shall see soon enough. Maybe after Super Tuesday?

It’s official now: Fred Thompson ends his campaign

Senator Fred Thompson today issued the following statement about his campaign for President:

“Today I have withdrawn my candidacy for President of the United States. I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort. Jeri and I will always be grateful for the encouragement and friendship of so many wonderful people.“

Well, I guess we knew it was coming.

Thank YOU, Senator Thompson, for pulling the remaining candidates back toward conservatism with your presence in the campaign.

Fred Thompson to skip Florida debate (?)

So says Carl Cameron (via Ace), reporting from the campaign trail:

Fred Thompson sources say the actor and former Tenn senator may withdraw from the race. There are no plans to attend Thursday’s Florida debate.

Staffers have been on partial pay since the NH primary. The Senators plans are very fluid. As of 8:45 this evening, there are no plans for any announcement about whether he will stay in the race or not. The team is wrestling with very few options. The Senator is in Nashville visiting his mother (in her 90’s) who has been ill.

From THE FIRST DAY Fox News broke the story last March of his candidacy, Thompson has always had a vice presidential bid in mind. Today a top aide even mentioned the idea on Brian and the Judge on Fox News Radio.

Well, I can’t say I’m surprised. If that’s true, at least there’s one man who doesn’t insist on disrupting the debate despite having no chance of being elected. (*troll* RonPaul *troll*)

Cameron goes on:

Mike Huckabee, has also kept vice presidential options open by NOT strongly criticizing Giuliani or McCain. Huckabee is retooling his campaign to cherrypick some Super Tuesday states on Feb 5th (notably Ga and Alabama).

Oh, but some of y’all will be pissed that I’m voting for McCain. I suppose Huckabee is your choice? Have you seen the polling data? Didn’t think so.

And for the record: I’m not just supporting McCain just because of Huckabee–Fred’s disappointing South Carolina results just bumped McCain up. I have a lot of reasons for supporting him, which I will outline later. And yes, I fully expect I will get arguments. Just so you know, beating the same tired old negative drums only strengthens my resolve, so it would be wise not to bother attacking. (Negativity is one reason I’m not voting for Romney.)

I’m sorry that things didn’t work out for Fred Thompson. I’m also pretty bitter about it, because basically, conservatives on the internet never put their money where their mouth is. I donated, and ONE other person donated through the donation button I had on my site for months. ONE. How anyone expects a campaign to run without money, I don’t know.

I hate to say it, but I can’t help but wonder about the leadership ability of a man who has so much potential support, but fails to get his campaign off the ground. I’ve been on Fred’s bandwagon for a year now, waiting…waiting…waiting. It’s as if the only people working were the ones on the internet (Jon Henke and Sean Hackbarth), and nobody else. You can’t just announce and expect people to flock to you. Now think about how a Fred Thompson presidency would be. You think the Bush Administration has failed to “sell” the rightness of the war to the American people? How would Fred Thompson do it, if he can’t even sell his own candidacy? He may be the “perfect” conservative, but how does that matter if he can’t or won’t sell conservative issues to the American people? You tell me.

I’ve got a lot more to say along those lines with regard to John McCain, but it’ll have to wait until tomorrow. I wrote this at Red State last week, basically because there’s more discussion there and it’s civilized, respectful discussion. You can comment on it here if you don’t have a Red State account, but remember–you won’t win me over with disrespectful nonsense or hysteria.

I only ask that you listen with an open mind, because I was once anyone-but-McCain myself. No more–I am fully on board with John McCain now after doing a lot of analysis of all the candidates. He is the right man to lead us in these times.

South Carolina goes to John McCain

Just caught it on teevee, and here’s the story:

John McCain took the early lead in the South Carolina primary Saturday, and never lost it.

With 82 percent of precincts reporting, McCain had 33 percent and Huckabee, 29 percent. Fred Thompson had 16 percent, Mitt Romney had 15 percent. Ron Paul was polling at 4 percent and Rudy Giuliani at 2 percent. Duncan Hunter, fairing poorly in both Nevada and South Carolina on Saturday, was returning to San Diego and planned to drop out, FOX News learned.

