Pretty decent turnout at the House yesterday for Thompson, 63 Members showed up to meet with him and get his take on the issues and it appears that they were pretty impressed (the Guardian says that they "gushed over him:"
The welcome for Fred Thompson wasn't just warm, it was effusive. The former Tennessee senator and actor is still weighing whether to run for the GOP presidential nomination but House Republicans who met with him Wednesday gushed over the prospects of Thompson candidacy.Well, not all of them were impressed:
They called him presidential, a leader, a proven conservative, an exciting prospect and ``a breath of fresh air.''
``I wanted to come over and see some of my old friends and make some new friends and tell them what was on my mind and listen and to see what was on their minds,'' Thompson said in a brief statement to reporters camped outside the Capitol Hill Club.
``We had a good talk. I enjoyed it, and we'll be seeing some more of each other I'm sure,'' added Thompson, the actor who plays the gruff district attorney Arthur Branch on NBC's ``Law & Order.''
[...]
Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., said: ``there was a breath of fresh air in the room today,'' while Rep. Steve Buyer, R-Ind., added: ``he spoke as though he was a president.'' Rep. David Davis, R-Tenn., said people are looking for a candidate with a proven conservative voting record and ``Fred Thompson's the man.''
Even those congressmen who wouldn't yet commit offered praise.
``Very impressive,'' said Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Fla. ``He has the charisma and the fortitude to lead our nation at what is a very difficult time.'' And Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., called Thompson a straight shooter, and said: ``I'm looking for somebody that can excite America again.''
Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, called Thompson a candidate who ``Americans can get behind'' but said there was one ``glaring error.'' ``It's nearly impossible to get elected if you're bald-headed,'' Gohmert quipped.Oh my heck! The jokes that Thompson and Edwards could throw at each other would be very amusing (Thompson: "Look at how much the nation would safe in haircuts if I were president." Well, he could hire a joke writer who could probably come up with something better than that.)
Steven Hayes of the Weekly Standard has a behind the scenes look at the issues Thompson addressed.
I thought that the picture Jonathan Martin painted was pretty amusing:
63 members, over 30% of the House Republican Conference, showed up to hear former Sen. Fred Thompson speak at the Capitol Hill Club this afternoon. Many liked what they heard. Some are willing to endorse him.I like it that Thompson is playing hard to get, it adds a level of suspense to the election that was sadly missing until he put his toe in the water.
But first he has to get in the race.
"I came over to see some old friends, meet some new friends, and I will see you again," Thompson said outside the building after the private session.
And that was about it.
He actually walked out of the club while some of his House boosters were taking turns at the mic, singing his praises. Were it not for one of those members calling him over to the group, he may have just kept on going. Convinced to say a few words, he did just that -- said a very few words.
Then, ignoring every question shouted at him by the assembled scrum, he walked over solo to a waiting GM Envoy and took off.
But what Thompson didn't say was said by the number of members who took time on a Wednesday -- usually the busiest day during the congressional workweek -- to show up and reinforced by their words after the event.
And I don't think that we should worry if Thompson has "fire in the belly" when others have it for him:
Republican Senator Lamar Alexander is calling around to former senior staffers of his presidential campaigns in New Hampshire, telling them they should get to know fellow Tennessean Fred Thompson.But he does have his work cut out for him:
[...]
Two former staffers confirmed to the Globe they have talked to Alexander. Thompson has yet to make any calls to the state, but Alexander is encouraging his former supporters to “keep their powder dry.”
Fred Thompson, a Republican registering well in national polls as he flirts with a presidential run, is the talk of this town‘s political elite.The national news has been touting this potential candidate for about a month now and you don't check him out? What's up with that?
"You really don‘t hear much about him at all from people around here," said Irene Blom, chairwoman of the Republican Party in Marion County, Iowa. Added Paul Hogan, her counterpart in Georgetown County, S.C.: "He‘s mentioned a little, but there‘s no crescendo yet."
[...]
But for now, at least, GOP activists in each of the first three states to hold primary contests next year say voters there are focusing candidates who already have made their intentions clear. They say Thompson buzz is barely audible.
"I just don‘t see him catching fire at this point right now," said Al Simpson, chairman of the Lancaster County GOP in South Carolina.
[...]
"Does he meet the Republican positions on things? I have no clue," said Dick Barry, a state representative from Merrimack, N.H. "I don‘t know where he stands."
Tags:
