Post by Techguy on May 12, 2007 2:39:07 GMT -5
Hollywood Today
Hollywood Offers Own GOP Presidential Candidate
Thursday, May 10th, 2007
“Law & Order’s” Fred Thompson looks to play President for real
By Lagan Sebert
HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 5/10/07 — Hollywood is fielding one of their own into the ranks of Republican presidential candidates with actor/politician Fred Thompson (“Die Hard,” “Law & Order”). While the Democratic field is filled with Hollywood-friendly faces, favorite son Arnold Schwarzenegger inexplicably failed to convince America to change its Constitution so he could run for president.
Which leaves it up to Thompson. He would like to emulate actor/politician Ronald Reagan. And if his supporters have their way, he will get a shot, as rumors abound he’s about to throw his hat in the ring.
The day after the first Republican debate, held last Thursday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, Fred Thompson held his own public event at the Lincoln Club of Orange County. Rumors were rampant that Thompson, the larger than life politician/actor/lobbyist, would announce his candidacy for the GOP ticket.
While the rumors were just that, Thompson did use his opportunity to take stands on many political issues without getting to granular on policy. He stuck to broad popular Republican positions such as curbing immigration, lowering taxes and bringing “backbone” back to Western civilization. While he has not yet announced a candidacy he tried to position himself among the ten GOP candidates that debated the night before on the northern side of the Golden State as a legitimate major candidate if he chooses to run.
“You ever wonder why when our problems seem to be getting larger, so many of our politicians seem to be getting smaller,” said Thompson, making a snide jab at the current group of candidates as he towered above the audience in Orange County. Comments peppered the crowed that he appeared much more “presidential” and “statesmanlike” than other candidates. This is of no surprise, the 6-4, broad shouldered southern man has, in his acting career, played nothing but Alfa-male chieftains. From “Hunt For Red October” to “Die Hard” to “Law and Order”, Thompson’s roles never seem to change. Maybe that’s because, it’s just who he is. For many hopeful republicans, Thompson bears an uncanny similarity to the revered Ronald Reagan.
“Law and Order” must breed presidential fever. Another actor from the show, Sam Waterston, is also involved in White House politics, promoting a bi-partisan presidential ticket.
The GOP debate was thick with nostalgia for the Reagan era. It was held in the Reagan Library, with Nancy seated front and center and it seemed that the only thing that the candidates could agree on was a certain reverence for the Reagan era. According to the Los Angeles Times, the candidates mentioned the late president nearly twenty times during the debate.
Even though Thompson has not announced a presidential candidacy, Republican allies in Washington have petitioned for Thompson to enter the field. And in recent April poles Thompson showed up in the top three of the Republican primary candidates with New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain. This is from a man who has not spent a cent on a political campaign.
It seems that if Republicans are using Ronald Reagan as the prototype for what kind of candidate that they are looking for, an obvious choice would be Fred Thompson. McCain seems to lack the swagger that made candidates such as Clinton and Reagan such likeable candidates, while others such as Romney and Giuliani are having a hard time proving their conservative credentials. Thompson has if anything, too much swagger, and he spouts tough conservative doctrine with the best of them. While there is debate on weather there is substance behind Thompson’s impending stature, many republicans yearn for a strong character such as his.
The Austrian-born Gov. Schwarzenegger dwarfed most of the candidates in stature at the first debates. He positioned himself front and center to show what kind of influence he might wield in the process of kingmaking. Thompson is the only candidate in the bunch that could feasibly refer to the Governator himself as a girly-man. With a nickname Moose, he’s the kind of revved up American strong man that Bush has tried to portray and that so many American’s still yearn for. In the age of mass communications where a politician’s image and personality count as much if not more than their policy stances do, a candidate such as Fred Thompson could break onto the national scene with much more ease than your standard Washington politician.
This entry was posted on Thursday, May 10th, 2007 at 7:15 am.
Hollywood Offers Own GOP Presidential Candidate
Thursday, May 10th, 2007
“Law & Order’s” Fred Thompson looks to play President for real
By Lagan Sebert
HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 5/10/07 — Hollywood is fielding one of their own into the ranks of Republican presidential candidates with actor/politician Fred Thompson (“Die Hard,” “Law & Order”). While the Democratic field is filled with Hollywood-friendly faces, favorite son Arnold Schwarzenegger inexplicably failed to convince America to change its Constitution so he could run for president.
Which leaves it up to Thompson. He would like to emulate actor/politician Ronald Reagan. And if his supporters have their way, he will get a shot, as rumors abound he’s about to throw his hat in the ring.
The day after the first Republican debate, held last Thursday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, Fred Thompson held his own public event at the Lincoln Club of Orange County. Rumors were rampant that Thompson, the larger than life politician/actor/lobbyist, would announce his candidacy for the GOP ticket.
While the rumors were just that, Thompson did use his opportunity to take stands on many political issues without getting to granular on policy. He stuck to broad popular Republican positions such as curbing immigration, lowering taxes and bringing “backbone” back to Western civilization. While he has not yet announced a candidacy he tried to position himself among the ten GOP candidates that debated the night before on the northern side of the Golden State as a legitimate major candidate if he chooses to run.
“You ever wonder why when our problems seem to be getting larger, so many of our politicians seem to be getting smaller,” said Thompson, making a snide jab at the current group of candidates as he towered above the audience in Orange County. Comments peppered the crowed that he appeared much more “presidential” and “statesmanlike” than other candidates. This is of no surprise, the 6-4, broad shouldered southern man has, in his acting career, played nothing but Alfa-male chieftains. From “Hunt For Red October” to “Die Hard” to “Law and Order”, Thompson’s roles never seem to change. Maybe that’s because, it’s just who he is. For many hopeful republicans, Thompson bears an uncanny similarity to the revered Ronald Reagan.
“Law and Order” must breed presidential fever. Another actor from the show, Sam Waterston, is also involved in White House politics, promoting a bi-partisan presidential ticket.
The GOP debate was thick with nostalgia for the Reagan era. It was held in the Reagan Library, with Nancy seated front and center and it seemed that the only thing that the candidates could agree on was a certain reverence for the Reagan era. According to the Los Angeles Times, the candidates mentioned the late president nearly twenty times during the debate.
Even though Thompson has not announced a presidential candidacy, Republican allies in Washington have petitioned for Thompson to enter the field. And in recent April poles Thompson showed up in the top three of the Republican primary candidates with New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain. This is from a man who has not spent a cent on a political campaign.
It seems that if Republicans are using Ronald Reagan as the prototype for what kind of candidate that they are looking for, an obvious choice would be Fred Thompson. McCain seems to lack the swagger that made candidates such as Clinton and Reagan such likeable candidates, while others such as Romney and Giuliani are having a hard time proving their conservative credentials. Thompson has if anything, too much swagger, and he spouts tough conservative doctrine with the best of them. While there is debate on weather there is substance behind Thompson’s impending stature, many republicans yearn for a strong character such as his.
The Austrian-born Gov. Schwarzenegger dwarfed most of the candidates in stature at the first debates. He positioned himself front and center to show what kind of influence he might wield in the process of kingmaking. Thompson is the only candidate in the bunch that could feasibly refer to the Governator himself as a girly-man. With a nickname Moose, he’s the kind of revved up American strong man that Bush has tried to portray and that so many American’s still yearn for. In the age of mass communications where a politician’s image and personality count as much if not more than their policy stances do, a candidate such as Fred Thompson could break onto the national scene with much more ease than your standard Washington politician.
This entry was posted on Thursday, May 10th, 2007 at 7:15 am.