My Newsweek magazine arrived today (dated September 10, 2007) with former senator Fred Thompson on the cover. I read the article about his soon-to-be-official candidacy and was amazed to find this sentence at the end of the piece: "Thompson, who has already been president three times in the movies, is about to find out how much harder it is to play commander in chief when you don't have a script."
I could not believe my eyes! I re-read it three more times to be certain I had not misread it or simply skipped a word or two. I hadn't. I think they likely meant to say, "...may soon find out..." or "...play someone running for the office ," but that is not what they printed.
What's with Newsweek? Did they give all their proof-readers and editors Labor Day off? Or are they intentionally, thought subtly, telling us that their choice out of the wide field of wanna-bes is Mr. Thompson.
No matter what the real reason, this is terrible journalism; and an unfortunate close to an otherwise informative and interesting article.
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Comments: 130
De Ja Vu for the "Reagan" years - hmmmmmm
Shoot me now.
Reagan helped bring down the wall and defeat communism as a prime threat to freedom in the world. These are facts, you may not agree with things he believed in but he was 100% American at the heart and tried to always do his best for the country and for the people of the world...
I am grateful to him and am proud to say I voted for him in the first election I could vote.
the whole thing is messier and messier.
Carter's economic woes were the result of his Fed Chief.
Greenspan was the real president these last several years until his retirement.
I don't think Thompson has a real shot, but he will definitely steal votes from the other Republicans and further water down their chances of the Republican Party of ever holding the office for the next couple of terms.
Conservatives will always be at, or near the top in all the Presidential elections. If we ever have another Jimmy Carter, this country will slide into the abyss - just like it did when he was President. Too bad there are no Conservative Democrats running in '08 - the U.S. could use another Scoop Jackson or Sam Nunn.........but this time, in the White House.
www.ronnierayjenkins.com
where the only fodder we like is also loved by the cows.
Did you really use the word Commie. Are you from the McCarthy Era or what?
Jimmie, good brain-scrambling material..
Gezs, guess the history books got it all wrong about Reagan then if he didn't cause the fall of Communism and guess people like Jimmy Carter should be praised for making the appeasement with North Korea to stop thier nuclear weapons development then.
Then when he's elected and we have to count hanging chads again...well
I WARNED YOU!!!!
:)
I like Rudy, I saw how he turned around NYC and I think he is the right man at the right time for us.
He took a city that was in a tailspin, not unlike Reagan taking the helm of the US , and turned it all around.
The United States still reaps the rewards of Reagan's stamp and so too does NYC as a result of Rudy taking the, what was deemed unmanageable, city into the prosperous, thriving safe city it is to day.
The Unites States needs to get serious about our border security, it needs to find its resolve in fighting this war on terror, it needs to keep a vibrant economy stay vibrant.....Rudy can do that for us.
Andrea: Your wish is for smarter voters. Where are they coming from? Look at these comments for instance, are all these words spelled wrong intentionally?
Andrea: As for Reagan, I voted against Carter and then Reagan converted me to a Republican. He was the real deal with a 100% American heart. Unlike your family evidently. I do admit though that Bush is trying his best to push me back to being a democrat. Hell, guess I'll just have to vote for who answers the tough questions the best. A novel idea, I know.
Keith, et al; Personally, I think it is a two-person race already: Rudy vs Hillary.
Jimmy; back to your article. Such 'reporting' on the level of NEWSWEEK is disgraceful. When you get the next issue, let us know if they make a comment of some sort on their fallacy.
Blessings
Reminds me of Mitt Romney in Boston. He came in on the tail end of the Big Dig and when it was near completion, he rode down to the site in a limo, donned a construction hat, and led the press crew around pointing at pieces of construction equipment like he knew what the hell he was talking about. What a poser! If he really wanted the credit for building the piece of crap, then he should go back and talk responsibility for the lawsuits that are going on due to all the poor constrution and death.
These guys are pure and simple politicians. Don't dupe yourselves into thinking that they're brain surgeons or anything. They know how to step in and take credit for other people's efforts with a million dollar smile on their faces.
