Fred Thompson is not Ronald Reagan; Just his political heir

No one is Ronald Reagan. Dutch was one of a kind. Fred Thompson is the first to acknowledge that fact and the first to credit Ronald Reagan when credit is due. But that won't stop pundits and bloggers from drawing the inevitable comparisons and contrasts.

Indeed, Thompson does share some significant qualities with Dutch. The former Tennessee Senator and actor seems to have Reagan's ability to sense the mood of the country. He has a commanding presence, and his communication skills are unmatched among today's presidential aspirants. Like Reagan, Fred Thompson clearly sees the dangers facing our nation, but he is optimistic in his assessment that we can triumph over these challenges. And both have the rare ability to sell conservative solutions to people who do not consider themselves conservative, i.e., the crucial swing voters who decide elections in this country.

But those are all "big picture" concepts. How do the two men stack up on specific issues? To answer my own question, I compared Reagan's Vote/Match questionnaire responses to Fred Thompson's Senate/Match answers. The results were a bit suprising, even to a committed Fredhead like your humble scribe.

Topic 1: "Abortion is a woman's right"
Reagan: Opposes
Thompson: Strongly Opposes

Topic 2: "Require companies to hire more women & minorities"
Reagan: No Opinion
Thompson: Favors

Topic 3: "Sexual orientation protected by civil rights laws"
Reagan: Opposes
Thompson: Strongly Opposes

Topic 4: "Teach family values/allow prayer in public schools"
Reagan: Strongly Favors
Thompson: Favors

Topic 5: "More federal funding for health coverage"
Reagan: Opposes
Thompson: Opposes

Topic 6: "Privatize social Security"
Reagan: Strongly Favors
Thompson: Favors

Topic 7: "Parents choose schools via vouchers"
Reagan: Favors
Thompson: Strongly Favors

Topic 8: "Death Penalty"
Reagan: Favors
Thompson: Favors

Topic 9: "Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws"
Reagan: Favors
Thompson: No Opinion

Topic 10: "Absolute right to gun ownership"
Reagan: No Opinion
Thompson: Strongly Favors

Topic 11: "Decrease overall taxation of the wealthy"
Reagan: Strongly Favors
Thompson: Favors

Topic 12: "Immigration/Free movement of people/Citizenship"
Reagan: Favors
Thompson: No Opinion

Topic 13: "Support & expand free trade"
Reagan: Strongly Favors
Thompson: Favors

Topic 15: "More spending on armed forces"
Reagan: Strongly Favors
Thompson: Strongly Favors

Topic 18: "Reduce/replace use of coal, oil, & nuclear energy"
Reagan: No Opinion
Thompson: Opposes

Topic 19: "Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it"
Reagan: Strongly Favors
Thompson: Favors

Topic 20: "Allow churches to provide welfare services"
Reagan: Favors
Thompson: Favors

Two issues asked completely different questions, so I left them out.

Ronald Reagan on VoteMatch

Fred Thompson on SenateMatch

Notice that Reagan was more conservative than Thompson on seven issues (affirmative action, family values/prayer in schools, privatizing Social Security, Three Strikes, taxing the rich, free trade and drug use).

Thompson was more conservative than Reagan on six issues (abortion, gay rights, school vouchers, gun rights, immigration, and energy).

The two men were equally conservative on four issues (federal health care, death penalty, defense spending and church-provided welfare).

Consider the range of responses to the questions (Stongly Opposes - Opposes - No Opinion - Favors - Strongly Favors), and you'll discover that the only issue on which Thompson and Reagan differ by as much as two orders of magnitude shows Fred to hold a more conservative position:

Topic 10: “Absolute right to gun ownership”
Reagan: No Opinion
Thompson: Strongly Favors

That's very close overall. As I said, much closer than even I expected. Yet the website characterized Reagan as "a Hard-Core Conservative," while judging Thompson to be "a Moderate Populist Conservative." Well, that's their opinion, but Fred is no moderate.

