After months of swinging around the political arena, former Tennessee Senator turned actor Fred Thompson announced that he will run for the Republican presidential nomination.
Well, he sort of announced it.
In a conference call with elected officials and party leaders backing his bid, Thompson campaign manager Bill Lacy said Thompson has finished “testing the waters” and will file papers making his candidacy official next Thursday. Thompson will announce his decision on that day in a webcast
So, why not just say it now? Oh, right, because politicians love their dramatics.
Campaign manager Lacy claims they chose a webcast because it ensures Thompson will reach his conservative base. The base that a. already know he’s running and b. want him to win. Isn’t a campaign meant to reach – and persuade – the widest audience?
Tennessee GOP Rep. Zach Wamp definitely endorses Thompson. All of Thompson. “Fred has been working out with a personal trainer. There’s a saying in the South that a lean dog hunts best…” Yes, but can you teach an old dog new tricks?
How about we take this to the next level?
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65-year old Thompson doesn’t support gay marriage, nor does he “approve” of civil unions. Here’s a transcript of Thompson’s March, 2007 conversation with Fox News’ Chris Wallace:
WALLACE: Gay rights.
THOMPSON: Gay rights? I think that we ought to be a tolerant nation. I think we ought to be tolerant people. But we shouldn’t set up special categories for anybody.
And I’m for the rights of everybody, including gays, but not any special rights.
WALLACE: So, gay marriage? You’re against.
THOMPSON: Yes. You know, marriage is between a man and a woman, and I don’t believe judges ought to come along and change that.
WALLACE: What about civil unions?
THOMPSON: I think that that ought to be left up to the states. I personally do not think that that is a good idea, but I believe in many of these cases where there’s real dispute in the country, these things are not going to be ever resolved.
People are going to have different ideas. That’s why we have states. We ought to give great leeway to states and not have the federal government and not have the Supreme Court of the United States making social policy that’s contrary to the traditions of this country and changing that overnight. And that’s what’s happened in a lot of these areas.
Just what this election needs: another “traditional” man with no vision. God bless America.
