Somebody asked me a while back who I believed gave the GOP the best chance to retain the White House in 2008. In the course of touting Giuliani and Pelosi/Reid, I noted that a GOP ticket I think could gain real traction would be Giuliani / Thompson.
McCain, for all his laudable commitment to seeing the Iraq campaign through, was done, I thought (and God Bless frickin’ America for that! I mean, if we’re going to have an egomaniacal statist as President, I’d just as soon it be a Democrat, so we can blame the inevitable fall of Western Civilization on her or Obama), and Gingrich, as a potential VP choice, is so busy trying to be a politician that all he’s succeeded in doing is looking like a politician: opportunistic, calculating, and a bit robotic—though in his smaller debate appearances he has, by many accounts, been brilliant).
Thompson’s quick, humorous, homey, and confident video rejoinder to Michael Moore’s debate challenge over health care (whatever the initial provocation)– coupled with his tough stance on immigration in the wake of the “reform” bill that has reliable GOP backers threatening to leave the party and build giant, razor wire-trimmed fences in their own backyards in protest—has boosted him to number 2 in the straw polls, and this before he has even declared.
Romney, of course, remains very much in the mix—but he is too polished and plastic, it seems to me, and I don’t think many on the right, other than strict GOP loyalists with an eye toward “pragmatic” choices, respond well to that kind of candidate. Plus, I understand there’s some kind of issue with his undies.
And besides, Romney seems to talk better than he performs, if you can believe the Reason analysis (print edition, in a handicapping of the GOP candidates; though elsewhere in Reason, David Weigel describes Romney as looking “like a Ken doll sculpted out of ham.” Feministe weeped). So he may not show so well under closer scrutiny of his record.
I think many Republicans would prefer a Thompson / Giuliani ticket, but I’m not sure Thompson can win over social liberals and moderates; but he would certainly excite the GOP base—and, I predict, would absolutely destroy his VP opponent in debates (as would Gingrich, but his baggage is, let’s admit, quite hard to overcome).
Thoughts?
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update: Allah points out the Thompson has already ruled out a VP role.
Which, while true, is pretty much standard fare for presidential contenders these days. I don’t think Thompson is lying; I just think he could probably find reason to reconsider, if it turned out it could help keep Hillary Care and an ostrich-like return to the days when we’d reached “end of history” at bay.
I’m thinking Thompson/Romney, myself. Two bald guys on the ticket isn’t a good thing, especially two such as Thompson and Giuliani, whose egos would probably clash a lot. Romney is the quiet sort and younger, and would be willing to wait his turn while being a great, unobtrusive (compared to Cheney) VP.
Romney may have a great profile and a granite jaw, but he ain’t got no charisma–which counts for a great deal in politics. Fred’s got the philosophy–so far–and the personality. He didn’t get all those acting roles because he’s uninteresting. No contest.
People don’t vote for ideological reasons alone.
But dude: Romney has The Hair.
Rudy is running for the nod from the wrong party, or so it seems.
I could vote for Thompson.
The top three issues it seems to me are:
1. The War
2. Immigration
3. The Price of Gas
Usually, as we all know, if the economy is good, then the incumbent and/or his party stay in power, unless the leaving POTUS has angered people (cf. 2000).
The GOP base, on the other hand, has the following top issues:
1. The War
2. Immigration
3. Abortion
No Right to Lifer has a chance in 2008, and that means fewer broken glass Republicans and therefore the balance—absent anything else—should shift to the Dems.
The war is going to stick to the GOP. Immigration is going to stick to both. So whereas I’d be happy to vote for Thompson I don’t think he, or any other Republican, is going to be able to pull it off.
Query: What proportion of the Hispanic vote goes Republican? Just curious.
Thompson has zero motivation to be VP. Which would you prefer?
1. Dancing to Giuliani’s tune and attending funerals of foreign despots
2. Appearing on TV in a dramatic role every week and saying whatever the heck you wanted to about politics
If Thompson liked political power and position for its own sake, he would not have given up a Senate seat that was his for the running.
I think Thompson’s got a good chance to break through as the GOP nominee, and I think he would beat anyone the Democrats could put up against him. But VP? No way.
When Fred! announces, he’s going to throw Jack Bauer into the ring.
If the VP debates are sponsored by Northwest Airlines, maybe Gingrich’s baggage will end up in Sydney, Australia.
I don’t think he’d take a position of power for power’s sake. I think he’d take one for the sake of making sure that the country isn’t being run by a Democratic congress and Democratic President.
Or else he might find himself with a liberal co-DA on “Law & Order”. BECAUSE OF THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE!
As I’ve noted before, the President has little to do with abortion policy—and Giuliani has vowed to nominate justices like Alito and Roberts, who aren’t likely to expand abortion through any of their rulings.
But Giuliani appeals to people’s sense of fairness—and so far, he has won over many in the GOP.