At this point, I’m hating it for Fred–he may stay in it for Super Tuesday, but I think he’s done. If he couldn’t do better than this in South Carolina…well, you know. :sigh:

Meanwhile, the McCain campaign celebrates.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican John McCain called his victory in South Carolina’s presidential primary on Saturday evidence that his campaign “can carry right through” Florida into the giant round of caucuses and primaries on Feb. 5. “I know it’s not easy,” he told The Associated Press, “and we’ve got a long way to go.”

South Carolina was where McCain’s presidential prospects died eight years ago, and he savored the victory this time.

“It just took us awhile, that’s all,” he said in the interview. “Eight years is not a long time.”

This time, he said, “It sure was nice to have a lot of our old friends be happier that we won.”

Asked if he was now the front-runner for the GOP nomination, McCain demurred.

“I don’t know,” he said, “we like to run from behind.”

Still, he expressed optimism going forward.

“I’m very confident that we’ll win in Florida,” he said.

“We showed that the first-in-the-South primary is a very important victory, and it gives us a very important progress that we can carry right through Florida and February 5th,” he said.

McCain said he planned to stress pocketbook and national security issues going forward.

“People care about our nation’s security and they’re worried about our economy,” McCain said. “I’m going to be talking to them about those issues and how I’m best qualified to lead the nation.”

A few thoughts:

Looking around the blogosphere, I’ve seen people going for the “stupid voters” thing again, as they did after Iowa. Those people ought to be ashamed of themselves, and frankly smacked upside their narrow-minded heads.

Whatever. They can tell that to the military who are voting for McCain. Maybe they aren’t as wound up about illegal immigration or whatever as others are. So they’re stupid now. Got it.

Apparently some people don’t realize it, but the military is NOT as monolithically conservative as people on the blogosphere are. Mostly, they’re defense hawks and pretty socially moderate/agnostic. I suppose it’s news to the civilian world that people in the military really do care about the war too. The fact that they’d vote for McCain is absolutely no surprise to me, and after having served for 11 years, I assure you, it’s not due to their being “stupid.” In fact, I’d say a lot of them know more about the issues and real life than even the geniuses in the blogosphere (and especially the media) do.

Some seem to think people are voting for CMDR John McCain, POW. Those people would, of course, be wrong. In fact, I’d say that some (not all, but many, based on the things I’ve read) of those attacking McCain haven’t even bothered to do any real, honest investigation of the issues. Well, I think it’s time to do just that, starting now.

Congratulations to John McCain, and to Mitt Romney for his resounding win in Nevada. Well done!

51 Reasons to Vote for Fred Thompson

Here’s one–read all 51.

“I believe Fred Thompson is a reliable, consistent conservative. There are others in the field I could support, but not without some reservations. The more I learn about Fred and observe him in action, the more convinced I become that he’s the right choice.” - Columnist David Limbaugh

Come on, South Carolina–make it happen.

And the rest of you: PLEASE keep his campaign going!

Pro-Huckabee push-polling recorded on video!

Nice work getting it on video. This is why Huckabee will lose South Carolina.

BASTARDS.

UPDATE: Via the FredFile, here’s the group behind the push polls. Niiiice.

Tom Coburn, Lawrence Eagleburger endorse John McCain

I’m quite sure you’ve already heard that Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, a man with unquestionable conservative credentials, has given McCain a strong endorsement. The official press release:

ARLINGTON, VA — U.S. Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign today announced that Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK) has endorsed John McCain for President of the United States. Senator Coburn issued the following statement on his endorsement:

“I am honored to be here in South Carolina today, and I am very proud to endorse my friend and colleague Senator John McCain for President of the United States. John McCain and I have stood side-by-side on many issues and I’d like to speak to two of them today — fiscal responsibility and ensuring the sanctity of human life.

“Much has been made in this presidential campaign about the need for change in Washington. Candidates from both sides of the aisle have talked about bringing real reform to the federal government. But, only one candidate has a record of putting his money where his mouth is, and that’s John McCain.

“Since I came to Congress in 1995, I have met one true reformer — John McCain. He has the unique blend of character, guts, and experience needed to transform Washington from the inside out. He is beholden to no special interest. He is guided by strong conservative principles, and committed to doing what he believes is right without concern for political consequence.

“John McCain has never been afraid to take the road less traveled, and he has fought wasteful spending at every turn along the way. He’s saved taxpayers untold billions, and he has rightfully earned the reputation as the Senate’s number one fiscal hawk. I trust that as president, John McCain will veto any pork-barrel bill that crosses his desk, and will make the authors famous.

