How's Fred Thompson doing coming out of the gate? Mighty fine:
With former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson taking his first formal steps towards a Presidential run and the immigration debate creating challenges for Arizona Senator John McCain, the race for the Republican Presidential nomination has an entirely different look this week.Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) remains on top, but his support has slipped to 23%. That’s down two points from a week ago and is his lowest level of support all year. Earlier, Giuliani had consistently enjoyed support in the mid-30s. That was before Thompson’s name was added to the mix and before Giuliani stumbled on the abortion issue in the first GOP debate of the season.
Thompson, who just formed an exploratory committee and is the newest face in the race, immediately moved into second place. With 17% support, he is within six points of the frontrunner. That’s closer than anybody has been to Giuliani in 20 consecutive weekly polls. Thompson is also competitive in a variety of general election match-ups with potential Democratic nominees.
Among men, Thompson earns 21% support while Giuliani attracts 20%
Has Giuliani's presidential aspirations been punctured like a baby's skull during a partial-birth abortion? Has the ICE-y reception of McCain's view on illegal immigration scattered potential supporters like an INS raid on a Hormel plant? We shall see.
UPDATE:
A wonderful link via INDC Bill:
This latest video is from Salon where Travis and Jonathan now have a weekly gig. These guys are so talented; I'd love it if the Comedy Channel gave them a show.
Posted by floridacracker at June 5, 2007 10:05 AMRed State Update on Fred Thompson:
http://www.salon.com/ent/video_dog/comedy/2007/06/05/redstatejackie/
Posted by: Bill from INDC at June 5, 2007 11:44 AMI'm so glad these sweet children could be with us today to hear that fine example of authentic frontier gibberish...
Revahsehrah!
Posted by: tree hugging sister at June 5, 2007 02:12 PMWhen Jackie got excited he sounded just like my old daddy.
Posted by: Donnah at June 5, 2007 02:23 PMI was interested in Thompson -- open mind, willing to get involved if the issues were right -- until I read this long piece this morning in which many Bush Admin. "associates" are identified as being involved with Thompson's campaign, AND that the Bush nephew, Jeb's son, "Jorge" Bush, actually wrote a letter asking for support for Thompson.
Now, wait a minute. These are all the same people and many of the same policies that have us where we are today, which isn't altogether a good place.
Especially the illegal alien problems and the border security compromises -- and, I'm aghast at the SB 1348 (Senate Amnesty Bill) details after now having read the ridiculous, hideous "bill" as written by the Bush White House with complicit Senators.
I can't imagine anything more horrible than ordering up another BUT LARGER order of what we've just known to be untasty fare.
Thompson's an improvement over Guiliani (no to little difference between Guiliani and Hillary Clinton, so what's the point of either campaign if those are the "choices"), and, McCain's a mental case (I sincerely believe so and McCain's very words prove that he is)...but if Thompson represents a replication or continuation of another Bush Administration (looks very likely), I won't support Thompson, either.
We still do not have a genuine Conservative running, with the exception of Mitt Romney on social issues -- but some evangelist in Florida says that Romney's "the devil" (maybe he said he was "Satan," can't recall now but I saved the article with his actual quote if anyone's interested), so already there's some concerns from some as to Romney's sincerity (I still think he's the best talent so far who I've seen among Republicans).
Otherwise, the nation will be under the Anti-Christ (Hillary, since "Satan" and "the Devil" are used at this time, she gets the other title) because many voters like me won't vote for any of these people.
Honestly, I have to lay my head down at night and live with my conscience and there is just no.way I could ever vote for Hillary Clinton, Obama, Edwards (or Biden or Kucinich or...), nor for Guiliani, nor McCain nor Paul nor another configuration of Bush (or Kennedy).
That leaves Duncan Hunter, Tom Tancredo and only Thompson IF he breaks out clean with distinguishing differences from Bush I and II.
Our nation needs new talent and a radical re-do of perspectives. We are NOT getting that as long as we continue to elect and re-elect the same group of people with the same influences from the same shared pool. We really, really need new leadership, someone who the media does not attempt to declare "another Ronald Reagan" or "he's not another Ronald Reagan" or "let's get the Clintons (or Kennedys) back in the White House."
Reagan, Clinton, Kennedy, the Bush family...these folks had their terms, had their Presidency and now we need someone who leads with their own benchmark, not upon someone else's.
I'd support Thompson if he wasn't so enthusiastically supported by the Bush Associate Group...that gives me great pause.
But I enjoy his work on screen.
Posted by: -S- at June 5, 2007 03:02 PMSalon? Hmmm...I never was sure if "Red State Update" was laughing WITH or AT red staters.
I can't imagine Salon hiring them to do the former, but I could be wrong.
Posted by: CJ at June 5, 2007 04:39 PManne coulter doesn't like him, thats almost a guaranteed vote from me. I think anne coulter is a very talented, very affected self righteous bitch.
By very talented and very affective, I mean that she applies those abilities towars her goal of being a self righteous bitch.
I do not like anne coulter.
Posted by: Wickedpinto at June 6, 2007 12:10 AMWP, I sense a rift in the Anne Coulter force in your life..yes ?
Jackie and Dunlap should get a movie deal. Theyre funnier than Larry.
Posted by: csason at June 6, 2007 01:03 AMWhat I've seen of Fred thus far tells me he's the best candidate out there. And I believe he'd clean the floor with The Witch From New York *or* the Empty Suit From Illinois.
The thought that just crossed my mind is that a Fred/Mitt ticket would be the best bet, all things considered.
And there's my prediction.
Posted by: Rob at June 8, 2007 01:31 PM