No, Fred Thompson is no Ronald Reagan, but he's closer to Reagan on the issues than most other candidates. For that reason and all of the more obvious ones (communications skills, media savvy, commanding presence, etc.), Fred Thompson IS Reagan's logical political heir.

- Sturm Ruger, FAQMaster

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I'm sure Fred Thompson would be flattered by the comparison. But maybe the first prerequisite for the office of president is that the man be able to stand on his OWN two feet. I have not heard of one great man that was known because he was an updated version of another. I like Fred Thompson for who he is, not because he is Ronald Reagan incarnate.

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Me too, Mr. T.  I see a lot of similarities between them.  There are some things I like better about Fred and some I liked better about Reagan. 

I think Fred has been a little embarrassed or maybe concerned at times about people comparing him to Reagan.  He has never thought of himself that way.  He has a lot of admiration for Reagan but he says that he is his own person.  It would be hard to fill Ronald Reagan's shoes.

I thought it was neat to see the similarities and differences in their voting records too.

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Also, Ronald Reagan is no Fred Thompson.  Just share some good values!

Another difference--Reagan actually announced he was running for President!

All right,  I thought Fred was going to announce on the 4th. This is really getting on my nerves now.

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LOL, actually Firewing he said "around" the 4th of July.  One of the reporters mis-reported his comment and reported that it would be the 4th.  Fred said not the 4th.  It will be soon though.  The suspense is killing me.  Now I'm hearing the 9th.   He's running though. 

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Thanks, Melinda.  I'll be looking forward to the 9th now! 

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I've stopped trying to pin it down.  A lady in another forum says she has sources and they say the 9th but that's all I've heard.  Others say he said he will announce in Tennessee.  I really don't know.  It is obvious though that he is running. 

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FireWing, I found this opinion piece from the New York Post.  I'm anxious for him to announce but in a way it doesn't matter because he IS running.

HOW FRED'S TURNING INTO A $TEALTH GOP POWERHOUSE

July 7, 2007 -- FRED THOMPSON has decided not to declare his candidacy anytime soon, and it's not hard to see why.

Running a stealth campaign, the former "Law & Order" TV star has done a lot more than just take the lead in several polls.

Behind the scenes, Thompson and his die-hard supporters are quietly building a huge nationwide campaign for the White House.

In the past 10 days, "Fred's Fans" have:

* Raised more than $1 million with just two fund-raisers, including $300,000 in Atlanta last night.

* Hired key operatives around the country and are in talks with several more recently laid off by John McCain's crumbling presidential campaign.

* Made significant strides toward the nearly $5 million that Thompson's "First Day Founders" have committed to raising as seed money for a full-fledged presidential campaign.

In doing so, Thompson has shown he can raise as much cash as other Republicans who have been in the field for months, if not years.

When the first reports came out about Thompson jumping into the race, all the speculation was that he would formally announce his campaign during the Fourth of July holiday week.

But, learning lessons from McCain's once-powerhouse campaign, Thompson doesn't want to get ahead of himself.

Even McCain insiders admit that a major reason they are nearly broke with no real prospects for recovery is that they rushed out and bought a big national campaign way before they were in a position to pay for it.

Thompson isn't going to make that mistake.

"Thompson is playing it very carefully," said one GOP operative who isn't working for any campaign yet. "He gains nothing by getting ahead of himself right now."

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Well, as I see it Fred Thompson is pretty smart.  By not announcing FDT can have a explorer committee, therefore the money he receives he does not have to declare it.  Once FDT declares for president, he will have to declare the money coming in by campaign contributions.  PRETTY SMART!

 

 

Be careful what you wish for.  Look whose behind Fred?

Thompson hires Florida aide with close ties to Bush family 

The undeclared presidential bid of former Sen. Fred Thompson continues to add pieces to its campaign puzzle as it has now hired its top operative for the key state of Florida, a source close to the Thompson campaign told The City Paper.