“When it comes to ensuring the sanctity of human life, you will find no one stronger on the issue than Senator McCain. For twenty-four years, John McCain has been an unwavering voice in Congress for the rights of the unborn.

“For those reasons and more, I urge voters here in South Carolina and across the country to join me in supporting John McCain for president.”

That’s a big one, y’all. And he certainly isn’t alone–check out this massive list of supporters.

And there’s more! I just found this today–Lawrence Eagleburger is the latest former Secretary of State to endorse Senator McCain, and he wrote today about why he supports him at RedState. Key point:

Iraq has been the overriding foreign policy issue of the first decade of the 21st Century and will be the overriding foreign policy issue of the 2008 Presidential Campaign. How the United States meets the difficult and dangerous challenges that surely will come in the war on terror will define our Nation and the role we play in the world. John McCain, more than any other candidate, offers steady, tested leadership to lead us through these important times.

Can’t say I’d argue with that. Read the whole thing.

Meanwhile, in between campaign stops, Sen. McCain took time for his weekly blogger call. I haven’t been able to call in for several weeks for a variety of reasons (I probably will next week), but Fausta did and took some notes which she’s published here. And as usual, Jim Geraghty was also in the call, and has his writeup here. I’d encourage others to participate in the blogger calls–the way it’s looking, John McCain might very well be our nominee, and you will be better informed after calling in. I’d also venture to say that whatever reservations you may have may be alleviated somewhat.

I think I’m gonna go out on a limb and say if Fred! doesn’t do well in South Carolina, I’ll be on the Straight Talk Express.

(I know, I never thought I’d be saying it either, but you’ll hear more from me about that if/when the time comes.)

Here’s the latest ad running in South Carolina, “Tied Up.”

What, you don’t like that I’m shilling for John McCain? Do something about it, then. Make Fred a viable candidate.
Time to put up or shut up.

A brokered convention? Let’s hope not.

God, I hope not. In the Washington Post’s The Trail blog, the possibility is considered.

Yes, yes, we know. Every four years, the political class, including wise-acre journalists, gets all caught up in breathless speculation about the prospect of a brokered convention. After all, no presidential nomination has required more than a single ballot since 1952 and the prospect of actual drama seems like such a refreshing thought at conventions that in recent times have been sucked dry of any suspense whatsoever. And then every four years, the notion evaporates as modern political reality takes hold again.
…
The talk has only escalated as Iowa and New Hampshire voters weighed in. “None of our candidates seem to be able to break through,” former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum said on Fox News last week as voting began in the Granite State. “And if you look at the candidates, all have serious problems. I think, it’s my prediction, I think we’re headed for a brokered convention. I don’t think we’re going to get a nominee.” Former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) even postulated that a contested convention could be a useful thing for a Republican Party trying to find its way after President Bush. “I just think there’s nothing unhealthy about the Republican Party having a serious discussion,” he said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.” “We are at the end of the George W. Bush era. We are at the end of the Reagan era. We’re at a point in time where we’re about to start redefining … the nature of the Republican Party in response to what the country needs.”

The conventional wisdom, of course, is that a brokered convention is good news for political journalists and junkies but bad news for a party. While the opposition rallies around a single leader in the spring, your party is divided and wasting resources with internal fighting all the way until the end of summer.

Well, why the hell do you think Kos wanted Romney to win Michigan? (For the record, I doubt they had much effect on the outcome–I think Romney would have won without the idiotarian help.)

But the point is correct: the longer this drags out, the faster the candidates’ campaign war chests drain. Well, except Romney’s, of course, but I’m not yet confident that he can win in November anyway. And let’s face it–Hillary and Obama have massive war chests. Our guys? We’ve got a lot of catching up to do, and we won’t catch up until we have a nominee, if we do at all. Remember, Bush had a huge pile of money going in to the primaries in 2000. This time around, we’re scraping around to get money for ad buys in each state because the big donors are waiting for a sure thing. I mean, if you’re looking to wisely invest big bucks, which one do you bet on? Thompson, who hasn’t even come close to a primary win (yet)? McCain, who has only won New Hampshire and has issues with many conservatives, but as of now is the only candidate who polls a win against the Democrats? Huckabee, who’s only won Iowa but has a dedicated base? Romney, with his “two golds and two silvers” but whose support looks soft? Or Giuliani, whose campaign looks dead but promises to come to life in Florida? A year ago, I figured Giuliani would be the nominee. Hell, two years ago, I figured George Allen would be the nominee. Who knows? Michigan didn’t decide anything, and apparently, neither will South Carolina.