This is, of course, well in advance of any election. I reserve the right to change my mind when the debating gets serious.
It’ll be either Guiliani or Thompson. Giuliani has miles of video of him acting presidential at the WTC that should be enough to blow any Democrat competitor out of the water, if applied correctly. Unfortunately, I think he’ll shoot himself in the foot trying to appeal to the Left. He’s already started.
Thompson, however, is potentially another Reagan. I think he’s the man for the time. He’s been smart enough to lay back and he seems to have a real grasp of what the public wants. Plus, he oozes charisma. Someone who’s not on the radar right now will be his Veep. Romney won’t work. (America’s not ready for a Mormon.)
I’d like to see Thompson get the nod, he’s taller than Bush 1 and will win. But I still think that the guy who will get the GOP nomination is McCain maybe with Romney holding down the undercard.
I don’t want him to, but he’ll get it. And the GOP will lose to a Democrat one-termer not named Obama.
TW: that14 is still my call at this late date.
Allright, I am in a surly mood today so I am going to just go ahead and set a fire up in here:
The President can’t do jackshit about abortion, people. If you want to outlaw abortion, you are going to need a Constitutional Amendment, which is a Congressional matter. Please quit fucking over your party and your country by obsessing on the abortion policy of Presidential candidates because it doesn’t fucking matter!
Look! Over there! Windmills!
Thompson shouldn’t campaign. Everyone’s going to be so puke-sick by the time the election rolls around, they’ll just all write him in as a way of thanking him for not pestering the living shit out of them.
I think that he should just hang around and make the media come to him.
Let’s face it — Thompson has the top spot if he wants it. Americans are looking for an alpha male that can stand up to the alpha male (oops, sorry Hillary; female) that will be nominated by the other party. Plus, Hillary has quite a problem on her hands — she’s not comfortable enough in her own skin to have a truly competent running mate. That leaves Thompson with a host of possible VP choices that could eat Obama’s lunch in any debate (Gov. Pawlenty, Giuliani, and even Romney).
Hear hear!
I would like to note that this applies to both parties. This one issue has done more to warp the political process in this country than any other; it can’t come off the table fast enough.
Well, whatever happens with Thompson I look forward to when The Nation pitchman Sam Waterson runs for D.A. on the show. Would it be possible to pull off 5 consecutive episodes of trials about hatecrimes? I’m as excited to find out as anyone.
Rudy’s my favorite, with Thompson a close second, and I think Rudy/Fred is a killer ticket.
However, Allah says both are on record stating that they aren’t interested in the VP position.
Which is what I would expect a strong candidate to say as long as the top spot is still in play. But I bet either might relent in the right circumstances.
I think Thompson/McCain would be brilliant. Fred could let John get out front on Iraq and foreign policy, keeping him away from those areas where he tends to act like a total tool.
Total agreement Jeff. So far, I’d volunteer for Thompson (if I wasn’t in DC and therefore could possibly get killed for doing so), vote for Guiliani, and work against McCain.
I don’t think either Thompson or Giuliani would want the VP position, but I’d be pretty happy with either of them as the candidate, and having them as the top two would be pretty good, I think, and might be one of those cases where a real nomination contest makes the winner stronger for it.
I could support Thompson/ Guiliani or Guiliani/ Thompson maybe. That said, I worry that the GOP is no longer a viable vehicle for the policies libertarians, classical liberals and conservatives want advanced.
Face it, the GOP’s great policy initiatives since welfare reform have been have been campaign finance control (ie the control of free speech) immigration amnesty (the terrorist embedment enablement act), The Department of Homeland Security with Michael Chertoff and a medicare bill that no one knows how we will pay for. Not a distinguished record. And frankly they don’t appear to have taken 2006 as a lesson, either. What now?
Fred / Condi.
Oops, just drooled on my t-shirt.
Fred/Steele
Fred/Hutchison
Damn, Bob, posted mine after you. Steele would be awesome and steal (pun intended) votes from Obama. Plus, he’d eat him up in a real debate.
Thompson/Hunter anyone? Sounds like a fine bottle of wine or a trendy sub-division doesn’t it? Its a bit telling that the man who hasn’t formally declared is leading the polls already. Rudy is a rat. He may have done the right thing on 9/11, but just like Mr. Bush, he doesn’t have anything else going for him. mccain is a tumbling tumble weed, blowing in whatever direction the lame stream media says is public opinion. Except for supporting the troop surge, he blows (hehehe).
Fred/Steele: Two tall, bald, alpha dudes, campaigners par excellence, 16 years baby! If Fred really wants to shake things up, when he announces he should have Michael Steele at his side. “Already decided who my V.P.s gonna be. America, take us or leave us. From this day forward we are going about the business of earning your votes and getting ready to govern.”
Guiliani/Hunter
Sorry, but I think that it would be a big mistake to elect Thompson. He had his opportunity to shine during the illegal campaign finance hearings during the Clinton Administration and he had his hat handed to him by John Glenn.