Longtime Republican consultant Randy Enwright will be the Thompson campaign’s main operative in Florida, which besides being a crucial state in the general election also is an early primary state.

Florida’s primary is Jan. 29, a few days prior to the onslaught of states, including Tennessee, which will hold their primaries Feb. 5.

Enwright has ties to the Bush family in Florida and beyond, working for or consulting on behalf of the campaigns of Presidents George H.W. Bush and President George W. Bush, as well as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/news.php?viewStory=56931

 

 

 

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SoCal Native said:

Be careful what you wish for.  Look whose behind Fred?

Thompson hires Florida aide with close ties to Bush family 

The undeclared presidential bid of former Sen. Fred Thompson continues to add pieces to its campaign puzzle as it has now hired its top operative for the key state of Florida, a source close to the Thompson campaign told The City Paper.

Longtime Republican consultant Randy Enwright will be the Thompson campaign’s main operative in Florida, which besides being a crucial state in the general election also is an early primary state.

Florida’s primary is Jan. 29, a few days prior to the onslaught of states, including Tennessee, which will hold their primaries Feb. 5.

Enwright has ties to the Bush family in Florida and beyond, working for or consulting on behalf of the campaigns of Presidents George H.W. Bush and President George W. Bush, as well as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/news.php?viewStory=56931

 

 SoCalNative, You amaze me and all your FDT Bashers.  What are you really scared of?  Are you a Ron Paul follower?  Because all the Ron Paul followers want to destroy FDT and his record.  Their is nothing wrong with being a Ron Paul follower if you like being a losers!

 

 

The only thing that Bush has done that has been wrong IMO has been the immigration fiasco.  Other than that I don't have a problem with Bush.  Fred needs to find good people wherever he can find them.  Not all of Bush's people support or approve of what he has been doing. 

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HFTD, it will be that way until President Fred takes office.  Expect it to get worse.  The only way Ron Paul would win the nomination would be if all the others quit.  They think that if they can publish enough dirt on Fred and convince people that it's true, that Ron Paul will win, but he won't.  I don't pay any attention to Ron Paul's inflated poll numbers or anything else.  The only competition Fred has for the nomination is Rudy. 

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Melinda in TN said: HFTD, it will be that way until President Fred takes office.  Expect it to get worse.  The only way Ron Paul would win the nomination would be if all the others quit.  They think that if they can publish enough dirt on Fred and convince people that it's true, that Ron Paul will win, but he won't.  I don't pay any attention to Ron Paul's inflated poll numbers or anything else.  The only competition Fred has for the nomination is Rudy. 

 

Melinda, I don't worry about the Ron Paul followers.  I think it is kind of funny!   They spend more time attacking FDT.  All I would like to say is Ron Paul followers and democratics are the same!

Amen HFTD.   

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First of all, I'm not a Ron Paul supporter - yet. 

Don't assume.  You know what that does.

 

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I hope those that read this will not jump to conclusions that I am a Ron Paul follower.......nor am I bashing Thompson. I have to be honest when I say I am shying away from anyone with any ties to Bush. The hiring of Enright in and of itself is not as alarming as Enright along with Cheney's daughter

I think most of us agree we must get illegal immigration under control, there fore this speech by Mr. Thompson does send up red flags to me. The coming election is crutial and I believe we all need to be as informed as possible which is why I continue to look at all candidates even though I already know who I want because I believe the sovereignty of the United States is threatened............ 