I don’t want a brokered convention–at all. Nor do I think there will actually be one. Sure, it’d be fun to watch, but I want to WIN. Badly. I just wonder if other Republicans want to win as badly as I do–or more to the point, as badly as the Democrats do.

What this year’s primary season is showing, though, is the huge diversity of views in this country; the issues important to Michigan voters, for example, are not the issues important to Iowa or New Hampshire voters. And as we’ll see in South Carolina, Florida, and on “Super Tuesday,” those states’ issues will be different as well. Whichever candidate can best represent the issues of all regions should rightfully be the nominee. This is why I think Fred Thompson made a mistake getting in to the process late–he didn’t have the early months for his views–approved of by most conservatives–to become well-known. This is also why I have doubts about John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, and especially Mike Huckabee: they all have things that are objectionable to most Republican voters to varying degrees. But so does Mitt Romney, and I have doubts about Romney’s electability in November. I personally can live with the disagreements I have with each of them, some more than others, but can and will other Republican voters?

How badly DO Republicans want to win? And are those like me the only ones who think a Democratic presidency in 2008 would be a disaster, not “good for the GOP” as some conservatives say (wrongly, IMHO)? Why are we demanding perfect candidates now when we never did before? I say that it’s because we’re more informed about the candidates’ voting records and things they’ve said, thanks to the 24-hour news cycle and the internet (especially with blogs and YouTube). No longer are we stuck with the spin machines and sound bites; we can do our own research and either confirm our biases or find things that are “unacceptable. I’d say that even if Ronald Reagan were running in 2008, there would be people who would find things “unacceptable” as well. Remember, Reagan was once a Democrat, and a union president (the SAG) at that! (Oh noes, a flip-flop!)

Again, I don’t think we’ll have a brokered convention, but if voters insist on perfection and we end up with no candidate having enough delegates, it could happen–and this won’t be a brokered convention like those that existed decades ago, not with 24-hour news and the internet. We also won’t end up with a “perfect candidate,” either. If it happens, I assure you, we will not win in November.

(Note: I left out L. Ron Paul Hubbard and sadly, Duncan Hunter, because they’re irrelevant to the discussion, obviously.)

Fred Thompson’s new ad: “Always”

This will be running in South Carolina starting tomorrow, thanks to your donations! It looks like Fred’s message is starting to catch on there, too, according to Rasmussen’s recent polling data.

Keep filling the red truck!

Fred Thompson Rocks the Debate

The focus group loved him. Ron Paul? Not so much. LOL.

I’m still trying to find video from the Luntz group rating RP “the lowest in any debate ever” when he was shrieking like Adam Gadahn about Iran. ;-)

Lots of links to praise of Fred Thompson’s performance in the debate at The Fred File here and here. Video of key moments are here. While you’re there, make a donation!

Fred Thompson also got an important endorsement today from Human Events. If there’s any doubt about who the consistent conservative is, this ought to settle it.

We begin by recalling the profound words of Ronald Reagan at the Conservative Political Action Conference Feb. 15, 1975: “A political party cannot be all things to all people. It must represent certain fundamental beliefs which must not be compromised to political expediency or simply to swell its numbers.” We believed that then, and we believe it now. The issue for us — and for the conservative community — boils down to which of the candidates is most representative of the fundamental conservative principles we believe in. The answer is Fred Thompson.
…
We make this endorsement on the basis of much research, having interviewed Sen. Thompson and some of his opponents, as well as examining what they have all said and done. We conclude that Thompson is a solid conservative whose judgment is grounded in our principles.

Read the rest here.

Read about Fred Thompson and why you should support him.

Fred Thompson’s biography

Fred’s principles

His policy papers:

Border Security and Immigration Reform

Improving our Military

Tax Relief and Economic Growth

Social Security Reform

Reducing Government Spending

Israel

Education

Values

FDTV where you can watch campaign videos

Fred’s YouTube channel

Here are other places to talk about Fred:

FredHeads.com

Draft Fred Thompson