Fred’s right too

Earlier this semester, I endorsed Jeri Thompson for first lady. Fortunately, her husband, Fred Thompson, happens to be the best of the current presidential candidates.\nOf course there are many reasons not to support the other guys. Rudy Giuliani is my very distant second favorite, and if neither of them wins the Republican nomination, I doubt I’ll be able to get very fired up about the 2008 election. But rather than focus on what’s wrong with everyone else, here’s what’s right about Fred.\nThompson’s quick wit and easygoing personality suit him well for the presidency. This is important – don’t just dismiss it as style over substance. After the dismal Jimmy Carter years, Ronald Reagan was able to connect with the American people in a way that restored national unity and pride. His humor and warmth made him one of America’s most loved presidents. One of President Bush’s greatest problems has been that even when he’s had good ideas he’s been unable to communicate them effectively to the American people. Isn’t it time we had a president who made America feel good again?\nThompson decided not to run for re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2002 so he could resume his acting career. Anyone who voluntarily leaves public office for any type of private sector work gets an automatic gold star in my book. Thompson doesn’t seem to crave political power like most of the other candidates. He doesn’t lust for the presidency.\nThompson has clear ideas for the future of the country, not just rhetoric. Regarding Social Security, illegal immigration and military expansion, National Review magazine wrote, “Thompson has set a standard for specificity, conservatism, and soundness that we would like to see the other Republican candidates measure up to.” The Wall Street Journal claimed that Thompson’s tax reform plan “leads the GOP field.” The Club for Growth, an organization promoting low taxes, free markets and deregulation called Fred’s tax proposal “the kind of plan economic conservatives can rally around.”\nThompson’s most important nod of approval came from Rush Limbaugh, who said that the CNN/YouTube debate last week “put on full display the genuine moderate characteristics of all but one of the candidates ... There was one candidate who did not display any moderateness or liberalism ... and that candidate was Fred Thompson.”\nThompson’s Senate voting record is 100 percent pro-life, and he’s been endorsed by the nation’s largest anti-abortion group. But he’s also a federalist who believes in states’ rights to govern themselves. He opposes Constitutional amendments to ban abortion and gay marriage. Basically he’s a small government Reagan conservative who believes people should be free to make their own decisions as much as possible.\nIf you’re a Republican like me, I’m sure you’re sick of the lack of conservatism we’ve seen from elected leaders in recent times. We’re guaranteed to be frustrated for at least four more years if a moderate or a liberal is elected. The direction of the party is decided in the primaries, and if the GOP is to reclaim its conservative legacy, we must nominate Fred Thompson.