I know that a lot of proposals were in place. I live in the area, I work for the MTA, I have spent a lot of time in NYC since the days when Mayor Koch was in office. It wasn't until Rudy was elected when things started happening that had a dramatic impact. Koch nor Dinkins cut taxes, Koch nor Dinking reduced spending, Koch nor Dinkins left office with a surplus, Koch nor Dinkins made the police enforce the quality of life laws, Koch nor Dinkins addressed the subway situation like Rudy, Koch nor Dinkins saw crime drop like it did under Rudy.....Let's also not forget how Rudy went after the mob and tossed them out of the Fulton St. fish market, Rudy toppled the status quo that led to the tailspin the city found itself in. Bloomberg ran the first time on the campaign promise to be just like Rudy. Apparently Rudy must have done something right, I don't recall hearing Dinkins running on the platform, I'm going to be like Koch.
Spin it how you like, I know for a fact the city was in such bad shape that it was called unmanageable and Rudy stunned everybody with his success above beyond anything anybody dreamed could be achieved. In the late '80's I hated going into the city, it was a cesspool, today I can't wait to go to do something, no matter what time of day or night, no matter what borough, I've been to them all.
Bottom line, Fred Thompson seems like a good guy, but I think Rudy is more qualified I think Rudy has a resume to run on that puts him head and shoulders above any other candidate Republican or Democrat.
I'll give you an example of leadership or lack thereof. I grew up in Bridgeport ,CT. That former great industrial city has been rebuilding itself since before I was born, the closest thing they have come to a real leader that finally got something done is doing nine years for corruption and the city for all of the surrounding prosperity remains a stagnant pool of promised dreams and no progress.
Rudy is a leader, not just another placeholder. No doubt it takes a lot of people to make it all happen, but it takes one to pull them all together.
Peace... John Edwards in 2008
Juliano has a charming personality and nice smile and is enough of a middle-of-the roader he might make it, but the fact that his firefighters don't like him and that the radio communication problem between police and firefighters hasn't been corrected is a black mark against him.
To be honest, this is just how they see themselves. I saw flipping through the TV at my cousin's, CNN is placing Thompson high on the candidate list as who they think will win too...
It is not up to the media, not even the news media to make statements on who will be President or anythng else. That is up to the people, but the news media seems to think it is up to them to direct us to who they want.
True, Ron Paul would blow either one of them out of the water.
For once, can't we elect someone INTELLIGENT??????????????????? What the hell does this country have against intelligent, well-spoken, educated, experienced people? Why do so many Americans go for the pretty-boy actor type? The guy with the "good ol' boy, I'm just one of the boys" drawl?
Do you think that the fact that Thompson spent years as a lobbyist for one of the most powerful military support companies will have any affect on how he will make decisions in the future? Can you give me your opinion without resorting to stupid, meaningless labels?
And if he was so intelligent and committed to public service and loved serving his country in the governmental area, why did he leave to become an actor? I'm very curious about why someone who was in government to a certain extent would opt out for years, then return to run for the most important position in the country. Just doesn't impress me.
Fred Thompson will be a wonderful president, but I don't have to tell you that, you'll see for yourself.
But this is a good one!
Sorry but Fred is not for me
Rudy and Mitt, John and the rest
Are paying the price and passing the test
When it's down to the wire, then you'll see
The one who wins is Huckabee.
Your resident psychic
Or is that an elephant and donkey show?
Eliminate income tax, True American? Whatever you're sprinkling on your cereal in the morning, I assure you it is not sugar.
I'm frustrated with the way things are currently--I do believe we need to stay the course in Iraq--please don't let us be seen as 'cut and run with our tails between our legs'. If we pull out now, we will be fighting on other battlefields, hopefully not our own.
Don't be guided by partisan views. Try to think for yourselves, not the party line. My parent's were stanch Democrats, my husband a stanch, die hard, Republican, I think I am the biggest middle of the roader I know and don't see anyone on either side who can take us where we need to go.
Maybe we can ask all our religious friends to pray for all of the people on this earth.