Can Fred Thompson save the Grand Ol’ Party?

By Stephen Fountain, Editor

Filed Under Race for White House 2008 on Jun 16 

A schism has been slowly building over the last few years between the Republican party and its base.  It began, or at least found its footing in the attempted appointment of Harriet Myers to the Supreme Court.  It found steam in the Dubai Ports Deal.  The schism reared its head before the 2006 elections, prompting Republicans to pass a last minute border fence bill.  A fence, ironically, which still hasn’t been erected.

This schism may grow to full fledged revolt if George W. Bush and his accomplices in the US Congress succeed in passing the immigration reform currently being debated.  Is there a candidate who can restore the faith of the Republican base? In a story documenting the courtship of GOP candidates and the Southern Baptist Convention a name emerges:

The name generating perhaps the most excitement among Southern Baptists is someone who hasn’t even entered the race yet: Fred Thompson of Tennessee, the actor and former senator.

The separation that exists between party elites and its loyal base is being played out in the Southern Baptist Convention.

Some Southern Baptists would rather stay out of politics altogether. A small but vocal number of pastors believe the denomination is too cozy with Republicans and too political in general. By flirting with the line separating good citizenship and a grab for power, they say, a denomination already experiencing flat membership risks alienating more people.

But is Fred Thompson the answer?

“Another Southern Baptist called Fred Thompson the Ronald Reagan of the South, and I think he has some of that appeal,” said SBC executive committee president Morris Chapman, adding he hasn’t settled on a candidate yet. “He is a magnetic personality. He seems to articulate his opinions clearly. He seems to be unflappable.”

The nomination may land with one of the other contenders.  The GOP may choose to follow the leadership of Rudy Giuliani or the promises of Mitt Romney. Whoever the nominee, party reunification will be part of the agenda.

Comments

  • http://www.azconservative.org Bruce, Political Columnist

    Can Fred save the Grand Old Party?

    In a word, no.

    Do the Democrats have anything of value to offer?

    In two words, not really.

  • Robin

    Bloomberg is a lightweight, but he could be a Ross Perot if we nominate Fred.

  • Ken H

    After today’s announcement by Michael Bloomberg you might have to include him in your “heavyweight” match.

  • Robin

    Looking at the polls in the early primary states like CA,FL,NY,NJ,and IL Rudy is going to be tough to beat for the nomination.

    I think it is going to be the heavy weight match of the century:

    Hillary vs. Rudy

  • http://friendoffred08.blogspot.com Mike Regan

    With his current momentum, Fred Thompson is almost assured the Republican Nomination. I think one of the strongest Republican tickets out there could be a Thompson-Giuliani Ticket. Forgive me Rudyfans, but America’s Mayor just Does Not have the international foreign policy experience to make him a good President.

  • Jack

    I still can’t understand what Fred brings to the table other than “southern charm” and pithy platitudes. If the country simply needed to be maintained, then Fred would do. However, we have some serious work to do and Fred does not have the skills to resolve them. Someone else needs to save the party and more importantly the country!

  • TL

    If Rudy does not win the nomination, the GOP will lose much more than just the Presidency. Republicans have 21 Senate seats defend and Dems only 12. Most of the vulnerable seats are in Blue states. If we don’t have a strong GOP candidate like Rudy that can complete in Blue states, Hillary will have a filibuster proof senate to ram her agenda through.

    Rudy is the last best hope to save the GOP from a complete collapse in 08.

  • Ken H

    The nomination of Giuliani would be the end of the GOP as a conservative(limited government) party in philosophy(as it still pretends to be) just as it has already ceased to be in reality.

    I wouldn’t mind seeing it happen, though. It’s well past time for the citizenry to see the Repubican Party, taken as a whole, to be the fake “conservative” party that it is.

  • http://www.escouting.net Phil

    If Rudy is the only candidate that can win in ’08 then the party is already dead.

    Neither is true. If conservatives want a libral to be President, then we would vote for a Democrat.

    Http://www.anotherronaldreagan.com

  • mike spagnola

    Go Rudy!!!!

  • TL

    I wish the GOP did have some Rockefeller money. The reality is that all the money is on the Left (ie George Soros)

    I believe that only Rudy can save the GOP from a complete collapse in 08.

  • Dave MacEron

    Most of the 2008 presidential candidates are backed by the money of David Rockefeller in one way or another, and that money is being spent for the purpose of pushing forward the agenda for One World Government, which will greatly benefit international corporations.

    All of these candidates are members of Rockefeller’s Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), which advocates One World Government –

    Fred Thompson (also a member of the pro-war American Enterprise Institute)
    Rudy Giuliani
    John McCain
    Mitt Romney
    Jim Gilmore
    Newt Gingrich
    Hillary Clinton
    Barack Obama
    John Edwards
    Joe Biden
    Chris Dodd
    Bill Richardson