Fred Thompson takes O.C. star turn By: Jonathan Martin May 5, 2007 11:05 AM EST

Actor and former Republican Sen. Fred Thompson speaks at the Lincoln Club of Orange County's annual dinner in Newport Beach, Calif., Friday, May 4, 2007. Photo by AP SAVE www%2Epolitico%2Ecom%2Fnews%2Fstories... color="#003399">Digg www%2Epolitico%2Ecom%2Fnews%2Fstories... target="new">del.icio.us Technorati www%2Epolitico%2Ecom%2Fnews%2Fstories... target="new">reddit SHARE COMMENT PRINT www%2Epolitico%2Ecom%2Fnews%2Fstories... color="#003399">EMAIL www%2Epolitico%2Ecom%2Fnews%2Fstories... color="#003399">RECOMMEND NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- He was wearing a nicely tailored three button suit along with a pair of what his true-believing audience would’ve called freedom cuffs.  But when former Sen. Fred Thompson gave the after dinner speech to the conservative Lincoln Club at a swanky waterside resort here in Orange County last night, he could have just as easily been on his ABC radio show or even back in his native middle Tennessee. In a much anticipated appearance before a few hundred well heeled Republicans and live C-SPAN audience, Thompson gave a pull-up-a-chair speech that was low key and at times meandering. Enjoying the luxury of not yet being an official presidential candidate, the former senator just had a little chat about some very big issues.  Matters, Thompson said in the closest thing that the speech had to a theme, which were not being properly addressed in Washington. “The government’s too important to leave up to the government,” Thompson declared at the outset. And at a time, he later lamented, “when our problems seem to be getting bigger, our politicians seem to be getting smaller.” Weighty topics like the post-Iraq threat of terrorism and nukes, entitlements and immigration and taxes and health care were going unaddressed, Thompson said, rarely looking down at notes while he spoke, because of the lack of bipartisanship in the capital. He didn’t detail exactly how a President Thompson – or even a candidate Thompson – would repair the discourse and set about getting things done, but he offered reassuring, optimistic rhetoric that what may seem like steep challenges can be overcome they way they’ve always been. “We’ve been there before,” Thompson noted, reminding the crowd about problems the nation has faced in its history. “This is not our first rodeo,” he added to laughs from a crowd more familiar with riding BMWs than bulls. As broad as his well-received speech was, Thompson did hint at some topics he may return to in a presidential bid. He spent more time talking about the importance of free trade than any of the so-called Big Three GOP candidates ever do on the stump. “We need to lower trade barriers, we need to have more trade,” Thompson said, warning against what he called “build[ing] up walls” around the economy.  The Law & Order star hit the right button with the Southern California audience by saying “border security” must be the first priority in reforming immigration. But he also made clear that he would tack closer to the middle on the issue by adding that “the 12 million [illegal immigrants] here aren’t as much as a concern as the next 12 million after that.” The first line – border security – won immediate head nods, murmurs of “m-hmm,” and applause.   His downplaying of the status of the illegal immigrants in the country now drew silence. Thompson’s immigration assessment quickly and not so smoothly gave way to a brief discussion on health care.   But that didn’t last long, and he was rapidly back on more platitudinous ground.

 

What I find amazing about all this discussion is that there are professional political consultants that will work for whomever pays them the money The better they are the more money they make. Give me a break just because someone worked for George Bush's great grandpa does not make him bad. With the republican party defeated last year and another ass kicking coming unless someone comes up with some really good answers to some tough questions every candidate better be looking for someone that has some political savvy. It's kinda like the Holiday Inn Express commercials don't get in a helicopter just because somebody is sitting in the pilots seat.I really would not get in with Ron Paul. This guy doesn't know where he stayed last night.

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blaze................

For over 20 years we have had a Bush/Clinton in the Whitehouse with another Clinton on the horizon.......this concerns me greatly when I see the path this country is headed down.

If we are to get this country back on track, we need to clean house...is Thompson the answer? I really don't know. What I do know is that this country is in serious jeopardy of losing its sovereignty and we need a strong leader to save it...is Thompson the answer? I don't know but when I see any affiliation between current candidates and the Bush family, I am concerned. This is the same reason Romney is not an option for me as he said Jeb Bush would be a good running mate.......

What I do feel strongly about is illegal immigration and the rewarding of legal status to those that violated our laws. Based on Thompsons speech it doesn't appear he will take a strong stand against rewarding those illegally in this country.....