I didn’t catch either debate and know absolutely nothing about Duncan Hunter – don’t even know what the guy looks like – but he seems to be getting rave reviews from conservatives for his performance. Since he has no chance of becoming president it seems that the number two slot is a better fit, especially if Guiliani is heading the ticket.
I hate to be the wet blanket here, but until the GOP figures out what it is, who it runs won’t matter.
A party caught this flat footed by the reaction to the immigration bill simply doesn’t have its finger on its consituent’s pulse, or even its own.
Purely as an exercise in winning an office, without any concern at all for any of the philosophical underpinnings that go with it, Fred and Condi would be pretty good.
But whether it would be any evidence at all that the party has decided to take congressional ethics, immigration, taxes, Iran or any thing other than simply winning elections seriously is another matter.
Before anyone gets started, I agree the Democrats are worse, especially on national security, but the gap is narrowing. And there comes a time when the misbehaviour of the other party no longer justifies the lack of coherence in yours.
Right now the Republicans need to be deciding, really deciding, what they are, what they will support and what they will oppose. After that, they need to tell the rest of us the truth about what they’ve decided. Until they do that…
Except for Fred, about whom I admit I really don’t know as much as I should, none of the candidates for the GOP nomination excites me—at least, not in a good way. The odds are that no matter who the nominee is I’m not going to like him much, if at all.
I don’t need oddsmakers, though, to tell me I won’t like the Democrats’ nominee. So, as long as the GOP ticket doesn’t have any slobbering media whores on it, I’ll almost certainly support it.
Can’t argue with McGehee.
McGehee,
Trying to decide which party is merely horrible and which party is horrible with an oakleaf cluster is sort of depressing, isn’t it?
Thompson/Guiliani would be as cool and as likely as Norris/Bolton’s mustache.
What’s going to happen is that Fred! and Guiliani are going to split a sizable amount of Republican voters, allowing one of these combo’s to gain the nomination:
Romney/Some social con
McCain/Feingold
Ron Paul/Rosie O’Donnell
McCain/Paul would attract the truthers and the war supporters and the war haters all at the same time. It would be the perfect pollster sort of ticket.
Thompson/Steele? Drool, drool. Too good to be true!
ABM – Anybody But McCain.
I just don’t want anyone running as a C (conservative) who holds many a L (liberal) views to end up governing like an N (nanny).
I was suckered in by Bloomie’s ‘tough on terror’ talk which ended up superceding his ‘anything goes at the taxpapers expense’ talk and now I’m stuck living in a world with the smoker police, the fat police, the green police, the speech police and the gun-conrol police while my taxes are as high as ever and the only thing Bloomie really did about that ‘tough on terror’ talk was to fund an Islamic madrassa in Brooklyn and profile eldery white women in the subway.
Sorry man. it ain’t about abortion it’s that I cannot put my faith in mere words uttered by social liberal politicians; they are creepy when they have power.
Fred Thompson all the way!
http://www.imao.us/ has a handy Fred Thompson fact of the day. A sampling:
Fred Thompson once stood on our south border and glared at Mexico. There was no illegal immigration for a month.
Fred Thompson has a cameo appearance in the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie. He plays the force of nature.
Usually for a bill to become a law, it has to be passed by the House and the Senate and signed by the President, but once Fred Thompson made a bill into law by saying, “This bill is now the law” and punching Bill Clinton in the nads.
When Fred Thompson had to watch Sleepless in Seattle with his wife, somehow that version had ninja attacks, gun fights, and explosions. He still thought it was gay.
It’s about time people figured that out.
I like Thompson for President very much. I also think Duncan Hunter would make a wonderful VP candidate.
Rumsfeld and Bolton.
Thompson/Hunter and Regis as SoS.
Thompson/Romney, but pre-announce the following cabinet spots before the election: Giuliani at Homeland Sec — use him to campaign hard, and then use his clout to actually FIX that dysfunctional department. Keep Rice at State and Gates at Def for international continuity. Olsen at Justice. Find a cabinet spot of some sort for Mike Huckabee and Michael Steele.
Naw. Get Rice out of State. Put Gingrich in. Or Bolton.
1) There’s no way Thompson would accept VP. It’s not his style, and he doesn’t need politics the way others do. Maybe a cabinet position – but not VP. SecDef?
2) Of all the GOP nominees, Rudy has the best chance of winning the general against any of the Dems. I sure hope the GOP has the foresight to put him on the ticket. I do’nt think Thompson would have the same appeal to the middle and left, and those blocs are far more important in the general than the right (which it’s taken for granted will vote for whomever the GOP chooses).
3) I predict that Rudy will select a woman to be his VP. Someone from the South.
McCain would be an interesting SecDef.
Fuck yeah!
Thompson and Hunter. Aside from the fact that you’d get an hysterical bumpersticker out of it, try playing the chickenhawk card on Duncan Hunter…